I could tell you that we have a new forest area called the Forest Trailhead at Woodland Park Zoo but really 99% of us are probably mostly concerned that Carson the Red Panda now has a new home at the zoo there and we’ll be able to see him better.
Carson is that adorable.
As for me, I’m actually partial to the tree kangaroos that have been off exhibit for over 10 years who also have a new home in the Forest Trailhead. A dear friend’s daughter fell in love with a tree kangaroo stuffy at my house when she was very small and I can never look at a tree kangaroo without thinking of her. So if something can help a tree kangaroo it will be something that tugs on my heart. And I guess that’s why it’s so important that we have animals that act as ambassadors for their habitats, like the ones in the new Forest Trailhead, so that even when we don’t remember how much we humans rely on forests we can relate to how much they are essential to our friends like Carson and tree kangaroos. This is one reason why I’ve always been a supporter of the Woodland Park Zoo.
How much does it cost to go to Woodland Park Zoo
If you haven’t been to the zoo in a while, it can be spendy for a family to go. Entry is now based on surge pricing (I saw a range of $29-37 per grownup when I checked today) so I get a membership knowing we live nearby and will go multiple times in a year and bring family and friends.
There are different membership levels so if you take a little time to math it out, you can see which one works best for your family. For example, knowing that kids 2 and under are free, if my guys were babies right now and I wanted to get the best deal I’d get a basic membership and then use the 50% discount coupons on the days my husband would come with me knowing he would probably not visit the zoo more than 6 times in a year. If my twins were 3 years old the best membership would be the family passport because having a flexible free guest in addition to the two adults in our family is such a great benefit.
If you are military (with ID), a member of some assistance programs or a member of a reciprocal zoo there are some discounts that you might be able to use on the zoo discount page. I’d always check here first anyways to see what kinds of discounts might be available just in case.
You can find Woodland Park Zoo on Groupon
I haven’t used Groupon forever but someone asked me where to find a Woodland Park Zoo discount and this one popped up. They currently have a coupon code: MOM (I’m not sure how long this will last) that gives an additional discount on Woodland Park Zoo admission. And then if you have Rakuten (I always check this before I buy anything) you can often get cash back on Groupon purchases. (Always read the small print with Rakuten there are often exclusions but I’ve gotten so much cash back I’ve found it worth it)
Woodland Park Zoo on CityPASS
I often recommend the CityPASS Seattle C3 pass for friends from BC coming to Seattle for the weekend and this would probably work for visitors coming for World Cup this summer or staying before or after a cruise. If you are going to see the Space Needle, Woodland Park Zoo and the Aquarium or most of the other places listed on the C3 pass this is probably the easiest way to get the best price on all three activities. If you have a bit more time and will see 5 places a regular Seattle CityPASS will save you more money.
How to get free tickets to the Woodland Park Zoo
Getting free Woodland Park tickets from the library is something that will probably only work if you are a Seattle local. There are Museum passes with the Seattle Public Library link that you can get for a family of 4 to Woodland Park Zoo and it’s really cool we have these but also it’s hard to get these tickets and you have to plan in advance and have a library card too. This King County library link also lets you check out passes for Woodland Park Zoo too but also it looks like they book out at least three weeks in advance.
If I find more Woodland Park Zoo discounts I will post them here. Have you been to the new Forest Trailhead at Woodland Park Zoo?
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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