Ages Middle and High School. Whether you’re on a hike or just relaxing in your backyard, photography is a great way to connect with the outdoors. Join this beginners course to learn how we can capture the beauty of nature and its residents. No prior photography experience is needed and either a camera or phone will be acceptable to use.. Registration is required and closes 48 hours prior to the start of the program.
Ages Kindergarten - 2nd grade.. Join us in this kids-only program as we learn about our wild neighbors and where they live. Learners will go on a habitat hike through the zoo’s nature trail to observe what type of animals live right here on the mountainside! We’ll also learn how we can help protect our wild neighbors and the wild places we all call home. *Tickets to this program also include admission to the Zoo. Registration is required and closes 48 hours prior to the start of the program.
On Tuesday, August 29, you can bring your well-behaved dog to the Zoo with you! Simply purchase a dog ticket along with your family’s human tickets, and Fido can experience many of the sights, sounds and smells that make the Zoo so special (minus some restricted areas). Just purchase a dog ticket for the same time and day as your visit. Advanced tickets are required. Dog Days on Aug. 29 is SOLD OUT.
Ages 21+. Offered on August 29. Join us for an adults only program where you not only get to create memories but a painting of one of our amazing animals as well. Each month offers a different animal theme to paint. Spend the evening at the Zoo strolling through animal exhibits, enjoying an adult beverage, meeting animals up-close and creating a masterpiece! Registration is required.
Ages: Elementary & Middle School. Fly into fall at the Zoo as we discover brilliant and bold birds! Together we will learn about their behaviors, adaptations, diets, and more- the sky’s the limit! Registration is required.
All ages. Explore booths and participate in activities celebrating vultures throughout African Rift Valley. There’s no cost to enjoy vulture-themed activities, but advance admission to the Zoo is required.
All ages. Join us on Saturday, September 23 or Sunday, September 24. Advance tickets required. Explore booths and participate in activities celebrating black-footed ferrets throughout Scutes Family Gallery, My Big Backyard and The Loft.
Ages 21+. Offered on September 12 or 26. Join us for an adults only program where you not only get to create memories but a painting of one of our amazing animals as well. Each month offers a different animal theme to paint. Spend the evening at the Zoo strolling through animal exhibits, enjoying an adult beverage, meeting animals up-close and creating a masterpiece! Registration is required.
Ages 1-4 years with adult. Offered: October 4, 14, 20 & 26. Registrants will participate in a Fall - themed sensory activity and meet some of our Orange colored friends that call the Zoo home! Registration is required and open online now.
Ages Middle School & High School. Join us in this unique after-hours event as learners join zoo staff and teens to explore the wild wonders of the dark. We’ll learn about nocturnal animals found right in our backyard and the unique adaptations they have to make them so successful at night. Registration is required.
Ages 4-5 years. Kinder Kingdom is a half-day, camp-like setting that allows your little wanderers to create a connection with nature and new friends. Join us for September's theme where otters cuddle, lions roar, bees dance, and kindergarteners play! Animals in the kingdom have all different ways of communicating with their pals. Join us on our journey to learn how our animals at the Zoo play and communicate. Registration is required.
Ages: Families of all ages. Bring your family to learn something new at the zoo! Join zoo staff as we explore our zoo’s very own nature trail where we will have fun building forts and learn how to properly build fires outdoors! *Purchase of program includes daytime admission for participants. Registration is required.
Ages 1st - 5th grade. Combine technology with the wonders of the outdoors as your child explores something new! Learners will enjoy nature through a whole new lens while also learning about wildlife and the outdoors. *Purchase of program includes daytime admission for participants. Registration is required.
Ages 4-5 years old. Join us as we shrink into the life of bugs! These tiny friends may be at the bottom of the food chain, but are strong, mighty and have an important role in their environment! Registration is required.
Ages 3rd - 6th grade. Living in bear country means you can never be too safe. Come learn from zoo professionals as we walk you through what it means to be Bear Aware. We’ll practice outdoor safety skills, learn how to properly use bear spray, and even meet our resident Grizzly Bears. *Purchase of program includes daytime admission for participants. Registration is required.
