{"nrhp_refnum":"87000905","name":"Cincinnati Zoo Historic Structures","other_names":["See Also: Cincinnati Zoo District"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3400 Vine St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cincinnati","county":"Hamilton County","state":"OH","lat":39.14420036800004,"lon":-84.50917132699999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-02-27","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1987-02-27","areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Three early zoo structures at the Cincinnati Zoo, 3400 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio: the Monkey House (now Reptile House), the Herbivore (Elephant) House, and the surviving central pavilion of the Aviary. The Aviary and Monkey House date from before 1880 and the Herbivore House from 1902.","why_significant":"They are the Cincinnati Zoo's earliest surviving buildings and are notable examples of early zoo architecture, a type of which few remain in the United States. Their designs provide good light and space for the animals they house. The zoo itself, opened in 1875, is the second oldest in the country and became known for breeding rare species and as the home of Martha, the last passenger pigeon.","narrative":"Three of the Cincinnati Zoo's oldest buildings survive on its grounds along Vine Street. The round stone Monkey House, now used as the Reptile House, has a 60-foot diameter and a two-stage dome. The concrete Herbivore House, built in 1902, resembles an East Indian temple, with five domes and large animal enclosures along its long walls. The third structure is the central pavilion of the Aviary, a Japanese-style complex finished before 1880. Its six smaller units were demolished in 1974-75, and the pavilion was moved about 50 feet and restored. It was the last home of Martha, the last passenger pigeon, who died in 1914, and it now serves as a memorial and endangered species exhibit. The buildings are valued as rare surviving early zoo architecture with functional designs. They stand within a zoo that opened in 1875 and is the second oldest in the United States.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899, 1900-","architect_builder":"Aviary: James McLaughlin; Monkey House: probably James McLaughlin; Herbivore House: unknown","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use; the Herbivore House still serves its original function, the Monkey House is now the Reptile House, and the Aviary pavilion was moved about 50 feet and restored as an endangered species exhibit.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.134907-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/87000905_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87000905/f5556abc53-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87000905/f5556abc53-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ReptileHouseCZ2.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ReptileHouseCZ2.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986497","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Zoo_Historic_Structures","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5120335"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/hamilton-county/cincinnati-zoo-historic-structures-87000905/"}