Discover > Zoo History > Zoo Director

Meet Your Zoo Director...

Steve H. Taylor, Zoo Director
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Steve H. Taylor became Director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in January of 1989. Under Taylor's leadership the Zoo has achieved national prominence with award-winning exhibits, educational programs and annual attendance averaging well over a million visitors. Taylor's vision for Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as laid out in the Zoo's Master Plan, utilizes a physical plan dividing the Zoo into biomes, or habitats, to better demonstrate relationships between plants, animals and humans. In fulfilling that plan, several state-of-the-art exhibits have opened during Taylor's tenure, including The RainForest, Wolf Wilderness, and Australian Adventure.

Each exhibit has a strong conservation message that supports the Zoo's mission: to improve the future for wildlife.

Biographical Sketch of Steve H. Taylor

Prior to working in Cleveland, Taylor was Director of the Sacramento Zoo. As Director there, Taylor opened new exhibits for orangutans and chimpanzees and accomplished many other smaller capital projects. During his time at the Sacramento Zoo, attendance doubled from 300,000 to 600,000 annual visitors. Membership to the Sacramento Zoological Society exploded, growing from 400 members to 6,000 members. Prior to working in Sacramento, he worked at both the San Francisco and Los Angeles Zoos. Taylor started his zoo career in Los Angeles as an animal keeper - an experience which gave him insight into the "heart and soul" of the Zoo business.

Taylor's professional associations are vast:

Board of Directors for the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), 1987-1993 (served as AZA president in 1992)
AZA Strategic Planning Task Force Chairman.
Board of Regent of the AZA Management School
AZA Accreditation Commission member; Chair 1998 & 1999
Board member of The Wilds, a wild life conservation center in Central Ohio
Member of Organization of World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA)
Board of Directors of the Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau

Taylor is a world traveler. In 1989 he was part of a State of Ohio and Cleveland Metroparks delegation to China. He has led Cleveland Zoological Society tours to Ecuador, Galapagos, Costa Rica, Belize, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Namibia

A California native, Taylor was born in Inglewood, California. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Biology from University of California - Irvine, and attended graduate school at Long Beach State University and Golden Gate University. Taylor and his wife Sarah live in Rocky River, Ohio.

In the almost 20 years that Steve Taylor has been at the helm of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, it has grown incredibly both in size and prestige. Each new exhibit at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo relates to the Zoo's Master Plan and mission. Pictured below are some of those exhibits.

RainForest Building The RainForest

The RainForest opened to the public in November of 1992 and showcases more than 10,000 plants and 600 animals from the jungles of Africa, Asia and South America. This unique two-story, two-level exhibit is one of the largest of its kind in the country. The RainForest is displayed in naturalistic settings and features special attractions like a 25-foot waterfall, a working research hut, a tropical rainstorm exhibit with thunder and lightning effects, a weather station and interactive exhibitry.

Virtual Tour: Find out more about the animals and exhibits in The RainForest.

Wolf Wilderness

Wolf Wilderness: Wildlife of the Great Lakes opened in May of 1997. Located on approximately 2 wooded acres in the Zoo's Northern Trek area, Wolf Wilderness is a unique multi-species exhibit depicting animal and plant life in a northern temperate forest. Wolf Lodge anchors the exhibit and serves as an orientation, education and viewing center for gray wolves, beaver, and a variety of wetland species. Recent fascination with wolves and reintroduction programs in the United States make this exhibit extremely popular.

Virtual Tour: Find out more about the animals and exhibits in Wolf Wilderness.


Kookaburra Station	Yagga Tree

Australian Adventure

Australian Adventure opened in June of 2000. Australian Adventure is an innovative, interactive children's zoo that depicts life in the Australian outback and educates young visitors about animals and how to improve the future for wildlife. The exhibit features three fascinating areas: Kookaburra Station, Wallaby Walkabout and Koala Junction. Kookaburra Station is a 5.6-acre Australian ranch with an animal barn, contact yard and camel ride area. In a 19th century style station house where children can interact with small animals and view educational displays. Nearby, children can explore a 55' yagga tree that juts out from the landscape. Kookaburra Station has a demonstration area with seating for regularly scheduled Australian-themed shows. Wallaby Walkabout is a public walkway that allows visitors to get an up-close look at wallabies and kangaroos. Koala Junction, located at the entrance to Kookaburra Station, completes the Australian experience with both indoor and outdoor viewing of the charismatic koala.

Virtual Tour: Find out more about the animals and exhibits in Australian Adventure, including seasonal information.

The Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's commitment to the best in animal care and conservation has a new center of "operations." The Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine, in the Zoo's African Savanna, opened to the public in September 2004. This world-class zoo veterinary hospital supports groundbreaking research and engages Zoo visitors in veterinary care issues (more information and details about the vet hospital).

Thanks Steve...What's next?!?