AZA reciprocal memberships and discounts

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JVM

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Is there a comprehensive list of AZA zoos with reciprocal membership with each other? I'm hoping to increase my facility visits in the next few years. It doesn't seem like any of the Chicago ones are reciprocal but I'm only a Brookfield member currently.
 
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JVM said:
Thank you so much. This is extremely helpful! It adds a ton of value for me to any of the potential memberships listed.
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It varies as to how the zoo and the zoo ticket staff know how to process your discount.

I have had everything from just taking my word for it (North Carolina Zoo), asking to see the membership from my home zoo (Central Florida and Phoenix), to being taken into the Administration building and personally walked into the zoo by Admin (ABQ Biopark Zoo). It is kind of amusing to see how each zoo handles it.
 
SwampDonkey said:
It varies as to how the zoo and the zoo ticket staff know how to process your discount.

I have had everything from just taking my word for it (North Carolina Zoo), asking to see the membership from my home zoo (Central Florida and Phoenix), to being taken into the Administration building and personally walked into the zoo by Admin (ABQ Biopark Zoo). It is kind of amusing to see how each zoo handles it.
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I usually get asked for my card, which unfortunately is now a digital thing. Some tell me not to bother when I say it's on my phone, some will vigorously check. If someone is with me, it's about 50/50 on whether they'll notice my membership is "individual" and not let the other person use the discount as well. I've been sent to another window but nothing like an escort, wow!
 
JVM said:
Thank you so much. This is extremely helpful! It adds a ton of value for me to any of the potential memberships listed.
Click to expand...
Take note of the red and blue 100% / 50% after the zoos if you want to get the most benefit from where you buy the original membership. In Illinois somewhere like Peoria with its 100% would perhaps be your best option to buy a membership.
 
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I just want to note for any people considering getting a reciprocal membership to choose carefully. Many zoos can offer you the same benefits for cheaper prices. Also consider that many zoos refuse memberships from other zoos nearby, so it may be to your advantage to get membership with a zoo that is not close to the ones you plan to visit regularly.
 
birdsandbats said:
I just want to note for any people considering getting a reciprocal membership to choose carefully. Many zoos can offer you the same benefits for cheaper prices. Also consider that many zoos refuse memberships from other zoos nearby, so it may be to your advantage to get membership with a zoo that is not close to the ones you plan to visit regularly.
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A zoo that is part of the reciprocity has no grounds to reject the membership of another zoo, much less because it's nearby. If they are in the program, it applies to all of the others in the program. If anything, I've had people surprised that I was from further away/not from the next closest zoo.
 
TinoPup said:
A zoo that is part of the reciprocity has no grounds to reject the membership of another zoo, much less because it's nearby. If they are in the program, it applies to all of the others in the program. If anything, I've had people surprised that I was from further away/not from the next closest zoo.
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Milwaukee, NEW, and Racine will routinely refuse to allow the benefits of the other's membership. You haven't encountered other zoos doing this?
 
birdsandbats said:
Milwaukee, NEW, and Racine will routinely refuse to allow the benefits of the other's membership. You haven't encountered other zoos doing this?
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Not @TinoPup, but the only time I ever had an issue with a zoo not recognizing reciprocity from my Philadelphia Zoo membership was Naples Zoo, and it was because they just left the program (I still received a $2 discount).
If these zoos are still part of the AZA reciprocal program, I would think they legally need to honor what's written, although maybe each zoo/state is different. Obviously, if you only have a non-AZA zoo membership then its a different story.
 
birdsandbats said:
Milwaukee, NEW, and Racine will routinely refuse to allow the benefits of the other's membership. You haven't encountered other zoos doing this?
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I have never had this issue! I've had both Philadelphia and Elmwood Park memberships and both accept the other, and they're ~15 miles apart. ZooAmerica takes both, Lehigh Valley does, Maryland, etc.

Just looked at the list and found this on the bottom of the page:
"In addition, participating institutions located in close geographic proximity to each other are not required to offer free or discounted admission to each other’s members in order to participate in AZA’s Reciprocal Admissions Program; for instance—Milwaukee County Zoo does not reciprocate with Henry Vilas Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, NEW Zoo & Adventure Park or Racine Zoo."

Maybe they're the only ones that do this? Seems like it goes against the entire idea of reciprocity, imo.
 
TinoPup said:
I have never had this issue! I've had both Philadelphia and Elmwood Park memberships and both accept the other, and they're ~15 miles apart. ZooAmerica takes both, Lehigh Valley does, Maryland, etc.

Just looked at the list and found this on the bottom of the page:
"In addition, participating institutions located in close geographic proximity to each other are not required to offer free or discounted admission to each other’s members in order to participate in AZA’s Reciprocal Admissions Program; for instance—Milwaukee County Zoo does not reciprocate with Henry Vilas Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, NEW Zoo & Adventure Park or Racine Zoo."

Maybe they're the only ones that do this? Seems like it goes against the entire idea of reciprocity, imo.
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The last couple of times I've visited Racine, I've actually been told they don't accept any reciprocity membership whatsoever - although it appears if you are a Racine member you can still get benefits at other zoos.
 
