Oakland Zoo is Open!

Through Labor Day weekend, the Zoo will be open from 10am–6pm, with Summer Early Entry for Members and Friends of the Wild starting at 9am. Timed tickets are available in one hour increments, with the last entry ticket being 3pm–4pm.

You can reserve a ticket on this page. Zoo members and Friends of the Wild still receive free admission but must reserve an online ticket in advance of visiting (please have your member ID and the last name of the primary household member ready).

• If you need assistance securing your admission ticket please email info@oaklandzoo.org or call (510) 632-9525. Current office hours are Monday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
• Members can email membership@oaklandzoo.org or call (510) 632-9525 x160. Current office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm.

The error you received is due to an extraordinarily high volume of traffic on our website. Please wait a few minutes and try again. We apologize for the inconvenience!

Your membership number is 12 digits long and starts with 501. You can find this number on the following:

• Your membership card above your name
• Underneath the bar code on the Temporary Pass PDF that is attached to online confirmation emails
• On the reply form of renewals sent by mail, or on any renewal email

A Pass Validation error means the number entered is not found in our database. If you’ve been using copy/paste to enter your membership number, try typing the 12 digit number instead. Some members have found that copy/paste is adding a space at the end of the 12 digits, which causes the error. If manually typing the number doesn’t work or you do not have a 12 digit number starting with 501, please contact the Membership Department to confirm your membership number (membership@oaklandzoo.org or 510-632-9525 x160.)

Because our staff has been working remotely during the Zoo’s closure, we were unable to print and mail membership cards. With our reopening date set, and membership extensions finalized, we will start printing membership cards in August. Thank you for your patience!

If you have not received your membership cards, you can use a Temporary Pass PDF from an online confirmation email or a copy of any email from membership@oaklandzoo.org to verify your membership when you reserve timed tickets online and to verify your membership status at the Zoo’s entrance.

If your membership expired during the closure and you did not renew, please continue to use your expired membership card for verification. Your record has been updated in our database; therefore, you will be able to reserve timed tickets  and use your number at the Zoo’s entrance until your new expiration date expires. Staff are aware that the expiration date on your membership card has been extended.

Our commitment is to provide members with twelve months of benefits, which includes year-round access to the Zoo. We are providing generous membership extensions as a reflection of our gratitude for our members’ loyalty. These extensions were processed automatically for all memberships expiring April 30, 2020 or later. Our standing policy is that memberships are non-transferable and non-refundable.

• We are using email to communicate important membership updates in response to the pandemic. If you have not received email updates from membership@oaklandzoo.org since March, please visit our Newsletter Subscription page. Complete the form, check mark “Zoo News” and any other topics of interest to you, and click the Subscribe button. You will receive an email confirming we have permission to email you in the future.
• Please email membership@oaklandzoo.org for questions about your membership. Be aware that our response time may be slow, due to a high volume of inquiries—and because many team members are working from home to ensure enough space is available at our office to maintain social distancing.

Tickets are on sale 14 days in advance. Attendance is currently limited, so please be aware that you may not be able to secure your first choice of date and time.

You may purchase up to four adults and four children per day. Members may reserve the number of adult/child tickets that corresponds to their membership level.

Admission tickets are nonrefundable.

• The Zoo may be able to accommodate a ticket transfer to change the date or time of your visit pending ticket availability.
• To request a ticket transfer, please contact the Zoo at least 48 hours in advance of your scheduled ticket date at info@oaklandzoo.org.

At this time, the Zoo does not have the ability to honor guest passes in a way that meets our new safety protocols and requirement to reserve tickets in advance of visiting. We are working to resolve this issue and will update our website with relevant information when this changes.

At this time, the Zoo does not have the ability to honor Groupon tickets in a way that meets our new safety protocols and requirement to reserve tickets in advance of visiting. We are working to resolve this issue and will update our website with relevant information when this changes.

• If you bought tickets on Groupon earlier this year and have not yet used them, we are extending the expiration date of 60 days from date of purchase. Groupon will be contacting you with additional information.

At this time, the Zoo does not have the ability to honor Zoo to Community vouchers in a way that meets our new safety protocols and requirement to reserve tickets in advance of visiting. We are working to resolve this issue and will update our website with relevant information when this changes.

• Expiration date of Zoo to Community vouchers will be extended to Oct 15, 2020.

At this time, the Zoo does not have the ability to honor Chase Private Client admission privileges in a way that meets our new safety protocols and requirement to reserve tickets in advance of visiting. We are working to resolve this issue and will update our website with relevant information when this changes.

