Your Akron Zoo is open! After a short separation for the safety of our animals, staff and guests, we are happy to say that our doors open today and tomorrow for Akron Zoo members and Wednesday for the public. Our animals have missed you and we all look forward to seeing you again.
Since you’ve been gone, we have had a few new additions to our Akron Zoo family who we are excited for you to meet in person! Our jaguar, Milan, was a favorite on social media when we announced her arrival earlier this year, and she can now be visited in her habitat in Legends of the Wild! This will also be the first public debut of Aluna, the calf of our Speke’s gazelles, currently residing in Pride of Africa and Juno, our new female red wolf who can be found in Grizzly Ridge. Plus, all of our other residents are excited to have you back! You are a valuable form of enrichment for our animals, bringing a wide variety of sights, sounds and even smells into the park with you. It wasn’t the same without you here, so be sure to stop by and visit your favorite Akron Zoo animals!
Despite our overwhelming excitement for your return, the health and safety of our guests, staff, volunteers, animals and the community remains our highest priority. In light of this, new safety measures are being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in accordance with current CDC guidelines. Current precautions include asking employees and customers to stay home if they are sick, encouraging respiratory etiquette and offering increased opportunities for hand washing/sanitization. All Akron Zoo staff are required to wear masks, and guests are strongly encouraged to do so as well. Six foot social distancing is being observed within the park, and directional markers will help to guide you through the zoo’s new one-way path.
A dedicated park team has been trained to frequently sanitize high touch surfaces throughout the entire park. Some of our public areas which do not allow for appropriate distancing or sanitization are currently closed to the public, including all indoor buildings, the Conservation Carousel, the A&K Wilber Express, the boma and all play areas. Additionally, limited restrooms are available, all of which are being considered “family restrooms.” No outside food or beverages can be brought in the zoo at this time, with exceptions being made for dietary restrictions and snacks for small children. Water bottles, bottled beverages and formula are still permitted, and water bottle stations throughout the zoo will be open. You can also purchase snacks at Grasslands Cafe, or at one of our Dippin’-Dots locations.
The zoo will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. In order to avoid unnecessary crowding we will be limiting the number of guests inside the zoo to 1,500 visitors at any given time with 200 available tickets every 30 minutes. Admission is $8 per person plus the usual $3 parking fee. Tickets must be obtained online, including free member tickets. No one will be admitted without a ticket, and tickets will not be available at the door. The time selected for your tickets is the time you must enter the park; early or late entry will not be permitted.
We are so excited to see you again! To purchase your Akron Zoo tickets, or if you have further questions about our opening, visit our 2020 Visitor Guidelines (https://www.akronzoo.org/2020-visitor-guidelines) page. For any questions not answered here, you can contact us at info@akronzoo.org. Thank you for your continued support and we hope to see you soon!