Columbus Zoo tickets, discounts, and special events

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is one of the most popular attractions in Columbus – for good reason! Our Zoo is amazing and regularly ranks as one of the best Zoos in the U.S.

There’s so much to enjoy this year at the Zoo, including new exhibits and new babies. With tons of outdoor exhibits and miles of paths, it’s always a great place to visit. Read below for some special Spring and early Summer events they have going on!

Read below for details about Zoo babies, free admission days, Zoo discounts, and membership details.

Note: we don’t sell Zoo tickets – we just share about the special events and discounts. You can purchase tickets at the Columbus Zoo or on the website.

photo: Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Special Events and Discount Days at the Columbus Zoo

Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival

August 1 – September 29, 2024. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays  |  7 P.M. – 10 P.M.

Dazzling spectacle featuring over 60 sets of larger-than-life Asian lanterns, each shaped like animals from around the world. Multicolored LED animal lanterns will illuminate paths throughout various areas of the Zoo, creating an unforgettable experience.

This after-hours special event requires a separate ticket from regular Columbus Zoo admission. 

Donate Blood; get Zoo ticket

Held at the Africa Events Center. 

• March 20, 2024 from 9 am – 5 pm. All donors will receive a FREE Columbus Zoo ticket (valid through December 31, 2024).
• June 12, 2024 from 9 am – 5 pm. One blood donation = Buy One, Get One Ticket Voucher for Zoombezi Bay!
• August 8, 2024 from 9 am – 5 pm. All donors will receive a FREE Columbus Zoo ticket (valid through December 31, 2024).

Details/registration on website.

Franklin County Community Days

September 15-16, 2024

Franklin County residents get 1/2 off admission as a thank-you for supporting the Columbus Zoo through the levy.

See other upcoming dates on the calendar.

Sensory-friendly Zoo Quiet Hours

September 29, 2024: Sensory-Friendly Halloween Character Meet and Treat
November 19, 2024: Sensory-friendly Santa experience and Wildlights Stroll

The Zoo hosts special quiet hours to provide families with sensory needs the opportunity to enjoy the Zoo in a more calm and relaxed environment with reduced sounds and decreased visual stimulation.

There won’t be music playing throughout the park, or on the Carousel. Each region will have different accommodations, but most monitors, projectors, and sound-making activities will be turned off. The Zoo is open to the public, so crowds may be typical. See website for full details. 

Sensory-Friendly Halloween Character Meet and Treat

Sunday, September 29, 2024 from 10 am – 2 pm. 

Boo at the Zoo

This special event is held on the Fall Quiet Hours day, and features seasonal sensory-friendly activities for registered guests. Meet character ambassadors, enjoy 4 sensory-friendly treat stations, and more.

October 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27, 2024

This merry-not-scary, frightfully delightful event will take place the following weekends of October 2024. Join the Zoo Character Ambassadors and other costumed guests to celebrate the fall season!

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Boo at the Zoo is merry, not scary!

Wildlights at the Zoo

November 22, 2024 – January 5, 2025

Wildlights Member Preview Night: November 21, 2024

Sensory-friendly Light Stroll: November 19, 2024

Sensory-Friendly Santa Experience: December 8, 2024 from noon – 4 pm. Tickets on sale in November.

2024 Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Columbus Zoo Year’s Eve Noon Celebration

December 31, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Enjoy a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration held at noon at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium! This celebration is specially designed for families to welcome 2025 well-before the clock strikes midnight.

Gather at Lakeside Pavilion and Theatre to meet your favorite Zoo Character Ambassadors. Enjoy music and activities and create your New Year’s Re-Zoo-lution. The highlight of this gathering is the unique New Year’s Eve noon countdown!

Regular Zoo admission or membership applies; details on website.

Columbus Zoo discounts

We love the Columbus Zoo and we get lots of questions about discounted Columbus Zoo & Aquarium tickets for the season and we post them when we see them.

There are some discounts available year-round, plus season passes are a great way to save money if you plan to go several times through the year. Read below for details, events, and free days at the Columbus Zoo!

credit: Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

The best way to find out about discounts to Columbus Zoo is to sign up for email updates from Columbus on the Cheap, and like our Facebook page.  When we find new deals, we make sure our readers know about them.

