Which zoo memberships do you have?

KevinB

KevinB

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Perhaps this discussion has been on here before, and if so I apologize, but I would like to ask the members of ZooChat this question: for which zoos do you hold a membership?

Personally I have a membership to the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, which includes Zoo Antwerpen and Zoo Planckendael as well as the tiny reptile zoo "Serpentarium" in Blankenberge (town on the Belgian coast).

I also have a membership to GaiaZoo in Kerkrade, Limburg, the Netherlands.
 
I have been a member of Chester Zoo for the past few years as a gift from a family member, but this year decided to ring the changes and, for just a little more, am a member of Twycross (as it is closer than Chester) and Hamerton (which is my favourite zoo). And the Twycross membership gives me one free entry to Chester as well, which I plan to take advantage of at some point as I can't imagine not visiting there once this year.
 
Zoo and Aquarium Membership Cards

I mostly stick with Philadelphia. I did the nearby Elmwood Park last year, to support a smaller zoo, but their membership costs the same with the entry price being half that of Philly and the parking being free.
 
I have membership at Barnham Zoo, Linton Zoo, Colchester Zoo, and have just bought membership to Hamerton Zoo.
 
I have membership of ZSL, and have done for about 5 years. It's my closest zoo and also my favorite, so I don't mind the cost, even though where I live currently I can't get to Whipsnade by public transport (just means I have to visit London more often to make up!)
 
Just Detroit. Those of you in Europe and elsewhere, does your membership at one zoo give you privileges elsewhere? My Detroit Zoo membership gets me in half-price at most other American zoos...not Brookfield or the Bronx, unfortunately.
 
Alex Bensky said:
Just Detroit. Those of you in Europe and elsewhere, does your membership at one zoo give you privileges elsewhere? My Detroit Zoo membership gets me in half-price at most other American zoos...not Brookfield or the Bronx, unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I believe that most zoo memberships in Europe do offer priviliges at other zoos, in the form of discounts on the entry price or even a free entry once or twice. The ones that I have come with some discounts and a few free entries.
 
I have three (one of which has two facilities), all at a level that allows me to take one guest each visit.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
Reid Park Zoo
San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park
 
Alex Bensky said:
Just Detroit. Those of you in Europe and elsewhere, does your membership at one zoo give you privileges elsewhere? My Detroit Zoo membership gets me in half-price at most other American zoos...not Brookfield or the Bronx, unfortunately.
Click to expand...

It depends on the zoo. The ZSL membership gets you into both ZSL zoos (London and Whipsnade) free, but no other zoos. Colchester Zoo membership has free entry (either once, or unlimited) to a large number of other zoos in the UK and one on the continent (Rotterdam if I remember correctly).
 
Alex Bensky said:
My Detroit Zoo membership gets me in half-price at most other American zoos...not Brookfield or the Bronx, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
I was going to express surprise at "most other American zoos" but I checked out the membership reciprocal list and it really is extraordinary. There is either 100% or 50% off admission price in 154 zoos and aquariums in the USA, three in Canada, one in Mexico, and (somewhat surprisingly) the SEA Aquarium in Singapore. This isn't specific to the Detroit Zoo membership of course, but is the same for memberships of all zoos and aquariums on the list.
https://www.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/reciprocitychart.pdf
 
I have memberships at Chester and Whitley Wildlife Trust (Living Coasts, Newquay & Paignton). It's hard to keep track of all the benefits because they do change, but I get one free visit per year to Bristol (for Chester membership), two to Twycross (one for each) and I can't remember all the others, plus magazines (not worth much), access to talks at Chester and small discounts in the shops and restaurants.
 
I personally have a membership at the Shedd Aquarium, but I also share a membership at the National Zoo with my parents (that way I'm able to use it whenever I visit DC). Been considering getting a Brookfield membership off and on for a while but before this year I never really had incentive to, I used to have reciprocity there as a museum employee but I'm not currently working at one.
 
ZSL like Crowthorne and also Beauval, even though I live so far away I visit sooooo often because I love it.
 
My family currently one has one: to the Oakland Zoo. But in recent years we've also have had memberships to Sacramento Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (technically an amusement park but it has a large animal collection)
 
Chlidonias said:
I was going to express surprise at "most other American zoos" but I checked out the membership reciprocal list and it really is extraordinary. There is either 100% or 50% off admission price in 154 zoos and aquariums in the USA, three in Canada, one in Mexico, and (somewhat surprisingly) the SEA Aquarium in Singapore. This isn't specific to the Detroit Zoo membership of course, but is the same for memberships of all zoos and aquariums on the list.
https://www.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/reciprocitychart.pdf
Click to expand...

It's really, really handy if you're going on a tour of multiple US zoos. The way the discounts work is you can only get the 100% off admission at the participating zoos if you have a membership with one of those zoos. If not, just 50% like everywhere else. Still a great deal, though, especially if you can get a membership at a zoo that has a $30 or less membership price! Unfortunately, the San Diegos, WCS, and most aquariums don't participate.

I currently have an AZA reciprocity membership. In the past I have also had a WCS membership (didn't renew it this year because it's gotten way too expensive, the benefits have drastically decreased, and I now live further away from NYC and have less access to the city as I did before) and a Chester membership (for the free admission to other UK zoos).

~Thylo
 
With my couple of trips last year, even though some were to places that aren't part of reciprocity (DWA and other aquariums), I still made up the $85 cost of my membership just by going to other places. Some zoos - possibly depending on who is working - will even apply the membership discount to others with you.
 
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