The zoo currently sits on 33 acres (13 ha) that was once a farm owned by the George Anderson family, also known as Red River Ranch.

Some of the farm buildings were renovated and are used today by the zoo, while others were removed because they were unsafe.

[2] It also includes a 1928 carousel that was fully restored in 1995 and donated to the zoo by the Diederich family.

In 2013, the North American River Otter exhibit opened, featuring an indoor and underwater viewing area.

The zoo specializes in breeding and exhibiting some of the world's rarest cold climate species, having successfully bred red pandas (11 births as of 2012, including two sets of triplets),[3] Sichuan takin,[4] Pallas's cats,[5] and Russian Red Tree Squirrels.