Significant for the antiquity and richness of its collections and for its efforts in the propagation, nurture of rare and endangered species, it was well known as the home of Martha, the last passenger pigeon.

Space for all of these animals has been a component of the zoo since its earliest years: when it first opened in 1875, its collection comprised the menagerie of Andrew Erkenbrecker, a prominent bird collector who desired to form the country's first zoological gardens.

[3] Equipped with minarets and a windowed dome, the Elephant House was built to evoke the Taj Mahal and a sense of contemporary India.

Its design centers around a large dome more than 40 feet (12 m) high, with numerous windows and skylights that enable it to be lit by sunlight, in addition to Corinthian columns.

Although it was expanded in 1922 by the construction of a veterinary hospital, the zoo arranged for an extensive remodeling to prepare it for the reptiles that were first placed within it in 1951.