For Over Fifty Years

Saving Wildlife and Wild Places

What we do

The North Carolina Zoo protects wildlife and wild places and inspires people to join us in conserving the natural world.

Giraffa camelopardalis

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What's New at the Zoo

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

• Holiday Gift Guide

• Legacy of C'sar

• Summer Camps

Elephant Csar standing in front of a pod with a large beautiful green field with trees . Three female elephants gathered behind him and one near the water behind the pond

Legacy of C'sar

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A group of young campers holding green personal fans stand together, posing in front of a large brass statue of a Bison in a wooded area.

School Grade Summer Camps

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Plan Your Visit

Today at the Zoo

Feeding Times

View Full Schedule

Garden Friends Playground

Open daily

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Kidzone

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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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

Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy of service and community by getting involved! Whether it's lending a hand in your neighborhood or helping to protect native wildlife, every act of kindness makes a difference. Join us at the Zoo today and be a part of something bigger!
Some ways to get involved:
- Volunteer at the Zoo or in your community 👋
- Plant native pollinators 🌼
- Recycle your old phone or electronic device at the Zoo 📲
- Be respectful of wildlife 🦆
- Reduce, reuse, recycle ♻️
- Support local food vendors and small businesses 🛍️

Operations Update! 🚨
We will be operating on a 2-hour delay, Monday, January 19, opening at 11 a.m. We appreciate your understanding!
Stay warm, everyone! ❄️

Sunday Scaries: Sand Cat Edition🐾 Being the Zoo’s fluffiest sand cat comes with its challenges!😂 Don’t worry, Cosmo was just fine and promptly got the paper mache off of his head. Keepers even made the opening larger to try to prevent this! Being fluffy comes in handy in the Desert, as sand cats have dense fur on their paw pads to protect them from the hot sands and cold of the desert! 🌵☀️

It's time to run wild! Join us for the 2026 Run Wild 5K on June 13th, 2026, at the North Carolina Zoo. Registration opens soon at 7 a.m. on February 1st! 👟💨
This annual event invites participants to embrace the scenic beauty of the Zoo while making a personal impact on wildlife conservation. Together, we can make strides - literally and figuratively. 🌞
Registration fees will directly support regional conservation efforts for the North Carolina native salamanders.🦎
Register at the link in our bio!

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

A Commitment to Excellence

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.