Upcoming Events

Resident groundhog, Gordy, readies for the spotlight to make his expert weather forecast for 2023! The ceremony is livestreamed on the Zoo’s Facebook Page at 9 a.m. and fans can watch the festivities from the warmth and comfort of their homes. Paws crossed for an early spring!

Sponsored by Tri City National Bank & FOX6

Winter is a tranquil time to visit, made even better with FREE admission! All guests are admitted FREE! (Parking and regular attraction fees remain in effect.) In the Small Mammals building, meet a new species, the Prevost squirrel, Kopi. These uniquely colored squirrels are found in tree canopies of Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Sponsored by Penzeys

Register your child for a Zoo Class or Camp! Have your little one learn about animals, zookeepers and veterinarians in these engaging, hands-on camps and classes. Zoo Pass members are able to register a week earlier at a discounted price. For a look at options, visit www.zoosociety.org/education.

Sponsored by Tri City National Bank & FOX6

On this Saturday, it doesn’t matter how large your family is, all guests are admitted FREE! (Parking and regular attraction fees remain in effect.) Meet a unique mountain gorilla family living in Rwanda though the Gorilla Trek Virtual Reality Experience! With motion platform seating and 4D headsets, encounter these magnificent animals face to face!

Sponsored by Racine Danish Kringles

Guests should hippity-hop to the Zoo for a day filled with “egg-straordinary” activities, all with an Easter theme! Some of the highlights include animal egg enrichment, an Easter parade, colorful crafts, and more! Don’t forget to visit your favorite animals, too!

Registration is not required; we apologize for any confusion.

Celebrate Earth Day and share in this 1-day community project to keep Milwaukee beautiful with the 28th annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup. Volunteer with the Zoo to help clean up and green up! Join on your own or coordinate a team of friends, family, or colleagues.

Make it a special day for mom with a visit to the Zoo on her special day, Sunday, May 14. All mothers receive free admission; the parking fee remains in effect. Take time to visit some of the Zoo’s animal moms including pre-hensile tailed porcupine, Quinn, giraffes Ziggy and Marlee, and Japanese macaques Negai and Rikka.

Sponsored by Sendik’s Food Market

Open May 20 – Sept. 4, 2023

The Ice Ages began 2.4 million years ago when the climate repeatedly changed between very cold periods when glaciers covered vast parts of the world. Be amazed by a magnificent menagerie of giant mammals who roamed the world during this time. From Sabre-tooth tigers to woolly mammoths and giant sloths, trek through the forest to meet these magnificent beasts!

Sponsored by Meijer

Diversity is nature’s greatest strength. It should be ours too. This unique event highlights nature’s diversity and focuses on increasing our connection to both nature and community. The fun includes exploring a section of the Zoo’s forest and browsing a sustainability market! Activities take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Zoo welcomes Three Harbors Council of the Boy Scouts of America as they settle in on the grounds to camp Friday and Saturday. Special hand-created displays are presented throughout the Zoo, to showcase scouting skills and conservation activities.

Zoo Pass and Platypus Circle members are invited to an evening at the Zoo just for them. Enjoy one of three nights filled with entertainment, food trucks and some of your favorite animals. If you’re interested in becoming a member visit www.zoopass.com.

Sponsored by St. Camillus Life Plan Community
June 12, 19 and 26

We’re celebrating seniors with FREE admission on these select Mondays in June – for guests 60 and older. Enjoy fresh air and exercise as you explore the Zoo, connect with wildlife, and meet the animals! Special activities and experiences are offered, designed for the young at heart!

Presented by Prairie Farms Dairy

Dads are always dandy, but even more so on their special day! On Father’s Day, all dads receive free admission to enjoy all the Zoo has to offer. (The parking fee and regular attraction fees still apply.) Visit some of the Zoo’s animal dads, too, like giraffe, Bahatika, prehensile-tailed porcupine, Seamus, and harbor seal, Ringo.

Sponsored by St. Camillus Life Plan Community
June 19 and 26

We’re celebrating seniors with FREE admission on these select Mondays in June – for guests 60 and older. Enjoy fresh air and exercise as you explore the Zoo, connect with wildlife, and meet the animals! Special activities and experiences are offered, designed for the young at heart!

Presented by CG Schmidt and Husch Blackwell 

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the Zoological Society’s black-tie gala. Zoo Ball is the Society’s largest fundraising event of the year. Guests come in formal wear and enjoy an evening at the Zoo, plus cocktails, gourmet dinner, dancing and much more. Tickets and information will be available at www.zoosociety.org, closer to the event.

Sponsored by St. Camillus Life Plan Community
June 26

We’re celebrating seniors with FREE admission on these select Mondays in June – for guests 60 and older. Enjoy fresh air and exercise as you explore the Zoo, connect with wildlife, and meet the animals! Special activities and experiences are offered, designed for the young at heart!

To thank military members and their families for their service and sacrifice, we’re proud to host this annual event. All military service members, veterans and their families can enjoy free admission and parking on July 2. Tickets are required through local County Veterans Service Offices (CVSO), for immediate family, and limited to 10 tickets per family.

The Zoo is a parade of fun when admission is just $4 on the 4th of July! (The parking fee and regular attraction rates still apply.) And, on Independence Day, to show your patriotic side, visit our RED ruffed lemurs in Primates of the World, the WHITE shama thrush in the Aviary, and Digger, the Grand Cayman BLUE iguana!

