Membership

As part of our Zero Net Waste Initiative we are no longer printing membership cards and your membership will not be automatically sent through the mail. Re-prints of physical cards will incur a $7 fee. You will receive an e-mail confirmation with a temporary card that you can use immediately. You can also download your digital membership card through the Digital Membership Portal.

First Responders and all members of the military (both active military and veterans) receive a 10% discount on all Zoo membership levels.

Please bring your first responder employee ID, military or veteran ID to a Ticketing Window to redeem. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer/deal/discount.

First Responders: A valid photo ID must be presented at the Cincinnati Zoo to take advantage of this offer. Fire, EMT and police badges and identification cards are accepted only if accompanied by photo ID. As all ID must reference specific fire or police duty, government-only IDs will not be accepted. 

In our effort to reach Zero Net Waste, there is a $7.00 fee for re-printing physical membership cards. Please contact the membership office to pay by phone to replace your cards. Don’t forget you have access to your digital membership cards via the Digital Membership Portal

All memberships expire the last day of the month they are purchased in, the following year – so you and your family will have at least 12 months to enjoy the Zoo year-round.

We always add 12 months to your current expiration date when you renew. For example, if your membership expires 6/30/2021 and you renew 4/4/2021, your membership will be extended to 6/30/2022.

Our Gold level memberships include one free guest per visit and our Platinum level memberships include four free guests per visit (this is total guests for the entire membership).

No. Memberships are non-transferable, non-refundable, and cannot be extended. All sales are final. Primary and secondary adult member names cannot be changed during the membership year.

Memberships are not applicable for admission or rides during school field trips or ticketed events. Memberships are always valid for parking.

A Child must be 13 years or older in order to visit the zoo without a parent or guardian present. If the child is coming into the zoo on a membership (and they are one of the children on the membership), they will need a note from one of the named adults on the membership stating they give their permission and knowledge for the child to enter the zoo without them present.

Parking is limited to one vehicle per named adult on your membership, per day. If you have a Platinum, Gold or Standard membership, you may park in any open Zoo parking lot free of charge. Due to limited availability, parking is first-come, first-served and is not guaranteed on high volume days. The membership free parking benefit is applicable for zoo visits only. Parking lot is for visitors to the Zoo and only for the duration of the visit. Parking for other purposes is explicitly prohibited and may result in your vehicle being towed.

Zoo memberships are valid for all seasonal events, such as Zoo Blooms, Zoo Babies, HallZOOween, and PNC Festival of Lights.

If you have recently renewed your membership, please disregard any renewal notices that follow. Although we work to process renewals as quickly as possible, there is a chance that you may receive another notice before your payment and renewal is processed and entered into our system. Renewals sent by mail may take up to 21 days to process. If you have any additional questions about your renewal or if it has been over a month since you renewed, please call our membership office for more information.

We will honor the value of the gift certificate you received, even beyond its expiration date. However, if the price of the membership has increased since the time of purchase (or if there are any other differences in price where the value of the membership you are receiving is higher than what the gift certificate was purchased for) you will be responsible for covering the difference.

Zoo memberships are purchased for the goods and services offered by means of the membership and are NOT tax-deductible EXCEPT if the amount paid is $75 or less. Memberships $75 and under are considered an insubstantial benefit and are therefore 100% deductible. Please consult a tax advisor for additional information.

Did you buy tickets and love the Zoo? Up to 100% of your paid admission is applicable when you present proof of purchase or an email confirmation from an online ticket purchase. Admission receipts and email confirmations are only valid on the day of your visit and must show amount paid. Some restrictions apply. Amount deducted from price of the membership cannot be greater than the cost of the membership. Only one day of admission may be used. Admission deductions limited to individuals covered on the membership purchased. Please stop by the Ticketing Windows or Welcome Center to purchase. Tickets purchased for Zoo events or through promotions/offers are not able to be applied toward a membership.

Here are some important Membership Policy reminders:

The membership office is open daily. Call (513) 559-7713 or e-mail us at [email protected].

There are two ways to become a member:

Admission discounts for Reciprocal Zoo members, Military, and First Responders: Additional Discounts Please note: If you are a member of one of the following zoos and aquariums, you will receive 50% off general admission at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, regardless of your zoo or aquarium’s free/reduced admission policy (this offer cannot be combined with special events or promotions, i.e. Penguin Days). To receive the discount you can purchase your tickets in the “Additional Discounts” link above. Valid proof of membership and matching photo ID must be presented at the turnstiles when you arrive. When you present your Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden membership card, you will receive 50% off admission to the following zoos and aquariums (discount may not be available at all Zoos listed at this time.):

You can use your Cincinnati Zoo membership to receive FREE or discounted admission to over 100 other zoos and aquariums nationwide (including 7 in Ohio). Some popular organizations that are NOT on that list, however, include San Diego Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, and Newport Aquarium. You can view the most current list below. We strongly recommend you contact the zoo or aquarium you want to visit prior to your trip as the reciprocal list is subject to change without notice. Due to current conditions, some reciprocal Zoos may not be honoring reciprocity at this time.

Reciprocal Zoos

This list is subject to change without notice. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is not responsible for admission fees paid at reciprocal zoos as a result of unexpected changes in reciprocity agreements or other restrictions. Some organizations offer reciprocity to a limited number of individuals per visit, regardless of how many are covered by your Cincinnati Zoo membership. Parking and guest privileges generally do not reciprocate. We recommend you contact the zoos on this list prior to your visit to confirm the current reciprocity status and any restrictions. Updated April 4, 2023

Click here and use Option 1 to look up your member ID and to find your membership expiration date.

Members that renew their membership before its expiration date can receive 20% off the full-price membership!

For speedy processing, purchase your membership online! You can use your email confirmation as your membership card as soon as you receive it. If you join the Zoo or renew your membership, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with a temporary card that you can use immediately. You can also download your digital membership card through the Digital Membership Portal.

As part of our Zero Net Waste Initiative we are no longer printing membership cards and your membership will not be automatically sent through the mail. Re-prints of physical cards will incur a $7 fee.

We have added the capacity to take your photo at the Ticketing Windows if you would like to stop in and have that done. You will not need a photo ID on future visits once we have stored your photo. You will still need to provide your membership card for entry. We have limited resources on-site to take pictures at this time. If there is a line we ask you to accomplish this on your next visit.

As a non-profit organization that relies heavily on membership and attendance for support, we must prevent misuse of our membership cards. We also want to protect our members should their cards be lost or stolen. We try hard to keep our membership prices affordable for as many families as possible. If families and neighbors shared memberships, our revenue would be severely reduced and we would have little choice but to raise our prices.

We have added the capacity to take your photo at the Ticketing Windows if you would like to stop in and have that done. You will not need a photo ID on future visits once we have stored your photo. You will still need to provide your membership card for entry. We have limited resources on-site to take pictures at this time. If there is a line we ask you to accomplish this on your next visit.

No problem! You can access your digital membership cards via the Digital Membership Portal at www.cincinnatizoo.org/zoodigitalmembership. You can access from any smart phone or tablet. Don’t have a smart phone or tablet? Just stop at the ticket windows and we can issue you a Day Pass. You may then take your Day Pass and photo ID to the turnstile for entry. Please note, if you forget your membership card, we will issue a Day Pass one time as a courtesy; additional occurrences will require the purchase of replacement cards (see next question).

Fill out this form beforehand!

Nanny Agreement Form