With over 500 animals living across 23 acres of beautiful flora and fauna, the Palm Beach Zoo is a great place to visit if you’re looking to see some interesting and wonderful creatures.
Officially, the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society, this attraction offers unique educational and entertaining experiences for guests, allowing them to learn about animals and their natural environments.
To get the most out of your visit to the Palm Beach Zoo, here is some helpful information.
Exhibits
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The George and Harriett Cornell Tropics of the Americas exhibit opened in 2004 as the largest project in the zoo’s history. This area is home to a colorful array of tropical birds, New World monkeys, giant anteaters, and even a capybara. There is also an impressive jaguar exhibit where one of the zoo’s many big cats live.
The Henry and Charlotte Kimelman Tiger Habitat and Tiger Riger are some of the best places in the zoo to spot some dangerous big cats. This has been home to multiple species of tigers, and has even seen the birth of multiple cubs. Despite the name, this exhibit has more than just tigers -- you may also see a golden lion tamarin, Aldabra tortoise, or black howler monkey.
If you’re a fan of insects, check out the butterfly garden where you can walk around a beautiful floral environment full of brightly-colored bug friends. This Certified Butterfly Sanctuary allows guests to get up close and personal with the interesting insects.
On a hot day, the Play Fountain and Nature Play Pavillion is the perfect place to cool off and splash around in the water. You can bring your bathing suits and towels to enjoy playing around in the 54-foot fountain and 325 water jets. The fountain is open between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm every day when the weather is nice.
When the Melvin J. and Claire Levine Animal Care Complex was built, it was the first Gold LEED-certified zoo animal hospital in the country. This solar-powered medical treatment facility is located within the zoo grounds, though access to the public may be limited or closed off completely.
Animals
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The Palm Beach Zoo is home to a wide variety of creatures from all over the world. With everything from alligators to spider monkeys to llamas, there are a ton of unique and amazing animals to visit.
The zoo is a great place to learn about conservation and protecting the world’s wildlife. There are a wide variety of endangered animals being kept safe in the zoo, including the exotic Baird’s tapir, goofy red ruffed lemurs, vibrant golden lion tamarin, and iconic ring-tailed lemurs.
If you like birds, this zoo has quite a variety. Peacocks, lorikeets, emus, cranes, and at least one kookaburra all live here. You can also see majestic bald eagles, barred owls, and two different types of flamingo.
For the big cat enthusiast, you can find tons of friends within the zoo. There are tigers, servals, panthers, ocelots, and jaguars. Many of these cats are threatened or even endangered, and the zoo is an excellent place to learn about the conservation efforts to protect the species -- and how you can help!
Like reptiles? The zoo holds many different species including caiman, alligators, and an Aldabra tortoise. There is even a rare and beautiful white alligator living at the Palm Beach Zoo.
Activities
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In addition to checking out all the cool animals, the Palm Beach Zoo also offers a wide variety of activities for visitors of all ages to enhance their experience.
Before you head out to the zoo, you can download the Palm Beach Zoo Field Guide to keep track of which critters you’ve already seen and which ones you still need to visit. There is also a virtual field guide available if you don’t want to print it out.
After visiting the tigers, many guests want to learn more about the beautiful big cats. Luckily, there’s a ton of information and even a few fun quizzes available on the Palm Beach Zoo website. There is also a tiger word search, maze, and True or False game for the feline enthusiast to try.
Like to color? You can download, print, and beautify images of several of the zoo’s resident animals, including a koala, otter, sloth, and toucan.
If you’re interested in some zoo-related at-home activities, they also provide some educational things you can do to learn about the animals without leaving your house. Most of these activities are for children in grades 3-5 to do with their family, but there are also ones designed for younger kids and zoo enthusiasts of all ages. These activities include options like Rock Art, Discover Wildlife, Native or Not, and Nature in My Backyard.
Palm Beach Zoo Tropics Cafe
If you get hungry while hanging out with all the animals, good news! There is a cafe located at the zoo, and you can even order online for pick up.
Options for eating at the zoo include burgers, fries, drinks, and a few other common favorites. It’s a great place to stop and refuel so you can go visit more critters. The restaurant is open between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm every day.
For a quick bite, you can also swing by the Tropical Concession, which has sandwiches, drinks, ice cream, and more.
Hours
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The Palm Beach Zoo is open every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The latest you can get a ticket is 4:15 pm, which is when the admission booth closes for the day. The zoo is open almost all year round, and only closes on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. That means you can visit any of the other 363 days between 9 and 5.
Ticket Prices
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When it comes to visiting the Palm Beach Zoo, you have multiple options for admission.
Regular admission ticket prices are $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors aged 60+, $18.95 for children between the ages of 3 and 12, and free for toddlers under three.
Admission is free for Palm Beach Zoo Members, and parking is always free!
If you’re planning on attending the zoo in a group, you may be eligible to pay the group admission rates instead of general admission ticket prices. Group admission only applies to parties of 15 or more zoo attendees, and the fees vary depending on your group.
For community groups of over 15, tickets cost $18.50 for adults, $17.25 for seniors, and $14.24 for children. If you are attending with a school or non-profit children’s group, you can get group admission tickets for $12.24 for adults and $9.25 for children. Additionally, one chaperone (per ten children) gets admission for free. Children under three never need a ticket.
Big Cat Society
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One of the special membership options for supporting the zoo includes the Big Cat Society, which is for regular zoo attendees who are looking to help the conservation of big cats.
One of the advantages to membership in the society is that the zoo communication team will inform you about any news involving the organization’s big cats, such as new arrivals-- or kittens!
Members also get access to habitat previews and invitations to the Cocktail & Conservation lectures. Membership in the Big Cat Society comes with unlimited family access to the Palm Beach Zoo.
Accessibility Info
The team at the Palm Beach Zoo has worked hard to ensure that their zoo is accessible to any guest who wants to visit. For that reason, there are wheelchairs and safari wagons available to rent for $10 per day. There are a limited number available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you need additional accommodations, you can also contact the zoo staff for assistance. They can be reached by email at info@palmbeachzoo.org.