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Get your students out of their seats and make the curriculum come to life! Get closer with animal encounters; check out some amazing artifacts and explore the Zoo as you learn about adaptations, endangered species, habitats and many other topics.
We have tailored programs to entertain and engage groups of all ages. Bring your group to the Zoo for an adventure during the day, or even spend the night in a sleepover!
Are you unable to visit us in person? Check out our Virtual Program options!
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fees: $240 (Zoo admission included)
Stimulate your senses at the Zoo! Discover how animals find food, perceive predators, and pick a partner using their five (or more!) senses. Meet some animals with senses very similar to ours and some that are very different. Your group will look and listen as they tour around part of the Zoo, feel some artifacts, meet a live animal, and probably experience some rather unique smells.
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fees: $240 (Zoo admission included)
Get closer to animals from around the world! Students will discover exotic animals, as well as some closer to home, as they go on a globetrotting tour without ever leaving Edmonton. You will meet some of our animals up close as you learn how the zoo (and you, too) can help animals all over the world.
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fees: $240 (Zoo admission included)
Meet some of the world’s most endangered species and discover ways that you and the Zoo can help protect and preserve endangered animals here and around the globe! We’ll examine artifacts that come from endangered species, meet an animal up close and personal, and participate in discussions to help your students understand why so many animals are endangered. As we visit the Zoo’s endangered animals, students will learn about our Species Survival Plan and the conservation efforts that the zoo supports.
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fees: $240 (Zoo admission included)
Get closer to the animals at the Edmonton Valley Zoo to see what they have covering their bodies. What can mammals use their fur for? What are birds’ feathers made out of? Do animals covered in scales feel slimy? Students will get a chance to see and feel the difference between fur, feathers, and scales when we tour the zoo, check out some animal artifacts, and even get to meet a live animal.
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fees: $240 (Zoo admission included)
How do whiskers help animals scurry around at night? Can owls see in the dark? Children will discover some of the amazing adaptations of the night-loving animals that live in our nocturnal wing. We’ll also visit familiar and exotic animals from around the world that are most active at dawn and dusk. Children will learn about the incredible lives of night creatures as we look at bats, owls and more.
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fees: $240 (Zoo admission included)
Discover some of the animals that call Canada home! An interpreter will guide your group around the Zoo to meet some of our Canadian animals, as well as ones that live in similar Northern habitats around the world. Learn about diverse ecosystems found in the northern parts of the world and how animals adapt to living in them. You’ll have a chance to see some awesome animal artifacts and meet an animal up close.
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fees: $240 (Zoo admission included)
Available: November-December, Monday-Thursday
We have made our list and checked it twice, and all the animals have been on their best behaviour! During the Christmas season, you will have a chance to Get Closer to some of our animals and learn all about Christmas traditions from around the world. You will even have the chance to deliver a gift for an animal and make their holiday wishes come true.
Program Length: 1-5 days;
Full day program, start times and end times depend on arrival and departure times.
Fees: $500 for first day, $235 for each subsequent day
Available: September-April
Immerse your students in the world of animals through this customizable program. Work with an interpreter to design a program to meet your specific learning objectives. Themes and activities can include any combination of the following: needs of living things, life cycles, adaptations, endangered species, animal classification, careers and more! Your group will be with an interpreter from the moment you step off the bus to the moment you have to get back on.
Program Length:
Arrive at 6pm, depart at 11am the following day
Fees: $699 for up to 30 children and their supervisors.
Groups staying later than 11am will be charged an additional $30/hr or part thereof. Those wishing to visit the Zoo on their own after the overnight experience must pay self-guided admission fees.
Available:
Friday and Saturday evenings in September–June
Note: During May and June, there may be full facility rentals at the Zoo in the evening. Your group will still be able to do all of the activities, but you will not be the only group in the Zoo for part of the evening.
This exciting overnight stay at the Zoo will provide your group with an immersive learning experience tailored to meet your classroom learning needs. Check out the animals that are just waking up as an interpreter guides you around the Zoo after hours. The sleepover program includes two 1.5 hour programs of your choice, time for supper and breakfast*, and free time for a movie or games. Program can also include an evening campfire (depending on weather conditions.)
At time of booking, please indicate which programs you would like included with your sleepover, and if you would like a campfire.
* No meals are provided.
You plan and supply your supper and breakfast. Adult supervisors will be responsible for preparing meals, with some staff guidance, and for clean up. Please note that cooking facilities are limited.
Students will sleep in our classrooms in the EdVenture Lodge at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Groups can be separated into two separate rooms if requested during the booking process. Participants must supply their own sleeping bags, ground mat, cutlery, mess kits and personal items. Lights-out will be at or before 11pm, depending on grade of students and teacher preferences.
A minimum of four adult supervisors are required to stay overnight. You can choose to bring your own adult volunteer supervisors or pay an additional charge of $125/staff member to meet the required number of supervisors.
(2022/23 School Year)
Please be prepared with the following information to make your booking:
The amount owing is shown on your program confirmation. Payment is required prior to the program. Invoices are sent out on the first of each month. You will receive your invoice in the same month as your program runs. For example: for a May booking, you will be issued your invoice on May 1. Payment can be made by cheque, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Please make cheques payable to The City of Edmonton and write your booking confirmation numbers on your cheques.
Credit card payment can be made over the phone by calling 311 (outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311).
Mail cheques to:
Citizen Services Payment Processing
PO Box 2359
19th Floor, Edmonton Tower
Edmonton AB, T5J 2R7
The maximum number of children permitted in a program is 30. Groups exceeding 30 children must book an additional program. The maximum number of adult participants is 10. Groups exceeding 40 participants, including both children and adults, must book an additional program.