The California Department of Public Health is the lead agency in public health crisis situations in our state and provides public facilities direction on how to manage responses. We are continuing to work closely with the California Department of Public Health and Alameda County Public Health Department so we can respond quickly to any changes in their recommendations, guidance, and direction. We will remain in active contact with the Department of Health officials. Please remember our ability to remain open depends on meeting the protocols below set by Alameda County Public Health Department. We ask your assistance in maintain compliance with the requirements outlined under New Protocols for Visiting Oakland Zoo above.

Oakland Zoo is adjusting attendance levels in accordance with County health guidelines and to ensure social distancing. The number of guests per day is limited so secure your tickets early.

In accordance with County health guidelines, indoor exhibits and high touch areas are closed. This includes the Bug House, Reptile and Amphibian Discovery Room, California Conservation Habitarium, playground areas, picnic areas, and Adventure Landing, including the train. Restaurants will be open for take-out only, dining table areas are closed. Please refer to our online Zoo Map for more information.

We have developed COVID-19 operational protocols with guidance from Alameda County Health officials to reduce the risk of exposure and transmission of the virus for staff, volunteers, guests and animals. These protocols include increased cleaning of work spaces, providing PPE, routine health checks, and remote work when possible.

On April 5, 2020, the USDA reported the first case of an animal contracting COVID-19; a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York. Our Animal Care staff and Veterinary Hospital teams have responded to this news by expanding our PPE (personal protective equipment: face masks, gloves, and hand washing before food preparation and during feeding) protocols when within 6 feet of the species listed below at Oakland Zoo, as a precautionary measure. No animals at Oakland Zoo have or are showing any signs of illness.

In addition to primates, which we have been implementing expanded PPE protocols with, all of the following species under the scientific grouping, 'order carnivora', are now also included in our PPE protocols: bears, hyenas, African lions, tigers, mountain lions, jaguar, wolves, ferrets, and otters. We are taking further additional precautions by adding our elephants, pigs, and bats to these PPE protocols.

Please know we are responsive to all evolving developments and scientific data findings on COVID-19 and will re-evaluate and respond to any further evidence-based research and findings with additional protocols as recommended or needed. Our animals' health and safety is our number one priority and we are taking every measure to protect our animals from contracting COVID-19 from a potential asymptomatic Animal Care / Veterinary staff member.

If you have pets at home, please do not be alarmed. There is no evidence that animals play a role in the transmission of COVID-19 to people other than the initial event in the Wuhan market, and no evidence that any person has been infected with COVID-19 in the US by animals, including by pet dogs or cats. There have been two cases of house cats in New York contracting COVID-19 from their owners, but no cases where animals infected their owners.

All events and birthday parties scheduled through July will be postponed or cancelled. Contact groupservices@oaklandzoo.org or educationreservations@oaklandzoo.org to process a refund or select a new date.
Currently, we are not taking new facility rentals or group reservations.

While the Zoo has had to cancel in-person educational programming for the time being, you can still learn with us!

• Explore our Zoo@Home resources for distance learning: activities, ask a zoologist and nature videos for all ages.
• Campers ages 4 to 12 are welcome to join our free pilot virtual ZooCamp the week of June 22.
• We hope to offer a safe and modified in-person summer day camp at the zoo in July and August, please check our website for updates.

All overnight experiences have been cancelled and participants will be refunded. We are not offering overnight experiences in June but are exploring the possibility of conducting overnights in a new format later this summer, please check our website for updates.

Opportunities for current volunteers are currently extremely restricted. You will receive further communications as developments occur. If you are interested in becoming a new volunteer, please send an email to lisa@oaklandzoo.org. Community Groups interested in volunteering please email commgroup@oaklandzoo.org.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations include the following:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer composed of at least 60% alcohol. Sanitizer will be available to guests and colleagues at locations throughout the zoo.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

It is also recommended that people at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible, including public places with lots of people and large gatherings where there will be close contact with others. People at higher risk include:

• People 60 and older
• People with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes
• People who have weakened immune systems
• People who are pregnant

For more information and to stay-up-to-date on the evolving situation, visit these sites:

• The World Health Organization
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Alameda County Public Health Department
• California Department of Public Health

Visit Oakland Zoo on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakZoo/
  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oaklandzoo/
  Twitter: https://twitter.com/oakzoo

In order to be allowed into the Zoo without a face covering, you or the individual in your party requiring the exception, MUST SHOW a written exemption from a medical professional (to the county-mandated face covering order) based on the individual’s medical condition, other health concern, or disability. When not able to wear a mask due to the aforementioned reasons, we ask for your help in complying to guidelines by maintaining adequate social distance between other guests not in your family group.

For a person who is hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication, a face shield may be worn in the place of a face covering/mask.