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Woodland Park Zoo Tickets for Less + Things to Know

One of our favorite family-friendly activities in Seattle is heading to Woodland Park Zoo for the day. The zoo is not just a typical zoo, but it’s such a beautiful, park-like setting that you feel like you are really experiencing a part of the beautiful Northwest when walking around the grounds. Even though it’s right in the city neighborhoods, you feel like you are in a peaceful, tranquil park with the animals interspersed throughout the park as you walk along.

This beautiful setting makes it a fun place to visit no matter the weather – whether it’s a beautiful sunny day or it’s a cloudy or rainy day, it’s still a fun place to visit for the day. On rainy days, kids will enjoy hanging out in the Zoomazium (Indoor playground) & or riding the covered carousel. There are more indoor exhibits, too, to have breaks inside.  And it’s such a gorgeous spot to bring a blanket for a picnic on the grass when the sunshine is out & it’s a warm, pretty day. Kids can run around the grass while you relax at a picnic table & enjoy the setting as you take a break from seeing the animals.

We’ve put together some helpful tips for visiting the zoo in Seattle with your family as well as the best ways to save on admission costs, too!

And make sure to check out all the different places where to see animals in Washington (zoos, aquariums, etc)

Tips for Visiting the Zoo

Where to find the Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo is located in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, north of the downtown area. It’s only about 10 minutes north of the Space Needle (with no traffic) so it’s a quick trip up there if you want to head to the zoo on a trip to visit Seattle.

Address:

Woodland Park Zoo    5500 Phinney Ave N     Seattle, WA 98103

Woodland Park Zoo Map

If you are looking for a map of Woodland Park Zoo, you can find them all here if you want to take a look at the animal areas before you visit. You can also download it to plan out your outing before you visit, which can help when you have young children if you want to make sure you park at the best location & know the areas you want to focus on first. They also offer maps  & guides for accessibility, sensory guides & more to help those with special needs.

Woodland Park Zoo Parking

There are 2 main entrances to the zoo where you will find parking. The West Entrance is at Phinney Ave N between N 55th & N 56th St. The South entrance is located at 750 N 50th St.

The South entrance parking lot is the Hippo parking lot (near the African Savanna exhibit) and there is also more parking in the lower Woodland Park lot at N 50th & Aurora Ave N, .1 mile from the South entrance.

The West entrance parking is in the Otter or Penguin lots. You can access the Otter parking lot through the Penguin lot on Phinney Ave N or the Bear parking lot on N 59th St

Access to the West Entrance is available through the Otter and Penguin parking lots. The Otter parking lot can be accessed through the Penguin lot on Phinney Ave N., or the Bear parking lot on N. 59th Street.

Parking costs $6 for the first 2 hours, $2/ea additional hour & maximum of $12/daily.  You can pay for parking online with the Pay by Phone app. If you have a membership, you will get a discount on parking, so that needs to be paid at the gate.

Pro Tip: Arrive early in the day & you may luck out and find free street parking in the residential neighborhoods near the zoo! 

Woodland Park Zoo Hours

The zoo is open from 9:30 – 4pm daily. These hours are through the end of the year. They stay open longer for summertime hours through Labor Day – 9:30 – 6 pm.

Exhibits at the Zoo

We love that the zoo at Seattle is so spread out & it really is like a beautiful, wooded park where you can explore & see the animals in such a natural setting. It’s one of our favorite ever zoos because the setting is just so tranquil & gorgeous!  The zoo is 92 acres which are divided into bioclimatic zones with different natural habitats.

Here are the different animal exhibits you’ll see:

• • African Savanna
  • Ambassador Animals – these are the special programs where you can meet the animals & learn more about them – see the programs for your visit here
  • Assam Rhino Reserve
  • Australasia
  • Butterfly Garden (this is open seasonally)
  • Penguin Exhibit
  • Living Northwest Trail
  • Temperate Forest
  • Trail of Adaptations
  • Tropical Asia
  • Tropical Rain Forest

Kids will love the Zoomazium – an indoor playground – perfect for rainy days or anytime they need a break to run off some energy.  This is available for kids ages 8 & younger.

