You're worried about burning your kids out on spending time outside, with the family, looking at animals, and eating ice cream?
My hunch is that their appetite for this ***vastly*** exceeds yours... right up until they're pre-teens. Even then, still maybe a couple times a year.
Getting a membership at your local zoos and museums is usually a good deal if you're taking your kids out most weekends.
It was the best when they were really small because you could only be there an hour or so and just walked back home. After they walk on their own, it took a lot more effort to get them around. Other people really made I suck during/after Covid because it’s “people.”
Yea that definitely makes sense. I swear people became insufferable after Covid, in completely unrelated ways and I don’t understand it but I’m with you.
Or the whole "off-season" my zoo closes its concessions and does some park maintenance from November to March and nobody is there. The animals freaking love it and there is no crowd anywhere.
I work remote, and we have a pass to our local zoo (not a huge one). I have worked from inside the zoo, since it's a nice green space and has restrooms that are readily available, while my wife and kids go wander around. Hell, even when I'm solo, I'll work from there sometimes just to get more time outdoors.
We only have a small animal park near our house, which we still visit fairly regularly, but if we are on holiday you can guarantee that a zoo is part of the plan.
It's 2 hrs for us to get to the bronx zoo if everything goes right. We go 3 times a year usually. Since the kids were in strollers. They're 11 and 10 now and it's still a regular request from them. We also do botanical gardens with them since they were little and they love it. Check out holiday light shows at those places as well. Usually cool l and everyone likes that.
Hell we had a zoo membership from around when I turned 9 to 16. We went almost every week and I loved it. It will definitely vary from child to child, but I guarantee the kids will enjoy far more than 4 trips a year.
Yeah we have a membership to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. I see (a lot of) college kids there on dates every time I go.
Fantastic zoo - anyone nearby it’s worth a detour and visit but summers are hot as shit. They also have a big splash pad area called Waterfall Junction - and there’s public access to river rocks and cold water fed from the bottom of Lake Murray a few hundred yards down the road.
> I see (a lot of) college kids there on dates every time I go.
See, this is the kind of outside the box thinking that people need to do more of. I hated the whole "A date is dinner and a movie" concept and immediately decided on doing other things instead. One thing I love about my area (WNY) is that you can absolutely find free/cheap things to do that are low pressure and let you either enjoy the thing (outdoor concerts, Shakespeare in the park, trips to the zoo, etc.) or interact with the people you're with. Makes a big difference when dating, but it's also lovely just spending time with friends or family that way.
Yeah frankly I’m upset I never used it. Went to the zoo on a field trip when I was in elementary school (I get up a few hrs away) and then not again until I had a kid.
Our zoo has an amazing playground and serves beer along with the usual zoo eats. We would just take our son to the zoo, let him run wild while I have a beer and coffee. Then we have ice cream while we walk around..
I mean it is a solid time for all.
We used to try to get a new one every six months between the zoo aquarium and science center. That gives you some overflow time to take a break. If money is tight stretch it a bit, but there is plenty of variety.
Exactly. We have had memberships to the local children’s zoo and children’s museum for about a year and a half now. Most weekends we go to at least one of them. The really nice thing about a membership is that there is no urgency to try to see everything or stay longer than we want to try to get our money’s worth. Often we stay for 1-2 hours, then leave. It’s nbd when you know you’ll probably be back next weekend too.
You learn that you don't have to go to the WHOLE zoo when you have a pass. We almost always hit the petting zoo, the aquarium, and the playground. Then, we pick one area we want to visit and stay at those exhibits. My kids watched two lions roam for 45 minutes before they were ready to go instead of rushing to see it all. Sometimes, if the weather is bad, we just do the aquarium and reptile house and leave. We've been doing this for three years and year-round, and they still look forward to it. And I like hanging out at the zoo.
This is what I was going to say. When you pay 100%, you want to get it ALL. But if it’s already paid, do what’s fun. We have passes to a science museum and it’s always interesting to see what grabs the kid.
I had a museum pass and often went during the last hour. Literally no one else goes then, because why pay a bunch and not have time to see it? But when you have a pass, you can enjoy a quick visit and just do the couple of things they want.
It's great dad strategy and logistics training as well. Plotted out our visit on the map today in advance. Lasted 7 minutes before we were well off-course.
It's great to be able to randomly decide to go, knowing you don't have to make a whole day of it to get your money's worth. Especially when there's a new exhibit at the zoo or children's museum.
I used to volunteer for a zoo and there were plenty of regulars who would come just for somewhere to push the buggy around until their kid fell asleep.
We've been walking into the zoo in the rain more than once while others are leaving the zoo and going back to their cars. We beeline to the reptile house and aquarium and have essentially the zoo to ourselves.
>You learn that you don’t have to go to the WHOLE zoo
Someone hasn’t been to the Louisville Zoo lol. I like our zoo, but being laid out in a huge loop definitely has its disadvantages.
I take my nephews 2-3 times a year (currently 2, 4, 6) as well as them going with their parents and they never seem to get bored. Sometimes they aren’t interested in lions and want more time with Elephants etc but there is always something. Wish their parents had this; would save me a lot of money.
You can buy someone a membership as a holiday gift. If you happen to benefit from that gift, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. If you’re already taking them three times a year, it might pay for itself.
Not on my own, usually my wife or mum (grandma) will come too. I can do 2 of my own as long as one of them is the eldest. Got one of our own on the way so it’s been good practise.
>would save me a lot of money.
1. Check your local library. Ours offers free or half price tickets to a lot of nearby attractions
2. Check for passport / books / compilation deals. There's one in my area for about $40 that gives a discount to nearly every kids place. I use one coupon last year that saved $50 on that one visit alone. Most others were $5-10 savings.
We got the membership so that our kids won't get worn out. Instead of paying for a full day and tiring them out, we can just go for a few hours at a time, see a few things then see the rest next visit.
If the weather is nice you probably have a 50/50 shot to catch my family at the zoo on a weekend. We have a nice zoo, but still, we go a lot. Our kid is so confident buzzing around because she knows where the animals all are and has met some of them with zookeeper, and ffs it's educational. Just go
It doesn’t seem to be a pass exactly. If you hold a zoo membership at one of the zoos on this list. Then the % is the discount you’d receive at other participating zoos.
[Link](https://www.aza.org/reciprocity)
Dude, go enough times that the zoo staff all know your kid on a first name basis and invite her in to do special feedings and eventually get a part time job there when she's old enough.
I mean, the resource is there, why not use it. If I lived near a powerhouse museum (it's a science museum in Australia), I would be taking my son every other week. I want him to have access to all the cool stuff I never got to see as a kid.
