ZooAmerica Wildlife Park Nearby Hotel

Located 9 miles from the Residence Inn by Marriott® Harrisburg all-suite hotel is ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, an 11-acre zoo the whole family will enjoy.

Click here for interactive driving directions to the Zoo powered by Google.

The origins of the Zoo lie with the story of Franz and Louise Zinner who moved to Lebanon, PA from Weisenberg, Germany in 1899.  The Zinners had owned twelve prairie dogs and a bear cub, however they were unable to keep them in their yard in Lebanon.  They also knew that Milton Hershey was in the early stages of building a park and in 1905 they went to see Hershey to speak to him about keeping the animals as a park attraction.  Hershey agreed and after a lengthy discussion the two men decided to build a zoo.  Franz Zinner served as the zookeeper until his death during the 1918 Flu Epidemic.

The zoo remained open for 20 years until a decision was made to close it due to plans for the new HERSHEYPARK.  The zoo closed in 1971 when HERSHEYPARK moved to a one-price admission format as part of its restructuring into a themed amusement park. In 1978, ZOOAMERICA opened and featured exhibits of animals native to North America, with naturalized animal habitats.  In 1982 ZOOAMERICA became one of only 50 zoos in the United States (and only two in Pennsylvania - Philadelphia and Hershey) to receive accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

Visit the official website linked at the bottom of this page of ZooAmerica Wildlife Park for more information including a complete park directory, hours of operation and special exhibits and a complete history of the zoo!

The Residence Inn by Marriott® Harrisburg Hotel is centrally located in the Harrisburg Pennsylvania area. The all-suite hotel features rooms that are 50% larger than a regular hotel room for about the same price.  Experience our new “next generation” suites housed in our new building. Their elegant and modern décor enhances your visit while you enjoy all their up-to-date conveniences.  You will enjoy separate living and sleeping areas, interior corridor entrances, fully equipped kitchens with stainless steel appliances, flat panel plasma TV’s, luxury bedding and complimentary high-speed Internet access.  All guests are invited to share a daily hot complimentary breakfast as well as an evening social hour Monday through Thursday.  (Book room types: ONBT, ONEX, or TOBT to enjoy the "next generation" experience in overnight accommodations.)

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