Ages 21+. Offered on October 24. Join us for an adults only program where you not only get to create memories but a painting of one of our amazing animals as well. Each month offers a different animal theme to paint. Spend the evening at the Zoo strolling through animal exhibits, enjoying an adult beverage, meeting animals up-close and creating a masterpiece! Registration is required.
Ages: Middle & High School. Register for one course or the three-course series. Naturalists play a valuable role in our Colorado community by engaging others in the appreciation of our natural world and beginning the conversation of how to protect it. This class will give our teenage community the skills and resources to understand more about our wild world and how to successfully share their stewardship with others. In order to protect it, we first need to understand it. Registration is required and closes 14 days prior to the start date. (Must have 6 participants to run the class.)
Ages 1-4 years with adult. Offered: October 14, 20 & 26. Registrants will participate in a fall-themed sensory activity and meet some of our Orange colored friends that call the Zoo home! Registration is required and open online now.
Ages: Elementary (1st-5th grade) & Middle School (6th-8th). Join us for a chillingly good time as we learn the best tricks and treats of scavengers. Scavengers may seem scary, but these misunderstood animals are some of the most important of the animal kingdom. We will even get to meet a few up close! Registration is required.
Ages 21+. Special Holiday Date Night Starlight Safari offered on Monday, October 30. Come join us for the Spooky Safari after hours...if you dare. Put a little spooky into your next date night and join us on the mountainside. During this Halloween-themed night tour for adults (21+) only, you will experience Cheyenne Mountain like never before. Explore the zoo under the stars by lantern light. Spy our animal friends in the darkness using night vision goggles, and enjoy a complimentary adult beverage and Halloween games along the way. This experience is for guests 21+. Costumes are encouraged. Registration is required.
Last four nights! Evenings of October 27-29 & 31, 2023 - 3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. All ages. Come see the original creatures of the night. It’ll be all treats and no tricks for your little pirates and princesses at this year’s Boo at the Zoo, the region’s most unique Halloween event. Boo at the Zoo is a fun way for families with young children to trick-or-treat and enjoy Halloween festivities in a safe environment, and all of our candy is made with sustainable palm oil to help protect wild orangutans! Advance timed admission tickets are required, and are on sale now. NOTE: All nights of Boo at the Zoo, except for Halloween night (Tues., Oct. 31) are full!.
Ages 6th-12th grades. Offered Sept. 15, or Nov. 3. We will roast s'mores and walk among the stars as we tour our Zoo amidst the dark skies. Spend an evening exploring what the animals do while the rest of the world is sleeping. We will tour multiple buildings as well as have a chance to meet an animal up-close! Registration is required.
Ages K - 2nd grades. Whether it’s a beaver building a dam or an elephant knocking down trees, animals have a special way of changing the world around them. Through hands-on activities we will learn how both wildlife and humans from all over the world can change their homes. Registration is required.
Ages: Middle School & High School. Come put your skills to the test and learn how photography can be a unique approach to wildlife conservation. No previous experience is necessary and any camera or phone will work. Registration is required.
Ages 3rd - 5th grade. Join us in this young learners program as we study the wonders of Colorado nature from right in our own backyard. We’ll learn how to best live with local wildlife, identify native plants, and how to best protect our home environments. Registration is required.
Ages 4-5 years. Offered Saturday, Nov. 11. Join us for a thrill-seeking day of exploring the foraging skills animals use to find food and shelter. Together we will crawl through the dirt, jump over the bushes, and make new discoveries. Registration is required.
Ages: 1st - 8th grades; Elementary & Middle School groups. Let the Zoo be your classroom and join us for experiential learning through hands-on engagement. This month it's fun with carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, OH MY! Join us as we learn all about animal diets and the adaptations they have to allow them to eat all the delicious and nutritious foods. Registration is required.
