Good Zoo

The Good Zoo was named in honor of animal lover Philip Mayer Good. After Philip passed away in 1971 at the age of seven, his family pledged a significant contribution to Oglebay Park for the creation of a zoo. Community enthusiasm greatly outpaced funding goals and the site was reconceptualized from ten acres to thirty-five. The facility was the first in the country to be built from the ground up as a natural area. The Good Zoo was opened and dedicated on Memorial Day in 1977.

After years of increasing membership and funding, the zoo underwent a major expansion in 1996. The current main zoo building was constructed and includes a classroom, multipurpose room, dining area, and gift shop. The zoo also focused its efforts on conservation and reintroducing endangered species to the wild. In pursuit of this goal, the facility acquired a cheetah, zebras, red pandas, ocelots, and red wolves. An exhibit titled “Wonders of Wetlands” was also added to educate the public on the relationship between wetland fauna and ecosystem stability. A Discovery Lab was developed for a variety of programming aimed at children visiting on school trips.

These days, the Good Zoo is home to fifty species of animals, twenty of which are rare or endangered. It has expanded its red wolf breeding program, started a raptor rehabilitation program, and founded an initiative to raise eastern hellbenders — a type of giant salamander native to the area. Conservation and education remain the core focuses of the facility, which has provided over one thousand educational programs. A popular zoo offering is the animal encounters program, which lets visitors interact directly with animals under the supervision of a zookeeper. The Good Zoo is the only zoo in West Virginia to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In fact, Wheeling is the fourth smallest city in the country to possess an AZA accredited zoo. In recognition of their conservation efforts, the Good Zoo was awarded the Conservation Prize by AZA in 2012. 

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