Woodland Park Zoo Tickets & Discounts

Find all of the information about Woodland Park Zoo tickets here!

Ticket Prices for Special Events

The zoo often offers special events where they offer promotions like Kids Get in Free or Enjoy Woodland Park Zoo at children’s admission prices

Some examples of these we have seen this year include:

• • January weekends where adults get in at kid’s prices
  • Pumpkin Bash in October – kids get in free with paying adults. T

Zoo Discounts

Woodland Park Zoo Discount Tickets on Groupon – Groupon often offers a small discount on zoo tickets. Check Groupon (these are general admission tickets).

Find the info about more zoo discounts here

Get Out Pass Washington: buy one pass and enjoy multiple attractions across Washington for the rest of the year. This is a super deal, as it includes so many things to do for one low price – including the Woodland Park Zoo. We both have these for our family and can confirm they are completely legit. Find all the details on how they work here.

Military Discount:

Military Adult (13+) – $16
Military Child (3-12) – $10.75
(Must show ID & limit of 7 per transaction)

Kid at Heart Discount Days:

All tickets (up to 5000/day) will be sold at child pricing for adults ($13/ea compared to $19/ea).  Once the 5000 tickets are sold, then it will be regular admission for adults.

Here are the dates for 2024 currently:

October 6, 7, 13, 14, 2024
November 3, 4, 2024
December 1, 2, 8, 9, 2024

Restrictions: Cannot be used with any other discount. Valid only for the date and time selected. If Kid at Heart tickets are sold out, tickets may still be purchased for that date at full price. Kid at Heart tickets are non-refundable. 

Homeschool Discount Days for 2024:

If you are wondering if they have any Woodland Park Zoo student discounts, they do offer discounted rates for field trips with local schools as well as homeschool-specific visit days. {They are also offering optional paid experience options for $5/person such as UpClose Creature Feature, UpClose Forests Near & Far, Animal Adaptations Hands-on Activity & Biodiversity & Conservation Decision Making Hands-On Activity)

Currently, Wednesday, April 17th & Thursday, April 18th are their homeschool days for 2024.

Tickets are sold at $11/ea for homeschooled families. Find more info on their website.

Seattle CityPass is an option for discounted tickets if you will be visiting multiple attractions in Seattle.  They now have two options available which both include Woodland Park Zoo.  Find all of the information about the Seattle CityPASS here

The first is a 5-ticket pass and the second is a 3-ticket pass. For the 5-ticket pass, you can see 5 attractions, two of which are preset (the larger ones) and then 3 of your choosing. The prices for this option are:

• • Adult Seattle CityPASS – $115
  • Child Seattle CityPASS (ages 4-12) – $87

This option will save you 40% off regular ticket prices

Attractions included: Space Needle (2 visits to the top within 24 hours), Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, MoPOP, Woodland Park Zoo, Chihuly Garden & Glass

They also have a 3-ticket option called the Seattle C3 pass. The C3 pass is more affordable and offers 2 new attractions that are not included on the standard CityPass for Seattle. The prices for the Seattle C3 pass are:

• • Adult Seattle C3 – $73
  • Child Seattle C3 (ages 4-12) – $53
  • This option will save you up to 30% off regular ticket prices

The important part to know about a CityPass though is that the Pass is valid for 9 days, starting with the first day of use. But if you were wanting to see at least 2 of the attractions on the list, it’s definitely worth the savings!

Groupon Woodland Park Zoo

At times, you can find discount tickets on Groupon – so always make sure to check first just in case to see if there are any offers available.

Special Events at Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo Concerts

What could be better than enjoying a day at the zoo & ending with Zootunes outside in the sunshine during the summertime in the PNW? The zoo offers some great bands as part of their Zootunes concerts with a big lineup of concerts every summer!

