Buy Tickets - Education

For 18-36 months olds
Join us in this four-week series as we learn to count. Practice counting animals, better yet toes, tails, and legs! We will meet animals face to face in the classroom, as well as in the Zoo when we go on our hike! Watch your child grow as they count with their classmates, all while sharing and working together.

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Note: Plan for one adult to stay with your child during these classes.

For 18-36 months olds
Jump like a lemur, swing like an elephant’s trunk, and groove to the beat with some neat counting tunes! Join us in this four-week series as we mimic animal music and movement, while finding our voices and working on our counting skills! We will meet some wild dancing friends face-to-face in the classroom and out in the Zoo.

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Note: Plan for one adult to stay with your child during these classes.

For 3, 4 and 5 years old not in kindergarten
Join us for this four-week series as we identify and discover animal coverings! We will touch fur, feathers, and scales, and explore with sight, touch, and sound. We will meet animals face-to-face in the classroom and out in the Zoo.

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Note: Plan for one adult to stay with your child during these classes.

For 3, 4 and 5 years old not in kindergarten
What makes a mammal a mammal, or a bird a bird? Join us for this four-week series as we investigate and classify animals based on similarities! We will meet animals face to face in the classroom and out in the Zoo. With the same instructor and group each week we will communicate and share with our classmates, working together to classify our Zoo animals!

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Note: Plan for one adult to stay with your child during these classes.

Are you ready to become an animal investigator? Great! In this series, we will learn to identify the various body parts that animals have and check out all of the similarities and differences we can find. From claws to toes to a short or long nose, we’ll next explore how these body parts help each animal to survive.

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Note: Children attend this series independently.

We know that animals can look very different on the outside, but what about the inside? In this class, we will learn about bones, teeth, and digestive habits! Sometimes gross but always great, these things all help an animal to survive and can help investigators, like us, tell how animals that are similar can be grouped together.

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Note: Children attend this series independently.

What is one of the easiest ways to distinguish one class of animals from another? Its physical coverings! Become a mini scientist as we develop our observation and data collection skills to take a closer look at plants, skin, scales, and fur!  

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks  

Domestic vs. Wild – what’s the difference?! Join us as we investigate our own domestic and wild Zoo residents to figure out how these two are truly wild ancestors! From your companion cat to the African cheetah, or the dog at your house to the African painted dog, these family members definitely have their similarities and differences. We will meet animals up close and out on our Zoo hike, practicing our observation and inquiry skills!  

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks  

You probably know that wolves and foxes are related, and that cheetahs and lions share a branch of the family tree, but what about those animal oddballs out there? Who is a sloth’s closest relative? What about hippos and aye-ayes? Some animal relatives are easy to figure out, but others are a bit tricky. From classroom animal encounters to hikes and hands-on activities, this four-week series will help us look closer at the wild, wonderful, and wacky creatures out there.  

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks

Flight is a pretty amazing adaptation. Pair that with the fact that it appears in three, independent animal classes, and you have one amazing example of convergent evolution. In this program, we will encounter animals in the classroom and on grounds that help us observe the structures and behaviors that help animals fly, compare the ways that animals accomplish it, and use what we learn plus our own imaginations to create some new, flying species of our own.  

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks

From the smallest hummingbird to the largest ostrich, there is a lot of diversity among birds. In this class, we will explore the traits that unite all birds as well as those that divide them into subgroups. Through it all, hands-on exploration, inquiry, animal visitors and Zoo hikes will bring our investigations to life as this program session shines a spotlight on our feathered friends.  

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks  

What do an alligator, a rattlesnake, a Komodo dragon, and a tortoise have in common? They are all reptiles! There are so many different kinds of reptiles with so many different characteristics that it is hard to believe they are related! We will learn to look closer at the traits of these scaly friends and notice some of their similarities and their differences as we learn how scientists classify (and argue about classifying) them. Hikes, animal encounters, and investigations will make this experience both educational and fun! SSSSSSee you there!  

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks  

Mammals are an amazing, diverse, and well-adapted group of animals. Using scientific tools, observations at habitats and in the classroom, and getting hands-on with bio-facts, we’ll investigate what makes an animal a mammal. Then, we will take a closer look at two different scientific orders of mammals, learning about what makes them so special and unique. Participants will get a chance to demonstrate what they have learned to their families and the public!

