Ages: Elementary or Middle School. Come join Zoo staff as we learn what it takes to train an animal! Whether it’s your pet at home or our residents here at the Zoo, you’ll learn the strategies and techniques that zookeepers use on a daily basis. Through our hands-on workshop, you’ll put your animal training skills to the test with some of our smaller ambassador animals and gain some new knowledge to try at home! Registration is required.
In celebration of our baby giraffe's one-month birthday, we have some exciting news! YOU can help us decide by voting for your favorite name! Cast your vote in the poll below. The names were chosen by our giraffe care team, specifically for the female calf. VOTE NOW by selecting your favorite option! Each person can vote once during the voting period per unique email address. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. MT, Sunday, November 27, 2022.
Ages 5 years and older. Offered Saturday, November 19. Drop off the kiddos for an evening program that will be sure to create a lifetime memory! We will start the evening with a pizza party before indulging in s'mores (weather permitting). After our bellies are full we will tour the Zoo to see what our animals do at night. We will meet an animal up close, and even feed our giraffe herd, we will also tour our Elephant Barn! To wind down before pick up, we will get creative and use fabric markers and stencils to personalize our very own Zoo pillowcase to take home. Registration is required.
Ages PreK-6th grade. Offered as day camps Monday - Wednesday, November 21, 22 & 23, 2022. PreK-K is a half-day 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., 1st-6th grade is a full day 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Join us for a day or all three! We will be exploring Dynamic Decomposers; Decaying, rotting, and molding, oh MY! Every wonder where all of our waste goes? As the leaves fall, join us as we learn about the decomposers that turn that waste into energy! Registration is required. Fall Break Camps are sold out.
All ages. Celebrate 26 nights of holiday lights and cheer during Electric Safari with 85 light sculptures on over 50 acres! Electric Safari has been ranked Third Best Zoo Lights in U.S. by USA TODAY’S 10Best four years in a row: 2019-2022! 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 our larger-than-life illuminated inflatable animals! NEW THIS YEAR: Save $5 per ticket by visiting on a non-peak day! Advance timed tickets are required, must be purchased in advance and are subject to selling out.
Ages: Middle School. (Elementary school is sold out.) Winter is coming…and with it some major changes to our Zoo! Join us at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as we dive into the lives of our resident animals during the cold season. Through hands-on experiences, we’ll learn about cold weather adaptations, habitat changes, and how we care for our residents right here at the zoo when the weather gets frigid. Registration is required.
Ages: Middle school / 6th-8th Grade. Come learn from Zoo staff as we explore the brilliant world of birds! We’ll dive into the unique lives of both native and exotic species and learn about the adaptations that make them so successful. We’ll see firsthand how keepers train and care for our birds and even get to meet a resident up close. *Registration for this program will close 48 hours prior to the day of the program. Registration is required and closes 48 hours prior to the program.
Ages PreK-6th grade - Offered as day camps Monday - Friday, December 26, 27, 28, 29, & 30. PreK is a half-day 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., 1st-6th grade is a full day 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Theme: Winer Around the World. As the weather outside is frightful, the animals are so delightful! Animals all around the world prepare for winter differently, join us as we learn about our hungry, sleepy, and cold animal friends! Registration is required. (Note: PreK-K and 1st-2nd Grade camps are sold out. Dec. 29 is sold out 3rd-6th Grades.)
All ages. Offered throughout January. Book your family fun with us today! The world of skunks is not as black and white as it appears! You red that right: discover how they avoid the blues, what greens they enjoy, and so much more! Hue won't want to miss this! Ambassador Animal: striped skunks. Tour Area: Rocky Mountain Wild. Registration is required.
Ages 3rd grade and up. Come try your hand in this beginner’s course as we face the challenges of photographing animals in winter! We’ll put our skills to the test with resident animals at the zoo and with any wildlife we can find on the zoo’s nature trail. *No photography experience is needed and any phone or camera will be acceptable to use. Registration is required, closes 7 days prior to the program, and is open online now.
Ages: Elementary (1st-5th) or Middle School (6th-8th). From studying animal diets to choosing plants for animal habitats, there is much more than just being a zookeeper. Join us as we tour the zoo and meet with staff to learn about some of the more unZOOsual careers within this field. Registration is required.
Ages 12 months - 4 years. Offered January 28. We are kicking off the New Year by jumping right in and meeting some animals who are really good at this method of locomotion! Families will also get to show off their own jumping skills! Registration is required and open online now. (If dates are sold out, you can be added to our waitlist by completing this form.)