Wild Lanterns – Woodland Park Zoo

We love that the zoo offers a fun, unique light showcase at Christmas, and even better it extends beyond the holidays & into mid-January, too  If you are interested in Woodland Park Zoo Lights – make sure to check out our review to learn all about how it works, ticket prices & more!

The Pumpkin Bash will be happening this year on October 26th and 27th, from 9 am to 4 pm. Kids 12 and under get in free with a paying adult ticket. Bring kids in their costumes and they can trick or treat around the zoo, as well as see special pumpkin feedings for the animals, participate in a costume parade, and more!

Restaurants near Woodland Park Zoo

If you really want to save money, you can bring your own food into the zoo picnic-style & use a picnic table or bring a blanket to sit on one of the large grassy areas. You can relax while the kids enjoy running around the grassy area.  You just need to make sure you keep the food to designated eating/drinking areas.

Portage Bay Cafe – while this is in the University District, you’d take the 45th exit on the other side of the freeway from the zoo, so it’s not too far to stop in at Portage Bay Cafe for breakfast before you head to the zoo for a day of fun. I love that all of their locations have breakfast bars, where kids & adults can add fun toppings to their pancakes, waffles & french toast, such as seasonal fruits, whipped cream & more. There are also great kids’ menus gluten-free options & more. The only issue is that they do get quite busy on weekends, but they have some outdoor seating options as well at the University location.

Dick’s Drive-In  – take exit 45th (instead of 50th) on your way to/from the zoo & grab some old-fashioned burgers – they are so affordable & Dick’s is always a hit with the kids too!

Gorditos – If you love Mexican, Sia’s family loves Gorditos as it’s an affordable option for good Mexican food & family friendly. They are famous locally for their baby burritos (burritos as big as a small baby) and are located north of Woodland Park off 85th.

The view of Lake Union from the Fish Bar deck

Ivar’s on Lake Union – one of our favorite places to eat when we’re down around north Seattle is at Ivar’s right on Lake Union. There are several options – you can go for a nice, sit-down meal at Ivar’s Salmon House (the food is delicious) & the views are incredible from inside the restaurant, or sit outside on the deck of the Space Needle & Lake Union. Or you can just grab food at the walk-up fish bar. If it’s a nice day, we love to just grab food at the fish bar & bring it back on the back deck. Most of the deck is for the Salmon House, but a small portion with a few tables is available for customers of the Fish bar to sit at. And it’s so fun to watch the boats coming & going right through the Montlake Cut right there & take in those gorgeous views of the Space Needle & the city! So kid-friendly with all the action happening if it’s a nice enough day to eat outside!

Hotels Near Woodland Park Zoo

Staybridge Suites – this is the closest location to Woodland Park Zoo if you want to stay closer to the zoo versus downtown. It’s located on Aurora Ave north of Lake Union. I have not stayed here but it looks like it gets good reviews & it has an indoor pool which is great for the kids & a suite hotel would give you more room with the kids & more options for bringing some of your own food, too.

Hyatt Regency Seattle – If you want a hotel that’s more central to a lot of activities in Seattle, the Hyatt Regency is a great option. It’s only 15 min or less to Woodland Park Zoo too. One of the best aspects of this hotel is the floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the hotel – absolutely gorgeous views of the downtown area! Check out our review here!

Residence Inn by Marriott at Lake Union – this is a great location as it’s close to Lake Union (just across the street) & a bit out of the main downtown area so it’s not quite as busy & I think it’s more picturesque. All of the accommodations are suites & so family-friendly with separate living quarters for kids/parents & full hot breakfast buffet included.  There’s also an indoor pool as well.

More info about visiting animals around the Pacific Northwest

Where to See Animals in Washington – Zoos & Aquariums

Point Defiance Zoo & Pacific Seas Aquarium – Tacoma, WA

Northwest Trek – Eatonville, WA (near Mount Rainier)