Powell, OH – The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is celebrating and thanking Franklin County residents for their support by offering half-price admission on Sunday, October 2, and Monday, October 3. Additionally, Community Days will celebrate various local community partners and their service to Franklin County while guests have the opportunity to learn more about these important resources.
On October 2, from 11 a.m. to noon, AEP Ohio will be sponsoring our Giraffe Feeding, allowing Zoo guests to have the opportunity to see the giraffes up close and feed them for free (while supplies last).
As part of our Trim to Treat partnership, AEP Ohio's forestry crews identify, bundle, and deliver truckloads of trees and branches to the animals at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds regularly. These fresh tree trimmings, branches, and twigs, also known as browse, are a food source, dental health support, and enrichment for the animals in our care.
“We trim trees from around power lines and equipment on a four-year cycle to help keep the power on,” Dale Hopkins, Forestry Manager at AEP Ohio said. “Now through our Trim to Treat partnership, we’re able to bring the freshly trimmed tree branches to the zoo for the enrichment and nourishment of the animals. We’re excited to give residents the opportunity to feed these branches to the giraffes firsthand.”
The series’ first kicked off this spring on May 15 and 16 with local community-based organizations onsite to share and engage with guests. The Zoo is looking forward to welcoming the following organizations* that will be stationed around Conservation Lake on October 2 and 3:
- Child Development Council of Franklin County Head Start
- Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
- North Community Counseling Centers
- Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities
- Mental Health America of Ohio
- Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland
- Action for Children
- Greenleaf Job Training Services
- City Year
- AEP Ohio
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Ohio
- Liberty Township/ Powell YMCA
- St. Vincent Family Services
*Please note the list of participants is subject to change.
To join in the fun, the Columbus Zoo’s Ambassadors will also be on hand to say hello and pose for photos at select times throughout the day.
“Our sincere gratitude to Franklin County residents for their continued support of the Zoo. We hope residents will join us for the last Community Day series in 2022 as we celebrate the significant impact we are making together,” said Tom Schmid, President and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
Guests can purchase the half-priced admission tickets in person on the dates that Franklin County Community Days are offered, or online. To purchase tickets online, the billing zip code must match a zip code from Franklin County. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets online to help reduce their wait time in line. Franklin County Community Days tickets purchased online can only be applied to any date that the Community Days are offered in 2022. For more information and to purchase admission for this event, please visit the Zoo’s website here.
Zoo visitors can also ride COTA’s Zoo Bus if they decide to visit on these days. COTA’s Zoo Bus provides a clean, safe ride to and from the Zoo from select stops. Riders receive $3 admission to the Zoo. The Zoo Bus operates this fall on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from September 9 – October 30, 2022. The full Zoo Bus schedule is available here.
For additional updates about the Columbus Zoo, events, and more, be sure to follow the Zoo’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and visit us at ColumbusZoo.org.
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About the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Home to more than 10,000 animals representing over 600 species worldwide, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium leads and inspires by connecting people and wildlife. The Zoo complex is a recreational and education destination that includes the 22-acre Zoombezi Bay water park and 18-hole Safari Golf Club. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also manages The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center and safari park located in southeastern Ohio. The Zoo is a regional attraction with global impact, annually contributing privately raised funds to support conservation projects worldwide. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Columbus Zoo has earned Charity Navigator’s prestigious 4-star rating.
