Zoos and Wildlife Centers

Looking for something fun to do during these last few weeks of summer vacation? Why not visit the San Francisco Zoo, especially since all children ages4–14 are admitted free during the month of August?

This offer is good from August 1–31, 2010, all children must be accompanied by a paying adult, and each paying adult can bring up to four children into the zoo for free (so you can take a whole carload of kids if you want).

The San Francisco Zoo is honoring and celebrating its zookeepers during the National Zookeeper Week from July 19-25. During this week, visitors will have the chance to meet the zookeepers in person, during special meet-and-greets at various exhibit locations throughout the zoo. Keepers will be on hand to answer questions and tell their favorite stories about the animals they care for each and every day.

The zoo is encouraging visitors to show their appreciation by bringing in a hand-made or purchased thank you card that will be placed on a giant display board at the zoo’s front entrance. A discount will be given to individuals who present a card (one per person) – $2 off adult admission and $1 off child admission. The zoo hours are 10 am–5 pm.The San Francisco Zoo is located at 1 Zoo Road in San Francisco. For more info, go to www.sfzoo.org.

Big Bunny's Spring Fling starts today, March 31 through April 4 from 11 am-3 pm at the San Francisco Zoo. Bring the family to celebrate all things that hop, skip, jump, and eat carrots! There will be live entertainment, bunnies to see and photos with a costumed bunny, games and arts and crafts. All activities are free with paid Zoo admission. Also, the Zoo will offer one free child's admission with one paid adult for kids ages 4 to 14 who bring along their favorite plush bunny.

Schedule:

• 10 am Zoo opens
• 10:30 am Puppet Art Theater Co.
• 11 am ARC presentation
• 12 pm Francie Dillon
• 1 pm Puppet Art Theater Co.
• 2 pm ARC presentation
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San Francisco's Aquarium of the Bay offers free admission this week for Marin County residents, from Monday, January 25 through Thursday, January 28, 2010. Aquarium of the Bay is providing free admission in celebration of its recent transition into a nonprofit nature center. As the only aquarium dedicated to showcasing the diverse aquatic life of the San Francisco Bay and its watershed, Marin County residents are encouraged to come out and meet their underwater neighbors.

To get free admission to the Aquarium of the Bay, Marin County residents must present one proof of residency: a valid driver's license or ID card with Marin County address, utility bill, or a bank statement that includes your Marin County home address, along with photo ID.

Happy Zoo Year! January is a great month to visit the San Francisco Zoo, especially since you can take advantage of free admission for kids for the entire month! As part of its New Year's celebration, the zoo offers one free admission with one paid adult's admission for children ages 4–14 who color and bring in a penguin coloring sheet (downloadable from the zoo's website), or a hand-colored image of their favorite zoo animal.

All children must be accompanied by a paying adult, one coloring sheet must be presented per child, and this deal cannot be combined with any other offer.

The San Francisco Zoo is located at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway in San Francisco. Winter hours are 10 am to 4 pm (last admission at 3:30 pm). Regular admission prices are $15 adults, $12 seniors 65+, and $9 children 4–14; children 3 and under are free. For more information, visit www.sfzoo.org or call (415) 753-7080.

Looking for something for the kids to do over the upcoming winter break? Check out some of the great day camps here in Marin!

• For young nature fans, Wildcare in San Rafael offers camps for kids from kindergarten through second grade. Their first session, Nature Detectives, runs from December 21–23 and is for children in kindergarten and first grade. Campers will have fun with animal tracks, fur, feathers, and more, and will search for clues and investigate the evidence that wildlife leaves behind.
  
  Wildcare's session two, Winter Wonderland, is for students in first and second grade. Get up close and personal with our animal friends, and learn how they survive the winter.
  
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Like many long-time Bay Area residents, I've always considered the San Francisco Zoo to be "The Zoo". For some reason, going to the Oakland Zoo in the East Bay city's Knowland Park never really crossed my mind. Recently, we'd heard some great things about the Oakland Zoo, so we decided to make the trip across the Richmond Bridge and check it out.

Located off Interstate 580 in the southeast part of Oakland, the Oakland Zoo is fairly small and compact, and easy for a family with small children to take in. It's pleasantly designed, too with an overall African theme to it. Many of the buildings have an African style to them and bear Swahili names. There's even an African village area with a replica of a tribal women's house.