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TinoPup said:
I have never had this issue! I've had both Philadelphia and Elmwood Park memberships and both accept the other, and they're ~15 miles apart. ZooAmerica takes both, Lehigh Valley does, Maryland, etc.

Just looked at the list and found this on the bottom of the page:
"In addition, participating institutions located in close geographic proximity to each other are not required to offer free or discounted admission to each other’s members in order to participate in AZA’s Reciprocal Admissions Program; for instance—Milwaukee County Zoo does not reciprocate with Henry Vilas Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, NEW Zoo & Adventure Park or Racine Zoo."

Maybe they're the only ones that do this? Seems like it goes against the entire idea of reciprocity, imo.
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Akron Zoo takes Cleveland Metroparks Zoo memberships and I believe vice versa... I've always been a Cleveland member (never Akron) and have never had a problem at Akron.
 
The reciprocal admissions page also says that zoos can choose whether or not to honor the agreement "due to COVID-19 restrictions". I know at least one zoo I've visited since the pandemic began was not honoring them for that reason, despite being on the reciprocity list.
 
birdsandbats said:
The last couple of times I've visited Racine, I've actually been told they don't accept any reciprocity membership whatsoever - although it appears if you are a Racine member you can still get benefits at other zoos.
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That's messed up and you should consider reporting it to AZA.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
The reciprocal admissions page also says that zoos can choose whether or not to honor the agreement "due to COVID-19 restrictions". I know at least one zoo I've visited since the pandemic began was not honoring them for that reason, despite being on the reciprocity list.
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I didn't use mine at all in 2020 or 2021 because of how much money places were losing. My main reason for using it this year has been most of the new england area zoos are still doing advanced ticket only, but will let you buy at the gate if you're using reciprocity, since they can't do that discount online. With my health, I much prefer buying the ticket once I'm there! I haven't had anywhere tell me they weren't taking it. I checked ahead of time for each place. A couple had confused people at the ticket booths since they're told advanced tickets only, but once I showed them the correspondence, they were fine.
 
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TinoPup said:
I usually get asked for my card, which unfortunately is now a digital thing. Some tell me not to bother when I say it's on my phone, some will vigorously check. If someone is with me, it's about 50/50 on whether they'll notice my membership is "individual" and not let the other person use the discount as well. I've been sent to another window but nothing like an escort, wow!
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Well, I have the family membership for our zoo since it is for my wife and son as well, so no issues there. However, interestingly no one really looks close when I show them the digital membership as it is actually a picture of my wife (but it does say "family" in small letters). You can get a physical membership card, but you have to wait in a line and I have never bothered since they started with the digital cards.

ABQ was interesting in that regard, I think they kind of just didn't know what to do and thought that would be the quickest way to handle it, which it was.
 
TinoPup said:
I have never had this issue! I've had both Philadelphia and Elmwood Park memberships and both accept the other, and they're ~15 miles apart. ZooAmerica takes both, Lehigh Valley does, Maryland, etc.

Just looked at the list and found this on the bottom of the page:
"In addition, participating institutions located in close geographic proximity to each other are not required to offer free or discounted admission to each other’s members in order to participate in AZA’s Reciprocal Admissions Program; for instance—Milwaukee County Zoo does not reciprocate with Henry Vilas Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, NEW Zoo & Adventure Park or Racine Zoo."

Maybe they're the only ones that do this? Seems like it goes against the entire idea of reciprocity, imo.
Click to expand...
Roger Williams Park Zoo and Capron Park Zoo won't accept each other's memberships also. The idea behind it is that with the zoo's half an hour away, it'd be easy for people to buy a membership at one of the zoos and then frequent the other. The point of the reciprocity program is more based upon vacations, longer trips, etc, not zoos that are half an hour away. Furthermore, this is also affected by the large difference in prices between these institutions. Capron's membership does work with the Boston institutions, and I know one person who bought a Capron membership with no plans to use it at Capron, but because it was a cheaper way to visit the Boston Museum of Science. Capron membership was actually cheaper (or close to it) than a one-day ticket to the museum! These kinds of abuses to the system, which like it or not do happen, is why facilities close to each other may not want to accept the other's memberships.
 
It is pretty common for reciprocal programs for museums and botanical gardens restrict or deny visits from a certain distance from your "home" facility, usually 25-50 miles. The AZA actually spells it out pretty clearly on the website:


Geographic Restrictions May Apply
The zoos and aquariums on the 2022 Reciprocal Admissions List that are located in close geographic proximity to each other are not required to offer free or discounted admission to each other's members, although they may offer an alternative discount. "Close geographic proximity" is determined by each institution.

Should you have any questions about an institution's participation due to geographic proximity, please contact the zoo or aquarium directly.
 
It is a benefit, so I am not sure that even Racine is in violation. While considering the entirety of North America as "Close geographic proximity" would be a stretch, I don't think they are actually "required" to accept anyone else's membership. But it certainly violates the sprit of the plan, I mean, how many tourists from out of state with a AZA membership are actually trying to get it?

The AZA ends the reciprocity statements with:
"AZA cannot mediate reciprocity disputes between participating zoos and aquariums."
 
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