Ages 16+. No experience required. This is a 2.5-day course. Need something to put your pet toys in, or maybe to store hats and mittens, to put the mail in, or just to help clean up a cluttered corner? Get creative while you learn to weave a beautiful and functional basket that fits your lifestyle. The first evening of class we’ll start with a history of the basket, go over terminology, and walk through the process of weaving a basket to completion. Next, we’ll create a basket base and begin to weave height into it as you shape and form it to your own creative desires. You’ll have two full days to put your creativity to the test as you finish the course with a completed basket to take home and show off. Bring a friend and come join us for 2.5 days of basket weaving fun! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED – Registration closes 14 days prior to the start date. Must have 6 participants to run the class.
Ages: 1st - 6th grades. Offered Monday - Wednesday, November 20, 21 or 22. Sign up for any one day or all three. Join us for Living Legends. From the zoo to our own backyards, Colorado is home to legendary animals. Join us in discovering what special skills Rocky Mountain wildlife need in order to survive. Then learn your own set of outdoor protection skills so you can be a Local Legend too! Registration is required.
Ages 21+. Offered on November 21. Join us for an adults only program where you not only get to create memories but a painting of one of our amazing animals as well. Each month offers a different animal theme to paint. Spend the evening at the Zoo strolling through animal exhibits, enjoying an adult beverage, meeting animals up-close and creating a masterpiece! Registration is required.
Ages: Kindergarten 4-5 years old. Offered Monday - Wednesday, Nov. 20, 21 or 22. Sign up for any one day or all three. From giant eagle claws to small ant jaws, all animals have unique spoons and forks. Join us as we explore the sweet adaptations that allow animals to enjoy their tasty meals! Registration is required.
Ages 1-4 with adult. Offered November 22. This special Holiday Edition Stroller Safari allows us to practice our kitchen prep the day before Thanksgiving! Registrants will prepare a fun feast for some zoo animals, and participate in other fall themed sensory activities! Registration is required.
Ages 1-4 years with adult. Offered: November 30. Participants will explore the zoo, searching and learning about animals that are most active in the evening hours, but sometimes can be encouraged to wake up during the day to say hello to groups like ours! Registration is required and open online now.
Ages: Kindergarten Learners, 4-5 years old. Offered on Sat., December 2. When the snow comes, we aren't the only ones who want to take shelter in our homes! Together we will plunge into the different types of shelters that animals make in the winter and how they keep them protected from the cold weather. Registration is required.
Ages 3rd-5th grades. Let’s learn how our local forests and wild residents are changing and adapting as the colder weather approaches. We’ll explore the zoo’s nature trail and meet zoo residents to learn firsthand how plants and animals prepare for winter. **Purchase of program includes daytime admission for participants. Registration is required.
Ages 1-4 years with adult. Offered: December 16. Participants will learn about native Colorado species and create safe feeders to help wild animals near their homes find food in the colder months (almond butter, bird seed, cranberries, etc.)! Registration is required and open online now.
Ages: 1st - 8th grades; Elementary & Middle School groups.
Whether it’s hunting as a team or hiding amongst the crowd, there is certainly an advantage in sticking together. Join us as we explore the many different animal groups and the advantages of having numbers in the wild! Registration is required.
Ages 1st - 5th grades. Let’s explore the birds who are tough enough to stick around through winter. We’ll learn about local species and their unique adaptations that allow them to survive through the cold. We’ll even meet residents here at the zoo and discover unique ways to attract birds to our homes! **Purchase of program includes daytime admission for participants. Registration is required.
Ages: Middle School & High School. Come explore the wild families of Felines & Canines! Through hands-on activities and observing resident animals we’ll learn about the unique adaptations that allow these family groups to be such successful hunters. Registration is required and closes 48 hours prior to the program.
All ages. Celebrate 27 nights of mountainside magic during Electric Safari with 85 light sculptures on over 50 acres! Named 3rd BEST ZOO LIGHTS, 5 years in a row by USA TODAY’S 10Best! Top off this astounding display by gazing out at the city’s lights and watch all of Colorado Springs sparkle. You'll also enjoy photos with larger-than-life illuminated inflatable animals, and our new holiday-safari themed drone show! Save $5 per ticket by visiting on a non-peak day! Advance timed e-tickets are required for everyone and sell out quickly.