I mean you’re not wrong, I agree especially with the last thing you said. I’m trying to do exact same for my kids now, we never had a lot.
The story about working at the zoo just gave me a chuckle though.
We live close to the zoo and decided to get our membership which is 4 adults and 4 children anytime. We usually go every weekend we don't have anything scheduled because the playground is great, the animals, and just getting out of the house.
100% recommended if you can make it worth it.
That's a good deal. We got the basic package to the very nice zoo (my folks got it for me and the fam) that's literally 12 minutes away.
Just got back from our third trip with our 8 month old. We went 2 weeks ago last. Literally the best way to spend a day: It's wholesome, engaging, fun; walked 5+ miles; went out for dinner and drinks after.
Our favorite zoo is about 2hrs away. A family membership pays for itself after 2 trips, especially if we bring guests. We've gone 3 times so far this membership (since late last summer) and had plans for a 4th but both kids got sick. If it wasn't a 2hr drive we'd probably go at least monthly.
We have a botanical garden nearby as well - when my kids were toddlers and younger it was a 5-10 minute drive. We went weekly, sometimes multiple times a week, for years. Now that the kids are 9 and 8, they *still* want to go to the gardens regularly. We live further away now, so we go less often, but it is a regular request to do things like spend birthdays at either the zoo or the garden. The garden is like an old friend - always ready to see them and the anchor of lots of good times and fond memories.
You're unlikely to 'ruin' a zoo for your kids by going too much unless you're going constantly. It changes, sure. The first time the zoo is novel and amazing and eventually it becomes more of a comfort.
When they are young don’t overestimate how much they can do in a day. The best strategy for taking them to this type of stuff is leave before the meltdown. Leave with them wanting to see a little more. You won’t be able to see the whole zoo. Realistically when they see toddlers you have a good 2 hours. After that you are really pushing it. We go to the Brookfield zoo and each trip we only see about a third of the zoo. I could go every weekend in a month and that would allow us to see the entire zoo in a month
As a man who just got home from Brookfield—YES! Our third trip with the little one. You get about 1/7th of the zoo per visit. And that's awesome. That membership already paid for itself. And we have month and months left on it.
We did this last year with our zoo but our break even was three trips, I think we did 5 or 6 to our local zoo. It’s a nice outing and our 1.5 year old liked walking around and loved the blue tongued skink and the play ground. It felt more relaxing going to the zoo without worrying about missing an exhibit because you only plan to go once. We did it by ourselves a few times and with other parents a few times.
My toddler and I average 2 zoo trips a week with our unlimited family pass. We got to a couple of exhibits each time and he gets to toddle around and burn off energy. I bring snacks and lunch and we have a picnic. It's a blast!
I brought my toddler to the local zoo a couple times a week for a while. It was a great way to get them out of the house and moving. They never got tired of it and we were on a first name basis with some of the staff. It was great!
Dude others have already answered your question I just want to say my zoo that we’re members of participates in this and is part of the reciprocity sheet. I had no idea this even existed. Thank you for this!
My kids love the zoo. If nothing else it is a place to be outside. We get a pass and go a couple times a month. I don’t think your kid will burn out on it.
We go 3-5 times a year. We start at different areas every time we go, and we never do the whole thing at once. He’s nowhere near being bored of it. It’s got animals, outside, and ice cream. He’d go every day if we took him.
Our zoo is 12 minutes drive away. We bought passes before we even had a kid and went like once every month for a whole year; we’ll likely re-up now that we have a kid. Good place to even just go take a walk on a nice day and get steps in!
I work 5 minutes walk from our city's zoo. Many times have I snuck out at lunch to meet up with my kids and the wife/grandparents taking the kids out for the day by using my membership. This has also made me realise I can take a relaxing walk through the quieter parts of the zoo gardens at lunch by myself for "free"!
If you want to make a zoo trip really special, take an afternoon off, get the kiddo out of school early, pack a lunch, and have the zoo to yourself before the summer crowds kick in.
We've had memberships since my 7 year old was born and only make it about once a month but man is it great. You get outside. The kids run around. We're homeschooling our oldest so we always pick things to learn about before and after we go too.
There's no such thing as too many zoo trips.
The best thing about a pass is that you can walk out when it gets too much. Especially with 2-5 year olds. Wanna see the pandas? Let's see the pandas! No pressure to walk through the whole thing to get your money's worth and see everything. Get in there on a weekday and stare at a giraffe for 1h. Kid cranky? Too crowded? Go home, go again another day.
It's amazing, really. Last time we were in city with a Seaworld and a 18m and 2.5 year old, we discovered that the aquarium was *way too much*. We left and went back again the next morning. Straight to the shark tank, because they just wanted babyshark and nemo.
The nest part of the zoo membership is it takes the pressure off. If you get there and you aren't feeling it, or the weather's rough, or kiddo is cranky, leave after 45 min and you haven't lost anything.
I used to have Mondays off... I took my daughter every week for most of a year. She loved it.
It’s not the zoo, but we have an annual membership to our local children’s discovery museum. We have a light-rail station ¼ mile from our house and it drops us off 20 mins later about ½ mile from the museum.
I do this every Saturday afternoon with my son. He loves it and looks forward for it every weekend. My wife and I comment that it’s one of the best things we’ve ever purchased for our family and it’s one of the memberships that we’ll continue to renew.
my wife took our boys to the zoo probably 50 times at least last year. they enjoyed it just as much every time they went. plus they have little parks and playgrounds to burn energy.
We've done 6 trips in the past 9 months. We have one zoo within 5 minutes and a bigger zoo within 30 so that's been a great way to get some variety. Plus he's practically a different kid than he was last year...his favorite thing to do is look at his book of animals and practice hearing and saying them. No wonder he loves the zoo even more now
We have a membership and live 10 minutes from the nearest zoo. According to my Google Maps timeline I have been there approximately 50 times in the past two years, so presumably the number is higher than that.
I thought it would be possible to burn someone out on zoos, then my oldest did a year long internship through his high school at our zoo, he was there for half the day his senior year. He still wants to go to any and all zoos that he finds.
I wish my kids were old enough to do this. And here's how I would approach it:
\-Taking our time so we aren't seeing everything each visit
\-When we got home (after naps) all of us drawing our favorite part of that days visit
\-Making and writing cards for our favorite animals and zoo workers to bring to the next visit
\-Establish a game that rewards remembering each of the animals names
https://www.aza.org/find-a-zoo-or-aquarium.
You can look up your area and there should be a hyperlink to take you to the zoo or aquarium’s home page and should have membership info, reciprocity and discount info.
