Rooted in Saint Paul. Growing for generations.
Como’s story is more than a list of buildings and dates. It is the story of a public place where generations have come to connect with animals, plants and one another. From a lakeside park and a pasture with three deer to one of Minnesota’s most beloved destinations, Como has continued to grow while staying true to a powerful idea: nature, recreation and learning should be accessible to everyone.
Como at a Glance
| 1873 | 1897 | 1915 | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Como Park established | Como Zoo founded | Conservatory opened | Free admission and open year-round |
Before Como Park
The story of this place began long before Como Park. The area around Como Lake was part of a travel corridor used by Dakota and Ojibwe people between river communities to the south and wild rice lakes and hunting grounds to the north. Its rolling hills, scattered oaks, shallow waters and useful plants made it a natural place to travel and camp.
In 1873, Saint Paul acquired land around Como Lake for a public park. Landscape architect Horace William Shaler Cleveland later created plans that respected the land’s natural contours and scenery. Frederick Nussbaumer, who became Saint Paul’s superintendent of parks in 1891, expanded that vision by adding gardens, recreation and opportunities for the public to experience plants and animals.
Como Through the Years
1897 | Minnesota’s first zoo begins
Como Zoo began with a gift of three deer placed in a fenced pasture. The collection soon grew to include elk, foxes, bison, cattle and other animals. What began simply would develop into a zoo focused on animal care, conservation, education and close connections between visitors and wildlife.
1915 | A glass landmark opens
Designed under Frederick Nussbaumer’s leadership, the Como Park Conservatory opened on November 7, 1915. Nearly 3,000 people visited on its first day. The Victorian glasshouse served both as a production facility for plants used throughout Saint Paul and as a year-round retreat for the public. Its flower show traditions grew quickly, with spring and holiday shows added in 1925 and the Sunken Garden added in 1927.
1930s | The New Deal reshapes the zoo
Federally funded Works Progress Administration projects brought Como Zoo its first major wave of construction. The Bear Grotto, Monkey Island, a barn and the Main Zoological Building all date to this era. The zoological building, completed in 1937, remains one of the zoo’s most recognizable historic structures.
1956–1957 | A beloved tradition and a new direction
Como Zoo faced possible closure in 1955, but community advocacy helped save it. Archie Brand brought his trained sea lion show to Como the following year, beginning the tradition generations would come to know as the Sparky Show. In 1957, John A. Fletcher became Como Zoo’s first director. Under his leadership, the zoo expanded its care of endangered animals and became an early participant in cooperative breeding efforts involving great apes and tigers.
1962–1992 | The Conservatory is preserved
A severe hailstorm shattered more than half of the Conservatory’s glass in 1962 and damaged many plants inside. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, strengthening efforts to protect it. A major restoration carried out from 1987 to 1992 replaced glass, updated building systems and preserved the landmark for future generations.
1976–1987 | Como Zoo modernizes
State support for a new zoo master plan led to major improvements during the 1980s, including new or renovated spaces for large cats, aquatic animals, primates, African hoofstock, birds, seals and sea lions. Como Zoo earned its first accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 1985, recognizing its professional standards of animal care.
1978–1998 | A friendship takes root
In 1978, Saint Paul’s sister city of Nagasaki presented a design for a Japanese garden created by landscape architect Masami Matsuda. With support from the Ordway family, the garden opened near the Conservatory in 1979 and was later renovated under Matsuda’s supervision in 1990 and 1991.
The first Japanese Lantern Lighting Festival was held in 1998. The celebration grew to include Japanese music, dance, martial arts, food and cultural traditions. In 2017, it became the Como Park Japanese Obon Festival, while keeping the lantern-lighting ceremony at the heart of the event.
1997–2006 | One campus takes shape
Como Zoo celebrated its centennial in 1997. Around the same time, community and City leaders began bringing the zoo and conservatory together as one campus with a shared mission and a single nonprofit partner, now known as Como Friends.
The Visitor Center opened in 2005, creating a shared entrance and adding classrooms, gathering spaces, the Fern Room and Orchid House. Tropical Encounters followed in 2006. This immersive rainforest was the first Como exhibit created through direct collaboration between the zoo’s animal care staff and the conservatory’s horticulturists.
2010 | Polar Bear Odyssey opens
Polar Bear Odyssey transformed Como’s polar bear habitat with natural surfaces, deep pools, opportunities for digging and foraging, expanded animal-care spaces and year-round visitor viewing. Its opening helped draw more than two million visitors to Como in 2010 and marked a new era of habitat design centered on animal well-being, conservation education and meaningful guest experiences.
2013 | Two major additions open
Gorilla Forest opened in June with 13,000 square feet of outdoor space designed to support climbing, foraging, family groups and natural social behavior. That same year, the Ordway Gardens opened as a new wing of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, providing year-round viewing of Como’s nationally recognized bonsai collection and new views into the Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden.
2015–2017 | A century of horticulture inspires new gardens
The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015 with the opening of the Centennial Garden, a welcoming landscape designed to capture and reuse rainwater. Como Zoo also opened its Giraffe Feeding Station that year, creating a new opportunity for visitors to meet giraffes up close.
The Minnesota Garden and Circle Garden were completed in 2017, featuring native and adapted plants cultivated to support pollinators. That year also marked the beginning of Conservation Champions, a Como Friends-supported program that helps Como staff contribute to conservation projects in Minnesota and around the world.
2021–2022 | Como Harbor brings Sparky home
Como Harbor opened on June 3, 2021, completely reimagining the zoo’s historic seal and sea lion area. The $21 million habitat added year-round saltwater pools, improved animal-care facilities, underwater viewing and a shaded amphitheater. The Sparky Show returned in 2022 with a renewed focus on marine mammals and conservation.
History in the Making
Como’s history is still being written. In 2026, the Minnesota Legislature approved $9.3 million for the first phase of Como’s planned Big Cats & African Animals project. The investment will modernize aging facilities, improve animal habitats and care spaces, expand accessibility and create new ways for visitors to connect with wildlife.
Through changing times, one thing has remained constant: Como belongs to the community. The animals, gardens, buildings and experiences have evolved, but the commitment to welcoming everyone has endured for more than a century.
