Delaware’s only zoo has opened a $2.5 million habitat that keeps five species together year-round, indoors and out.
Hidden Falls was unveiled at the Brandywine Zoo on Thursday, July 23, 2026 by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware Zoological Society. It is the most ambitious capital project the Wilmington zoo has completed to date, and it landed in the zoo’s 121st year.
Who lives there
The residents are common squirrel monkeys, a prehensile-tailed porcupine, Patagonian mara, a green iguana and red-footed tortoises. Most represent species pressured by the pet trade and by loss of native habitat, which is the thread the zoo is using to tie the exhibit together.
The habitat pairs a 320 square-foot outdoor area with a climate-controlled indoor building carrying heat, air conditioning and humidity control so the animals can be seen through the winter. Inside there is naturalistic landscaping, real and artificial trees for climbing, and a waterfall and stream running filtered water.
“This new habitat is a cool addition for our zoo visitors to see and for our animals to live together in, including squirrel monkeys that we expect to be a fan favorite,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. “For our keepers, the exhibit will be an opportunity to tell the stories of the animals’ journeys and the importance of conservation.”
Four years of fundraising
The money came from a mix of public and private sources gathered over four years.
“The $2.5 million fundraising effort began four years ago by the society and included contributions from the volunteer DZS board, the City of Wilmington, private foundations, donors, zoo patrons and $600,000 from the state of Delaware bond bill,” said William Montgomery, president of the Delaware Zoological Society board. “Every contribution, no matter how small, propelled us to this day.”
Private foundations behind the project include The Longwood Foundation, Laffey-McHugh, Chichester duPont, Ellise and Rosa McDonald, The Welfare Foundation, Crestlea, Crystal Trust, Rockford Woodlawn and the Donald and Martha Dewees Foundation.
A decade of rebuilding
Hidden Falls belongs to Our Zoo Re-imagined, the campaign behind the zoo’s master plan. Over the past ten years that campaign has upgraded the Andean condor habitat, added an animal hospital, built a transparent honeybee hive display, put in a children’s nature play area and a barnyard experience, and opened a Madagascar exhibit where several lemur species live, including the endangered crowned lemur.
The zoo is run by the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation with the Delaware Zoological Society as its nonprofit partner. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums continuously since 1986.
