Washington Park Zoo Observation Tower Rehabilitation

Washington Park Zoo was started in 1925, and the Observation Tower was built in the mid-1930s. The Tower is one of the Zoo's buildings that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

It is made from a steel railroad tower faced with limestone; its roof is topped with a spherical ornament purported to be a compression chamber from the City’s first fire engine.

This project included the repair and restoration of the interior and exterior of the Tower, trying to keep it as close as possible to its original design. It also included installing new security fencing; reconstructing and rehabilitating path and access drives; constructing a new pathway; constructing limestone access drives; expanding the audio system; and constructing a new video system within the Washington Park Zoo property.

Project Images

Closer Look