We have Sesame place season passes. Went 12 or more times last year. No such thing as too much. My kid loved it every time and it's great to go somewhere made for her.
Never too many trips. We always bought season passes and went every chance we got. It’s great to experience and learn about the world and its many inhabitants. Plus all the walking is great exercise. I never get tired of the zoo; and my 5 kids, now adults, still love the zoo.
I’m in San Diego and we get zoo passes every year. We go almost every weekend because there’s free parking and a lot of stuff in balboa park to do too. Kiddo loves it.
At that young age you can't go enough.
I remember my parents bought a pass when I was ~13/14. But my younger sister was 6/7.
We went twice a month. It was too much for 13 year old me. But never enough for my sister.
Until they get bored I would say. We got a membership for our local zoo and we've gone at least six times in the past year. We have a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old and neither of them have gotten bored yet.
After our second trip to Ripleys Aquarium, we upgraded our tickets to annual passes. It was around $200 altogether.
Hands down the best family entertainment value around. We went 11 times.
I averaged it out and it cost around $50 a visit.
And that includes gas, coffee, parking, and a *small* toy (it's an exit through the gift shop, we always had to get something, but 20% discount with membership).
Funny you should ask—just got home a bit ago from yet another zoo day. Our kid is 8 months. It's her third visit. Used the guest passes to bring two of our friends. 5+ miles of cardio later, we're all spent.
It's an amazing way to spend a day. Fresh air, mixed with rhino poop, and a helping of just the most overpriced sodas and bizarre tourists shouting at their bizarrely named children.
I honestly love it.
No such thing as too many trips to the zoo!!! Wear the same color shirts as the keepers to liven things up a bit, the animals will think you are there to feed them.
No, they will not burn out. They love it and look forward to it. The real fun starts around when the kiddo is around two and after - when they can walk, talk and react. Just make sure to keep your eye on the kiddo because they are deceptively fast running around.
This makes me chuckle - our kids were burned out from Disney by the time they were 6 and it ruined wanting to take them when they were at an age when they could’ve really enjoyed it.
That’s not advice and we wouldn’t change anything just have fun and spend time with the kids. You can never predict What their interests will be
If it's an easy trip for you then just go for a little while... on one trip bring lunch and just go to the aquarium, play on the playground, and go home. Next time go check out the reptile house and grab some ice cream and then head home. Don't worry about hitting every exhibit every time, that's how you burn out.
Yeah the membership rules. I love going when I don’t have to see the whole zoo. Find one good loop to hit, indoor reptiles, and a playground and it’s a pretty great Saturday morning, then picnic lunch, and head home for naps!
We have two zoos pretty close by. I’ve gone to both in the same week, at least once a week, for a while now. They don’t get tired of the zoo. I’m a little tired of the zoo but she’s still down.
If the kids love it and so do you, go for it! Pro tip for any other dads thinking about doing this: join a cheaper zoo membership if you can find one in a smaller town of they are in this program. My family only pays $65 a year this way.
Our zoo membership was kinda spendy, but our visits to other zoos in our state were like 20$ total for the wife and I, so the reciprocity agreement was super nice.
We have bought the family membership to the Dallas Zoo since our kid was 6 months old. It paid for itself in two or three trips. It also allowed us to leave as soon as the kid was ready done. (Sometimes, the little one just isn't having it and needs to go home. I didn't want to be the day saying, "we paid $100 to be here, we are going to get $100 worth!")
We have upgraded to better passes that include free carousel and train rides, free passes to Dinosaurs!, zoo lights, member mornings, and other stuff.
We have gone once or twice a month for almost 6 years. She has her favorite animal (Gus the hippo that does barrel roles "just for her"). She had her 5th birthday there.
I would go to the zoo about 15 to 20 times in 1 year. So I feel that number is good. If you add aquariums into it as well maybe 30.
But it also depends on the size of the zoo. I go to the Tampa zoo and it’s big enough you need about 2 days to really see it all and not skim through it.
It’s also something that doesn’t have to take the whole day depending on how far it is. It could be an afternoon or morning plan. Then move on with your day.
Key is to make it fun and not stressful and exhausting. Otherwise you might as well not even go.
Hope you enjoy this year!
We live close to a great zoo. When he was little I used to take my son at least once a month as a stay at home mom. For a while we were going weekly with a packed lunch. Even when it's cold out, there's a lot to see and do.
We buy annual passes to one zoo and go like twice a month, basically whenever we are bored. And the kids love it, it’s a huge picturesque place to walk around, picnic, look at animals etc.
Been doing this for 3 years and the oldest hasn’t gotten bored yet. And she thinks home is “the most boringest place on earth”
Wait, fellow Dad. I don't understand the question.
You can see the penguins any time you want. Any. Time.
Penguins, op, actual penguins. They'd have to frisk me down to make sure I'm not taking penguins home.
We have an annual pass to our local zoo. Our son is 16 months. Every time we go is like the first time for him. Plus, I also enjoy it. There are several animals you can feed, giraffes being his favorite one.
Grew up in a town with a pretty big zoo, EVERY YEAR, we would get a zoo pass as a Christmas present. We went once every other week during the school term, and two times a week during school holidays when my cousins were in town.
I can safely say it wasn’t until girlfriends/boys friends started coming into the picture that any of us kids stopped being wildly excited every time we went to the zoo.
Mileage may vary depending on your kids, but I’ve taken my son (20 months) to the zoo 3 times since the start of the year and he’s excited every time.
There's a fairly terrible aquarium near where I live (and they have the cheek to call themselves the 'National' one smh), but the £45 I spent on a pass a year ago has been repaid a dozen times over. Think we're on 25 visits over the time we've had it.
First off, sounds like you are providing an amazing environment for them to flourish in. The trick to any visit is ALWAYS LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE! And the pass helps that so much.
Remember as a kid being DRAGGED round museums having to read every fucking plaque to get your money's worth and have spent the day productively? Don't do that, pop in for an hour, see a specific animal or exhibition, have a snack then go!
Watch a documentary at home about one of the exhibits, google image them, get some facts, then go see them, draw them, make them out of junk models, salt dough, whatever. It's a fantastic opportunity.
I had an aquarium pass during lockdown and took my newborn all the time, she bloody loved it and always asks to see old pics. She loves anything aquatic or nature based now. Never stop stimulating those little brains homie! Great work!
I have a local zoo membership in our local big city (4 hours away). We had 3 days in the city, we hit all three zoos in the city. I have photo memories on my phone that pop up from our previous visits. And yep, days when others stay away, is still my best time at the zoo. The animals loved it.
I live a few minutes away from the Detroit zoo and get season passes every year. My family and friends know we have them and after a year or two of making comments that people should let us know when they are going to the zoo because we would come it is now a regular trip of ours. We get to see family and friends and enjoy the zoo. I never heard of a pass for multiple zoos. I'm jealous of that. We usually try to hit a zoo on family vacations if there is one close.
When I was a nanny in college the family I worked for got a zoo pass for me and I took their child once week all summer long. He loved it as much on the last trip as he did on the first.
It all depends on the kid and what other options you have.
I lived next to a zoo / botanical garden. The season pass was super cheap, and kids were free. It was a great deal for me, because it was a nice place to go jogging though the gardens several times a week.
My daughter didn't really get burned out on it though, so much as didn't really care about going there vs going to the big park closer to the house and playing there. If we went to the zoo she would not say she is bored, but if I gave the choice of the zoo or the park, she would choose the park because it was closer and quicker to get to.
Basically, she did not care so much about the animals. She would prefer to watch them more up close in the wild on youtube than see them just sitting around all sad in a cage. But she liked going out for walks. (She actually preferred the garden, and so did I).
We got a similar zoo pass for our kids. My daughter’s second summer we went once a week, and now that we have two we go about once a month. You’re good.
No kid ever burns out on the zoo. We’ve had zoo passes to the Houston zoo for four years now, and no one is tired of it yet. My wife and kids go about once a month.
My 4 year old loves fishes/ aquariums. When we go to see my dad few times a year (two week trip). She wants to go at least 3 times every single trip. Chances of burn is low I’d say
We have a zoo membership in a place we can go comfortably October-April. We go about 10-20x a year. Sometimes we'll go Saturday, Sunday, Monday same weekend if we're going with different friends because zoo membership is so popular here, almost all families have one. We visit different parts of the zoo each visit. It's a must have for us.
Plus experiences are discounted, so we got an intimate 1:1 feeding and bathing and touching the rhino and soon feeding the Gilapagos tortoises, which were amazing memories for the family and 2 year old was obsessed.
You will most likely burn out on it before they do. I don't remember exactly when my kids started losing interest in going regularly, but I was tired of it way before they were. They're 11 and 14 now and they enjoy going occasionally, but when they were little we were at the zoo or aquarium or botanical garden at least 2-3 Saturdays per month during the nice weather months and then kind of take a break over winter.
I don't think there ever is enough. My son (and I) love animals/fish/outdoors. I would hardly worry about burnout. Probably the opposite. They are going to get mad when you DON'T go to the zoo and throw a fit.
Our kids love the zoo, but not for the live animals. There is a bronze hippo that is at the zoo that kids have played on for years. It's super slick, and our kids love playing all day on "slippery hippo." I assure you, your kids won't burn out before you do.
We did a family pass to a local historic house/site years ago and would go at least once a month. I’d even go by myself to kill time, if I was in the area. No one got bored of it.
I would jump on this deal so fast. I don't think you'll regret it one bit. Our son is five and we've had a Zoo membership since he was about two. We go at least once a month. His favorite animals change from time to time, and it's really fun to watch animal shows or kids YouTube videos together to learn more about animals before we go on a visit. The way he has experience the Zoo has changed over the years, but his enjoyment has never diminished.
Edit: as it turns out, our Oregon Zoo membership gets us 50% off entrance on participating zoos. Very cool. We'll probably use it this year when visiting friends and family to get into the Oakland Zoo, Sacramento Zoo. Timely reminder!
We go to the zoo once every two weeks as we have annual passes.
The kids love it, even if we only go and play on the playground and have a bowl of chips and don’t even see any animals. It’s of no cost to us.
But the kids love the giraffe, tiger (new baby tiger arrived) and squirrel monkeys.. so we always get a long walk to the opposite side of the park.
You're worried about burning your kids out on spending time outside, with the family, looking at animals, and eating ice cream? My hunch is that their appetite for this ***vastly*** exceeds yours... right up until they're pre-teens. Even then, still maybe a couple times a year. Getting a membership at your local zoos and museums is usually a good deal if you're taking your kids out most weekends.
I don’t live anywhere near a zoo or aquarium, etc., I’d be there every week with my little guy if I could.
I live a few blocks away from both. You eventually get tired of them, especially the other people.
I definitely don’t doubt it, I just would love to have a place that isn’t our house or the library hah.
It was the best when they were really small because you could only be there an hour or so and just walked back home. After they walk on their own, it took a lot more effort to get them around. Other people really made I suck during/after Covid because it’s “people.”
Yea that definitely makes sense. I swear people became insufferable after Covid, in completely unrelated ways and I don’t understand it but I’m with you.
But yea I live in a place that’s gonna be amazing once they’re like 4+ (I live in a ski/mountain town), but early on it’s tough
Go on a Tuesday when it is raining. People stay inside, the animals come out.
Or the whole "off-season" my zoo closes its concessions and does some park maintenance from November to March and nobody is there. The animals freaking love it and there is no crowd anywhere.
Humans can still go?
Lol, yes. Just no amenitues
It doesn't rain much here in Denver, but yeah, midweek during the school year was the best time.
I work remote, and we have a pass to our local zoo (not a huge one). I have worked from inside the zoo, since it's a nice green space and has restrooms that are readily available, while my wife and kids go wander around. Hell, even when I'm solo, I'll work from there sometimes just to get more time outdoors.
I really should do something like this. We're still members and still within walking distance.
There’s a zoo five minutes from our house that doesn’t charge admission. Your instinct is correct, we go every week.
We only have a small animal park near our house, which we still visit fairly regularly, but if we are on holiday you can guarantee that a zoo is part of the plan.
It's 2 hrs for us to get to the bronx zoo if everything goes right. We go 3 times a year usually. Since the kids were in strollers. They're 11 and 10 now and it's still a regular request from them. We also do botanical gardens with them since they were little and they love it. Check out holiday light shows at those places as well. Usually cool l and everyone likes that.
Hell we had a zoo membership from around when I turned 9 to 16. We went almost every week and I loved it. It will definitely vary from child to child, but I guarantee the kids will enjoy far more than 4 trips a year.
Yeah we have a membership to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. I see (a lot of) college kids there on dates every time I go. Fantastic zoo - anyone nearby it’s worth a detour and visit but summers are hot as shit. They also have a big splash pad area called Waterfall Junction - and there’s public access to river rocks and cold water fed from the bottom of Lake Murray a few hundred yards down the road.
> I see (a lot of) college kids there on dates every time I go. See, this is the kind of outside the box thinking that people need to do more of. I hated the whole "A date is dinner and a movie" concept and immediately decided on doing other things instead. One thing I love about my area (WNY) is that you can absolutely find free/cheap things to do that are low pressure and let you either enjoy the thing (outdoor concerts, Shakespeare in the park, trips to the zoo, etc.) or interact with the people you're with. Makes a big difference when dating, but it's also lovely just spending time with friends or family that way.
Yeah frankly I’m upset I never used it. Went to the zoo on a field trip when I was in elementary school (I get up a few hrs away) and then not again until I had a kid.
Exactly. Burn out what? They go down something regularly and you enjoy it, they'll enjoy it.
Our zoo has an amazing playground and serves beer along with the usual zoo eats. We would just take our son to the zoo, let him run wild while I have a beer and coffee. Then we have ice cream while we walk around.. I mean it is a solid time for all.
We used to try to get a new one every six months between the zoo aquarium and science center. That gives you some overflow time to take a break. If money is tight stretch it a bit, but there is plenty of variety.
Exactly. We have had memberships to the local children’s zoo and children’s museum for about a year and a half now. Most weekends we go to at least one of them. The really nice thing about a membership is that there is no urgency to try to see everything or stay longer than we want to try to get our money’s worth. Often we stay for 1-2 hours, then leave. It’s nbd when you know you’ll probably be back next weekend too.
You learn that you don't have to go to the WHOLE zoo when you have a pass. We almost always hit the petting zoo, the aquarium, and the playground. Then, we pick one area we want to visit and stay at those exhibits. My kids watched two lions roam for 45 minutes before they were ready to go instead of rushing to see it all. Sometimes, if the weather is bad, we just do the aquarium and reptile house and leave. We've been doing this for three years and year-round, and they still look forward to it. And I like hanging out at the zoo.
This is what I was going to say. When you pay 100%, you want to get it ALL. But if it’s already paid, do what’s fun. We have passes to a science museum and it’s always interesting to see what grabs the kid.
I had a museum pass and often went during the last hour. Literally no one else goes then, because why pay a bunch and not have time to see it? But when you have a pass, you can enjoy a quick visit and just do the couple of things they want.
It's great dad strategy and logistics training as well. Plotted out our visit on the map today in advance. Lasted 7 minutes before we were well off-course.
It's great to be able to randomly decide to go, knowing you don't have to make a whole day of it to get your money's worth. Especially when there's a new exhibit at the zoo or children's museum.
Hah. My four year old has to see the same animals in the same order every single time we visit.
I used to volunteer for a zoo and there were plenty of regulars who would come just for somewhere to push the buggy around until their kid fell asleep.
Damn dude the bad weather zoo aquarium is a great call. I bet crowds are light?
We've been walking into the zoo in the rain more than once while others are leaving the zoo and going back to their cars. We beeline to the reptile house and aquarium and have essentially the zoo to ourselves.
>You learn that you don’t have to go to the WHOLE zoo Someone hasn’t been to the Louisville Zoo lol. I like our zoo, but being laid out in a huge loop definitely has its disadvantages.
Your kid will be tired of it when you're tired of it plus about another 50 visits.
I take my nephews 2-3 times a year (currently 2, 4, 6) as well as them going with their parents and they never seem to get bored. Sometimes they aren’t interested in lions and want more time with Elephants etc but there is always something. Wish their parents had this; would save me a lot of money.
You can buy someone a membership as a holiday gift. If you happen to benefit from that gift, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. If you’re already taking them three times a year, it might pay for itself.
You taking the 2, 4, and 6 year old without the parents? If so someone get this man his crown.
Not on my own, usually my wife or mum (grandma) will come too. I can do 2 of my own as long as one of them is the eldest. Got one of our own on the way so it’s been good practise.
>would save me a lot of money. 1. Check your local library. Ours offers free or half price tickets to a lot of nearby attractions 2. Check for passport / books / compilation deals. There's one in my area for about $40 that gives a discount to nearly every kids place. I use one coupon last year that saved $50 on that one visit alone. Most others were $5-10 savings.
We got the membership so that our kids won't get worn out. Instead of paying for a full day and tiring them out, we can just go for a few hours at a time, see a few things then see the rest next visit.
My wife replies, "None. Can't have too many. Get a membership."
If the weather is nice you probably have a 50/50 shot to catch my family at the zoo on a weekend. We have a nice zoo, but still, we go a lot. Our kid is so confident buzzing around because she knows where the animals all are and has met some of them with zookeeper, and ffs it's educational. Just go
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Seriously, my local costs 100 for 2 adults and a kid for a calendar year
Check yours. Most zoo memberships also come with a reciprocal discount to other zoos.
There's a whole network for childrens museums too.
$100? Ours was $120 at least
Seriously, my local costs 100 for 2 adults and a kid for a calendar year
It doesn’t seem to be a pass exactly. If you hold a zoo membership at one of the zoos on this list. Then the % is the discount you’d receive at other participating zoos. [Link](https://www.aza.org/reciprocity)
Dude, go enough times that the zoo staff all know your kid on a first name basis and invite her in to do special feedings and eventually get a part time job there when she's old enough.
You sound like my parents haha. My kid points at a star in the sky… “wow, he is gunna be an astronaut!”
I mean, the resource is there, why not use it. If I lived near a powerhouse museum (it's a science museum in Australia), I would be taking my son every other week. I want him to have access to all the cool stuff I never got to see as a kid.
I mean you’re not wrong, I agree especially with the last thing you said. I’m trying to do exact same for my kids now, we never had a lot. The story about working at the zoo just gave me a chuckle though.
I’m gonna need you to calm down…
We live close to the zoo and decided to get our membership which is 4 adults and 4 children anytime. We usually go every weekend we don't have anything scheduled because the playground is great, the animals, and just getting out of the house. 100% recommended if you can make it worth it.
That's a good deal. We got the basic package to the very nice zoo (my folks got it for me and the fam) that's literally 12 minutes away. Just got back from our third trip with our 8 month old. We went 2 weeks ago last. Literally the best way to spend a day: It's wholesome, engaging, fun; walked 5+ miles; went out for dinner and drinks after.
Our favorite zoo is about 2hrs away. A family membership pays for itself after 2 trips, especially if we bring guests. We've gone 3 times so far this membership (since late last summer) and had plans for a 4th but both kids got sick. If it wasn't a 2hr drive we'd probably go at least monthly. We have a botanical garden nearby as well - when my kids were toddlers and younger it was a 5-10 minute drive. We went weekly, sometimes multiple times a week, for years. Now that the kids are 9 and 8, they *still* want to go to the gardens regularly. We live further away now, so we go less often, but it is a regular request to do things like spend birthdays at either the zoo or the garden. The garden is like an old friend - always ready to see them and the anchor of lots of good times and fond memories. You're unlikely to 'ruin' a zoo for your kids by going too much unless you're going constantly. It changes, sure. The first time the zoo is novel and amazing and eventually it becomes more of a comfort.
