When is the last time you went to Woodland Park Zoo? I grew up in Vancouver BC, and even though Seattle is a three hour drive away, my parents would always get a membership for the zoo so it was a big part of my childhood and now it’s a big part of my kids’ childhood too. One way we make sure we stay connected with the Woodland Park Zoo is by having a membership even now that my kids are older and we don’t visit as often. A Woodland Park Zoo membership means we can pop by for 5 minutes or for a whole afternoon.
How much does a Woodland Park Zoo membership cost?
There are many flexible options for zoo membership. You can get a membership for one person for $70 or for families it might be good to get one that is for one named person, one flexible guest and one child for $195 or the Family Passport for $250. My family usually gets the Wild At Heart and we love being part of the zoo family. With the Wild at Heart program we get invites to some really extraordinary events (some have had some cool animals experiences) and my kids have really enjoyed them over the years.
Regular admission at the zoo when I checked (March 2023) is $21 for adults and $13.75 for 3 and up. So going a few times with a membership can even help save a lot of money if you go multiple times in the year.
The best time to visit Woodland Park Zoo
My family loves to visit right at opening or at the end of the day. The zoo is only 5 minutes from where we grocery shop in Ballard so if I’m running errands, it’s nice to stop for a 30 minute walk and maybe see the penguins or the bears. Right close to opening, the animals seem to be pretty active. And the zoo feels like one of the safest places in Seattle to walk alone.
Places near Woodland Park Zoo we like to get coffee and snacks
A la mode pies is about a 5-10 minute walk from the penguin entrance at the zoo where we usually park. You can get slices of pie here or whole pies to take home. Fresh Flours is also only a few steps away and it’s one of our favorite bakeries in Seattle. Matcha lattes here are usually pretty delicious and if the Basque cake is on the menu I’ll likely order it. And Windy City Pie that makes Chicago style pizza is walkable from here as well. We actually have never eaten in Windy City Pie but we’ve ordered a bunch of times and we’ve enjoyed our takeout. (So maybe next time we go near zoo closing we might order pizza and have it ready to pick up for when we finish our visit)
And what is your favorite zoo animal?
I was recently asked what my favorite animal at a the zoo is and I think it’s the always the one that’s most active when we visit. I am on a mission to one day see the red panda awake. Have you ever seen the red panda awake? Do you have a favorite animal at Woodland Park Zoo?
(PS if you love zoos too, I’ve compiled a list of our favorites in the United States and beyond and some of them might even have reciprocal discounts with the Woodland Park Zoo too-I always forget to check when I visit.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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