Adults are required to remain with their group and supervise participating students at all times during the program. Adult supervisors are admitted free of charge with the program in the following ratios:
Additional parents and children/siblings exceeding these ratios will be asked to pay facility admission fees and tour the facility on their own. Additional participants can rejoin their group after the registered program ends. To ensure a high quality program, we recommend that all children participating are within the age range advertised for the program.
You are required to submit written notice of cancellation of program(s) via email to artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca.
Programs cancelled with 30 days notice or more will not be charged the program fee or a cancellation fee. Programs cancelled with 8-29 days notice are subject to be charged 50% of the program fee. For programs cancelled with 7 days notice or less, the full program fee will be charged.
Programs run rain or shine. In the event of poor weather, you must email artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca or call 780-718-2695 if you are not coming.
Programs cancelled due to severe weather conditions will not be charged a cancellation fee as long as they are rescheduled within the current or upcoming school year fall term (September - November).
Do you have questions about our school and group programs? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive. If the answer to your question isn’t listed here, please refer to the teacher information packages for additional information.
Additionally, you can contact the school and group bookings office by emailing artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca, and we will be happy to answer your questions!
It is your responsibility to screen every single participant in your program(s) prior to their arrival on site for COVID-19 symptoms.
For the safety of our staff, visitors and animals, masks are strongly recommended during animal encounters in order to get closer to the animal, regardless of vaccination status. If the majority of group participants are unable or unwilling to wear a mask during the animal encounter, staff will instead distance themselves approximately 2 metres from the group when with the animal. Animal encounters will be no-touch encounters in order to prioritize the health and safety of the animals.
Social distancing is still encouraged during the program when possible.
Hand sanitizer is used frequently throughout the program, including before and after touching artifacts or other shared equipment.
Please let your interpreter know prior to or at the start of the program or at the time of booking when you need to be on the bus, so that they will leave enough time to walk the children back to the front gate.
Your program will start when you arrive at the Zoo, and will end at the scheduled end time indicated on your booking confirmation sheet.
No, they do not. If you would like to ensure that your group has enough time for a break mid-program, you can include this information at the time of booking. When you are contacted by your interpreter prior to your program to confirm program details, you can discuss the inclusion of a break time with them. Schools and groups are responsible for providing their own food and beverages for snack time.
Our programs run rain or shine. We do not automatically cancel any of our on-site programs due to weather. If you want to cancel and/or reschedule your program, please refer to the Program Cancellation policy section. You are required to submit written notice of cancellation of program(s) via email to artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca to officially cancel and/or reschedule your program. Cancellation fees may apply. Even if you have already talked to your interpreter prior to the program and have expressed interest in cancelling/rescheduling, you need to formally request a change to your program booking through the bookings office.
The default meeting location for all programs is at the front gate of the Zoo. If you would like to arrange an alternate meeting location within the Zoo (for example, at the Saito Centre or in front of the Administration Building), please mention this at the time of booking or discuss this with your interpreter when they call to confirm your program.
There are beverage and snack vending machines, a change machine, and an ATM year-round in the Saito Centre. You can also visit Prairie Catering in the front entry plaza year-round. We recommend that groups bring their own food to the Zoo to avoid line-ups at the concession and vending machines.
Please call 311 (outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311) or visit our website for hours of operation, winter/summer season dates, and for other questions about on-site services at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
Please Note: There is limited space at the Zoo for lunch. Our program spaces are needed for scheduled programs morning and afternoon. Other spaces (indoor and outdoor) are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You are welcome to have your students bring their lunches and eat in any of the public spaces, but please help to keep our facility clean by tidying up after your group and ensuring all garbage and recycling is placed into the appropriate containers on-site.
We recommend that all participants bring their own backpacks or totes and keep these with them at all times. Our program spaces are needed for programs morning and afternoon, and do not have lockable storage areas. The Edmonton Valley Zoo is not responsible for any lost or stolen items left in any area that is accessible to the public.
Propane BBQ units are not permitted on-site, but you can rent one of the program tents for lunch. To reserve a sheltered site for lunch, please call 780-496-2601 or email specialmoments@edmonton.ca.
As much as possible, we will do our best to accommodate your class' needs. Please mention any special needs or allergies to a booking agent over the phone, by email, or through the online request form when you are booking your program, so that your interpreter is prepared for your class. If you have any questions about needs specific to your group, our booking agents would be happy to answer your questions.
Please Note: The Edmonton Valley Zoo is not a nut-free or allergen-free facility. Our collection includes many fur-bearing animals. Common allergens at the Zoo include fur, feathers, straw, hay, dust and pollen. Many animals receive nuts and/or seeds as part of their diets. Members of the public may also bring in their own food or items that contain allergens. If you have any specific concerns regarding your upcoming program, please discuss these with one of our booking agents.
At the time of booking, please include these requests as part of your booking information. Your interpreter will do their best to accommodate your requests during your program. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee any visits or encounters with specific animals, due to animal health and availability. Zookeeping program-related activities are dependent on animal health, time of day, and zookeeper availability. Additionally, some animals may not be on public display at certain times of the year. Location(s) of the animal(s) of interest to your group may depend on the season and the current construction projects taking place at the Zoo.
We do not have language interpretation services or translators at the Zoo, but you are welcome to bring your own if your class or group requires one. All of our programs are offered in English. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide programs in other languages. Availability of our programs in other languages is dependent upon whether a bilingual interpreter is available at the time of your program.
We value customer comments and feedback!
Looking for more program options? See the complete list of school and group programs at attractions and recreation centres.
13315 Buena Vista Road (87 Avenue)
PO Box 2359
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2R7
| artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca |
