The Ministry of the Environment maintains the rectory of the Maracay Zoo and the Aragua State Government assumes some administrative responsibility to support the programs that are developed in the park.

The zoo is a historical continuation of a hacienda in the eastern slope of Cola de Caballo Mountains.

The zoo of Maracay opened for the first time in 1915 at the initiative of General Juan Vicente Gómez as a corral with a personal exhibition of many animals presented at Las Delicias hacienda, owned by the president.

Then, native animals such as chigüires, nutrias, corocoras, gabanes, garzones soldiers and alligators.

In 1928 the collection was enriched with specimens requested from the Hamburg Zoo and other places such as Bengal, Elephant, Giraffe, Orangutan, Chimpanzee and African Lions.