Sequoia Park Zoo was founded in 1907 - the oldest zoo in California, and is owned and operated by the City of Eureka. Its beginnings were modest and typical of many zoos of its day: some native animals – elk, most likely, kept for various reasons and given to the city for the enjoyment of its citizens, who wished to create a metropolitan feel in the remote outpost of Northern California. A fence was erected to contain these animals inside the newly created city park, and a zoo was born. During the early part of the 20th century, animals were brought to the zoo in happenstance manner, a black bear orphaned from an Alaska hunting expedition, a wallaroo purchased on the docks in Sydney, Australia and shipped back to Eureka by a sea captain, etc. During this century, quite a mix of species found a home at Sequoia Park Zoo: baboons, African lions, camels, chimpanzees, tigers, polar bears, bison and other large hoofstock, exotic birds, and small mammals.

The Sequoia Park Zoo is a zoo located in Eureka, California, operated by the City of Eureka. The zoo is part of a larger park complex including 60-acre of mature second-growth coast redwood forest, Eureka's largest public playground, and a duck pond, in addition to meticulously kept formal and natural gardens. The gardens include many varieties of rhododendron. The zoo's mission is "to inspire wonder, understanding and respect for the natural world by providing fun, rewarding, educational experiences that encourage meaningful connections between animals, humans, and our environment". The zoo is open to the public daily, except in winter when it is closed on Mondays. The zoo houses about 200 vertebrates and hundreds of invertebrates, representing about 54 different species on 7-acre. Arrange to visit Sequoia Park Zoo and other attractions in Eureka using our Eureka trip itinerary builder website.