Field Trips
Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. — John Muir
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is home to over 1,400 species of animals and 2,000 species of plants from around the world. It is also the field trip destination for nearly 100,000 school students, teachers and chaperones every year from as far away as Columbia, SC & Savannah, GA, Orlando & Tallahassee, FL. Whether you are studying Life Cycles and Adaptations or Animal Behavior or Ecosystems, there is plenty to see and do while visiting the Zoo. Field trips are self-guided, but we encourage you to download scavenger hunts, attend keeper talks and schedule an education program to maximize the resources available to you and your students while you are here.
Education Rates
Public and private school groups of 15 or more receive a deeply discounted Education Rate when they visit the Zoo between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday – Friday during regular school days and make a reservation at least two weeks in advance. For more information or to request a field trip via e-mail, please send requests to the Education Department or call (904) 757-4463, ext. 122.
DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS of 15 or more receive FREE admission and 1 chaperone for every 10 students receives FREE admission when they visit the Zoo between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday – Friday during regular school days and make a reservation at least two weeks in advance.
DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 2ND GRADES are required to participate in the Classroom Programs when scheduling a Zoo field trip. Through a memorandum of understanding with the Duval County School Board, these grades are approved for field trips to the Zoo when they participate in the on-site program. Student admission is FREE, 1 adult per 10 students are admitted FREE, and the on-site program is FREE.
SEASONAL WARNING
March, April & May are the busiest months for school visits. Nearly 50,000 or 50% of our annual field trip attendance occurs during these spring months, and our programming schedule fills to capacity. To avoid the reservation rush, make your reservation TODAY! Or, avoid the spring rush and plan your visit for fall or winter.
When the gate is crowded, how do we get into the Zoo faster?
In the words of Aristotle, “He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” The fastest way to get into the Zoo on crowded days is to follow the Zoo’s procedures (found in the confirmation materials) and be well organized. Avoiding these most frequent causes for delays will admit your entire group quickly:
- Teachers do not know how many students and adults are in their group (the admission associate must have an accurate count of the total number of students and adults in the school group);
- Teachers have not collected their admission fees ahead of time and wait to do it at the gate;
- Teachers send chaperones to the gate to pay separately (this not only slows down the gate with each individual transaction, but chaperones are charged the full adult admission rate instead of the education admission rate as they are no longer part of the group);
- Teachers combine payment for all Zoo field trip activities on one check (separate checks are needed for 1= admission, train and Stingray Bay, 2= lunches, and 3= programs);
- Teachers arrive without payment for the field trip.
Scavenger Hunts
The Education Department has prepared a variety of scavenger hunts to help you maximize the educational resources at the Zoo. All of the answers may be found in animal graphics and identification panels at the exhibits.
Basic Scavenger Hunt & Answer Sheet
Freshwater Food Web Activity in Play Park
Upper Elementary Culture Scavenger Hunt & Answer Sheet
Upper Elementary Animal Population Dynamics Scavenger Hunt & Answer Sheet
Upper Elementary Habitats & Geography Scavenger Hunt & Answer Sheet
Secondary Scavenger Hunt for Range of the Jaguar
Are you using The Great Water Odyssey™ curricula from the St. Johns River Water Management District for 3rd, 4th & 5th Grades?
The Great Water Odyssey™ Scavenger Hunt in Play Park & Answer Sheet .pdf
Field Trip Policies
Teachers, chaperones and students are expected to follow these guidelines while visiting the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
- One adult chaperone is required to accompany every 10 students at all times regardless of student’s age. Chaperones must stay with the students (all ages) and are responsible for the behavior of the students under their supervision at all times.
- Students must wear nametags that identify each by first name and school regardless of age.
- Please observe our “NO FEEDING” policy. Zoo animals are on special diets and outside food can be harmful. Feeding is allowed in selected animal areas. Only feed the food available for purchase in these areas.
- For your safety, we ask that you observe all signs and gates. Please stay on the public walkways and do not climb on or over fences.
- The Zoo is proud to be a smoke free and tobacco free facility. The use of tobacco products is prohibited in the parking lot and on Zoo grounds.
- Food may not be brought into the zoo. A picnic area is provided at the south end of the parking lot.
- Want to avoid the hassle of picnicking? Reserve lunches through the Zoo’s catering department!
LUNCHES MUST BE RESERVED AT THE SAME TIME THE FIELD TRIP RESERVATION IS MADE AND ARE AVAILABLE ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST- SERVED BASIS. The number of lunches that the Zoo can accommodate per day is limited. When the lunch reservations are at capacity, the Zoo cannot accommodate last minute requests should you change your mind later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do teachers pay? If you are a Duval County, FL, public or private school, you are permitted 1 adult FREE for every 10 students, which include the teachers. If you are from a public or private school outside of Duval County, FL, all adults, including teachers, pay a discounted education rate when accompanying a school group on planned field trips during regular school hours.
When does the Zoo open? 9 a.m. everyday! You may plan to arrive and start your field trip at that time.
