[1] The Jackson Zoo is in the historic 110-acre (0.45 km2) Livingston Park and welcomes approximately 85,000 visitors annually from Mississippi and surrounding states.

In 1921, after the collection had evolved from rabbits and squirrels to include exotics like zebras, the city decided to move them to the newly purchased land and the Livingston Park Zoo was created.

With the public works, the City and zoo director Irl Bennett left a heritage of facilities that have served Jackson for some 80 years.

An animal hospital was built to perform routine checkups, for surgeries for any of the residents, and to quarantine new arrivals before they can live amongst the permanent collection.

Including the African savannah and the Mississippi Wilderness Exhibits, it would be the largest capital improvement project in the zoo's history.

In 2010, the decision was made to send two popular elephant residents to another zoo to form a larger herd, due to lack of acreage and newly discovered species needs.

In 2017, orangutans on loan from other facilities were removed to new properties due to the age of their enclosure and lack of funding to renovate in a timely fashion.

Zoo staff remained in place for animal and facility care under the City of Jackson Department of Parks and Recreation.

As of August 22, 2020, the zoo is open to the public for limited hours on weekends due to COVID-19 restrictions, and awaiting the finalizing of a new management agreement under zoOceanarium LCC with the City of Jackson.

Several buildings have been renovated over the years, and hold certification of historic landmarks with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History: The Elephant House Cafe, the Elephant/Rhino Barn, and the Monkey Castle with its adjoining Ramada.

The African Rainforest is a boardwalk off the main path of the zoo that is designed to submerse visitors into the dense jungle of the forest.

Completed in 2005, these mixed exhibits were designed so that when visitors view its residents, they feel like they are out on a field expedition on the open Savannah.

Currently, the zoo has several animals calling the African Savannah home, including southern white rhinoceros, sable antelope, Grévy's zebra, klipspringers, wattled cranes, and ostriches.