Woodland Park Zoo believes the zoo should be inclusive for all. To celebrate its commitment to inclusion, the zoo will host its first Zoo for All event to acknowledge and honor families and individuals from the special needs and inclusion communities.

Features of Zoo for All:

• Additional accessible parking spaces
• New zoo map to help identify quieter and less heavily trafficked locations
• A reconfiguration of Zoomazium’s nature play space to make it suitable for children with autism and other sensory disorders
• Potential opening of the long-awaited Seattle Sensory Garden, an addition to the zoo’s Rose Garden designed for those with and without disabilities to enjoy. The new garden includes a variety of elements for guests to touch and explore, including deep-toned wind chimes, temple bells, and guiros—rectangular wooden posts with slots that create noise when touched. There is also an accessible paved pathway, special sensory-friendly carpeting, and raised beds to make for easier interaction with the variety of trees, shrubs and bulbs planted throughout the garden

In addition, families will be encouraged to join in a community bring-your-own lunch celebration on the zoo’s North Meadow. Because Zoo for All falls during the zoo’s new Evening Zoo event, the zoo will be open past normal closing hours until 8:30 p.m.

Zoo for All has been made possible through guidance from nonprofit partners in the community, including the Arc of King County, Special Olympics USA Games, Northwest Center and others. These organizations will have booths at the zoo throughout the day to provide information about their services.

Zoo for All is part of Woodland Park Zoo’s greater commitment to making the zoo a place of inclusion in which people of all backgrounds and abilities feel welcome and inspired to make conservation a priority in their lives.