Photos Courtesy of Boca Raton Historical Society
Growing up in South Florida, you may have visited Jungle Island (formerly known as Parrot Jungle), Monkey Jungle or even Lion Country Safari. But did you know that Boca Raton was home to America’s first cageless African wildlife tourist attraction?
John P. Pedersen and his wife, Lillian, dreamed of having an African wildlife park. While driving through Boca Raton in 1950, the pine trees and sabal palms reminded them of the African savanna. This prompted Pedersen to think bigger. He bought 300 acres from the city and the Palm Beach County Commission and got to work.
His son, Jack, engineered an artificial waterfall and geyser and added more than 55,000 plants. Jack then traveled to East Africa and, working with a Kenyan trapper and game warden, brought over the largest number of animals ever to leave Africa aboard one ship.
On March 10, 1953, Africa U.S.A. opened its doors to the public. It became a popular tourist attraction, drawing 300,000 visitors a year. But as the city grew and more people moved in, it became more difficult for Pedersen to fight city hall. He eventually sold it to a corporation that ran it for two years. After failing to make payments, Pedersen reclaimed and ran the property until its final year of operation in 1961. Today, that property is the Camino Gardens subdivision.
