Open Today: 9 A.M. - 5 P.M.
Location map
For Over Fifty Years
Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Learn More
What we do
The North Carolina Zoo protects wildlife and wild places and inspires people to join us in conserving the natural world.
Tickets
Hours
Maps
Events

Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis

Explore More
What's New at the Zoo

Something NEW and exciting is always happening at the world's largest natural habitat zoo. 

•  Canine Champions for Conservation

•  Air Hike Ropes Course

•  Kidzone

A medium sized brown dog leaps gracefully over an orange hurtle. There is a wooden fence in the background with three large posters, the closest has a picture of a black and white dog holding up its paw with text underneath that reads "Cinema". The furthest one has an image of a brown and white dog over the text "Lemonade", while the third is covered by the jumping dog.
Canine Champions for Conservation
Learn More
Female on Air Hike ropes course
Air Hike Ropes Course
Learn More
Kidzone play area, families, play, spring, zoo, outdoors, adventure, accessible
Kidzone
Learn More
Plan Your Visit
Today at the Zoo
Feeding Times

View Full Schedule

Canine Champions for Conservation

Tuesday – Friday - 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Weekends/Holidays - 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.

view
Garden Friends Playground

Open daily

view
Air Hike Ropes Course

10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Last entry 3:00 p.m.

Weather Permitting

view
Acacia Station Giraffe Deck

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Weather Permitting

view
Kaleidoscope Butterfly Garden

10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

view
Treehouse Trek

10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

view
streamside-habitat-1
Connect with us
Instagram @NCZoo

Stay in touch with the Zoo! Follow us on social media for updates on everything from our wildlife conservation efforts to your favorite animals. Share your photos, stories, and videos with us as we celebrate 50 WILD years in 2024.

Visit the Zoo's Instagram
Don’t you want this to be your view?? Book a Zoofari ride on your next visit to the Zoo! 🗓️ Zoofari runs Thursdays - Sundays 📝 Ensure all members of your party are present at the time of purchase, as they need to complete assumption of risk agreements. 📍Go to Junction Plaza, located in the center of the Zoo, where ticket sales and loading take place. ⏰ Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early to secure your spot! ✨ Enjoy your Zoofari trip! Tours last 45min - 1hr. https://www.nczoo.org/experiences/attractions/zoofari
🐍 Don’t panic! It’s just an Eastern Rat snake! Welcome back to Snake Sunday! North Carolina’s Eastern Rat Snakes are long, sleek, and virtually harmless to humans. Around the state they are commonly known as just “black snakes.” These non-venomous snakes help keep rodent populations in check and are excellent climbers, as you can see from our friend in the photo! ⚫️ They can grow up to 6 feet long 🌳 Found in forests, barns, and backyards 🍽 Feast on rodents, bird eggs, and small mammals 🌿 Freeze when startled or mimic rattlesnakes by vibrating their tails in dry leaves 👉 Not to be confused with the black racer snake! While they look similar, racers are more slender, faster, and rarely climb. If you look closely at the rat snake's face, you’ll notice they have a white coloring that fades down to their belly - another way to tell them apart! Rat snakes are bulkier, slower, and love to scale trees and walls, that’s part of what makes them such great hunters! So if you see one? Give it space and let it do its thing. Black rat snakes are a vital part of North Carolina’s ecosystems — and they really don’t want anything to do with you. 🖤
Happy Father's Day! Come spend a wild day at the zoo with your dad!🦁🐒🐘 Receive $2 off on dad's admission when you mention this Father’s day discount in-person today only! #FathersDay #ZooDay
Y'all means all.
Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
A Commitment to Excellence
Five Zoo volunteers posing for the camera in Africa Plaza.
Volunteer

There are many rewarding ways to volunteer your time at our park. Opportunities range from gardening to greeting to helping guests feed giraffes!

Kidzone play area, families, play, spring, zoo, outdoors, adventure, accessible
Kidzone

Nature Play Area for families to explore, get wet, get muddy, meet Animal Ambassadors, build a survival shelter, walk the Treetop Trail and more! Our play areas feature a stream, a fort making zone, a mud cafe, and more. Available year-round and free with admission.

 

Zoo Tours
Zoo Tours: Family Activities for All

Join a behind-the-scenes tour of our animal habitats and have a close animal encounter with the North Carolina Zoo Society!