Friends of the Wild

Annual donations totaling $1,000 or more allow you to enjoy exclusive Friends of the Wild benefits, such as free transferable daytime admission for any four adults and four children. Giving online is easy and secure. If renewing, our team will link your donation to your existing donor record and renew the Friends of the Wild membership at the level corresponding to your gift. More information, including other ways to give, can be found here.

Friends of the Wild membership cards are sent digitally and should be received by email from Oakland Zoo within 10 days of gift receipt. For online donations, you will receive a confirmation email at the time of your gift. This will show that you have donated at the Friends of the Wild level and are therefore entitled to use the benefits immediately. When a donation confirmation or digital card email has not been received, we recommend checking spam, junk, or promotions folders, as they sometimes get sent there.

As a Friends of the Wild donor, with your permission your guests may visit the Zoo in your absence without needing to show ID. Please ensure that your guests always bring proof of current Friends of the Wild membership, such as your membership card, a donation confirmation or Friends of the Wild welcome email. This will allow the entrance staff to verify your membership status and record your guests’ admission accurately. For all other questions about Friends of the Wild level memberships, please email impact@oaklandzoo.org, or call (510) 746-7158.

If you want to share your membership card with a guest, you can do so directly from the digital card installed on your mobile device. You can also take a screenshot of your digital card including the QR code and send it to your guest via text message. They can then show the picture to the cashier for entry. We kindly recommend that Friends of the Wild members keep track of who is using their membership and when, since free daytime admission is limited to just four adults and four children per day. More helpful tips on digital membership cards including how to share them can be found here.