Back April 28th, 2014

Budapest Zoo was pronounced a national protected area; the news was broken at the opening event of Earth Festival on the 22nd April. At the event it was also revealed that a new family park is to be opened at the area that belonged to the former Amusement Park.

The 6-day-long Earth Festival was opened in the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden on the 22nd April, on Earth Day. The festival has been held there every year since 1990, and under its current name since 2008. Budapest Zoo was officially pronounced a national protected area at the opening event of the festival. It was also announced that a new family park called Holnemvolt Park (Once upon a Time Park) is to be opened at the area that belonged to the former Amusement Park on the 29th April.

Budapest Provides HUF 800 Million for Building the Park

Budapest Zoo has been a protected area since 1986, but the title only became national on the 1st January 2014, and the official announcement was only made on the 22nd April. The future Holnemvolt Park will be a playground similar to the one on Millenáris. Providing some of its costs the self-government of the capital offered HUF 800 million.

History of Budapest Zoo

Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden is the oldest zoo in Hungary, and it also has the widest range of species. The facility located in Városliget (City Park) in the 14th district was opened in 1866, and until the 1950s it was the only zoo in Hungary. The zoo was originally 10.7 ha large, but its territory was expanded to 17.3 ha when the former Amusement Park was decided to be closed. The facility has 1 million visitors annually, and according to last year’s data it’s home for 1072 animal and 2 thousand plant species and more than 10 thousand specimens. The Amusement Park was closed at the end of 2013, so the zoo could begin moving in its new territory. Some parts of it are already used by animals, but according to the plans the whole construction will only be ready in 4-5 years.

Source:
budapest.hu