What facilities do you have available for lunch? A picnic area is located at the south end of the parking lot and just East of the Education Campus for your convenience. It will seat up to 400 comfortably and has a playground area, indoor restrooms, outside hand-washing stations with drinking fountains and drink vending machines. You may also purchase lunch through our catering department. School lunches must be reserved at the time you make your field trip reservation to guarantee that lunches are available the day of your visit. Lunch includes your choice of a hamburger, hot dog or peanut butter and grape jelly Uncrustable sandwich, a bag of chips, a bag of animal crackers and a juice box for $3.85 per person plus tax unless tax exempt in the State of Florida.
What does it mean when I am told that you are FULL on the day I want to schedule? All school groups want to enter the Main entrance during a 90-minute window at the start of the day (9:15 – 10:45 a.m.). The gates can safely accommodate only so many people during this time, so to help maximize the enjoyment of your experience we set a limit on school reservations per day. Once our reservation count for a day reaches 1200, we close the day to additional reservations. This is what we mean when the day is FULL. It means that no more reservations may be taken for that day.
Which days typically fill? Since 2004, we have filled every weekday in April. We also typically fill all Wednesdays through Fridays in March and May. If you must plan a field trip during these times, we strongly recommend that you make these reservations no later than January.
How should I plan my field trip? The following itineraries have been developed for school groups that reserve an on-site Education Program. These are just suggestions and may be adapted to fit your situation.
9:30 AM Program Time
8:30 – 9:00 A.M. Depart for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Bus(es)
9:00 – 9:30 A.M. Arrive at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus
9:30 A.M. Formal Program
10:30 AM Picnic Lunch in the Picnic Grove adjacent to the Education Campus
11:00 AM Enter Zoo – initiate scavenger hunt
1:15 – 1:30 PM Board Bus(es) for return to school
2:00 PM Arrive at school
10:30 AM Program Time
8:30 – 9:00 A.M. Depart for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Bus(es)
9:00 – 9:30 A.M. Arrive at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
9:15 – 9:45 A.M. Enter Zoo – initiate scavenger hunt
10:15 AM Meet at Zoo’s entrance to walk to the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus
10:30 AM Formal Program
11:30 AM Picnic Lunch in the Picnic Grove adjacent to the Education Campus
12:00 PM Re-enter Zoo and complete scavenger hunt
1:15 – 1:30 PM Board Bus(es) for return to school
2:00 PM Arrive at school
11:30 AM Program Time
8:30 – 9:00 A.M. Depart for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Bus(es)
9:00 – 9:30 A.M. Arrive at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
9:15 – 9:45 A.M. Enter Zoo – initiate scavenger hunt
11:15 AM Meet at Zoo’s entrance to walk to the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus 11:30 AM Formal Program
12:15 PM Picnic Lunch in the Picnic Grove adjacent to the Education Campus
12:45 PM Re-enter Zoo and complete scavenger hunt
1:15 – 1:30 PM Board Bus(es) for return to school
2:00 PM Arrive at school
12:30 PM Program Time
8:30 – 9:00 A.M. Depart for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Bus(es)
9:00 – 9:30 A.M. Arrive at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
9:15 – 9:45 A.M. Enter Zoo – initiate scavenger hunt
11:45 AM Meet at Zoo’s entrance to walk to the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus 12:00 PM Picnic Lunch in the Picnic Grove adjacent to the Education Campus
12:30 PM Formal Program
1:15 – 1:30 PM Board Bus(es) for return to school
2:00 PM Arrive at school
Do you have guides available to walk us around the Zoo? The Zoo is 89 acres developed with another 30 acres to be developed over the next 5 to 10 years. We simply do not employ enough educators to give every group a guided tour and cover on-site education programs. We do provide Keeper Talks in various areas around the Zoo that give you and your students the opportunity to talk to the experts who care for the animals. Education Exhibit Guides are also available to talk to your group at Stingray Bay, Giraffe Overlook, Lorikeet Aviary, Animal Care Yard in Play Park, Discovery Center in Play Park, Great Apes Loop, and the Field Station in Range of the Jaguar. Seasonally, guides are available to interpret the marine animal sculptures in the Splash Ground at Play Park, too.
What is included with the admission fee? Your entrance into the Zoo and the keeper talks! Train rides and admission to Stingray Bay may be added at a discounted rate and paid for on the same check used to pay admission.
Other attractions are priced as follows:
Train Ride: $2/person + tax (unless tax exempt in the State of Florida)
Wildlife Carousel: $2/person – children less than 42” must be accompanied by an adult (no charge for the adult)
Kids Shop Souvenirs: a variety of souvenirs are available between $1 and $5 + tax
Lorikeet Feeding: $1/person
Giraffe Feeding: $2/person
Stingray Bay: $1/student and $1/adult (school group rate ONLY and everyone pays admission – even free schools, chaperones and teachers)
Wheel Chair Rental: $6 + tax
Single Stroller: $6 + tax
Double Strollers: $8 + tax
For more information, email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 904-757-4463 x122.
