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. 

• Celebrating Deaf Awareness Day

• New feeding/keeper chat times

• Join Our Team!

Three elephants standing around a pond in an open field with rolling hills sprinkled with trees in the background.
Deaf Awareness Day
Learn More
A keeper speaking with guests while elephants gather across a pond.
Animal Feeding Times
Learn More
A woman wearing an Iron Hen Cafe hat and uniform leans casually on a wooden restaurant counter next to a cash register. There are food items, kitchen machinery, and kitchen visible behind her. A menu hangs on the wall behind her head.
Seasonal Jobs
Learn More
Plan Your Visit
Today at the Zoo
Feeding Times

View Full Schedule

Prairie Geyser
view
Garden Friends Playground

Open daily

view
Carousel

Open every day!

view
Kidzone

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

view
Acacia Station Giraffe Deck

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Weather Permitting

view
Treehouse Trek

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

view
A fuzzy brown otter with small, rounded ears, lanky body, and long tail, perches on a small rocky ledge next to a pond.
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
Red-ruffed lemurs are not only iconic in their color, they have some cool fun facts: (The last one is our favorite) 😍 🌏 They are critically endangered and found only in Madagascar. 🫐 Their diet is primarily fruit. 🌼 As lemurs, they are among the world's largest pollinators. 🌳 They are arboreal, meaning they spend most of their life in trees. 🦷 Teefs.
It’s #SalamanderSaturday again! 💚 April is here to introduce you to another animal ambassador friend, the Marbled salamander! The Marbled salamander is one of North Carolina’s State amphibians, as well as the Pine barrens tree frog. Amphibians are indicators of their environment, their permeable skin and dual-stage life cycles make them extremely sensitive to pollution and environmental changes. As they take in toxins from their environment, a decrease in their health or population acts as an indicator of changes to the ecosystem.
Spring break season is upon us… We are not ‘kitten’ when we say this weekend will be busy! Consider arriving early or carpooling, and check our website & social pages for the latest updates. In the meantime, enjoy this video of Sahara grooming her two kittens! 💕
The North Carolina Zoo in the ‘90s…✨👀 In 1990, Stedman Education Building completed construction. ✏️ In 1993, Desert became the first exhibit in North America to open.🌵 In 1994, North America region opened to the public. 🌎 In 1995, Grizzly bear, Black bear, Prairie and Red Wolf habitats opened. 🐻 In 1996 Streamside opened in North America. 🌿 …and so much more!!
Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
A Commitment to Excellence
Large group of Zoo Volunteers
Volunteer

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

An aerial view of the Akiba Bridge, a long wooden bridge with colorful designs and a pergola in the middle that leads from the parking lot, through dense trees, over a lake and ending at the African entrance of the NC Zoo.
Land Acknowledgement

The state of North Carolina is situated on the ancestral homelands of many American Indian tribes who have lived in this place, cared for these lands, and traveled throughout the region for thousands of years. 

A woman with long dark hair, wearing a red shirt and seen from the back, holding a small child with curly hair on her hip, as they interact with a giraffe. The woman is holding a piece of green foliage which the giraffe is gently eating. The giraffe's spotted head and neck dominate the left side of the frame, and the scene takes place at a low wooden fence.

Outreach and Engagement

Our park serves and welcomes everyone, and it is our promise to value equity, respect, inclusivity, and kindness. Everyone can enjoy an unforgettable day trip here.