Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Abbreviation	AZA
Founded	October 1924; 100 years ago (1924-10) (as American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums)
Type	Not-for-profit organization
Tax ID no.	55-0526930
Legal status	501(c)(3)
Focus	Accreditation of zoos and aquariums; conservation; advocacy
Headquarters	Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Coordinates	38°59′41″N 77°01′53″W / 38.994820°N 77.031271°W / 38.994820; -77.031271
Area served	International
Method	Accreditation
Chair	Berto Castro
President, Chief Executive Officer	Dan Ashe
Executive Vice President	Craig Hoover
Revenue	$12,786,124 (2016)
Expenses	$10,427,633 (2016)
Employees	42 (2016)
Volunteers	350 (2016)
Website	www.aza.org

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA), is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. AZA is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, and accredits zoos. There were 238 accredited zoos and aquariums as of 2025, primarily in the US, with a handful in twelve other countries; additionally, the AZA network contains 14 accredited related facilities.^[1]