Discounted Columbus Zoo tickets valid any day through aRes

Get discounted General admission tickets to the Zoo. Parking is not included in price of ticket, but can be purchased at the same time as the tickets. Rides are extra cost at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Save $7!

Adult (ages 10-59): $22.99
Child (ages 3-9): $18.99
Senior (ages 60+): $20.99

Purchase tickets here. 

Rides are extra cost at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Valid any general operating day, times subject to change. Cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. No refunds. No copies of voucher will be accepted.

Family Access Membership 

The Family Access discount membership category is for families who live in Ohio and qualify for government assistance. 

The membership admits up to two primary named members in the same household, plus either dependent children or grandchildren up to age 21 years (not both) to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and/or The Wilds.

The membership is $64.99 and includes free admission and parking, access to members-only events and a digital magazine, discounts on educational classes and camp offerings, a 10% discount in gift shops, discounts on Zoombezi Bay single-day waterpark tickets and Season Passes, and discounts at Safari Golf Club and The Wilds.

The Wilds’ Family Access Membership is $84.99, and includes free Open-Air Safari tours and parking, discounts on overnight accommodations and merchandise, access to The Wilds’ digital member magazine, and more.

Families interested in a Family Access Membership at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are encouraged to check out the FAQ page for more information. An FAQ page with more about the Family Access Membership for The Wilds is also available here.

photo: Amanda Carberry; Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Free Culture Passes at Columbus Metropolitan Libraries

Additionally, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is partnered with the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) through the Culture Pass program.

At select CML locations, cardholders can check out a Culture Pass, which will grant them a free visit to the Zoo. At check out, CML cardholders receive a yellow Zoo Culture Pass (valid for two days), which they take to the Zoo’s entrance.

The pass can be redeemed for up to six adults and/or children. The Culture Pass can be returned to one of the Zoo’s team members, so guests do not need to return the pass to their library. Read more about the Culture Pass program here.

COTA Bus Rider Discounts for Summer and Fall

Riders will receive a transfer/coupon from their driver to receive discounted admission. 

Early May: Weekend service
Memorial Day – Labor Day: 7-day service
Fall: Weekend service

When COTA Zoo Bus customers make a reservation, they can receive a voucher for $5 Zoo admission, per person. To register, go to the “Make Your Reservation” button below and click on the orange “Tickets” tab. Under “Daily Tickets,” click the button that says “Zoo Bus Customer Registration.” 

Zoo Bus leaves from the Statehouse multiple times a day, making stops at High & Broad, Griggs Dam Park & Ride and Dublin Park & Ride before it gets to the Zoo. More details here. 

COTA Zoo Bus Service and Discount for Columbus Zoo

Purchase Zoo tickets online

Save $1 or more per ticket by ordering online. Print your pass, or show the receipt on your smartphone. 

From the Columbus Zoo website; prices subject to change

Admission for Columbus Zoo

Price range includes discounts for Franklin County residents, and online vs. at the gate admission.

• Under 3 – Free
• Ages 3-9 – $10.99 – $23.99
• Ages 10-59 – $16.99 – $30.99
• Seniors over 60 – $15.99 – $28.99
• Parking per car – $10 

Zoo More Wristband

TBA for 2024. Zoo More wristbands are available now for $9.99 weekdays! Wristband includes unlimited access to the North America Train, Grand Carousel, 4-D Theater, pony rides and camel ride.

The cost of the Zoo More Wristbands is $14.99 when Rides at Adventure Cove are open beginning weekends May 1 and daily May 29. Dinosaur Island will also be included once it opens for the season.

Columbus Zoo/Zoombezi Bay 2 Day ticket

(admission to the Zoo and Zoombezi Bay for both days during Zoombezi Bay Operating Season). Visits do not have to be consecutive days. Tickets go on sale this Spring.

• 2-Day Adult Pass: $59.99
• 2-Day Child Pass: $56.99

Year Round Zoo Admission Specials

Military Discount: Active and Non-active duty military personnel receive a $2 discount on up to 6 tickets when they show a valid military ID. 

AAA: Members receive a $1 discount off the purchase of their ticket when they present a valid membership card. Purchase tickets at the Zoo.

