El Paso Zoo doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers. What it offers is a school group rate by advance reservation: $5.00 per student and $7.50 per chaperone/teacher/higher education student.
If you’re bringing a class, a day-care group or a college section, that group rate is the one to book, and it’s your teacher price too. If you’re going on a weekend with your own family, the regular ticket prices further down are the ones that apply, and the page doesn’t mention teachers.
How To Get The El Paso Zoo Teacher Discount
There isn’t a teacher discount to claim at the ticket window. The group rate is booked ahead: the field trips page says a reservation is required to receive a group rate, and to make it at least three weeks in advance, with the note that accommodations under three weeks may not be possible. The page prices the chaperone/teacher/higher education student at $7.50, so that’s the line a teacher traveling with the group falls on. Any additional adults pay the regular zoo admission price.
The field trips page links to a Make A Reservation form, and that’s where the booking starts. We haven’t submitted it, so we can’t tell you what it asks for.
Who Counts As A School Group
The page lists licensed child daycare, head start pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, primary, secondary, high school, home school, special education and higher education (Universities/Community Colleges). A college class qualifies the same way a second grade does.
Chaperones And Group Size
The page asks for one adult chaperone for every 10 students from elementary through college, one for every 5 students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and one for every special needs student. If more than one classroom is on a reservation, the zoo considers it one group unless separate reservations are submitted.
The ideal class size is 30-35 students, and a group that size may possibly include touch. Groups larger than 35 get an alternative assembly program in the outdoor Wildlife Amphitheater, and touch can’t be provided for assembly programs. If you’re pooling two classes, it’s worth asking before you book which way the zoo will count you.
When You Can Go
Field trips are available Wednesday to Sunday, except for designated Zoo event blackout dates and City holidays. The page also lists Spring Break blackout dates, so check them against the day you’re picking before you fill in the form. Memberships and promotional tickets aren’t valid in conjunction with school group reservations, so a membership won’t change what your class pays.
Paying And Arriving
A reservation can be paid with cash, credit card, purchase order or a school check (valid ID required). The page asks for one group leader who collects all the money and makes one payment for the whole group on the reservation upon entrance, and purchase orders are due 10 business days before the visit. Anyone who doesn’t enter with the group is charged the full admission price, so a chaperone who arrives separately pays the full price.
Add-Ons For The Day
The field trips page lists two optional extras, both reserved and paid for separately from the trip itself. Visit add-ons need a 3 week reservation and 10-day advance payment. Zoo Adventure Programs are outdoor classroom sessions of approximately 45 minutes, listed at $3.00 per student unless otherwise specified, and the page says to reserve one at least 2-3 weeks in advance. Animeal lunches are $10 per meal with a minimum of 20 per selection, not including applicable tax and service fees.
Visiting On Your Own
On the Plan Your Visit page, adult tickets (18-59 yrs) are listed at $13.95 and $15.95 and child tickets (2-12 yrs) at $8.95 and $10.95, with babies 23 months and under free. The zoo is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Sunday, with last admission at 4:00 p.m., and parking is free. The page says memberships provide unlimited admission all year long.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
Each row of the ticket table prints two prices with only a Non-Resident label, so we can’t say which price is which. Check the ticket shop before you plan a family budget. We also can’t say what the reservation form asks a group to provide, and the page doesn’t describe any teacher ID or proof of employment.
Q&A
Does El Paso Zoo give teachers a discount?
Not for individual teachers on any page we read. A teacher with a booked school group pays the chaperone/teacher/higher education student price of $7.50.
How much does a school group pay?
Group admission is $5.00 per student and $7.50 per chaperone/teacher/higher education student. Any additional adults pay the regular zoo admission price.
How far ahead do I have to book?
The page says to make a reservation at least three weeks in advance, and that accommodations under three weeks may not be possible.
Can a college class book?
Yes. The page lists higher education (Universities/Community Colleges) among the groups that qualify.
How many chaperones do we need?
One adult for every 10 students from elementary through college, one for every 5 students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and one for every special needs student.
Which days can a class visit?
Wednesday to Sunday, except for designated Zoo event blackout dates and City holidays, and the page lists Spring Break blackout dates.
Does my membership work on a school group reservation?
No. The page says memberships and promotional tickets aren’t valid in conjunction with school group reservations.
Is parking free?
Yes. The Plan Your Visit page says parking is free at the Zoo.
More Information:
The details above come from El Paso Zoo’s own field trips and Plan Your Visit pages as they loaded when we checked. Prices and rules change, so confirm them with the zoo before you book. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.