Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers. What its field trip page does offer is school pricing: one complimentary chaperone for every 10 students, and free student admission once per school year for Jackson and Clay County, Missouri (Zoological District) schools.
If you’re the teacher who has to turn a field trip idea into a booked date and a parent permission slip, the school field trip page is where the numbers live. Which column you fall in depends on your school’s county, so it helps to know that before you start collecting forms.
How To Get The Kansas City Zoo Teacher Discount
There’s no teacher ticket to show an ID for, so the way in is a school field trip order. The page says all school field trip tickets are purchased online in advance, and that a school login is required to receive special school pricing. Walk-up tickets on the day of the visit pay full price, so showing up with your class and asking at the gate won’t get you the school rate.
Zoo policy is one teacher or adult chaperone per 10 students, and one complimentary chaperone for every 10 students is included in each field trip order. Chaperones who aren’t included in the group order pay full price. Schools can buy additional chaperones at the discount school admission rate of $12 per person, and the page lists the same $12 for additional chaperones in a group order.
What A School Group Pays
For Jackson and Clay County, MO (Zoological District) students, admission is free once per school year with advanced reservation. Students from other counties pay $12 each with advanced purchase. The page adds that the best price is online for tickets.
If your group doesn’t fit either of those, the page tells you to fill out its Group Sales request form to ask about a group rate. It doesn’t say what that rate is.
Booking Details Worth Knowing
All groups, including field trips, must be finalized 72 hours prior to arrival, and dates within 72 hours are not available. The page warns that available dates will sell out, and payment is required at the time of booking. The zoo is a rain-or-shine event, and the page says no refunds.
If the weather or a bus schedule shortens your day, two lines on the page help. Unused admission tickets are good for 90 days from the date of your scheduled field trip, and return visits are available for unused student tickets. The page says to see Guest Relations before you leave the zoo on the day of your visit.
Zoo rides can be added to your order, with ride prices shown when you log in. The page asks you to review rider guidelines before you buy and says height restrictions apply. Unused ride tickets are good through the calendar year of purchase. The page also links a School Field Trip Guide and Bus Parking Information.
For You: ZooED In Jackson And Clay Counties
The ZooED page describes a program that’s funded entirely by the Zoological Tax District and exclusively available to educational organizations in Jackson and Clay counties. Its curricula and learning experiences are aligned with the Missouri Learning Standards, Common Core Standards and national science standards. Returning teachers can reach new and updated resources through a teacher portal, and prospective teachers can sign up to join. The page doesn’t mention an admission discount for teachers.
Visiting On Your Own
For a Saturday with your own family, the tickets and pricing page lists general admission at $22 to $24 online and $25 to $28 at the gate, and says buying online saves both time and money. Ages 2 and under are always free. Jackson and Clay County residents have their own online Zoological District price of $11 to $12, $12.50 to $14 at the gate, and it requires ZIP code validation.
If you come often, the memberships page says memberships include unlimited admission to the zoo, discounts on concessions and retail, a quarterly newsletter subscription, discounts on select zoo events, and more. It also says FOTZ members receive a 50% discount on admission to zoos that are on its reciprocal list, which can matter if your summer includes a road trip.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The tickets page, the memberships page and the ZooED page don’t mention a teacher discount, and the field trip page doesn’t either. The zoo’s old address for a teacher appreciation day (/events/teacher-appreciation-day/) returns a not-found page, and the events calendar we read lists no educator event, though a Show More button cuts the list off. We couldn’t tell whether a free educator day is planned, so if you hear about one, check with the zoo before you plan around it.
The field trip page says a school login is required for school pricing but doesn’t explain how to get one, and the tickets page doesn’t say what moves a day within its price ranges.
Q&A
Does Kansas City Zoo give teachers a discount?
We couldn’t find one for individual teachers. School groups get one complimentary chaperone for every 10 students, and Jackson and Clay County, MO students are free once per school year.
How many chaperones can I bring free?
One complimentary chaperone for every 10 students is included in each field trip order. Additional chaperones are $12 each when included in the group order.
Can I buy school pricing at the gate?
No. All school field trip tickets are purchased online in advance, and walk-up tickets on the day of the visit pay full price.
How far ahead do I have to book?
Groups must be finalized 72 hours prior to arrival, and the page warns that available dates will sell out.
What if we can’t use all our tickets?
Unused admission tickets are good for 90 days from the date of your scheduled field trip, and return visits are available for unused student tickets. See Guest Relations before leaving the zoo.
What does ZooED cover?
It’s a program for educational organizations in Jackson and Clay counties, funded by the Zoological Tax District, with curricula aligned with Missouri, Common Core and national science standards.
More Information:
The details above come from Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium’s own pages as they loaded when we checked, and prices change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
