Looking for something to do this holiday weekend? Debra at A Frugal Friend has some great tips on how to experience the zoo inexpensively.
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Children love going to the zoo. It’s a great place to entertain kids of all ages, but it can also cost a pretty penny after parking, admission, & other expenses. With some planning and preparation, going to the zoo doesn’t have to break the bank for a family. Here are a few helpful tips:
Special Events
Get familiar with the local zoos in your area. Visit their websites frequently and you might spot some special events. Recently we had a day at the Dallas Zoo that was Dollar Day!
Regular admission is was just $1.00. For the typical family of 4, admission costs $34. With this special event, the family pays $4.00 to enter the zoo. An immediate savings of $30. There was special food available for $1.00 too, including hot dogs, chips, popcorn, snowcones, and water. There were additional $1.00 frozen treats near the exit. Gift shops had special $1.00 deals too.
Visit Smaller Zoos
While we all love the large zoos, they can come with a rather large price. One way to cut the cost of admission for your family is to check out any smaller, local zoos you might have. Most that I’ve found have a much smaller admission fee and many have a yearly pass option that is quite reasonable.
While smaller, there usually isn’t a wait in the “good viewing spots” as you can have at the larger zoos. We found this to be an ideal zoo trip when our little one wasn’t even walking yet. She loved the animals, yet we didn’t want her out in the sun too long. A smaller zoo was perfect. Here’s one close to Dallas/Ft Worth:
Frank Buck Zoo – Gainesville, TX
Discount Tickets
Check with your employers….many have discounted tickets to zoos and other amusement/entertainment parks.
Food
Bring your own sack lunches, bottles of water and snacks. Make sure to check policies first and know that most zoos won’t allow straws for the safety of the animals. If purchased at the zoo, the price of lunch and snacks can add up fast for a family.
Share combo meals (especially with little ones)
Don’t buy the souvenir drink (unless you really want it) – at least in TX the ice melts quickly and the drink is too watered down
Animal Crackers (Nabisco) – surprise your little ones with a fun animal treat like these. Always a big hit! While around $1.00 at the grocery store for 1 box, it’s alot cheaper than the snacks you’ll find there.
(Note: we did splurge on a large cup of fresh fruit at the Ft Worth zoo and it was worth every penny. It helped hydrate us as it was a HOT Texas day)
Animal Food
Don’t pay for the animal food – plenty of exiters will hand you theirs. We learned this at the bird exhibit at the Ft Worth Zoo.
Avoid Gift Shop (Buy in advance)
Like many parents, we wanted a special little gift for our daughter’s first big zoo visit, but didn’t want to pay the big gift shop price. We planned ahead and had purchased an animal toy already. It was waiting for her when we arrived home.
…..and try to carpool since you’ll likely be paying for parking.
Most of all, have FUN! The zoo is someplace everyone should be able to visit, on any budget. A zoo trip can cost more than you realize, but with a little planning, you can make the trip fun and inexpensive too.
Debra traded in high-powered suits and high-heeled shoes for a new role as mommy-crayon enthusiast, storyteller, and kisser of boo-boo’s. You’ll find her helping families at A Frugal Friend, where she teaches others how to reduce their expenses through coupons, rebates, freebies and deals.
