All of your frequently asked questions answered
Thank you for choosing to support the Maryland Zoo! In order to make your visit of the most value to you, please read the following frequently asked questions.
Tickets are valid 30 days from date of purchase. Both printed and digital tickets on smart devices are accepted. Tickets may be rescheduled up to 48 hours in advance. Please email tickets@marylandzoo.org with your order number and new date to reschedule. Tickets expire 30 days after the date of purchase. Tickets cannot be refunded for any reason, including weather. The Zoo is open rain or shine.
March – December
- OPEN every day from 10:00AM – 4:00PM
January and February
- OPEN Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 10:00AM – 4:00PM (weather permitting)
The Zoo is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
After you complete the checkout process your tickets will be emailed to you. To ensure delivery, be sure to add tickets@marylandzoo.org to your address book or Safe Sender list. Tickets can be printed at home or shown on any mobile device at the Zoo’s Main Gate. The physical address you enter on your order must exactly match the address on your credit card billing statement for your purchase to be completed. If you do not receive your ticket confirmation after two hours, please call 410-396-7102 during business hours 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or you may pick up your tickets from a ticket booth at the Zoo’s front gate.
Yes, you are welcome to bring food and drinks for your visit. But, we do ask that you do not bring in glass containers or alcohol.
Personal strollers and wagons are permitted inside the Zoo. Single ($6) and double ($9) strollers are also available for rent just inside the main entrance to the Zoo, near the Wild Things gift shop.
Recreational scooters (electric or manual) and bicycles, as well as skateboards, skates, and hoverboards, are not permitted within the Zoo.
Yes. Manual wheelchairs are available for rent for $10 just inside the main entrance to the Zoo, near the Wild Things gift shop. We also have limited quantities of electric convenience vehicles (ECV) rentals for $35. All rentals are first come, first serve.
We are less busy on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, particularly in the afternoons.
No pets are allowed. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore welcomes guests with disabilities who use service animals as determined by the Americans with Disability Act. No other animals are permitted on any Zoo grounds including the parking lots. You are responsible at all times during your visit for the care and supervision of your service animal.
The owner of the Service Animal must accompany the animal, must be in control of the animal, and the animal must not exhibit threatening behavior to the animal collection, guests or staff while on grounds. The Maryland Zoo, its staff, and volunteers are not responsible for the care or supervision of a Service Animal.
Penguin Coast, the Zoo’s state-of-the-art, award-winning African penguin exhibit, houses over 90 penguins and lets you see them closer than ever. At Northern Passage, visitors can watch grizzly bear sisters Nova and Nita wrestle and play in their forested habitat. Zoo guests learn about animals in their own backyard, as well as those in more exotic locales when they take a trek through the Maryland Wilderness or embark on an African Journey.
The Zoo’s animal collection encompasses more than 1,500 birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, representing nearly 200 species. Animals are displayed in natural settings replicating their native habitats.
Yes. Your family can enjoy free, unlimited admission to the Maryland Zoo and more than 100 participating zoos and aquariums across the country. Zoo members also receive invitations to members-only events, free subscriptions to members-only publications and more! For details please visit our membership page.
Winter tickets are $18 for the 2023-24 season and valid for all guests ages 2 and over for full Zoo admission from December 1 – February 29 only. Active duty military may buy tickets on base through the Military Ticket Program at the Information Tickets and Travel (ITT) or Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR).
We are participating in Free Fall Baltimore in 2024 with free Zoo admission on October 29th.
Special pricing tickets are non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled.
Yes. A grant from the Maryland State Department of Education provides free admission for qualified Maryland school, daycare, Head Start, and home school students. Out of state schools also receive a discount. See our field trip page for details. Advance reservations are required.
Yes, we offer a discounted admission rate for your group of 15 or more with reservations two weeks in advance.
Yes. The Mansion House, Waterfowl Lake Pavilion, and Lakeside Pavilion are available for outside events. Visit our Rentals page for more information on renting the zoo.
No, but we do have a number of educational offerings on-grounds to enhance your visit including ZOOlabs and Insider Tours. If you would like a program in your space, we offer guest speaker requests and virtual Zoo to You programs.
Yes. The Zoo offers popular summer camp programs for students in grades 2 through 12. Plus, we offer adult summer camp too!
Please visit our Zoo Careers page or consider a volunteer position!
Further questions? Please contact Guest Relations at 410-396-7102.