After Hours Guide

The Education Building Parking Lot will open 15 minutes prior to your program beginning. Our staff will be busy getting ready for your program, so if you arrive too early there may not be anyone to allow you to enter the lot. Please be patient with us as we prepare for the evening.

Unfortunately, it isn’t possible for us to accommodate any morning pick-ups before 7:45am. Some programs sleep in different parts of the zoo, and staff may not be available to escort your child across the zoo for an earlier pickup. So we recommend that if your child needs to leave before 7:45am the next morning, that you coordinate picking them up at the end of the program the night before (around 10:30pm).

The earliest we can have people leave the program is 7:45am. Any time earlier than that just isn’t possible to coordinate. Some programs sleep in different parts of the zoo, and staff may not be available to escort you across the zoo for an earlier pickup. We recommend that if you need to leave before 7:45am the next morning, that you coordinate leaving at the end of the program the night before (around 10:30pm) instead.

Group & Family Overnights

• The entire Overnight Adventure experience spans 7:00pm – 9:00am the next morning
• The evening portion runs from 7:00pm – 10:30pm (lights out at 11pm)
• Wake up is at 7:00am. The morning includes breakfast and an experience, running from 7:45am – 9:00am.
  • Note: Twiga Tented Safari includes a continental breakfast and special experience

Adult Overnights

• The entire Overnight Adventure experience spans 6:00pm – 9:00am the next morning
• The evening portion runs from 6:00pm – 10:30pm (lights out at 11pm)
• Wake up is at 7:00am. The morning includes breakfast and an experience, running from 7:45am – 9:00am.
  • Note: Twiga Tented Safari includes a continental breakfast and special experience

• For Schools: Our programs are designed for 2nd graders – college, and their chaperones.
• For Scouts, Youth Groups, Church Groups, etc., participants must be at least 5 years old to attend.
• Family Overnights: participants must be at least 5 years old to attend.
• Adult Overnights: participants must be at least 21 years old to attend.

Group Overnights

Your entire group will be split up into smaller tour groups of about 12-15 and paired with an Education Instructor. These groups will remain separate for most of the night and potentially while they sleep.

Family Overnights

Your family may be grouped with others families and paired with an Education Instructor for activities and hikes. Your family will have their own room while they sleep.

Adult Overnights

Your participants will be grouped with others and paired with an Education Instructor for activities and hikes. Participants will share our Twiga Tents with other participants, up to 10 people per tent.

Programs occur rain or shine. Rain & wind may affect some program activities, such as where activities take place. If severe weather occurs during a program, the Zoo has safety locations where participants will remain until it has passed.

In case of predicted extreme weather, the Cincinnati Zoo reserves the right to cancel a program by 5:00pm the day of program. The main contact of the group will be contacted via email and phone. The Zoo will do it best to reschedule or will refund in full for cancelled programs. Programs rescheduled or cancelled by the group will follow our reschedule/cancellation policy and will be subject to the rescheduling fee.

• A 25% non-refundable deposit is required during booking based on your best, highest number of participants for your booking. This deposit is due no later than two weeks after you have booked your program date. This deposit will be applied to your total program fee.
• Finalized participant numbers (including chaperones and teachers) and the rest of your program fee is due no later than two weeks prior to your program date.
  • You will only be able to decrease your participant number after booking as we schedule the appropriate amount of instructors based on your group size.
  • Minimum payment for African Predator Prowl and Sleep with the Manatees is for 15 participants. Minimum payment for Twiga Tented Safari is 1 tent.
• Accepted payments include check, credit/debit card, or purchase order. If you are paying with a PO, we require a copy of the actual PO; numbers only will not be accepted.
• Please call our Education Registrars at 513-559-7730 to finalize details and provide the rest of your program fee.
• Checks can be made out to: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Please put your order number in the memo line of your payment.
  • Mail: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, ATTN: Education Department, After Hours Programs,
    3400 Vine Street, Cincinnati Ohio 45220

Group Overnights

Reschedule Policy

• If you need to reschedule, your group may reschedule up to two weeks prior to your program date. Your non-refundable deposit will be applied to your new date.
• If your group reschedules within the two week time period, you will be subject to an additional $150 rescheduling fee.

Cancellation Policy

• If you choose to cancel your program without rescheduling, no refund can be given

Family and Adult Overnights

Reschedule Policy

• If you need to reschedule, your may reschedule up to two weeks prior to your program date.

Cancellation Policy

• No refunds or credits , for programs cancelled within two weeks for your program.

A full packing list with recommendations can be found in the Information Guides posted above. Click on the Group Overnights or the Individual Overnight tabs and find the program that you are registered for.