Daily Zoo News

Sunday, December 4th, 2022

Today’s Hours: 10:00am-9:00pm

The Zoo and PNC Festival of Lights will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Use this page to get the most up-to-date information on planning your Zoo visit!

Animal News for Today

The full Hippo bloat — Tucker, Bibi, Fiona, and Fritz – will be out later when temperature warms up.
Brown Mountain Tortoises and Wallabies are off habitat for the season.
Otters and Rhinos will have access for the remainder of the season.
Due to the HPAI (bird flu), many of our bird locations will be closed until further notice.
Butterfly Aviary is closed for the season.
Indoor Gorilla World will be closed in the morning
Kangaroo Walkabout will be closed today.
Some Veldt animals will have access due to temperature, Okapi and Warty Pig will not be out.
African Lions and Dogs will have access.

Getting Around the Zoo

Food location hours & animal appearances vary by season. Ask us when you arrive for details on how to make the most of your visit!

Zoo Map

NEW!! When you’re at the Zoo, find your destination with our interactive mobile app! Learn more here.

Directions

The main Zoo lot is located at 3427 Vine Street.

More info on hours and directions.

Parking

Members will exit the lot by scanning their digital membership or a physical membership card on the top scanner. Any other visitors can purchase a parking ticket by scanning the QR codes posted around the park or by using the parking kiosk at the zoo’s front entry.

Zoo Rides & Attractions

Rides are an included benefit of Platinum and Gold Members. Standard members and non-members may purchase tickets at each respective attraction.

Train

The train is temporarily down for maintenance

Times: 2:30pm to 9:00pm

Train Sponsor:

Carousel

Times: 4:00pm to 9:00pm

Kanga’ Klimb

Kanga Klimb is closed for the season.

Giraffe Feedings

Times: Closed for the season.

$4 per food order. Weather and animal dependent.

Gift Shops & Food Locations Open Today

Gift Shops

Historic Vine Village Main Gift Shop*: 10am-5pm

Mai Tai’s Market Gift Shop: 10am-5pm

*For a wider variety of retail items, please shop our online store.

Food

New mobile food ordering allows touchless transactions with food pickup at Base Camp Cafe. From Food Trucks featuring chicken strips, tacos, and burgers to snack stations and Hops, overlooking Roo Valley, the Zoo has something for everyone!

See what is open today!


Historic Vine Street Village
Hops:	10am	9pm
S’mores & More:	5pm	9pm
Africa & Train Station
Base Camp Cafe:	10am	9pm
Candy Cane Cottage:	5pm	9pm
Tuskers:	5pm	9pm
Twisted Tracks:	5pm	9pm
Train Dots:	5pm	9pm
Jungle Trails & African Veldt
LaRosa’s:	5pm	9pm
LaRosa’s Dots:	5pm	9pm
Canopy Canteen:	5pm	9pm
The Grove
Cup & Cone @ Mai Thai’s Market:	10am	9pm
Outpost Cafe @ Mai Thai’s Market:	5pm	9pm
The Coop:	5pm	9pm
Wild Burger:	5pm	9pm
Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen:	5pm	9pm
Sweet Retreat:	5pm	9pm

Animal Experiences

These are included with Zoo admission

Cheetah Encounter

Closed for the season.

cheetah running

Sponsored by:

Barnyard Bonanza

Closed for the season.

barnyard bonanza

Presented by:

Bird Experience

Closed for the season.

Sponsored by:

Add A Wild Encounter To Your Zoo Visit

Add a wild encounter to your Zoo visit today! Get up close and personal with some of your favorite animals! We’re bringing you close enough to care with these special animal experiences.

Owls and Friends

Have a hoot meeting the stars of the Wings of Wonder! Get up close and personal with our flyers, squawkers, and raptor friends. You’ll also get a chance to meet the resident owl ambassadors of the Cincinnati Zoo!

Purchase Experience

Days/Times Available: 2:00pm on select dates
Age Restrictions: Ages 5+ only (Must be at least 13 years of age to attend experience alone).
Cost: $30/person
Capacity: Up to 10 guests

More Info

This ticket is only good for this program and, a separate admission ticket is required to enter the zoo.
Please arrive at the experience 10 minutes before the encounter time.
For this experience, please plan to meet the attendant in Welcome Center.
This experience is non-refundable and tickets will be forfeited if your party is not present at the start time.
Only ticket holders will be permitted to attend this experience.
Attendees without tickets will not be admitted or be able to watch this experience. This includes children in arms or strollers.

Behind the Bug

Great things come in small packages. Come behind the scenes with a World of the Insect keeper and learn what it takes to care for the most diverse department in the whole zoo.

Purchase Experience

Days/Times Available: 11:00am on select dates
Age Restrictions: Ages 5+ only (Must be at least 15 years of age to attend experience alone).
Cost: $50/person
Capacity: Up to 10 guests

Van Goat

Come on down to Blakely’s Barnyard and meet up with some of the most talented painters at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Each guest will get to help create their own one-of-a-kind painting along with one of our resident goat artists. This new and exciting experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any animal-loving child – or adult!

Purchase Experience

Days/Times Available: 12:15-12:45pm On Select Dates
Age Restrictions: Ages 5+ only (Must be at least 15 years of age to attend experience alone).
Cost: $50/person
Capacity: Up to 6 guests

The Tremendous Tour-toise

During this experience, one of our animal care staff members will introduce you to our resident Galapagos tortoises, and fill you in on everything that goes into taking care of the largest species of tortoise in the world! Guests will get a hands-on experience while they learn all about the history of these amazing animals, as well as the conservation efforts that the Zoo supports to help preserve their precious native islands.

Purchase Experience

Tickets are $50. Tickets are per person. Ages 8+ only (Must be at least 15 years of age to attend experience alone).

Expand for More Info

Days/Times Available – Everyday 1:00pm

Capacity – Up to 5 guests for each program; slots will be filled by units of 1.

Age Restrictions – 8 & up (Must be at least 15 years of age to attend experience alone)

Cost – $50 per person

More Info

Please note:

This ticket is only good for this program, and a separate admission ticket is required to enter the zoo.
Please arrive at the experience 10 minutes before the encounter time.
For this experience, please plan to meet attendant in the Welcome Center located just inside the main entrance.
This experience is non- refundable, and tickets will be forfeited if your party is not present at the start time.
Only ticket holders will be permitted to attend this experience.
All participants will be required to wear a mask for this experience
Attendees without tickets will not be admitted or be able to watch this experience. This includes children in arms or strollers.
We cannot accommodate strollers or wheelchairs on this experience.
Tortoise FAQ
Tortoise Waiver