Turtle Back Zoo, in West Orange, New Jersey, doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers. What it offers a class is a group rate of $17.00 per person in season and $15.00 off season, for groups of 15 tickets or more, against $19.00 for a child and $22.00 for an adult on the regular ticket list. The ticket rates page says you need an advance reservation and advance payment to get it.
Teachers do get a line on that page. It asks teachers to include a preferred callback time when they book, since the group sales phones can be busy. That’s a booking courtesy and not a discount, and the program the zoo built for teachers, a professional development day, is paid, as you’ll see below.
How To Get The Turtle Back Zoo Teacher Discount
There’s no teacher rate to claim, so the lower price comes from booking a group. Call group sales at 973-731-5800 x 221 and ask for Group Sales. The page says you may need to leave a message, so include your callback time, and it asks you to allow at least 48 hours for a return call before you try again.
Groups of 15 tickets or more are eligible, and the reservation and the payment both have to happen in advance. The group rate isn’t applied to walk-up tickets or online ticket sales, and payment can’t be made over the phone, so it has to be in person or mailed. The page also warns that daily capacity limits on groups, events and holidays may limit reservations on specific dates.
The page lists two group prices, $17.00 per person in season and $15.00 off season, and it doesn’t say which dates count as in season. Ask on the call, so you can choose your day with the price in mind.
What The Group Rate Looks Like
The regular ticket list runs $22.00 for adults 13 and over, $19.00 for seniors 62 and over and $19.00 for children 2 to 12, and babies under 2 are free. Against the $19.00 child ticket, the group rate saves $2 per person in season and $4 off season.
Admission includes keeper talks, where guests learn from the zookeepers themselves at their habitats. The page says the talks are timed so you can attend one and then head to the next, which suits a class moving as a group.
Classroom And Outreach Programs
If you want a program on top of admission, the Classroom page says standard classroom programs for 30 individuals cost $155, with adults and children both counted in the 30 person limit, and that the price is for onsite programs only. Zoo admission isn’t included, so entrance tickets are bought separately, and the page tells you to call guest relations at 973-731-5800 x221 for group pricing information. Most programs last 45 minutes and can be adapted to different ages and abilities.
Animal Coverings is the one the page calls a great class even for pre-K children, and it generally includes one touchable animal ambassador. In Animal Adaptations, students explore physical and behavioral adaptations as shown by a variety of zoo animal ambassadors, and Animal Myths is on the list too. The page invites you to talk through how a program fits your curriculum, and it says programming for special needs groups is available on request by call or email.
When a bus isn’t possible, the Outreach page says the zoo will come to you, whether you’re a school, youth group or library. The first program is $205.00 within 15 miles of the zoo and $280.00 farther out, with a 30 minute maximum travel time either way, room for up to 30 people (children and adults total) and a duration of 30-45 minutes. A second program is $130.00 and has to be concurrent with or successive to the first. The page asks you to schedule outreach at least 3 weeks ahead and to have a closed, climate controlled classroom ready for each program.
If You Want Professional Development Hours
Turtle Back Zoo has a professional development program for teachers, and it’s paid, not discounted: $200 per person, with attendees earning 5 Professional Development Hours. The page describes NGSS aligned programs led by experienced educators. Each session covers relevant scientific background and provides advice and materials for classroom implementation, and every program includes a tour of the zoo, a keeper talk and a special animal encounter.
A light breakfast of bagels and coffee is provided, and the page asks you to bring your own lunch or visit a nearby lunch location. For a refund, cancellations must be made in writing at least 7 days before the scheduled date and time, and no refunds are given less than 7 days before the event. If your school needs a purchase order, the page names someone to contact. Check the PD page itself for the current dates.
Visiting On Your Own
On a family day, you’d buy regular tickets at the prices above. The pages don’t list a teacher rate or ask for a teacher ID. If you’ll be back several times, the ticket page points to a zoo membership for unlimited admissions.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The ticket page doesn’t say which dates count as in season, whether teachers or chaperones pay a different price on a group booking, or what you’d show at the door. The group rate says per person without saying who counts, so ask Group Sales whether your adults are part of the 15 tickets. For classroom programs, the page sends you to guest relations for group pricing, so the $155 is the standard price and not necessarily yours.
Q&A
Is there a Turtle Back Zoo teacher discount?
Not for individual teachers. The page lists a group rate for 15 tickets or more: $17.00 per person in season and $15.00 off season.
How do I book the group rate?
Call group sales at 973-731-5800 x 221. The reservation and payment have to be made in advance, and payment can’t be made over the phone.
Does the group rate work for online or walk-up tickets?
No. The page says the rates won’t be applied to walk-up tickets or online ticket sales.
What does a classroom program cost?
$155 for 30 individuals, onsite, with adults and children both counted. Zoo admission is bought separately.
Can the zoo come to our school?
Yes. The first outreach program is $205.00 within 15 miles of the zoo and $280.00 farther out, and a second program is $130.00.
Does the zoo offer professional development for teachers?
Yes, and it’s paid: $200 per person for 5 Professional Development Hours.
Do babies need a ticket?
The regular ticket list says babies under 2 are free.
More Information:
The details above come from Turtle Back Zoo’s own ticket, classroom, outreach and professional development pages as they loaded when we checked, and programs change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.