Rescue, rehabilitate and care for animals; create exceptional personalized experiences that connect people with wildlife and each other in fun, immersive ways.
Everyone we touch is motivated to join us in taking action to protect and preserve wildlife.
Voted Tampa’s Best Family Attraction and 11-time winner of TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, ZooTampa offers unforgettable adventures for all ages. Enjoy an amazing, lush tropical setting with naturalistic habitats that provide up-close connections with animals from around the world.
The Zoo originated in the 1930’s as a municipal department with a small number of Florida native species. It grew gradually throughout the next four decades, but struggled to meet the developing professional standards of modern zoos.
In 1982, community leaders created the Lowry Park Zoo Association to take over management of the Zoo for the City of Tampa with the goal of creating a world-class zoo through a public-private partnership. The Association then became the Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, Inc., as it remains today. Working with a national zoo designer, the Society was able to create a modern, 24-acre facility that opened to the public in 1988 and shortly after earned Accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
ZooTampa has now grown to what now encompasses 56 acres of naturalistic animal exhibits in a lush, tropical garden setting. The Zoo offers popular educational programming, fun recreational amenities, up-close animal encounters and engaging seasonal events for which it has won accolades as one of the country’s most family-friendly zoos.
WILDLIFE HABITATS
The Zoo emphasizes endangered, threatened and vulnerable species from climates similar to that of the Tampa Bay region, with park areas devoted to Asia, Africa, Australia and Florida. Our animal habitats balance support for the maximum well-being of the animals with the importance of engaging our guests and inspiring them to protect and preserve wildlife. Random animal encounters, behind-the-scene tours, and other special personalized experiences expand the Zoo’s opportunities to provide unforgettable natural connections.
EDUCATION
ZooTampa at Lowry Park’s Education Department supports the Zoo’s mission with entertaining and educational programming designed to inspire guests with respect and appreciation for the natural world so that they leave the Zoo motivated and empowered to take positive conservation action. Our programs can be formal or informal, on-site or off-site, and tailored by age group and interest. The Zoo’s Florida Environmental Education Center, or “Zoo School,” — a year-round, full-time, licensed childcare center that enrolls children ages one through five — was the first full-time, licensed childcare center operated by a U.S. zoo. Since 1988, ZooTampa has educated more than 1.8 million school-aged children throughout Tampa Bay, increasing awareness about wildlife and the ways in which students can contribute to their preservation.
It takes vision, dedication, and strategic focus to continue to grow ZooTampa. Our leadership team is comprised of business leaders, animal care experts, and educational innovators who are committed to ZooTampa’s mission and vision.
The Zoo cares for more than 1,000 animals and participates in nearly 100 of AZA’s networks for managing endangered and threatened species, winning awards for its animal conservation programs. The State of Florida formally recognized ZooTampa in 2004 as a center for biodiversity and conservation. This is best reflected in our work at the Jacarlene Animal Care Campus which features the Tiedemann-Cotton Animal Care Annex and our Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital, which has earned accreditation with the American Association of Animal Hospitals (AAHA) three times since opening in 2015. ZooTampa has been the only zoo in the country to earn that distinction.
Originating in the 1930’s, ZooTampa has been bringing guests from all over Florida and around the world for almost a century. From humble beginnings as a municipal department with a small number of Florida species to the 56-acres of naturalistic animal habitats today, our story continues to grow and evolve for everyone to enjoy.
We are committed to financial transparency. You can download the following financial documents to learn how your donation dollars are allocated to conserve and protect wildlife at ZooTampa
Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, INC. is a 501(c)(3) Organization; TIN# 59-2328289.
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Open today from:
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Please fill out the form below to sign up for the job fair.
To complete your camp registration, you must:
By clicking the registration button below, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Camp Waiver and Liability Release and Camp Handbook and will print, sign, and return the Camp Waiver and Liability Release to complete my registration.
Trustees of the Lowry Park Zoological Society, Directors of the Lowry Park Zoo Endowment Foundation, and the Employees and Volunteers of ZooTampa understand and appreciate the vital role of philanthropy to accomplish our work. That’s why we subscribe to the Donor Bill of Rights developed by the American Association of Fund Raising Counsel, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, National Society of Fund Raising Executives:
“Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes that they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is committed to protecting your privacy. We value the trust of our donors, volunteers, employees, and other supporters and recognize that maintaining this trust requires us to ensure the confidentiality of personal information that you share with us.
As a non-profit organization, ZooTampa relies on your support, depends on the support of generous contributors, and achieves ambitious fundraising objectives by communicating with and understanding donors. We know that it is essential to protect the privacy of that information. ZooTampa, the Lowry Park Zoological Society, and the Lowry Park Zoo Endowment Foundation will neither sell nor trade a donor’s personal information to any other entity without the written permission of the donor.
Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, INC.: Registration No. CH140
Lowry Park Endowment Foundation, INC.: Registration No. CH20389
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
Phone: (800) 435-7352
FloridaConsumerHelp.com
ZooTampa at Lowry Park offers a variety of delicious food for guests at several restaurants and concession stands throughout, but we understand that guests may need to bring outside food for special dietary needs. Acceptable and prohibited food items are listed below. For the convenience of our guests, there is a picnic area located outside the park near the main parking lot.
For the safety of our animals, guests and employees, the following items are not permitted to be brought into ZooTampa:
The following items are also prohibited to avoid blocking of walkways and/or trip hazards:
Please leave any unnecessary articles secured within your vehicle to expedite your entry into the park.
We reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not observing Zoo Rules.
With a new Pay For A Day, Rest of Year Free ticket – for a limited time – you get unlimited admission through December 31, 2024 including access to our seasonal event series. Some blockout dates apply — see below for details. Not valid with any other discounts.
When does my Pay For A Day ticket expire?
Pay for a Day Get the Rest of the Year Free tickets purchased in October, November, or December of 2023, are valid from the day of purchase until 12/31/2024. Any Pay For a Day Get the Rest of the Year Free tickets purchased prior to October 1, 2023 expire on 12/31/2023.
What are the blockout dates?
11/24/23 – 11/26/23
12/26/23 – 12/31/23
3/9/24 – 3/17/24
11/24/24 – 11/26/24
12/26/24 – 12/31/24
Blockout dates apply to admission before 4:00 PM on the above dates.
Can I purchase a Pay For A Day ticket on a blockout date?
Yes! You can purchase a Pay for a Day, Rest of Year Free ticket for first-time use on a listed blockout date and have full access to the park on that day. Blockout dates apply to repeat visitation.
