Member Early Entry

Free with valid Oakland Zoo membership. No reservation required!

Starting Saturday, May 27 through Monday, September 4, 2023, Members are invited to watch the Zoo wake up! See keepers finish their morning routines and watch the animals come out to find what treats await them!

Main entrance opens at 9:00am.

Gondola opens at 9:30am.

New for Summer 2023: Sunrise Scientists!

Brighten and enrich your morning by joining one of our Education Specialists for a guided experience in nature journaling (and receive a member-exclusive notebook!) Capacity is limited so pre-registration is required. See the registration page for more details!  

Looking for another way to add fun to your morning visit?  

A high-tech option is Agents of Discovery - an augmented reality app that gets you active and engaged in learning about the Zoo. You become a top-secret agent, dedicated to solving mysteries about science. We recommend downloading the app and selecting Oakland Zoo mission before you leave home.

Download on the App Store.

Get it on Google Play.

Or go low-tech with a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt!

• Amazing Animals Scavenger Hunt
• Animal Behavior Scavenger Hunt
• Conservation Scavenger Hunt
• Habitats Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
• Zoo Career Scavenger Hunt

Important reminders

• If you want to visit without a reservation in the morning, be sure to allow ample time to drive here, park, unload, and walk to the entrance before 10:00am.
• Members are still required to reserve timed tickets for entry between 10:00am and 2:00pm so we can manage parking and crowd levels inside the zoo.
• Nothing is changing about afternoon Member access – you can still visit after 2:00pm without a reservation!
• Member Early Entry ends on Monday, September 4, 2023.