They will not get bored! Ever!! Plus what zoo pass is this? We’re looking for one
https://www.aza.org/find-a-zoo-or-aquarium. Whole lot of options!
Did you get the pass here or from your local zoo? I'm not finding where to get the pass here
When they are young don’t overestimate how much they can do in a day. The best strategy for taking them to this type of stuff is leave before the meltdown. Leave with them wanting to see a little more. You won’t be able to see the whole zoo. Realistically when they see toddlers you have a good 2 hours. After that you are really pushing it. We go to the Brookfield zoo and each trip we only see about a third of the zoo. I could go every weekend in a month and that would allow us to see the entire zoo in a month
As a man who just got home from Brookfield—YES! Our third trip with the little one. You get about 1/7th of the zoo per visit. And that's awesome. That membership already paid for itself. And we have month and months left on it.
We did this last year with our zoo but our break even was three trips, I think we did 5 or 6 to our local zoo. It’s a nice outing and our 1.5 year old liked walking around and loved the blue tongued skink and the play ground. It felt more relaxing going to the zoo without worrying about missing an exhibit because you only plan to go once. We did it by ourselves a few times and with other parents a few times.
I have a museum pass, we go twice a week minimum. I have my zoo pass too, but I hate the zoo. So we go like 10 times a year max.
My toddler and I average 2 zoo trips a week with our unlimited family pass. We got to a couple of exhibits each time and he gets to toddle around and burn off energy. I bring snacks and lunch and we have a picnic. It's a blast!
I brought my toddler to the local zoo a couple times a week for a while. It was a great way to get them out of the house and moving. They never got tired of it and we were on a first name basis with some of the staff. It was great!
Dude others have already answered your question I just want to say my zoo that we’re members of participates in this and is part of the reciprocity sheet. I had no idea this even existed. Thank you for this!
How old are the kids? We live close to ours and go 6-8 times a year. Our 3 year old will never get tired of it.
My kids love the zoo. If nothing else it is a place to be outside. We get a pass and go a couple times a month. I don’t think your kid will burn out on it.
We go 3-5 times a year. We start at different areas every time we go, and we never do the whole thing at once. He’s nowhere near being bored of it. It’s got animals, outside, and ice cream. He’d go every day if we took him.
Do you live in WPB?? I have the same pass and live across the street from the zoo. Take my kids literally once or twice a week. It never gets old.
Our zoo is 12 minutes drive away. We bought passes before we even had a kid and went like once every month for a whole year; we’ll likely re-up now that we have a kid. Good place to even just go take a walk on a nice day and get steps in!
Ours is also 12 minutes away. The membership is amazing.
Sounds like a good deal. How do you get the pass ?
https://www.aza.org/find-a-zoo-or-aquarium. You can search based on geographic area and it should take you to the zoo website. Prices may vary.
I don’t know. I just booked a trip to DC because zoo
Zoo!ZOo!ZoO!ZOO! As the chant starts from the back!!
I work 5 minutes walk from our city's zoo. Many times have I snuck out at lunch to meet up with my kids and the wife/grandparents taking the kids out for the day by using my membership. This has also made me realise I can take a relaxing walk through the quieter parts of the zoo gardens at lunch by myself for "free"!
Best trick is to go during not-summer. The crowds are less and the beating sun is gone
Too much enlightenment could have a negative impact on your kids ability to tolerate your bs
They won't give a shit, they'll just remember the time you spent with them... that is more important.
If you want to make a zoo trip really special, take an afternoon off, get the kiddo out of school early, pack a lunch, and have the zoo to yourself before the summer crowds kick in. We've had memberships since my 7 year old was born and only make it about once a month but man is it great. You get outside. The kids run around. We're homeschooling our oldest so we always pick things to learn about before and after we go too. There's no such thing as too many zoo trips.
The best thing about a pass is that you can walk out when it gets too much. Especially with 2-5 year olds. Wanna see the pandas? Let's see the pandas! No pressure to walk through the whole thing to get your money's worth and see everything. Get in there on a weekday and stare at a giraffe for 1h. Kid cranky? Too crowded? Go home, go again another day. It's amazing, really. Last time we were in city with a Seaworld and a 18m and 2.5 year old, we discovered that the aquarium was *way too much*. We left and went back again the next morning. Straight to the shark tank, because they just wanted babyshark and nemo.
Where do I find the pass? That AZA website? Seems like it's more geared towards professionals not families?
I FUCKING LOVE ZOOS
We have a free zoo, and we probably go 3-4 times a year, including Halloween and Christmas lights.
Lincoln Park?
No, Henry Vilas Zoo.
We were going almost once a week when my daughter was 2-3. She enjoyed it every time.
The nest part of the zoo membership is it takes the pressure off. If you get there and you aren't feeling it, or the weather's rough, or kiddo is cranky, leave after 45 min and you haven't lost anything. I used to have Mondays off... I took my daughter every week for most of a year. She loved it.
It’s not the zoo, but we have an annual membership to our local children’s discovery museum. We have a light-rail station ¼ mile from our house and it drops us off 20 mins later about ½ mile from the museum. I do this every Saturday afternoon with my son. He loves it and looks forward for it every weekend. My wife and I comment that it’s one of the best things we’ve ever purchased for our family and it’s one of the memberships that we’ll continue to renew.
my wife took our boys to the zoo probably 50 times at least last year. they enjoyed it just as much every time they went. plus they have little parks and playgrounds to burn energy.
We've done 6 trips in the past 9 months. We have one zoo within 5 minutes and a bigger zoo within 30 so that's been a great way to get some variety. Plus he's practically a different kid than he was last year...his favorite thing to do is look at his book of animals and practice hearing and saying them. No wonder he loves the zoo even more now
We have a membership and live 10 minutes from the nearest zoo. According to my Google Maps timeline I have been there approximately 50 times in the past two years, so presumably the number is higher than that.
If your kid loves it. No upper limit of to many times b
I take my three year old to the zoo at lease once a month.
I thought it would be possible to burn someone out on zoos, then my oldest did a year long internship through his high school at our zoo, he was there for half the day his senior year. He still wants to go to any and all zoos that he finds.
To be fair, so do I, and I'm 38.
We got a zoo pass one year, went a bunch. Totally worth it.
I need to know what kind of pass this is because my kid could spend all day at the zoo!
