In Our Community

We are deeply involved in our local community, offering free and discounted education programs to schools, supporting other non-profits, hosting holiday parties for local charities, and offering free and discounted admission to underserved community members.

Here are more details about our community programs:

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Museums for All

We are proud to be a part of Museums for All, which provides free tickets to guests who qualify for SNAP benefits.

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Zoo-to-Community

Oakland zoo provides free and discounted science education programs for underserved students attending Title 1 schools in the Greater Bay Area. We give 5,500 vouchers every year to schools and community organizations as part of this program. We reach an average of 3,000+ students and 1,000+ adults with our Zoo-To-Community programs during the school year.

Teacher Appreciation

In honor of their service, Oakland Zoo is pleased to offer teachers of grades TK-12 a year-round discount on daytime admission. Teachers from any U.S. region are eligible and tickets must be reserved online, in advance through our website.

Oakland A’s Kid Club

An Oakland Zoo Family Pass is included when a fan purchases an Oakland A's "Kid Club" package. We have donated 10,000 passes each year for this cause.

Local Charity Organizations

We provide 1,000+ Family day passes to local nonprofits to use in local auctions and fundraising (equivalent monetary value = $100,000).

Healthy Living Festival

We host and sponsor this annual event every September in partnership with the City of Oakland. It has become the largest older adult-focused health-related event in Alameda County. The event draws an average of more than 2200 participants each year.

Kinderprep

One day each Spring, Oakland Zoo offers free admission to 500 pre-K and TK students from underserved Oakland communities and their families through this program in cooperation with Oakland Rotary Club. The day educational opportunities, as docents set up special stations throughout the Zoo.

Arroyo Viejo Creek Cleanup

On 14 Saturdays every year, we invite up to 45 community members to come help clean up the Arroyo Viejo Creek area. In exchange for their work, each volunteer gets free admission into the Zoo afterwards.

On-Site Training for Youth

Oakland Zoo participates in several Bay Area programs offering opportunities for Bay Area youth to get hands-on job experience. These programs include the Eastmont Self Sufficiency Center, Marriott Foundation Bridges, Ashland REACH Community Center, CaPROMISE, The Unity Council, Rising Stars, and Youth Uprising.

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