Information/Application Form
The zoo occupies 92 acres. Teachers are encouraged to plan a theme tour for their students, rather than seeing the whole zoo in one day. Please call the zoo’s Education Department at 206.548.2424 or email us for further information and resource materials, or download a reservation form which can be opened with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it you can get it here.

Zoo Hours
Open daily at 9:30 a.m. every day of the year except Christmas Day (Dec. 25). (Note that the zoo's North Gate is closed during the winter season - October 1 to April.)

Parking
Bus Parking: Bus parking is available on a limited basis and for a $10.00 fee in the zoo’s South (on N. 50th Street) or North (on N. 59th Street) parking lots. In the interest of safety, bus drivers are asked to unload passengers and park in designated areas only. These lots fill rapidly and it is recommended that buses drop students at the zoo’s gate and park for no charge in lower Woodland Park. This free parking can be accessed by heading east on N. 50th Street, passing under Aurora Avenue and taking the next left into lower Woodland Park. Car parking is $4.50 for the day. Parking rates are subject to change.

SCHOOL RATES
This school year we will have three different rates available to school groups with reservations, depending on the time of year:

All rates are per person, and require advance written reservations and a minimum of one chaperone for every six students. You may download and print the reservation form below in the "Forms" section. Chaperones must stay with students of all ages throughout their zoo visit.

Driving Directions

The zoo requires one adult (21 years or older) chaperone for every six students regardless of age. Chaperones must stay with their students during the entire zoo visit and monitor the group’s conduct at all times.

Teachers and chaperones will be held responsible for student conduct. Any behavior that endangers the safety of zoo animals, staff or other visitors will result in your group being asked to leave the zoo and your school principal will be notified.

After you book your field trip, you will be sent copies of the zoo map. Please make copies of the map and distribute to each chaperone. Include on the map the location of gate the students will use to enter the zoo and details about time and location of the school program. Be sure to note where the class will meet for lunch and when and where the bus will depart to return to school.

Planning a Self-Guided Zoo Visit
You can plan your own self-guided visit to be even more closely linked to your classroom work. For example, a unit on biomes comes alive here at the zoo where you can see animals living in a variety of habitats. A unit on weather is illustrated in a new way by looking at the adaptations of our animals and plants that enable them to survive weather conditions from Alaska to Australia, and can spark discussion on how a tropical animal, or one from the far north, tolerates Seattle weather.

Advanced reservations are required to receive the School Rate for your group. Check the box for a "Self-guided Visit" on your reservation form if you plan on "doing your own thing" here at the zoo. You may also want to check out our section of Classroom Resources for more information.

Prepare Your Chaperones
The zoo requires one adult (21 years or older) chaperone for every six students regardless of age. The school group rate only applies to groups with proper student/chaperone ratio. Chaperones must remain with students of all ages throughout the zoo visit. Download the Chaperone Information Sheet.

At the Entry Gate
You must have a zoo reservation confirmation form with you on the day of your visit. Please be prepared to provide separate counts of students and adults when you present this form to the gate cashier. If you are participating in an education program, please arrive at the zoo at least 15 minutes in advance of the program time to allow for entry processing.

For more information visit the Zoo Visit Frequently Asked Questions page

Payment
Payment is made on the day of your visit in one lump sum and by only one method. We cannot accept payment in advance. Refunds cannot be processed at the entry gates, so if you pay by check, please make it for the amount owed. Have your admission payment counted and ready when you arrive at the zoo’s gate. If paying by cash, use bills (not coins) to avoid delays. Purchase orders are accepted for amounts of over $50.00 only.