Southwick’s Zoo gives certified public and private school teachers free general admission once a year, at its Teacher Appreciation Weekend, and only at the entrance on the event days. It isn’t a year-round discount. The zoo’s page for the latest weekend says the event has passed, and we didn’t find the next one posted on its events page.
If you teach near Mendon, Massachusetts, or you’re planning an outing with your own family, this is one to watch for. The zoo’s older event pages show this offer under the names Teacher Appreciation Day and Honor Teachers Day, each on a different date, so we’ve laid out what the page asks for and what to do between events.
How To Get The Southwick’s Zoo Teacher Discount
The page says certified educators receive free general admission to the zoo on the event days. Valid teaching credentials are required at entry, and the page lists an MTA card, a faculty ID or the equivalent. The offer is valid at the entrance only on the event dates, so it can’t be claimed online or ahead of time. The zoo is in Mendon, Massachusetts, and the page doesn’t name a state or a school district for the credentials.
Who Counts As A Teacher
The page says the offer is valid for public or private school teachers, and not valid for daycare providers or homeschool teachers. It says the discount applies only to the teacher’s admission, so anyone who comes with you pays for their own ticket.
What The Free Admission Doesn’t Cover
The page says the offer does not apply to pre-purchased tickets, memberships or Value Passes, birthday packages or group rates, or any other discounted admissions. It also can’t be combined with other discounts or promotions. So a ticket you already bought online, or a Value Pass you hold, doesn’t qualify.
Visiting Between Events
The zoo’s tickets page has no teacher or educator wording on it. It says you save $5 on each ticket when you buy online. Online adult admission without rides is listed at $33, and the page says tickets at the gate are more expensive than online tickets, listing adults at $38 without rides. If you can’t make the teacher weekend, that online price is the lower of the two.
Bringing A Class
The Field Trips page says group rates are available for schools, day-cares, summer programs, scouts and non-profits. The minimum to qualify is 20 people ages 3 and up, and group visits must be booked with the Group Sales Team at least 2 weeks in advance. It lists $15.50 per person, and $16 per person for field trips and summer camps booked after the cutoff it names. Group rates aren’t available at the entrance without a scheduled reservation, and the page recommends 1 chaperone for every 10 students.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The zoo hasn’t posted when the next Teacher Appreciation Weekend will be, so we can’t tell you the dates. The page doesn’t say whether the zoo will run it again. It says an equivalent credential works, but it doesn’t list which others it accepts. The zoo’s number is 1-800-258-9182.
Q&A
Is there a Southwick’s Zoo teacher discount?
Yes, once a year. The Teacher Appreciation Weekend page says certified educators receive free general admission on the event days.
When is the next one?
We couldn’t find it posted. The page for the latest weekend says the event has passed.
What do I bring?
Valid teaching credentials, which the page lists as an MTA card, a faculty ID or the equivalent, and you show them at the entrance.
Can homeschool teachers or daycare providers use it?
No. The page says it isn’t valid for daycare providers or homeschool teachers.
Can I use a ticket I already bought?
No. The page says the offer does not apply to pre-purchased tickets.
Does my family get in free too?
No. The page says the discount applies only to the teacher’s admission.
More Information:
The details above come from Southwick’s Zoo’s own event, tickets and Field Trips pages as they loaded when we checked, and the zoo’s event dates and rates change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