Seniors: Ages 60+ received discounted admission to the Zoo

Zoo Memberships

If you are going to go to the Zoo more frequently in a season, you will want to consider buying a season pass. You’ll get free parking (otherwise $10 a car), as well as other member benefits, like free preview nights for special events.

There are discounts on season passes throughout the year.

Online Price for Franklin County residents ($3-$5 more if purchased at the Zoo; ). Non-Franklin County residents pay $5-$70 more per membership.

• Individual Membership – starting at $69.99 Admits one named adult
• Individual Plus One Membership – starting at $119.99. Admits one named adult and one unnamed guest
• Family Membership – starting out $169.99. Admits up to two primary named adult members within the same household plus either dependent children OR grandchildren up to age 21 (not both) to the Columbus Zoo.
• Family Plus Membership – starting at $259.99. Admits up to two primary named adult members within the same household plus either dependent children OR grandchildren up to age 21 (not both) to the Columbus Zoo.  This membership also includes up to two named* or  unnamed* guests.
• Gold Individual Membership – starting at $189.99 This individual pass gives you access to the Zoo and Zoombezi Bay, FREE Zoo rides* (including Jungle Jack’s Landing) and FREE admission to Stingray Bay and 4-D Theater.

Zoombezi Bay Season Pass – $139.99 – $214.99

Just want to enjoy the water at Zoombezi Bay?  Surf into the wildest water park ever and get a special discount on your Zoombezi Bay season pass through our online store.  These make a great gift!

President’s Day sale!

Save $10 on Season Passes now through February 25.  This season pass is good for one (1) named individual to Zoombezi Bay, and discounted rates for children ages 3 – 9 are available. SALE Price Starting at: $104.99, Regular Price: $139.99

Reciprocal Discount Member Benefit

Get 50% discounted admission to more than 150 zoos and aquariums.  Show your valid Columbus Zoo membership card each time you visit!

Columbus Member Advantage Program

If you’re a member of select Central Ohio attractions, you can save $3 on general admission to the Zoo through the Columbus Member Advantage program. No coupon is necessary.

Show your valid participating membership card when you visit! Limited to 4 discounts per membership per day.  

Member Advantage partners for 2024 include:

• Columbus Museum of Art and Pizzuti Collection (see our article)
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (see our article)
• Dawes Arboretum (see our article)
• Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (see our article)
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum (see our article)
• Wexner Center for the Arts (see our article)
• COSI (advanced tickets required)
• The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology (also qualifies for ASTC reciprocal admission) 
• Columbus Metropolitan Club
• King Arts Complex
• LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Columbus
• Ohio History Center & Ohio Village

Dinosaur Island returns!

This is such a fun feature! Dinosaur Island will take guests back 65 million years on a quest to discover over 30 animatronic dinosaurs that shift and blink, have tails that move, bodies that breathe, and electronic “brains” that activate and control their movements and sounds. 

photo: Amanda Carberry via Columbus Zoo

Not included with Zoo admission. Admission to Dinosaur Island is $3 for general admission, $2 for Columbus Zoo members, and free for Columbus Zoo Gold members, as well as included in the price of a ZooMore ride wristband. 

Eggs, Paws, and Claws

March 29-30, 2024. Celebrate Spring and Easter at the Zoo with the Easter Bunny, Egg-Splore-n-Find, Animal Enrichment, Meet & Greets, and more! Read more here.

2024 Eggs, Paws and Claws at the Columbus Zoo

Electronic recycling and Earth Day Celebration

April 20-26, 2024

The Zoo has some fun Earth Day activities coming up, including the Earth Day Celebration on April 20-21, and recycling drives all week. Details here.

Early Member Mornings

July 28-29, 2024 from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Exclusive for Zoo members to enter the park one hour early and experience firsthand how we start our day at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. There will be additional enhancements offered in appreciation of our members.

Military Family Days

July 1-5, 2024 from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Bob Evans Farms, and the USO are proud to host “Military Family Days” to honor those who have served as well as the loved ones who tirelessly support them.

Bob Evans Farms has provided complimentary Zoo tickets for military personnel, both past and present, and their immediate families. These will become available on the website closer to the event. 

Free admission to Columbus Zoo: Military Family Days