AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums undergo a thorough review that includes a detailed accreditation application as well as a multiple day on-site inspection by a team of experts from around the country. Learn more about the AZA Accreditation process.

April 2019 Accreditation Results

AZA is pleased to announce the results of the Accreditation Commission hearings held in April 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona.

We would like to welcome three new member institutions: Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Draper, Utah; Oceanogràfic Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

Accredited for another cycle were: Acuario de Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico; Adventure Aquarium, Camden, N.J.; Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, La.; Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo, Bermuda; Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, Calif.; Charles Paddock Zoo, Atascadero, Calif.; The Florida Aquarium, Tampa, Fla.; Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose, Texas; Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville, Texas; John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Ill.; The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert, Calif.; Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tenn.; Museum of Science, Boston, Mass.; Nashville Zoo, Inc., Nashville, Tenn.; National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque, Iowa; Newport Aquarium, Newport, Ky.; Oakland Zoo, Oakland, Calif.; Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, Ariz.; Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg, Tenn.; The Seas, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga, Tenn.  

Certified for another cycle were: Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, New Orleans, La.; Natural Encounters, Inc., Winter Haven, Fla.

For a complete list of all AZA-accredited institutions and AZA-certified related facilities click here.

Accreditation Resource Center

Please be sure to visit the Accreditation Resource Center where you will find examples of institutional documents and policies that are required for AZA accreditation.  The Resource Center will continue to be populated with more documents, but many examples and guidelines are available now!

Update: 2019 Accreditation Standards

The 2019 edition of the Accreditation Standards and Related Policies is now available. For 2019, the Standards have also been translated into Spanish.  Click here for the translated edition!  For all other current accreditation materials click here.

Quarter Century Award

Congratulations to Adventure Aquarium, Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, & Zoo, Bramble Park Zoo, Happy Hollow Zoo, Queens Zoo, Tennessee Aquarium, and The Seas, the 2018 Quarter Century Award recipients, for achieving this impressive milestone! 

Animal Care Manuals

Accreditation standard 1.2.1 requires institutions to have copies of all approved AZA Animal Care Manuals (ACMs) for species within their collections, and to ensure that all animal care staff has access to them. For more information and a list of approved ACMs, click here.

AAM Offers Streamlined Accreditation Process For AZA-Accredited Institutions

The American Alliance of Museums and AZA have collaborated on a streamlined AAM accreditation process for institutions that are accredited by AZA and wish to obtain accreditation from AAM. Please click here for the related news release, and here for a FAQ sheet.

Upcoming Reviews

We welcome your comments regarding the AZA members and prospective members under review for accreditation or certification at the next meeting of the AZA Accreditation Commission.

Contact Us

Have a concern or compliment about an AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium or an AZA-certified related facility that you have recently visited? AZA-accredited institutions are dedicated to maintaining or exceeding AZA standards every day. If a concern is received related to an AZA-accredited facility, as the accrediting body we will work with the institution to make certain that all AZA accreditation standards continue to be maintained. When a compliment is received, we share it with the institution's staff.

Compliments, concerns, and any supporting documentation should be submitted in writing to azaaccreditation@aza.org. Concerns may also be submitted to: Accreditation Department, AZA, 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.