It was opened in the district of Oliwa in 1954 and covers 123,76 hectares, which makes it the largest zoological garden in Poland in terms of area.

Since 1927, until the outbreak of World War II, a menagerie had existed in Oliwa, which housed animals like brown bears, wild boars, giraffes, monkeys, wolves and raccoons.

The official ceremony of the opening of the zoo took place on 1 May 1954 in the Leśny Młyn Valley on the site of a former sanatorium that had existed there since 1945 and specialized in treating upper respiratory tract infections and rheumatic disorders.

[5][6] The zoo is renowned around the world for its collection of Andean condors and a highly successful breeding program of this bird species.

Among the rare species of animals that can be seen in the zoo are: scimitar oryxes, pygmy hippopotamuses, jackass penguins, bongos, Bali mynas, mandrills, yellow anacondas, Visayan spotted deer, takins, southern ground hornbills and Siberian tigers.