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Which animal class includes members that can both fly in the air and underwater? Birds of course! From the biggest ostrich to the tiniest hummingbird, we will explore what it takes to be a member of Class Aves. With hikes, skull examinations, and some classroom animal visits, we’ll take an in-depth look at three specific scientific orders of birds to understand what makes them so unique. Participants will get a chance to share what they learned with their families and the public.

Dates: Choose to come every Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for 4 weeks.

Join us in celebrating the incredible bonds you have with the grandparents in your lives! Together we will learn about animals whose lives are also enriched from multigenerational family structures, meet animal ambassadors up close, and visit some of the grrrreat grandparents we have around our Zoo.

Note: All attendees 3 years + must register. One adult required per group. Children under 3 years free. Price is per person.
 

A truly one-of-a-kind experience, these overnights make a great date night, friend group outing, or (adult) family adventure!

An interactive social hour will start the night with two drink tickets, light bites, strange zoo games, and a visit from a unique animal. Then, we will break out into small tour groups led by Zoo Educators to traverse through Africa. On our Zoo safari, we will go behind the scenes of Hippo Cove and uncover the secrets of our world-famous bloat. We'll finish up our night at our Twiga Tents, gathered around a roaring campfire roasting s'mores. Then, this unique adventure ends with a relaxing night in our safari tents on cozy cots and waking up to breakfast overlooking Giraffe Ridge. And it doesn’t end there! One last special animal guest will join us in the morning to say goodbye.

Spend the Night at the Zoo!

Florida is full of diverse habitats that are bursting with thousands of animal species, from walking-on-water basilisks to slow-and-steady manatees. We’ll dive headfirst into the astonishing biodiversity of these habitats, centering around the lives of our resident manatees who are a part of a rehabilitation program. Throughout the night we’ll explore a few places in the Zoo, participate in fun, educational activities, get a behind-the-scenes sneak peek, including our amazing science and research center CREW, and meet some of our animal ambassadors up-close and personal! When the night ends, you’ll doze off at our Manatee Springs building in the big open-spaced exhibit area.

 

Note: All program attendees must be 5 years and older and be registered. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a registered adult. 

This program sleeps in the Manatee Springs building. This is a beautiful open-spaced room that will be shared with other families/groups. So you will be combined with other groups for the program and sleeping.

 

Zoo lovers of all ages can join us each season for a special night hike around the Zoo.

July & August: Hot Weathered Wildlife Different animals (including humans) have different strategies for staying cool in the summertime. Pigs wallow, goats get rid of heat through their ears and horns, snakes and lizards seek the shade and African penguins swim to keep cool! There are many ways to beat the heat in the summer! Join us as we learn about which animals enjoy the heat, and how they find ways to cool down. During this Family Night Hike, we will hike to see our warm-weathered-loving Zoo animals and meet some of our hottest animal ambassadors up-close and personal! 

September & October: Creepy Crawly Critters Fall is for all things spooky! But we would love to show you how some animals aren't as scary as they may seem! Particpate in fun, educational activities, take a short Zoo hike with one of our education instructors, and meet some of our animal ambassadors up close and personal! All while learning about the cute creepy crawly critters that call the Cincinnati Zoo home.

Note: All attendees 3 years and above must register. At least one adult must register per group. Children under 3 years are free. Price is per person.

How well do YOU know your Cincinnati Zoo? The honor of "second oldest Zoo in the nation" comes with a lot of history and some pretty epic tales. Step back in time with Zoo animal care and trainer veteran of 50 years, Gary Denzler, as he leads you on a fun and factual story-based historical tour of the Cincinnati Zoo, sharing tales of the people and animals that have made this zoo what it is today.

This program is geared towards participants 16 years and older.

All t-shirts are for pickup only, at the Harold C Schott Education Building at 56 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45249 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, or Saturday 9am-12pm. Call 513-559-7730 when you arrive. All orders will be held for 4 business days, and then returned to inventory if not picked up. 

Gildan Brand 100% Cotton. See size chart. Get your vintage camp tshirt! Youth and Adult sizes for the whole family!

Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
Gift Certificates expire 5 years from purchase.
 

​Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
Expires 5 years from order date

​Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
Expires 5 years from order date

​Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
Expires 5 years from order date

For the best elves in your life. 

​Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
Expires 5 years from order date

Put a little Zoo in their stocking!

​Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
Expires 5 years from order date