Denver Zoo doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers, but it runs free programs and self-guided field trips for school groups. The page says all Secret Science Day programs are free to schools, and chaperones who are included with your initial registration and enter with your group are free too.
If you’re the teacher who has to turn a field trip idea into a registration, the Learn at the Zoo page is where the free programs live. It’s worth a slow read, since the chaperone rules and registration deadlines change from one program to the next.
How To Get The Denver Zoo Teacher Discount
There’s no teacher ticket to show an ID for, so the way in is a school registration. When prompted to log in, the page says to create a DZCA account with your school email address, kept separate from any other affiliation you have with the zoo. DZCA stands for Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, which is the name the pages use.
Self-guided field trips are available most Tuesdays through Fridays throughout the traditional school year, and the page says they’re free to school groups only on most days in the traditional academic school year. Reservations are first-come, first-served and book up quickly. To qualify for free or discounted entry, the page says a group must be an accredited institution, following an academic curriculum, accompanied by a teacher or institutional staff, and have a minimum of 10 students.
Homeschools choose “Home School” and then their county when registering. Community and youth-serving organizations are told to contact GuestCare@denverzoo.org for more information. Onsite bus parking is available on a very limited basis, and partial bus reimbursement may be available for qualified schools.
Chaperone Rules
Every field trip group needs a minimum of 1 adult for every 10 students, regardless of age. For the free field trips the page asks you to bring no more than 1 adult for every 5 students. Schools that don’t bring at least one adult per 10 students are charged the full price of admission.
Chaperones included with your initial registration who enter with your group are free. Chaperones who aren’t included in your order, or who arrive late, need to purchase their own admission. Chaperones must be 21 years of age or older, and adults bringing younger siblings may not be counted as chaperones. Members who want to chaperone a school field trip are welcome.
Free Programs By Grade
K-5 Secret Science Days are offered on a limited number of dates each school year, with activities from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. K-5 Discovery Days add interactive, self-paced learning activities in select areas throughout the zoo to a self-guided trip. Registration closes 30 days before a Secret Science Day, and 2 days before a Discovery Day.
The 3-5 Water Warriors program requires a minimum of 50 students and can’t accommodate more than 90. It and the 6-12 Conservation Challenge are free for schools in the SCFD seven-county Denver metro area, and schools outside that area are told to ask about an additional travel fee of $180 per school visit. In the Conservation Challenge, a zoo educator visits your school to support a waste audit.
The 4-8 Good Neighbors to Wildlife: Make it Bloom and 6-12 Good Neighbors to Wildlife: Make it Safe programs are free as well, and at least 10 students must be present on the day to run one. The page says space in the free programs is limited and asks you to attend the programs you register for. Questions go to DZEducation@denverzoo.org.
For You: Camp Conservation
The teacher professional development page lists Camp Conservation, a 3-day professional development summer camp for K-12 educators. The workshop includes all-day zoo admission, lunch, snacks and a certificate of clock hours, and it’s eligible for 1.5 graduate-level credit hours through Adams State University, with an optional additional fee paid directly to the university. If you live outside the seven-county Denver metro area, the page says to inquire about mileage reimbursement.
The page lists a $195 registration fee, and a scholarship offered to help more Colorado teachers attend reduced it to $65 per person. You apply first, and approved applicants get a link to register at the discounted price. Both workshop date ranges on the page have already passed, so email DZEducation@denverzoo.org to ask when it runs next.
Visiting On Your Own
For a weekend with your own family, the hours and admission page lists adults ages 16-64 at $27, seniors ages 65+ at $24 and youth ages 3-15 at $19, and online timed ticket reservations are required for entry. General Admission tickets go on sale 10 days in advance. If you need help booking, Guest Services is at 720-337-1400.
SNAP/EBT Explorer card holders can get $5 admission per person for up to 10 guests. The zoo also offers seven Community Free Days throughout the year, with limited tickets issued through an online lottery system. If you’re visiting Denver and seeing other attractions, bundling admission through Denver CityPASS saves up to 43%.
Cash Back Routes We Checked
Fluz lists 1.5% cashback at Denver Zoo with a Fluz virtual card, available while supplies last and valid only at official store locations. We didn’t find a TopCashback page for Denver Zoo, and Rakuten’s address for it loads its general page instead of a store page. Rates change, so check the number on Fluz before you pay.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
We found no discount for showing a teacher ID at the ticket window on the school programs page, the teacher professional development page or the admission page. We also couldn’t tell when Camp Conservation runs next, or whether the scholarship comes back with it.
Q&A
Does Denver Zoo give teachers a discount?
We couldn’t find one for individual teachers. School groups get free programs and self-guided field trips on most days of the school year, and there’s a professional development camp for K-12 educators.
Are chaperones free?
Chaperones included with your initial registration who enter with your group are free. Every group needs a minimum of 1 adult for every 10 students.
Who qualifies for a free self-guided field trip?
An accredited institution following an academic curriculum, accompanied by a teacher or institutional staff, with a minimum of 10 students.
Can a homeschool group go?
The page tells homeschools to choose “Home School” and then their county when registering.
How do I register?
Create a DZCA account with your school email address when prompted to log in, then pick the program on the Learn at the Zoo page.
Is there cash back on Denver Zoo tickets?
Fluz lists 1.5% with a Fluz virtual card. We didn’t find a TopCashback page, and Rakuten’s address loads a general page.
More Information:
The details above come from Denver Zoo’s own pages, Fluz, Rakuten and TopCashback as they loaded when we checked, and rates change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers, and the posts in cash back for teachers.