Zoo Boise

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355 Julia Davis Drive, Boise, ID, USA

ZOO BOISE


Our Mission…

Zoo Boise connects our visitors with animals to inspire and involve our community in the conservation of wildlife worldwide.


Zoo Boise is a service of the City of Boise and is supported by the Friends of Zoo Boise, a 501(c)(3) membership organization that supports Zoo Boise in the area of animal acquisition, capital improvement projects, education programs, volunteer opportunities, and special events. The goal of each of these components is to increase public awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the zoo, wild animals, animal habitats, species conservation, and the environment.


Zoo Boise is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.


Friends of Zoo Boise is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (tax ID #82-6005995). All gifts are tax deductible and qualify for the Idaho State Education Tax Credit.


Zoo Boise Areas & Exhibits

Located in beautiful Julia Davis Park, in the heart of Downtown Boise, Zoo Boise is one of the most popular attractions in Southern Idaho as well as a living science facility that is home to over 300 animals from 100 various species. Zoo Boise is a community treasure where more than 350,000 annual visitors of all ages can learn about our natural world and the importance of protecting and preserving it for generations to come.


Zoo Boise turns the act of visiting a Zoo into a conservation action.

10 years ago, Zoo Boise reinvented itself. We made it part of our mission to protect animals in the wild. We turned the act of visiting the zoo into a conservation action. With the creation of a conservation fee and a series of fee-based animal encounters, Zoo Boise has generated more than $2 million so far for wildlife conservation projects around the world. Now, part of every admission and proceeds from our most popular attractions go to the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund which supports the protection of wild animals in Idaho and around the world. Helping endangered species is easy and fun at Zoo Boise. Interested in learning more about our conservation programs? Please visit our conservation webpage.


While at Zoo Boise, here are some fun things to consider doing:

Click on the links below for information:

Intermountain Eye Centers Sloth Bear Encounter

Perkins Coie Giraffe Encounter

MetroPCS Animal Presentation Area

Conservation Cruise
KTVB Butterflies in BloomSnooze at the Zoo Overnights


Zoo Boise Areas & Exhibits

Click on the links below for more info:

African Plains Exhibit

Animals of Asia

Animals of the Pampas

Gift Shop Exhibits

Small Animal Kingdom/Rainforest

South American Loop

What’s in a Name?

Zoo Farm

Zoo Boise is open daily from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, September through May. June through August, Zoo Boise is open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pmLast admission is at 4:30 pm daily.

We are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.


Admission Prices (March – October)*

General (12-61) $10
Seniors (62 & Over) $8
Children (3-11) $7
Kids (2 & Under) FREE

Every Thursday is discount admission day:

General (12-61) $7.25

Seniors (62 & Over) $7.25
Children (3-11) $6

Kids (2 & Under) FREE

* All admission prices include a $.50 fee for the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund.

Please click here for more information on our school field trip rates and regulations.

Friends of Zoo Boise Annual Pass holders receive FREE admission to Zoo Boise all year round (plus free or discounted admission to more than 100 other zoos around the country). Learn moreabout the many benefits of supporting your zoo! Annual Pass holders will need to show current ID when entering Zoo Boise.


Special Attraction Pricing:

Giraffe & Sloth Bear Encounter* $3

Conservation Cruise** $1
Carousel $1

Zoo Farm Food .25


*Starting March 16, the Giraffe Encounter is available daily from 1:30pm – 2:30pm. The Sloth Bear Encounter is available for the first 25 visitors daily from 10:30am – 11:30am. All encounters are weather and animal permitting.
**The Conservation Cruise is open May through September.

Contact Us Today

ZOO BOISE

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions to answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Adopt an Animal
(208) 608-7765

Conservation Programs
(208) 608-7743

Education Programs
(208) 608-7741

General Information/Lost& Found
(208) 608-7759

Group Rates
(208) 608-7748

Customer Service
(208) 608-7748

Gift Shop
(208) 608-7757


Zoo Boise is owned by the City of Boise and managed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with the Friends of Zoo Boise, a private non-profit organization.
Zoo Boise Supports the Gorongosa Girl's Club

This is why our new Gorongosa National Park exhibit matters! Zoo Boise visitors are proud to support the Gorongosa Girls Club. This club aims at keeping vulnerable girls in school, instead of being married and having kids starting as young as 9 years old. #BoiseKindZoo Boise’s brand new 2.5 acre Gorongosa National Park expansion opens July 17. The exhibit is modeled off of Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, Africa, which was destroyed during 25 years of civil war and resulted in a 99% decline in large mammal populations. Living around the park is 200,000 of some of the most impoverished people in the world. For the restoration to be successful, it has to be just as much about improving the lives of the people living around the park as it is about the animals themselves. Click on our event page to learn more - Zoo Expansion Grand Opening - Gorongosa Exhibit.© Parque Nacional da Gorongosa – Sofala, Moçambique

Posted by Zoo Boise on Saturday, June 22, 2019

Tiger transporting to new exhibit

Curious how a tiger is transported from South Dakota to Zoo Boise? Check out our most recent blog post to see the whole story - https://zooboise.org/zoo-news/how-an-amur-tiger-traveled-from-s-dakota-to-boise/In this short clip, Zoo Boise staff used a skid-steer to unload Diana’s crate from the transport truck into her exhibit.

Posted by Zoo Boise on Saturday, June 15, 2019

Zoo Naturalists at Zoo Boise

Love the outdoors, animals, and passionate about protecting wildlife? Zoo Boise is looking for volunteer Zoo Naturalists. Learn more and apply at https://zooboise.org/support/volunteer/.

Posted by Zoo Boise on Friday, April 5, 2019

Education Programs - Idaho Gives Day 2019

Please support Zoo Boise on #IdahoGivesDay (05/02) and donate today at https://www.idahogives.org/organizations/friends-of-zoo-boise. You can help to inspire our next generation of wildlife biologists, park rangers, veterinarians, teachers, wildlife managers, zookeepers, and general supporters of wildlife conservation.

Posted by Zoo Boise on Thursday, May 2, 2019

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