At which zoo was the cover photo for Pet Sounds taken?

The cover photo for Pet Sounds was taken at the San Diego Zoo.

Photographer George Jerman shot the Beach Boys at the zoo on February 10, 1966. The front cover shows Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine feeding apples to goats. Bruce Johnston, who was helping the group on tour, is absent because contractual restrictions prevented him from appearing on the Capitol album cover.

The unusual shoot grew out of Capitol Records’ interest in presenting the band with animals. The group was photographed wearing coats and sweaters rather than their familiar stage clothes, giving the image a playful but carefully staged look. Zoo staff initially objected to the proposed promotional concept before allowing the visit.

The photograph has also fueled confusion about the album’s title. Different band members later recalled different origins, including the animal images and the record’s sounds. The oft-repeated title “Remember the Zoo” is not an official alternate title; it came from a later fan-created hoax.