The Minnesota Zoo, is a zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It is one of two state-owned zoos in the United States, with the other being the North Carolina Zoo. When it opened on May 22, 1978, it was revolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo is built in a suburban rural area and has more space for exhibits than a zoo in a city. It was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their living environment and not according to their species. These animals all live in habitats designed to imitate their natural habitats.