The Elmwood Park Zoo is a zoo

Zoo

A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

 in Norristown, Pennsylvania

Norristown, Pennsylvania

Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...

 that houses a collection of over 300 animals representing 100 species. Opened on July 4, 1924, the 16 acres (6.5 ha) zoo includes the Andrew L. Lewis Wetlands Aviary, The Bayou, and the Grasslands Exhibit. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...

 and operated by the Norristown Zoological Society. The zoo also participates in a number of its species survival programs.

Today, Elmwood Park Zoo welcomes over 150,000 visitors annually.

In the Newbery Medal

Newbery Medal

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...

-winning fiction book Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee is a young adult fiction novel written by American author Jerry Spinelli and published in 1990. Exploring themes of racism and homelessness, it follows the story of an orphaned boy looking for a home in the fictional Pennsylvania town of Two Mills...

, the titular character lives briefly in the buffalo pen of the Elmwood Park Zoo.