Education: Field Trips
Guided Tours for School Groups
Pre-ordered lunches are available at the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park. Each lunch includes: animal cookies, chips, a drink, and your choice of a hot dog or chicken strips. Lunches can be ordered at the time of your field trip reservation or at least one week prior to your visit date.
San Diego Zoo
Teachers
can choose a guided tour for their school group
as part of a field trip to the San
Diego Zoo. Guided tours are offered
year-round and include a bus tour, behind-the-scenes visits, and up-close animal encounters.
A special free tour is available for second
grade classes in San Diego County.
See tour descriptions
Wild Animal Park
New programs coming soon! Check back in November for 2008/2009 offerings.
Guided tours provide your students with a Park educator to lead them through the Wild Animal Park's exhibits and behind-the-scenes areas, offer up-close animal presentations, and engage them in age-appropriate hands-on activities.
3rd-grade animal presentation: Complimentary for 3rd-grade classes in San Diego County (offered September–December). Please call 760-738-5057 to reserve your day. Thanks to a generous grant, transporation to the Wild Animal Park from your school site is included in this FREE program!
Animal Encounters for grades K–12: Enhance your visit with an animal presentation. Students meet three animals during the 45-minute program. Please call 760-738-5057 to reserve your day.
Youth Groups
San Diego Zoo
Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other youth groups of any kind can have a great time learning at the Zoo. Choose from A Science Lab with Dr. Zoolittle or Explore the Zoo: An Insider's Tour. Both programs include animal encounters and an opportunity to earn a great patch! More info...
Wild Animal Park
Sneek Peak: Boy and Girl Scouts, 4H Club members, and Future Farmers get a sneak peek behind the scenes at the Wild Animal Park adn learn how we take care of our animals. The 11/2-hour program includes visits to an off-exhibit area and our animal ambassador compound to meet some critters up close. More info...
Self-Guided Visits
Your'e the tour guide when you class visits the Zoo or the Wild Animal Park on a self-guided visit (without a Zoo or Park educator). FREE grade-specific educational materials supporting the California Science Standards will be sent prior to your visit so that you and your chaperones can easily direct your students throught the Zoo or Park.
Fee: Admission is FREE for San Diego County schools during the traditional school year. Schools located outside of San Diego County pay a discounted rate of $6 for students and adults on traditional school days. All schools pay $7 per person on weekends, holidays, and during the summer. School groups without reservations pay regular admission rates.
Advance
reservations are required for self-guided visits.
To visit the San Diego Zoo, call 619-557-3962
for availability, or download the Zoo
Self-Guided Visit Registration Form. To visit the Wild Animal
Park, call 760-738-5057 for availability, or download
the Wild Animal Park Self-Guided Visit Registration
Form.
- San Diego Zoo Self Guided Visit Registration Form
- Wild Animal Park Self-Guided Visit Registration Form
Please note: The Journey into Africa tour at the Wild Animal Park is not included in the self-guided visit. School tickets for the tour may be purchased for $5 per student.
Self-Guided visit materials
Bringing a class of students to the Park or Zoo has never been easier! To make a reservation to visit the Zoo, call 619-557-3962; to visit the Park, call 760-738-5057. Your free self-guided materials packet will be sent to you, and you can let the learning and fun begin!
Our
exciting self-guided tour packets are also available
for download in PDF format. Each packet includes
a teacher checklist, chaperone checklist, Zoo or
Wild Animal Park map, classroom activities, and
field trip activities.
Click here for the download page.
Shutterbugs on Safari
Download these fun activities to do with your students while visiting the Zoo or Wild Animal Park, or any zoo or wildlife area! Activities are divided by grade level. More info...
School group admission fees
Admission is complimentary for a limited number of school groups in San Diego County on traditional school days when advance reservations have been made. Discounted admissions are available for all school groups. Click here for school group admission fees.
College Study Passes
Use your neighboring San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park as educational resources. College Study Passes are offered to make these popular sites available to students. If you are a college instructor, you may order these passes to include either the Zoo or Park in your curriculum.
College study passes are for general admission only and do not include paid attractions. They are $15 per student and are valid for four months. Passes entitle the bearer to unlimited visits at one location. If you wish to include the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park in your curriculum, please send a class roster to the appropriate Guest Relations Office. For the Zoo, fax rosters to 619-557-3996 (phone: 619-231-1515, ext. 4320). For the Park, fax rosters to 760-738-5023 (phone: 760-738-5022). You may then direct your students to the Guest Relations office to purchase their passes. A current school-issued student I.D. is required. If you are from an out-of-county school and/or prefer to have passes mailed before your visit date, please fax or mail a College Study Pass Registration Form(pdf) to the appropriate Education Office. Payment on all passes is due prior to issue.
Other Wild Animal Park activities
A
number of other activities are available to make
your self-guided visit more enjoyable and educational
at the Wild Animal Park.
More info...
Night Owls sleepover at the Wild Animal Park!
Students in grades 3 to 6 can camp out at the park with their class during a Night Owls program! More info...
Virtual field trip
Take a trip to the Zoo without leaving your school
site! If you have videoconferencing technology (distance learing),
you can join us from anywhere in the world.
More
info...
Receive a copy of Wildlife Learning Adventures
Wildlife Learning Adventures 2007/2008 is our annual teacher resource guide that describes all of the San Diego Zoo programs for teachers and school groups. To request a copy, call 619-557-3962 or 760-738-5057, or contact us.
