CINCINNATI (WXIX) - It takes years to become one of the best and greenest zoos in the nation - 150 years, to be exact.

Thursday, Sept. 18, marks 150 years since the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens first opened its doors to the public.

At the time, there were not nearly as many animals or exhibits, and admission only cost 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for children.

Today, the zoo is the second-oldest in the U.S., home to hundreds of species and welcomes over 1.8 million visitors each year.

How the zoo got its founding

The Zoological Society of Cincinnati, founded in 1873, started out as a group that wanted to solve Cincinnati’s caterpillar outbreak that was wreaking havoc across green spaces in the city.

Andrew Erkenbrecher, the society’s founder, persuaded the city to import

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