Ages 1-4 with adult. Offered: Thursday, October 31 only. This special holiday edition includes Meet & Greets with a few of our “creepy crawly” but still adorable animals from My Big Back Yard, and painting your own mini pumpkin to take home with you! Costumes are both welcome and encouraged for participants of all ages! Registration is required.
Join us for Halloween night! Evening of Oct. 31, 2024 from 4 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 sell out quickly. Tickets are on sale online now.
Ages: Middle School & High School. The Teen Naturalist Training will be a series of 3 workshops throughout the month of November that will hone in on developing the necessary skills to be a future steward of the environment. This course will provide our local teen community with the resources and knowledge to better understand the wild world around us. Through hands-on and experiential opportunities we’ll study such concepts as native Ecology, Biology, and Conservation all while being in the unique setting of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Join us as we learn how to best protect our local wildlife and wild places. This series is only offered as a full 3 week course consisting of 9 hours of classroom and in-the-field learning. Our 3 courses will cover the following topics: Herpetology (Saturday, November 2nd), Ornithology (Saturday, November 9th), Mammalogy (Saturday, November 16th). Registration is required.
Ages 1-4 with adult. Offered: November 6, 16, & 21. . 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.
Ages 21+. Offered on November 6 & 20 with a chameleon theme. 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 year olds. Take a journey beneath the surface as we explore underground plants and animals. Together we will find roots that nourish life and hidden burrows where many creatures dwell! Registration is required.
Adults 21+. Offered Nov. 9 (9th is sold out), 16, 30, Dec. 6, Jan. 11, Feb. 14 & 15, Mar. 15, Apr. 19. Want a change of scenery on a weekend night? Come join us under the stars for an adults only private evening tour of our mountainside Zoo. We will enjoy a beverage to start off the night, then stroll under the stars to see what our animals do at night, we will even get an opportunity to meet one of our Loft animal ambassadors! This program is for adults only, 21+. Registration is required and open online now. If you would like to be on a wait list when any of our Date Night Starlight Safaris become sold out, please submit this form.
Ages: PreK-Kindergarten. Come let your little artists turn nature into their canvas! While exploring the zoo’s outdoor spaces, learners will have the opportunity to collect anything from Fall colored leaves to prickly pinecones as their tools for art. We’ll tap into their creative imaginations to make beautiful, natural pieces all while building a deeper connection to their natural surroundings. This event also includes daytime admission to the Zoo. Registration is required.
Ages: 1st - 8th Grades offering Elementary and Middle School programs. We’re surrounded by animals both at home and in the wild! Whether its animals in your house or at the zoo, we’ll explore and compare our furry friends with their wild counterparts through their behaviors, diets, and more!
On Friday, November 15 & Wednesday, November 27, get an extra ticket to make your family outing complete! Bring your canine kiddo for a Zoo adventure. For these special dates, 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. Dog tickets are limited. Advance tickets are required.
Ages: 16 and up, all skill levels welcome. Nov. 15, 16, & 17Need 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 and closes 4 days prior to the start date.
Ages: Kindergarten - 6th grade. Theme: Behind the Bubbles: Dive into the fascinating world of bubbles in nature! Together we will explore the beauty and science behind bubbles found in our animal kingdom and the nature that surrounds them. Join us for a single day or all three days of exploration that is sure to bubble with excitement. Registration is required. Online registration opens Monday, Sept. 2 at 9 a.m.
Ages 1-4 with adult. Offered: Tuesday, November 26 only. 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.
Adults 21+. Celebrate holiday lights and cheer during this adults-only event, Electric Moonlight. This event combines our festive holiday lights with indoor sampling areas featuring beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks while tasting delicious eats from area restaurants (all while supplies last) – just like at our popular summer event, Moonlight on the Mountain! Advance tickets are required and are subject to selling out; day-of tickets available only if not sold out. (No one under age 21 will be permitted, including no children or infants.) Tickets are on sale now.
All ages. Nightly, Dec. 6 - 23, 25-Jan. 1, 2025 (except Christmas Eve). Celebrate 26 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 tickets are required for everyone and sell out quickly. Tickets will be on sale at 10 a.m., Monday, November 4, 2024
Ages: 1st & 2nd Grade. Immerse your young learners in nature through their five senses! We’ll explore the sights, sounds, textures, smells, and even tastes of the natural world as we engage in hands-on activities on the zoo’s nature trail. From smelling fresh pine and hearing leaves crunch under their feet to seeing birds fly overhead and discovering the seasonal changes around them, this program will foster curiosity and sensory awareness all while connecting kids to the beauty of the outdoors. This event also includes daytime admission to the Zoo. Registration is required.
Ages: 11st & 2nd Grade. Introduce your young ones to the world of animal tracking! Students will learn how to seek out and identify the tracks of animals that call Cheyenne Mountain home all while traversing through the wilderness themselves. This event also includes daytime admission to the Zoo. . Registration is required.
Ages 21+. Offered on January 8 & 22 with a red panda theme. 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.
Adults 21+. Offered Jan. 11, Feb. 14 & 15, Mar. 15, Apr. 19. Want a change of scenery on a weekend night? Come join us under the stars for an adults only private evening tour of our mountainside Zoo. We will enjoy a beverage to start off the night, then stroll under the stars to see what our animals do at night, we will even get an opportunity to meet one of our Loft animal ambassadors! This program is for adults only, 21+. Registration is required and open online now. If you would like to be on a wait list when any of our Date Night Starlight Safaris become sold out, please submit this form.
Ages: Middle and High School, 6th - 12th grades. Summer Session runs May-August 2025 (dates TBA) for Zoo Crew, Junior Zoo Keeper and Teen Leader programs. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Teen Programs provide meaningful life experiences that inspire teens to take conservation action both on and off Zoo grounds through education, leadership, stewardship and environmental exploration. Admission to the program is through an application process. Online applications for Zoo Crew, Junior Zoo Keeper and Teen Leader will be open during this time. An application fee applies. Once you have completed your application fee transaction you will get an automatic generated email that contains the link to your application! All applications must be submitted by midnight on February 14, 2025.
Mark your calendars - EARLY BIRD pricing and an exclusive member's only summer camp registration period will be open February 3-9, 2025. Then, Early Bird registration continues for members and the general public, February 10-14, 2025. General registration begins February 15, if not sold out. Summer Camp programs will be available to children in preschool through 8th grade. Register your wild ones early as camps fill quickly. More information on camp program details coming soon!
Ages 21+. Offered on February 5 & 19 with a black-footed ferret theme. 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 21+. Offered on March 5 & 19 with a red-eyed tree frog theme. 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 21+. Offered on April 9 & 23 with an African penguin theme. 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 21+. Offered on May 7 & 21 with an Amur tiger theme. 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.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo invites all ages of world class runners and families alike to Run to the Shrine, offered on the evenings of Saturday, May 17 and Sunday May 18, 2025. Run to the Shrine is a 4-mile run/walk course that curves through the Zoo, up to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun and back down into the Zoo. Run to the Shrine has become an annual Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition, and it is the only time that guests are allowed to travel up to the Shrine of the Sun by foot! In addition, Run to the Shrine is an important fundraiser for the Zoo. Registration is required.