Old zoo in Poznan - the third oldest zoo in the country after the zoo in Wroclaw and Torun .  The zoo was founded in 1871 under interesting circumstances .  One restaurant owner on the occasion of its 50th anniversary was a special gift from a friend .  For three days, they collected all the animals encountered on the street .  On the birthday of friends arranged a small zoo in the restaurant, which was brought pigs, goats, sheep, cat, rabbit, squirrel, goose, duck, bear and peacock .  A menagerie was placed in the backyard .  Animals quickly become landmark restaurant, especially for children, but for their maintenance was required a lot of money .  For this reason, 15 May 1875 were registered joint stock company "Zoological Gardens in Poznan" .  Already in 1891, the zoo held territory in the 5 to 24 hectares of land .  During this period it has been established contacts with Berlin Zoo, the construction of modern open-air cages for animals .  It was built a pavilion for large carnivores in the Moorish style and the grotto, made in the image of the Blue Grotto in Capri .  In 1910, the zoo director Robert died Jackel, and then at the zoo began a period of stagnation .

After the First World War the zoo was in a deplorable state. In June 1919, his collection was only 243 animals. In 1922 he was appointed director Kazimierz Szerkovki, who made an enormous contribution to the development of the zoo. In 1935 he co-founded the International Union of Directors of zoos. During his tenure as head of the new enclosures have been built, some of which are in the form of a dome measuring 14 x 20 meters. Kazimierz Szerkovski held senior positions until April 3, 1940.

In the 50s it became clear that the zoo nowhere to grow, so the decision was made on the need of a new city zoo. The opening took place in 1974 at White Mountain. In the old zoo survived the department of tropical and pets.