Ages: 6th-12th Grade. Come learn the basics of animal training in zoos! Join Zoo staff and one of our Zoo teens as you to try your hand at training some of our animal ambassadors. Registration is required and closes 48 hours prior to the program.
All ages. Offered throughout February & March. Naked mole rats are mighty, yet misjudged. Join us as we discover what makes these animals neither a mole, nor naked. Together we will discover just how nifty our naked mole rats really are. Tour Area: Water's Edge: Africa & Primate World. Registration is required.
Ages: 6th-12th Grade. Come explore the dynamic relationships between predators and prey. For centuries animals have adapted to overcome one another and better their chances for survival. Join us in this unique workshop as we meet both predator and prey species and dive into the adaptations that make each so successful. Registration is required and closes 48 hours prior to the program.
Ages 5 years and older. Offered Saturday, February 11, 2023. Enjoy a night off while your kids have a blast at our Kids Only Valentines evening tour. Drop off the kiddos for an amazing night filled with pizza, animals, and nature connection right here on the mountainside. We will start the night with a pizza party and dessert before we adventure among the stars to visit our animal friends during a private evening tour. We will tour multiple animal buildings and get to meet an animal friend up close! Registration is required.
Please join CMZoo President and CEO Bob Chastain on Monday, February 13 at 12 p.m. MT, for this important conversation about wolves in Colorado as a special epilogue to Wolves in Colorado: Science & Stories series, from The Institute for Science & Policy, Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. Tune in as an expert panel provides an overview of the plan, explores the difficult issues the Stakeholder Advisory Group navigated, where and how compromises were made, and why certain compromises were worth making to achieve a draft plan. Registration is required. and free.
Ages 12 months - 4 years. Offered February 14 only, limited capacity. This special Holiday edition Stroller Safari includes a special animal demo, meeting birds around the zoo, and creating a birdhouse to take home so that your backyard lovebirds can have somewhere to raise their family! Registration is required and open online now. (If dates are sold out, you can be added to our waitlist by completing this form.)
Ages 3 and up with one adult. Many animals tend to stay throughout the winter in Colorado and embrace the cold just like us! In this hands-on, kids friendly workshop we’ll learn about the different types of homes animals make in winter. We’ll even make our very own bird houses that you can paint and bring home! Registration is required and closes 7 days prior to workshop date.
Ages 12 months - 4 years. Offered February 22. This month we will be focusing on birds! Participants will get a chance to meet a variety of feathered friends and make enrichment for native bird species! Registration is required and open online now. (If dates are sold out, you can be added to our waitlist by completing this form.)
Adults 21+. Offered Feb. 22. This women only evening program will highlight the powerful female animals in our collection, and their place in the hierarchy in the wild animal kingdom. Start the evening with an adult beverage and then enjoy an evening of storytelling on your guided tour of a few animal areas. Your guide will share the empowering stories of the queens of the animal kingdom and the role they play in the wild. Get an opportunity to meet an animal ambassador up close in the Loft and feed our tower of giraffe. This program is inclusive to all who identify as female. This program is for adults only, 21+. Registration is required. PLEASE NOTE: This program is sold out. 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 to us.
Ages: Middle School (6th-8th). Learn about the importance of enrichment in zoos and try your hand at creating your own for some of our resident animals! Registration is required.
Ages 5+. Offered Saturday, March 4. Have you heard the joke about giraffe necks? It's a LONG one... Come learn all about our giraffe tower during this Giraffe themed Kids Only Starlight Safari. After crafting our very own set of ossicones to wear for the evening, we'll have a pizza party, roast s'mores, enjoy a guided evening tour, feed our giraffe herd some of their favorite snacks, and we'll meet an animal up close! This program is a drop-off and pick-up program for kids only. Registration is required.
Ages 4-5 years old. Kinder Kingdom is a half-day, camp-like setting that allows your little wanderers to create a connection with nature and new friends. As the sun goes down and the moon comes up, these animals come out to play. Together we will learn about nocturnal animals and the advantages of playing under the moonlight. Registration is required.
Ages: Elementary (1st-5th) or Middle School (6th-8th). Join us to learn about our scaly bodied, cold blooded reptiles through curiosity and exploration! Registration is required. These programs are sold out. If you would like to be added to a wait list, please email [email protected].
