The Rainey Memorial Gates were designed by sculptor Paul Manship from 1926 when Route 1 was organized to 1934, when the 28 ton bronze gates were installed at the entrance to the Bronx zoo.

Manship was a major force in the Art Deco movement. He is well known for his large public commissions, including the iconic Prometheus in Rockefeller Center and the sculptural elements at the Western Union Building at 195 Broadway, an early NYC skyscraper. His 700+ works have received great recognition and can be found in public spaces and in the collections of scores of museums internationally.

The Gates were commissioned by Grace Rainey Rogers as a memorial to her brother, noted big game hunter Paul James Rainey (1877–1923). The gates feature stylized animal and plant life including three bears that Manship would reuse in later work. Sturdy bronze screens echo the gate doors and flank the granite gatekeeper stations.

The Rainey Memorial Gates were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

The Bronx Zoo is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the world.  Comprising 265 acres, carved from the Bronx River Park, the Zoo opened in 1899 with the backing of wealthy New Yorkers like the Astors, the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts.  Originally, there were 843 animals in just 22 exhibits, including the large sea lion pool that remains from the original layout.  Today, the zoo hosts 2M visitors annually to its collection of about 4,000 animals.