The Centenario Zoo, one of the most visited sites in the city, turns 114 years old on September 18.
Considered one of the oldest parks in Mexico, President Porfirio Díaz opened it as a botanical garden adjacent to the Santa Catalina neighborhood, where the former Juárez Penitentiary and the O’Horán Hospital are today.
The original design contemplated a mall with a kiosk, imported benches, a lake for swimming and rowing, and an arched entrance through which carriages would pass.
Over the years, the place, which currently occupies seven hectares, has undergone modifications and adaptations, for example, the construction of a veterinary clinic for exclusive care of the animals in the zoo.
Surrounded by Itzaes Avenue and streets 59, 65, and 84, the site receives around 1,200,000 visitors yearly, much more than the archaeological zones of Uxmal, Ek Balam, and Dzibilchaltún.
One of the reasons for the massive influx, especially on vacation, is that it is a low-cost reference point: There is no entrance fee, and people can bring their food. In addition, services such as the train charge 1 peso from more than 20 years ago.
A family can come with $100. You can come for a picnic day without an onerous expense, says Arturo Antuña Silveira, deputy director of General Services of the Municipal Public Services Directorate of the Mérida City Council.
The park has two areas: the recreational one, with children’s games, an aquarium, mechanical games, a food area, the lake, and the train station. The other is the zoo area, which has two hectares and around 600 animals of 90 species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles.
It also has a herpetarium, inaugurated on June 1, 1997, whose exterior looks like a cave.
In addition, the place is one of the lungs of the city. It has approximately 1,500 trees, both large and small.
TYT Newsroom
