Animal species that are commonly available for study by the laboratory scientist represent a relatively small portion of the total number of species which exist. For example, domestic and laboratory animals comprise less than 1% of all mammal species; thus the vast majority of the animal diversity is understudied. Although both the need and the interest exist to investigate more and divergent species, access to animals and biological materials is the greatest current impediment to most research programs. As a partial solution to this problem, zoos, parks, and aquaria can serve as resources to provide access to more than 200 mammal species and biological materials which otherwise would not be available. The present report focuses on the potential of these resources in the United States and Canada and presents an overview of the biologic content, the avenues for approaching these resources, as well as the research capacities which are currently present within these institutions. Virtually all zoos, parks, and aquaria support the concept of research. Many have research interests and some already have either their own research programs or share a scientific research program with a research institution located nearby. The most popular research interests in zoological institutions today are behavior and reproductive physiology. Most facilities are willing to share material for other kinds of studies. In general, a notable amount of endocrine data has been produced by zoos, parks, and aquaria over the past 20 years mainly in the field of reproductive endocrinology, and much of this has been collected in collaboration with outside institutions. The potential for research activities to expand is favorable and has perhaps never been better than at the present time.