Timing is everything
- The animals are most active and the crowds are usually smaller first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon, especially during the heat of the summer.
- Fall and winter at the Zoo tend to be a bit less crowded than spring and summer and since it’s cooler in the fall and winter, the animals are usually more active.
- Plan your visits throughout the year to take advantage of our beautiful fall foliage, our animals playing in snow and the cool spring days. We also have special programs during most school vacations. Check our website throughout the year
- Remember to check the program board located at the front entrance to see if there are any special keeper chats taking place on the day of your visit.
- Take your time and enjoy your stay. By spending a little extra time at each exhibit you’ll give the animals an opportunity to demonstrate natural behaviors such as grooming, courting and scent marking.
Field trip warning
- Many schools schedule field trips in April and May, so the Zoo may be more crowded at these times, especially between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. each day.
- Bring binoculars to the Zoo, so your child can “go on safari”.
- On your drive to the Zoo, discuss trips to the Zoo when you were a child, or what your favorite animal was when you were growing up.
- Use one of the Zoo Scavenger Hunts on our website to stimulate your child’s interest while at the Zoo. You can find these in the education section of our website.
- Stop by one of the Zoofari carts to see and touch neat stuff like feathers, furs, skulls and other biofacts. Zoofari Carts are staffed by volunteers and are usually set up on weekends or school vacations near the exhibits.
- Buy a Zoo Key at the Admissions Booth or the Concessions so your child can hear about the Zoo’s most popular animals. Put the key in special boxes near some exhibits to hear about the animals.
- Make a game of stopping at every exhibit to spot the animals; they can often be secretive or lying in the shade. Let your little explorer find each animal, with hints from you. Read our signs to your child so they’ll know more about each fascinating species. And you might be amazed how much they already know!
- After your trip, visit your local library to borrow books on animals that piqued your child’s interest.
Be safe for you and the animals
To ensure the security of our animals and our guests, please observe the following safety precautions:
- Zoo animals are wild. Please stay on the visitor paths, observe posted signs and do not reach into or climb on exhibits.
- Please do not throw things at the animals. Even simple objects can be hazardous if swallowed.
- Please do not feed the animals. For their health, they are on specially enriched diets prescribed by our professional zoo staff
- Making loud noises may startle the animals.
- Pets, glass containers, alcohol, balloons, bikes, skates and skateboards, rollerblades, motorized toys, radios/CD players, and inflatable objects are not allowed on Zoo grounds.
- Please do not pick flowers or plants, climb trees or walk through the flowerbeds.
- For the health of all our visitors, and the animals, smoking is prohibited throughout the zoo.
- Pets are not allowed in the zoo. Seeing eye and hearing aid dogs are the only outside animals permitted, and only with the appropriate proof of certification. And please, for your pet’s safety, do not leave animals in the car.
- Please help with our conservation efforts by disposing your plastic soda bottles in the zoo’s recycling receptacles.
- Please do not throw things at the animals.
- For health and safety reasons, footwear must be worn at all times.