Ages: Middle School & High School. Come and learn what it takes to survive in the wild! We’ll learn about the essentials needed for a survival situation, creative ways to construct a shelter and proper techniques to build a fire amongst much more. Then we’ll put your skill to the test! Registration is required and ends 48 hours prior to the start of the program.
Ages 12 months - 4 years. Offered March 25, 29. This month we are focusing on animals that are just like us; mammals! Participants will get a chance to meet some “furry” friends and learn about a special group of mammals called marsupials. Registration is required and open online now. (If dates are sold out, you can be added to our waitlist by completing this form.)
Ages: Middle School & High School. Join us in this hands-on workshop as we learn what it takes for scientists to track animals in the wild! We’ll learn to read the signs animals leave behind in nature while also trying our hand at some of the technology that is used by scientists in the field. Registration is required and ends 48 hours prior to the start of the program.
Ages: High School. Join us in this first part of our “Wildlife in Color” mini-series as we look at the vital role color plays in our natural world. As humans, we view color as aesthetically pleasing but for many animals color is a tool necessary for survival. In this first session will focus on how different species utilize color as forms of communication. Whether its displays of warning or forms of attraction, the use of color can ultimately decide the survival of a species. Registration is required.
Age: Middle School & High School. Earth is home to millions of animal species that all interact with one another in many different ways! Whether it’s working together as a team or competing against each other for the same resource, our wild planet showcases what it takes for wildlife to survive. Join us as we study zoo residents and delve into the many different types of symbiotic relationships from around the world. Registration is required and ends 48 hours prior to the start of the program.
Ages 12 months - 4 years. Offered on April 8. This includes a visit with our resident rabbits and egg decorating! Participants will also learn how eggs are connected to lots of other animals around the Zoo too! Registration is required. This program is sold out. To be on a wait list, please complete this form.
Ages: Elementary (1st-5th) or Middle School (6th-8th). As we celebrate the Earth and all it has provided for us, join us as we discover ways to protect its wild animals and wild places. Registration is required. These programs are sold out. If you would like to be added to a wait list, please email [email protected].
Ages 4-5 years old. Kinder Kingdom is a half-day, camp-like setting that allows your little wanderers to create a connection with nature and new friends. As the sun goes down and the moon comes up, these animals come out to play. Splash into Spring at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as we dive into adaptations that allow animals to live on both land and in water. Registration is required. This program is sold out. To be on a wait list, email [email protected].
Ages: 3rd - 6th Grades. Spring is the time where our natural world awakens from its long, frosty slumber. Wildlife begin to become more active and migrate back to the natural spaces that were once blanketed with snow and ice. Join us as we learn how our wild world adapts with the changing season. *Tickets to this program also include admission to the zoo. Registration is required and closes 48 hours prior to the start of the program.
Ages 12 months - 4 years. Offered on April 15, 21, 26. This month we are focusing on toads, frogs, newts and salamanders! Participants will get a chance to meet some of these animals and make their very own frog slime to take home and explore! Registration is required and is open online now. April 15 date for this program is sold out. To be on a wait list, please complete this form.
Ages 21+. Offered on Apr. 26, May 17, 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: Elementary (1st-5th) or Middle School (6th-8th). Megafauna comprises the largest animals on Earth. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is lucky enough to be home to 4 of the 5 most common species! Join us to learn about these prodigious and powerful animals. Registration is required. Elementary age is sold out, middle school has a few spots left. To be on a wait list, email [email protected].
Ages 1-4 years. Offered only on Saturday, May 13. This is all about our Magnificent Moms….including you! Come join us for a fabulous fun adventure as we visit other mother’s around the Zoo! Registration is required. This program is sold out. To be added to our waitlist by completing this form
Ages 4-5 years old. Kinder Kingdom is a half-day, camp-like setting that allows your little wanderers to create a connection with nature and new friends. As the sun goes down and the moon comes up, these animals come out to play. The hills are alive with the sound of nature! Listen to the elephants’ trumpet, woodpeckers drum, and frogs sing as we learn about nature’s animal orchestra. Registration is required.
Ages: High School. In this second session of our “Wildlife in Color” mini-series we’ll dive into a world of color unseen to the human eye. We’ll study how animals utilize colors to camouflage into their natural surroundings and how it can be beneficial as a tool for survival. We’ll then explore how some animals can see completely different wavelengths of light and study an entire world of color only seen by our wild counterparts. Registration is required.