The Zoo is offering Way Back Wednesdays where all day on Wednesday you can get in for 75 cents... plus hot dogs, small drinks, popcorn and Tram rides all for 75 cents each.

We had a wonderful time .. spent the whole day there, weather was great, beautiful landscaping and a fun time on the playground. Misters were nice keeping us cool for the long walks.


But I would definitely advise to bring a picnic lunch or snacks.. even though admission was so low, we spent $25 on a crummy lunch. The food was really bad .. small premade Burgers under heat lamps $2.50, Cold Fries $1.50, Drinks $1.95 for a Large soda with 50 cent refills, Nachos $3.50 ( the only good thing) the Burrito combo plate was yukky... covered in an awful sauce, it just didn't taste good at all ( how can you ruin a burrito?) I wouldn't have cared about the prices as much but the food just wasn't good at all.

But aside from all of that .. it was definitely worth a fun family day at the Zoo and I didn't really mind because I wanted to support the Zoo regardless.

That's a pretty good deal. I agree with your recommendation on bringing a picnic lunch.

For those that plan on going to the zoo a bunch, you might want to consider buying a ZooFriends membership ($60 for a family). We've had one the last couple of years and it has more than paid for itself with the unlimited free admissions for the year. Among other benefits, you get 10% off in the gift shop for those cheesy animal gifts. ;)
http://www.zoofriends.org/

It's tough to drag smaller kids around the whole zoo. They tire out and become disinterested. The membership works well for us because we can go anytime for free and not have to try to cram everything into a single day.

This from the events calendar at http://www.okczoo.org/abou_news_deta.htm?id=2456787

:tiphat:

OKLAHOMA BLOOD INSTITUTE GO WILD PROMOTION (JULY 1 – 31):
The Oklahoma City Zoo and the Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) are teaming up for a “wild” new promotion. During the month of July, donate blood at any OBI location or blood drive and receive a coupon to visit the Zoo for $1. Donors will also receive a free T-shirt and be eligible to win a free 7-night cruise to Hawaii courtesy of Cruises, Inc. For more information about donating blood or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-OBI-GIVE or visit www.obi.org.

MORNING ZOO RISE (JULY 1 – AUGUST 13):
Don’t sweat the heat this summer, visit the Oklahoma City Zoo during Morning Zoo Rise and take advantage of the early morning hours. From July 1 through August 13, the Zoo will open at 7:30 a.m. daily for Morning Zoo Rise. Enjoy exploring the Zoo as it wakes up, daily animal feedings and keeper chats. Pick up a schedule of activities from the turnstile attendants and celebrate summer bright and early with Morning Zoo Rise.

SALES TAX APPRECIATION DAY (JULY 17):
Thank you for all that you zoo! The Oklahoma City Zoo has a gift for you with free admission on Monday, July 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.! Celebrate the 16th anniversary of the 1/8-cent sales tax being passed by Oklahoma City citizens by taking advantage of free admission!

Yes, I agree with the Zoo Friends Membership... I thought went we got ours there was a promotion through OG & E that gave us even more off of the price. It's a great deal, especially if you pay $7 each person each time...

We were pretty involved the first years we moved here - we helped build the Playground which was so fun.. but the kids got a little older and don't want to go as often as before ( age 13 - teenager!) they still like it but not all the time..

The tram rides are 75 cents on Wednesday and that is the way to go if you have small kids.. it is a big zoo and when it's hot, it's hard to walk around that much and still have fun.

I think the landscaping is pretty amazing as well... they have a butterfly house which is nice.. you can let them land on you - just can't touch the wings of course, but it was pretty interesting.