Horticulture at the Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo was designed using the concept of biomes or habitats in which animals live, allowing visitors to see animals in simulated natural environments, see more clearly the importance of preserving the world's varied habitats to maintain diversity of species, and observe more natural behaviors. The habitat collections continued to evolve into a Botanical Collection with thousands of accessioned specimens. In 1995, the Zoo became the nation's first institution to be accredited in three disciplines - habitat botanical garden, zoological park, and aquarium.