Elmwood Park Zoo
Project Information
New Welcome Center & Veterinary Hospital
Elmwood Park Zoo, located in Norristown, Pennsylvania, first opened its gates in 1924. The zoo’s inception began with a small collection of white-tailed deer, housed on a 16-acre parcel of land generously donated by a local private landowner. Over the years, the zoo has expanded significantly and now boasts a diverse collection of over 100 species from around the world, including giraffes, zebras, jaguars, and red pandas.
In May of 2024, Elmwood Park Zoo held a ribbon cutting and celebration of the opening of their new welcome center and state-of-the-art veterinary hospital. The event marked a significant milestone for the zoo in its centennial year.
The new facility includes the 17,000 square-foot Frank & Paige Engro Veterinary Health Center, equipped with state-of-the-art amenities such as a surgical suite, diagnostic lab, indoor and outdoor recovery wards, and an in-house pharmacy. The welcome center incorporates windows to allow visitors to observe medical procedures. The building also offers 8,000 square feet of administrative space above a newly designed entrance plaza with ticket windows, rest areas, and a gift shop.
Barry Isett & Associates provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing & fire protection (MEP& FP) services on the multi-use building including vet hospital, animal exhibit, cafe, guest services and corporate offices. Design features include animal quarantine spaces with pools that include a waterfall effect that utilizes recirculated water, promoting water conservation. A rainwater collection system was installed to reclaim rainwater for both non-potable water purposes, enhancing sustainability. Additionally, solar panels are integrated to harness renewable energy. The design team customized the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to suit the requirements of three distinct ecosystems within the exhibit—aquatic, tropical, and desert—addressing the specific needs of various species.
Isett has provided a full range of engineering services to the Zoo across multiple projects dating back to 1993. Among these, survey and design for the expansion of the zoo to add improvements and additions including a new exhibit space for jaguars and wildcats native to Central and South America. Additionally, Isett provided services related to the development of a grasslands exhibit, sloth exhibit and a barn for housing elk and bison.
