(Click the photograph for a larger view.)
The monkey pit and the Enid Municipal Zoo. Year unknown. The zoo was located on east Garriott, near Government Springs, where the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is now located.
The zoo was started in the early 1950′s and was closed around 1972. Regulations and cost were the major factors in its closing. Many people think there was a ship in the monkey pit when in fact it was an old horse drawn wagon. The sunken ship was at the monkey pit in the Lincoln Park Zoo in OKC.
Color Video from the Enid Zoo:
Thanks to Ken Freed for sending us the video. This is from Ken:
“When I was just a “children”, my Uncle Gene, Aunt Dorothy, and Cousins from El Reno came up to Enid and we all went to the zoo. My Uncle always had a video camera with him. Here is a short clip of my Cousins, older Sister Marcia Cowley, and older brother Phil on a trip to the Enid Zoo. No sound, but some good coverage of the monkey pit. Thanks to my Cousin Jimmy Martin for figuring out how to transfer the old movie films to digital. Also in video are Cousins Rick Martin & Billy Martin (the one that my Aunt Dorothy didn’t want to fall in the monkey pit).”
The color photos below are from the WW Evans collection of Enid photographs.
Enid Oklahoma Zoo Monkey Pit
We are currently locating more stories, more history and more photos of the Enid Zoo. Please continue to check in as we will continuously update this page as we acquire new material. Thanks to Lindy Hutchins Chambers for sharing some of her personal photographs.
ENID ZOO PAGE SPONSORS:
(if you remember the zoo or were a part of the zoo and you would like to help us do further research on this page please feel free to become a sponsor of the page through donations of material or donations. – Thank You!)