July 11, 13, and 14

Zoo Pass and Platypus Circle members are invited to an evening at the Zoo just for them. Enjoy one of three nights filled with kid-friendly entertainment, crafts, food trucks and some of your favorite animals. If you’re interested in becoming a member visit www.zoopass.com.

July 13 and 14

Zoo Pass and Platypus Circle members are invited to an evening at the Zoo just for them. Enjoy one of three nights filled with kid-friendly entertainment, crafts, food trucks and some of your favorite animals. If you’re interested in becoming a member visit www.zoopass.com.

Register your child for a Zoo Class! Have your little one learn about animals, zookeepers and veterinarians in these engaging, hands-on camps and classes. Zoo Pass members are able to register a week earlier at a discounted price. For a look at options, visit www.zoosociety.org/education.

Presented by GRAEF

Grab your clubs and golf “fore” a good cause. The Zoological Society’s annual golf outing includes 18 holes, lunch, dinner and refreshments on and off the course. Ticket information coming soon.

August 10, 11 or 12

Camp inside the Zoo on one of these select nights. You only need to bring your “bear necessities,” such as a tent, a pillow and a sleeping bag. We supply the dinner, breakfast, entertainment and of course, s’mores at the fire! Enjoy sleeping near the animals while supporting a good cause. When available, tickets will be sold through www.zoosociety.org.

Presented by Meijer

Mark your calendar for what has become a Milwaukee tradition as the Zoo comes alive with music, food, and fun! Popular Milwaukee restaurants are scattered throughout the park, offering delicious fare, AND top local entertainment perform for guests on five stages. And don’t forget the animals! National entertainment to be announced in May.

Tours for Animal Sponsors

The Zoological Society wants to thank its animal sponsors with a special event. Animal Safari is for animal sponsors and those who purchased a gift sponsorship. Guests can take part in behind-the-scenes tours, animal talks, animal-themed crafts and activities and much more. You can sponsor an animal the day of the event or sponsor now at www.zoosociety.org/sponsoranimal.

It’s the one time of year you can ride your bike inside the Milwaukee County Zoo. Take part in the kids’ 2.5-mile ride or challenge yourself to the 10-, 17- or 27-mile route. All riders get a long-sleeved T-shirt, breakfast, lunch and a day at the Zoo. When available, tickets will be sold through www.zoosociety.org.

Zoo Brew is a fun way to sample new brews, try new foods and meet new people while visiting various locations inside the Milwaukee County Zoo. From the micro to the macro, guests can sample beers from a wide variety of brewers, as well as sample foods from local area vendors. When available, tickets will be sold through www.zoosociety.org.

Sponsored by Tri City National Bank & FOX6

Fall is the perfect season to visit the Zoo, with colorful leaves throughout the forest and the crisp autumn air. As an added perk, on these special days, all guests are admitted FREE! (Parking and regular attraction fees remain in effect.) Meet a newer species added to the population, three scimitar-horned oryx, residing in the former elephant habitat. Currently extinct in the wild, these graceful animals are a type of antelope from the deserts of North Africa.

Presented by Prairie Farms Dairy

Enjoy “merry not scary” Halloween happenings at the Zoo! Boo at the Zoo features wicked family-friendly activities including a Trick-or-Treat Trail, live pumpkin-carving demonstrations, dazzling light shows and…ANIMALS! All ghosts and goblins (and their parents) are encouraged to come in costume!

Sponsored by Tri City National Bank & FOX6

Mark your calendar for the first Saturday in November for a special visit to the Zoo.  And on this Saturday, all guests receive free admission. (Parking and regular attraction fees remain in effect.) Be sure to visit the Small Mammals building to see a new species to the Zoo, two pygmy slow lorises – the only venomous primate. In the wild, these endangered animals are found in the tropical forests of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and southern China.  Learn more about this species, sadly highly trafficked and sold as exotic pets.

Register your child for a Zoo Class! Have your little one learn about animals, zookeepers and veterinarians in these engaging, hands-on camps and classes. Zoo Pass members are able to register a week earlier at a discounted price. For a look at options, visit www.zoosociety.org/education.

Powered by We Energies
Dec. 1-31; except closed Dec. 4, 5, 11, 12, 24, 25

Wild Lights and Frosty Nights! The Zoo transports guests to an illuminated destination with millions of sparkling lights throughout the forest and pathways. Enjoy an enchanted evening under the stars while strolling along pathways glowing with a variety of animal-themed light displays. Even MORE lights to be added in 2023!

Sponsored by Hawks Landscape

Local youth groups decorate nearly 70 trees inside the Zoo with animal-themed, homemade ornaments. The Fantastic Forest is a great opportunity for local youth to learn about animals, use their imagination, show off their work and engage the community. The trees are visible through the month of December.

Sponsored by Tri City National Bank & FOX6

Winter is one of the best times to visit the Zoo and get up close with the animals! And on this Saturday, all guests receive free admission. (Parking and regular attraction fees remain in effect.) In between seeing the animals, be sure to visit Gorilla Trek 4D Reality Experience! With motion platform seating and virtual reality headsets, you’ll travel to the jungle of Rwanda to meet mountain gorillas – face to magnificent face! You’ll want to reach out and ALMOST touch these beautiful animals.

It’s the season of giving, and the Zoo offers a week of free daytime admission to thank guests for their support. Visit the Zoo during “Frosty Free Week” – to enjoy animals and nature. All guests receive free daytime admission December 26-29. (Regular concessions and attraction rates apply. Regular admission rates apply to the Zoo’s Wild Lights night event.)