# Travel >> Accommodations >> State & National Parks

Zoo vs. Museum: Different Missions, Different Collections

No, a zoo is not a museum. They differ fundamentally:

Aspect	Museum	Zoo
Collection	Inanimate objects: artifacts, specimens, art, documents	Living animals (plants in botanical gardens)
Primary Purpose	Preservation, research, exhibition, education of cultural/natural heritage	Conservation, education, research, recreation with live collections
Care	Conservation (stabilization, climate control)	Husbandry (nutrition, veterinary, enrichment, welfare)
Acquisition	Donation, purchase, excavation, field collection	Breeding programs, rescue, transfer (AZA/EAZA SSPs)
Ethics	Provenance, repatriation, cultural sensitivity	Animal welfare, species survival, wild release

Overlap

Natural history museums display preserved specimens (taxidermy, skeletons, fossils)—once-living, now static.
Zoos maintain living collections for genetic diversity, ambassador education, and reintroduction.
Some institutions combine both (e.g., Smithsonian's National Zoo + Natural History Museum; Field Museum + Lincoln Park Zoo partnerships).

Both serve education and conservation, but a zoo manages life; a museum manages objects. The distinction is vital for accreditation (AAM vs. AZA), funding, and public trust.

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