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.
September 2019 Accreditation Results
AZA is pleased to announce the results of the Accreditation Commission hearings held in September 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
We would like to welcome three new member institutions: Everland Zoo, Yongin, South Korea; Seoul Zoo, Seoul, South Korea; ZooMontana, Billings, Mont.
Accredited for another cycle were: Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg, Canada; Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, Mich.; Bronx Zoo, Bronx, N.Y.; Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster, Colo.; Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, Ohio; Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport, Conn.; Dolphin Island, Sentosa Island, Singapore; Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, Mass.; Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison, Wis.; Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, Idaho Falls, Idaho; New York Aquarium, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, Pa.; Potawatomi Zoo, South Bend, Ind.; Roosevelt Park Zoo, Minot, N.D.; S.E.A. Aquarium, Sentosa Island, Singapore; Saginaw Children's Zoo, Saginaw, Mich.; Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis, Mo.; SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, Grapevine, Texas; Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, Kan.; Staten Island Zoo, Staten Island, N.Y.; Steinhart Aquarium, San Francisco, Calif.; Sunset Zoological Park, Manhattan, Kan.; Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Utah; Utah's Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, Utah; Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo, Stoneham, Mass.; Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Wash.; Zoo de Granby, Granby, Quebec, Canada.
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: 2020 Accreditation Standards
The 2020 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 Prospect Park Zoo and Steinhart Aquarium, the 2019 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.