If you have bored kids looking to do something other than stare at screens this winter break, consider taking a free trip to the Denver Zoo — now known as the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
Through New Year’s Eve, kids under 15 years old will enjoy free admission every day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults ages 16 to 54 still cost $15.75, and seniors get in for $13.65.
The zoo is also open in the evenings for Zoo Lights through Jan. 5, but that costs extra. Zoo Lights tickets cost $18 for kids 3-15 and $25 for anyone older than that. Kids 2 and under get in free.
What can you do at the zoo?
Your family can get a glimpse of 2,500 animals across 450 species. (Ed. note: I like the red river hogs.) (Reporter’s note: I prefer penguins.)
If you want to do more than wander and gaze, the zoo also offers daily animal demonstrations and talks (by staffers, not animals) to learn about flamingos, vampire bats, elephants, llamas and penguins.
Your family can also explore the animal hospital, learn about some of the zoo’s conservation efforts, take a ride on the Zoo railroad, and enjoy a gorilla trek — well, a virtual reality trip through the African jungle with a bunch of endangered gorillas.
Denver Zoo 101
The 80-acre Denver Zoo, located in City Park, has been around for more than 125 years and launched with a single bear who was basically there for entertainment.
Since 1996, the zoo has become an international force in conservation, working on more than 600 projects in 62 countries across six continents.
The zoo’s open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, go to the Denver Zoo website.
