Bronx Zoological Park

In the late 1800s, Fordham University sold some land to the City of New York, on condition that the lands be used for a zoo and garden. They did this in order to create a buffer between the university grounds and the urban expansion that was beginning to encroach into the area. New York state followed through on its intentions to develop the land as a park, and in 1899 opened the Bronx Zoological Park to the public.