The 81 acre lot to the west of Des Moines that would become Greenwood Park had begun to be developed as a private park by the original owner, T.E. Brown – believing that the location and the landscape…

It all began when L.M. Mann bought 100 acres of land and created a destination. He opened the Des Moines Zoological Gardens on July 4, 1889. The park included an elephant, lions, panthers, kangaroos,…