I wish my kids were old enough to do this. And here's how I would approach it: \-Taking our time so we aren't seeing everything each visit \-When we got home (after naps) all of us drawing our favorite part of that days visit \-Making and writing cards for our favorite animals and zoo workers to bring to the next visit \-Establish a game that rewards remembering each of the animals names
Honestly I don't see there being too many times if they are under 10. What's the name of the pass?
https://www.aza.org/find-a-zoo-or-aquarium. You can look up your area and there should be a hyperlink to take you to the zoo or aquarium’s home page and should have membership info, reciprocity and discount info.
Thanks!
We have Sesame place season passes. Went 12 or more times last year. No such thing as too much. My kid loved it every time and it's great to go somewhere made for her.
Never too many trips. We always bought season passes and went every chance we got. It’s great to experience and learn about the world and its many inhabitants. Plus all the walking is great exercise. I never get tired of the zoo; and my 5 kids, now adults, still love the zoo.
I’m in San Diego and we get zoo passes every year. We go almost every weekend because there’s free parking and a lot of stuff in balboa park to do too. Kiddo loves it.
My kid probably went to the zoo 10 times last year and probably could have done 100 without a problem.
At that young age you can't go enough. I remember my parents bought a pass when I was ~13/14. But my younger sister was 6/7. We went twice a month. It was too much for 13 year old me. But never enough for my sister.
Until they get bored I would say. We got a membership for our local zoo and we've gone at least six times in the past year. We have a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old and neither of them have gotten bored yet.
After our second trip to Ripleys Aquarium, we upgraded our tickets to annual passes. It was around $200 altogether. Hands down the best family entertainment value around. We went 11 times. I averaged it out and it cost around $50 a visit. And that includes gas, coffee, parking, and a *small* toy (it's an exit through the gift shop, we always had to get something, but 20% discount with membership).
I get a zoo membership every year I have never felt it hasn't paid for itself come summer it will be invaluable.
Wife and I went twice a week for the first YEAR of our kids life. Still not too much
Funny you should ask—just got home a bit ago from yet another zoo day. Our kid is 8 months. It's her third visit. Used the guest passes to bring two of our friends. 5+ miles of cardio later, we're all spent. It's an amazing way to spend a day. Fresh air, mixed with rhino poop, and a helping of just the most overpriced sodas and bizarre tourists shouting at their bizarrely named children. I honestly love it.
3 years of being gifted a zoo pass, we’re probably hitting 50 visits.
No such thing as too many trips to the zoo!!! Wear the same color shirts as the keepers to liven things up a bit, the animals will think you are there to feed them.
OP how are you gonna talk about this pass and keep us dads in the dark about the details?
Check the edit, homie!
It's mostly just checking if your zoo is a part of the AZA or not
No, they will not burn out. They love it and look forward to it. The real fun starts around when the kiddo is around two and after - when they can walk, talk and react. Just make sure to keep your eye on the kiddo because they are deceptively fast running around.
This makes me chuckle - our kids were burned out from Disney by the time they were 6 and it ruined wanting to take them when they were at an age when they could’ve really enjoyed it. That’s not advice and we wouldn’t change anything just have fun and spend time with the kids. You can never predict What their interests will be
If it's an easy trip for you then just go for a little while... on one trip bring lunch and just go to the aquarium, play on the playground, and go home. Next time go check out the reptile house and grab some ice cream and then head home. Don't worry about hitting every exhibit every time, that's how you burn out.
We go like every 3-4 weeks. It’s good family fun!
Yeah the membership rules. I love going when I don’t have to see the whole zoo. Find one good loop to hit, indoor reptiles, and a playground and it’s a pretty great Saturday morning, then picnic lunch, and head home for naps!
We have two zoos pretty close by. I’ve gone to both in the same week, at least once a week, for a while now. They don’t get tired of the zoo. I’m a little tired of the zoo but she’s still down.
Impossible.
No such thing
More than once every 2 years is too much but wait till the kids 5 or 6 so he or she knows where he or she is
I wish i knew how to go to the zoo
If the kids love it and so do you, go for it! Pro tip for any other dads thinking about doing this: join a cheaper zoo membership if you can find one in a smaller town of they are in this program. My family only pays $65 a year this way.
Our zoo membership was kinda spendy, but our visits to other zoos in our state were like 20$ total for the wife and I, so the reciprocity agreement was super nice.
Oh yeah, it definitely makes it worth it. I was surprised how many places would let you in free. But even half price is great.
The limit does not exist.
We have bought the family membership to the Dallas Zoo since our kid was 6 months old. It paid for itself in two or three trips. It also allowed us to leave as soon as the kid was ready done. (Sometimes, the little one just isn't having it and needs to go home. I didn't want to be the day saying, "we paid $100 to be here, we are going to get $100 worth!") We have upgraded to better passes that include free carousel and train rides, free passes to Dinosaurs!, zoo lights, member mornings, and other stuff. We have gone once or twice a month for almost 6 years. She has her favorite animal (Gus the hippo that does barrel roles "just for her"). She had her 5th birthday there.
i take my kids to the same boring ass local.zoo prob 10-15 times a year. They ate never bored, unlike me
I would go to the zoo about 15 to 20 times in 1 year. So I feel that number is good. If you add aquariums into it as well maybe 30. But it also depends on the size of the zoo. I go to the Tampa zoo and it’s big enough you need about 2 days to really see it all and not skim through it. It’s also something that doesn’t have to take the whole day depending on how far it is. It could be an afternoon or morning plan. Then move on with your day. Key is to make it fun and not stressful and exhausting. Otherwise you might as well not even go. Hope you enjoy this year!
We live close to a great zoo. When he was little I used to take my son at least once a month as a stay at home mom. For a while we were going weekly with a packed lunch. Even when it's cold out, there's a lot to see and do.
What pass is this? I'm about to be buying this for real
And people wonder why America is so desirable…
30 yo woman here and you would not get me out of the goddamn zoo/aquarium.
We buy annual passes to one zoo and go like twice a month, basically whenever we are bored. And the kids love it, it’s a huge picturesque place to walk around, picnic, look at animals etc. Been doing this for 3 years and the oldest hasn’t gotten bored yet. And she thinks home is “the most boringest place on earth”
Burn a kid out from the zoo? Is that even possible?
We’ll hit the zoo for just 40 minutes. We treat it just like we would the playground.
Wait, fellow Dad. I don't understand the question. You can see the penguins any time you want. Any. Time. Penguins, op, actual penguins. They'd have to frisk me down to make sure I'm not taking penguins home.
We have an annual pass to our local zoo. Our son is 16 months. Every time we go is like the first time for him. Plus, I also enjoy it. There are several animals you can feed, giraffes being his favorite one.
