North Carolina Zoological Park is locate in Asheboro, which is about 75 miles (120 km) west of Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States. At 1,458 acres (5.90 km²) , it is the largest walk-through natural-habitat zoo. Construction of the North Carolina Zoo began in 1974 with the official opening date of August 13, 1976. The first exhibit opened in 1979. The North Carolina Zoo is the nation’s first state-supported zoo and remains one of only two state zoos (the other state being Minnesota). The NC Zoo has a variety of different animals whose habitats range from Africa to North America.