Group Visit Reservations

Reservation Details

To qualify for the discount rates, you must:

• The rates listed above are available from April through November (Monday through Friday).  

• Groups eligible to receive these rates must also:

  • Be at the Pre-K to 12th-grade level for a school, an organization recognized by the Indiana Department of Education, a civic group, or an assisted living/care facility for challenged or senior individuals 

  • Make a reservation at least 14 days before visiting

  • Have a minimum of 15 paying individuals

  • Have all student, teacher, and chaperone payments collected in advance and presented at the Admission Gate as one single payment. Please also come with an accurate headcount of students and chaperones.

  • Pay with cash, check, or Visa/MasterCard (sorry, vouchers and purchase orders are not accepted). Checks should be made out to the Washington Park Zoo.

  • Have a minimum of one adult per 10 students (through grade 12)

• All groups must make a reservation to visit receive the discounted rates.

• Everyone MUST enter the Zoo at one time. Individuals arriving later than their group will be charged full admission.

• School groups are encouraged to stay visible by wearing ADHESIVE name tags. Strings and pins tend to end up in animal enclosures, which can threaten our animals' safety.

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For the safety of the animals and visitors, we have set a daily capacity limit on Group Reservations from 9:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., so some dates may not be available due to already processed reservations and rain dates.

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A minimum group size of 15 is required for discounted field trip rates. Completed forms should be dropped off, emailed, faxed, or mailed.  Groups must adhere to the registration guidelines. 

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All groups must request a reservation two weeks prior to arriving. A confirmation will be mailed or emailed to you within 7 days after the submission of your registration form.  Do not assume your field trip is confirmed if you do not receive anything from us.

 

Please contact us if you have not received a confirmation one week after you submitted your form. Bring a copy of this confirmation on the day of the visit.

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About Field Trips To The Washington Park Zoo 

Group Rates: 

Adults (12 years and up) - $6.00
Children (3-11 years) - $6.00
Children (1 years and under) - FREE​

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Arrivals

Please have one contact person report to the admissions booth when you arrive and let them know you are here for a field trip.  Please have your group remain in the park or the bus until you have finished checking in.  DO NOT unload or load buses in front of the zoo, this is a safety issue for all traffic and zoo guests.  

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At check-in, you will be given a wristband for each of your paid admissions.  These bands must be on your group members before they will be allowed to enter the Zoo.  That must be shown to attendant before entering. ​

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Have your CHILD VS ADULT ticket count ready for your check-in. Please only send ONE person from the group will go to the admission office to pay and collect wristbands while your group waits across the street from the zoo for safety reasons. 

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*Group rates cannot be paid individually. They must be paid with one transaction for the whole group.

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Bus Parking

Parking is a separate department from the zoo, and they charge from May through September.  Approved groups must be registered to receive the reduced parking fees of $8 bus or $4 car.  These fees will be paid separately from the zoo admission fees as you enter the parking lot with a credit card or cash.

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Rainy Day/Severe Weather

Please check the weather before you depart for the Washington Park Zoo.  The Zoo is an outdoor park but remains open during inclement weather, so we do not offer refunds or rainchecks. Consider bringing your umbrellas and ponchos for cloudy days. If you need to cancel your reservation, please contact us as soon as possible to reschedule your visit.

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Lunch at the Zoo

NO outside food, coolers, or packed lunches are allowed in the zoo. If you'd like to bring your own lunches, picnic areas are available in the adjoining Washington Park.  Sorry, we have no coolers or storage areas available for lunches during your visit.  Outside bags entering the Zoo may be checked by Zoo Staff.