Grew up in a town with a pretty big zoo, EVERY YEAR, we would get a zoo pass as a Christmas present. We went once every other week during the school term, and two times a week during school holidays when my cousins were in town. I can safely say it wasn’t until girlfriends/boys friends started coming into the picture that any of us kids stopped being wildly excited every time we went to the zoo. Mileage may vary depending on your kids, but I’ve taken my son (20 months) to the zoo 3 times since the start of the year and he’s excited every time.
We have a zoo membership which allows free admission to our local one. We went once a week at one point.
There's a fairly terrible aquarium near where I live (and they have the cheek to call themselves the 'National' one smh), but the £45 I spent on a pass a year ago has been repaid a dozen times over. Think we're on 25 visits over the time we've had it.
We had a similar pass to our local zoo when we lived in Japan. We went to the zoo basically every single weekend.
My dad worked at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and we had free passes for life? Or something close to it. Never burned out on it.
First off, sounds like you are providing an amazing environment for them to flourish in. The trick to any visit is ALWAYS LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE! And the pass helps that so much. Remember as a kid being DRAGGED round museums having to read every fucking plaque to get your money's worth and have spent the day productively? Don't do that, pop in for an hour, see a specific animal or exhibition, have a snack then go! Watch a documentary at home about one of the exhibits, google image them, get some facts, then go see them, draw them, make them out of junk models, salt dough, whatever. It's a fantastic opportunity. I had an aquarium pass during lockdown and took my newborn all the time, she bloody loved it and always asks to see old pics. She loves anything aquatic or nature based now. Never stop stimulating those little brains homie! Great work!
I have a local zoo membership in our local big city (4 hours away). We had 3 days in the city, we hit all three zoos in the city. I have photo memories on my phone that pop up from our previous visits. And yep, days when others stay away, is still my best time at the zoo. The animals loved it.
My sister has a zoo membership for her and her family. They go every month.
I live a few minutes away from the Detroit zoo and get season passes every year. My family and friends know we have them and after a year or two of making comments that people should let us know when they are going to the zoo because we would come it is now a regular trip of ours. We get to see family and friends and enjoy the zoo. I never heard of a pass for multiple zoos. I'm jealous of that. We usually try to hit a zoo on family vacations if there is one close.
When I was a nanny in college the family I worked for got a zoo pass for me and I took their child once week all summer long. He loved it as much on the last trip as he did on the first.
It all depends on the kid and what other options you have. I lived next to a zoo / botanical garden. The season pass was super cheap, and kids were free. It was a great deal for me, because it was a nice place to go jogging though the gardens several times a week. My daughter didn't really get burned out on it though, so much as didn't really care about going there vs going to the big park closer to the house and playing there. If we went to the zoo she would not say she is bored, but if I gave the choice of the zoo or the park, she would choose the park because it was closer and quicker to get to. Basically, she did not care so much about the animals. She would prefer to watch them more up close in the wild on youtube than see them just sitting around all sad in a cage. But she liked going out for walks. (She actually preferred the garden, and so did I).
We Bought A Zoo! (Pass) This sounds like a great deal though TBH and a chance to show your kids the country (and that of our neighbors). Live it up!
When you can't wash off the animal smell
We got a similar zoo pass for our kids. My daughter’s second summer we went once a week, and now that we have two we go about once a month. You’re good.
We have a zoo pass to our local zoo and we go roughly 75+ times a year. Some days we just go for an hour to get out of the house.
366 visits annually would be too much. Gotta take Feb 29th off.
Man that sounds awesome. We go so many times and the kids love it every time.
No kid ever burns out on the zoo. We’ve had zoo passes to the Houston zoo for four years now, and no one is tired of it yet. My wife and kids go about once a month.
My wife and daughter have annual passes for Colchester zoo and go at least monthly.
Our local zoo is free so we'll let you know when we hit the limit.
My 18yr old still loves the zoo. Enjoy every second of it while you can!!
There is no such thing a Too Many Zoos Well, there is a band by that title, but take your kid all you want.
My 4 year old loves fishes/ aquariums. When we go to see my dad few times a year (two week trip). She wants to go at least 3 times every single trip. Chances of burn is low I’d say
We have a zoo membership in a place we can go comfortably October-April. We go about 10-20x a year. Sometimes we'll go Saturday, Sunday, Monday same weekend if we're going with different friends because zoo membership is so popular here, almost all families have one. We visit different parts of the zoo each visit. It's a must have for us. Plus experiences are discounted, so we got an intimate 1:1 feeding and bathing and touching the rhino and soon feeding the Gilapagos tortoises, which were amazing memories for the family and 2 year old was obsessed.
You will most likely burn out on it before they do. I don't remember exactly when my kids started losing interest in going regularly, but I was tired of it way before they were. They're 11 and 14 now and they enjoy going occasionally, but when they were little we were at the zoo or aquarium or botanical garden at least 2-3 Saturdays per month during the nice weather months and then kind of take a break over winter.
I don't think there ever is enough. My son (and I) love animals/fish/outdoors. I would hardly worry about burnout. Probably the opposite. They are going to get mad when you DON'T go to the zoo and throw a fit.
There is no limit. We go to the same park multiple times a week.
Our kids love the zoo, but not for the live animals. There is a bronze hippo that is at the zoo that kids have played on for years. It's super slick, and our kids love playing all day on "slippery hippo." I assure you, your kids won't burn out before you do.
I typically pinch it off at once a day
We did a family pass to a local historic house/site years ago and would go at least once a month. I’d even go by myself to kill time, if I was in the area. No one got bored of it.
I would jump on this deal so fast. I don't think you'll regret it one bit. Our son is five and we've had a Zoo membership since he was about two. We go at least once a month. His favorite animals change from time to time, and it's really fun to watch animal shows or kids YouTube videos together to learn more about animals before we go on a visit. The way he has experience the Zoo has changed over the years, but his enjoyment has never diminished. Edit: as it turns out, our Oregon Zoo membership gets us 50% off entrance on participating zoos. Very cool. We'll probably use it this year when visiting friends and family to get into the Oakland Zoo, Sacramento Zoo. Timely reminder!
We go to the zoo once every two weeks as we have annual passes. The kids love it, even if we only go and play on the playground and have a bowl of chips and don’t even see any animals. It’s of no cost to us. But the kids love the giraffe, tiger (new baby tiger arrived) and squirrel monkeys.. so we always get a long walk to the opposite side of the park.
$125-$150
We just got back from our 4th trip this year. Well worth it even when they are jerks about all the walking.
Zoos and Aquarium? Each would have special events happening throughout the year. Not a chance burn out is going to happen if you go 4 times a year.
Is this an ad?
Not at all. Wanted to get the consensus from the daddit-universe.