Public Giraffe Feed Pricing

Arizona Docent

Arizona Docent

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Public giraffe feeding has taken the zoo world by storm (at least here in the USA). How much does it cost visitors to feed the giraffes? Here is a preliminary list I came up with through a Google search.

The majority fall into one of three categories - $2 or $3 or $5. But then there are Roger Williams and Hogle that seem to be living on another planet by the fee they charge. I did not see anything on their websites that indicate there are extras included, but I sure hope you get some kind of special tour for that price. The Toledo Zoo at $15 does include a behind the scenes tour of the Africa area. Zoo Miami, which is in line with many other big city zoos at $5, also includes a souvenir photo of you feeding the giraffe.

I found a few zoos that mention it on their website but do not list the price (very frustrating if you ask me - in the age of the internet, visitors should be able to find out everything they need online).

If you know the price of a zoo in the USA not on this list, please reply with the name and price. If ZooChatters from other countries want to list theirs, please list the price in your local currency and then the price in US Dollars (using an online currency converter). The purpose of this is so we can do direct comparisons.
 
Here is what I came up with:

Out Of Africa $0 (aka free)

Wildlife World Zoo $0.50

Topeka Zoo $1

Brevard Zoo $2
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo $2
Dickerson Park Zoo $2
Fresno Chaffee Zoo $2
Maryland Zoo $2
Mesker Park Zoo $2
North Carolina Zoo $2
Reid Park Zoo $2
Rio Grande Zoo $2
Riverbanks Zoo $2

Indianapolis Zoo $2.50

Birmingham Zoo $3
Oklahoma City Zoo $3
Sacramento Zoo $3
Zoo Atlanta $3
Zoo Boise $3

Dallas Zoo $5
Detroit Zoo $5
Houston Zoo $5
Memphis Zoo $5
Naples Zoo $5
Phoenix Zoo $5
San Diego Zoo $5
Woodland Park Zoo $5
Zoo Miami $5

Santa Barbara Zoo $6

Milwaukee County Zoo $10
Southwick's Zoo $10

Toledo Zoo $15

Roger Williams Park Zoo $20

Utah's Hogle Zoo $49
 
This shall be an interesting list, as I've noticed quite a range of prices reading through many of snowleopard's and other members' reviews. That said, the Cincinnati Zoo charges $1 for a giraffe feeding.
 
Thanks for that. Cincinnati is one of the evil websites that lists the activity without showing the price.
 
Binder Park is $1 for one piece or 3 for $2. Instead of selling crackers though they do leafs of romaine lettuce.
 
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has a giraffe feeding for about $29.99 per person, however, the giraffe feeding is really just a part of a much larger behind-the scenes tour of of their African exhibit.
I believe Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo charges $5 for feedings.
 
Franklin Park Zoo $5

There are 3 sessions for a maximum of 15 people a day for a feeding session. Animals may or may not eat, there are no refunds if animal does not choose to eat your feed. If inclement weather, no refunds. It is seasonal.
 
Birmingham's new setup on the giraffe encounter doesn't make any sense. The old giraffe feeding station you could get close to them, touch them, and feed them branches. Now you have to stand behind a line feed them one pellet at arms reach and you can't touch them. They talk to you like you are a little kid now. I mean Birmingham lets you touch the Rhino and they make you use hand sanitizer.
 
Sedgwick County Zoo offers a handfull of leafy browse (approx. 5 small branches or so) for $1.
 
Drew said:
Sedgwick County Zoo offers a handfull of leafy browse (approx. 5 small branches or so) for $1.
Click to expand...

Considering the labor in collecting the browse and storing it, delivering it, etc. that sounds cheap!
Especially compared to a $5 lettuce leaf :D
 
Not sure what it is now, but Buffalo Zoo's used to be $5. I believe the Maryland Zoo is eith $2 or $3, depending if the one giraffe is willing to cooperate.
 
Fort Wayne charged $1. There may be a change when we open again in April, although I have not heard what is coming.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Another ZooChatter sent me this link (via PM) to a marketing firm study on zoo revenue options. If you scroll down to page 19 of the report, it is about giraffe feeding. (Not sure why that ZooChatter did not just post this link on the thread themselves, but I am happy to do it and appreciative of the tip).

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1110808931264-4/MFA_2011zoo_summary_web+(4).pdf
Click to expand...

Racine Zoological Gardens started charging $3 this past summer. (On that link it has their old price of $5)

Also, in response to the poster who complained about not being able to touch the giraffes anymore it is quite possible that the giraffes (or a specific giraffe) wasn't fond of people touching him/her. It happens.
 
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