Member Night – Community

Conservation of the world’s wildlife and wild places is impossible without collaboration, and who better to collaborate with than your own community! 💚 That’s why we’re wrapping up this year’s Member Night Series with a focus on our third C of conservation – community! Click here to learn more about the 3 C’s of Conservation.

At this event, you’ll get the chance to learn about the Zoo’s conservation projects on grounds 🐛, the community of conservation partners we support worldwide 🐸 🐆🐢, how to engage in conservation in your own backyard 🌻, and how YOU can become a wildlife protector 🦸, too!

No advanced reservations are required, but attendees must show their Member ID upon arrival. Gates will open at 5pm and the event ends at 8pm. The event will take place rain or shine.

BONUS! Member children (ages 2-17) who attend ALL 3 Member Nights will receive a FREE wristband for bounce houses at ZooBoo.

Event Map

Activities

• 5:00 – 5:30pm: Animal Ambassador Greeters in the Fountain Plaza
• 5:00 – 7:30pm: Full Zoo access and Goat Yard open
• 5:00 – 7:45pm: FREE Virginia Zoo Express train rides (weather permitting)
• 5:00 – 8:00pm: Gift Shop open ($)
  • Remember: Members get 10% off all purchases!
• 5:30 – 6:00pm: Animal Ambassador Show in World of Reptiles Classroom
• 6:00 – 8:00pm: Meet Guest Conservation Organizations in the World of Reptiles
• Activity Tables throughout World of Reptiles:
  • Rhino Protection & Conservation
  • Spot it Like a Cheetah
  • Reptile Biofacts
  • Built for Shell-ter
  • Local Otter Spotter
• Conservation Organizations:
  • Action for Cheetahs
  • Virginia Herpetological Society
  • Elizabeth River Project
  • International Rhino Foundation
  • Turtle Survival Alliance
• Partner Organizations:
  • Nauticus
  • Norfolk Botanical Gardens
  • Hermitage Museum and Gardens

ECO-CELL Donation Drive

• Bring in your worn-out, unwanted electronics to Member Night for the chance to win an extra 2 FREE months added to your Membership or a Behind-the-Scenes Tour with our Eastern mountain bongo, Charlie! Donations will be collected at the front of the Zoo by our ZooCrew volunteers. 
• There will be an ECO-CELL raffle drawing at the end of each Member Night to choose a winner for the extra 2 free months of Membership. Donations brought to the June Member Night count towards the June raffle, while donations brought to the July or August Member Nights will count towards those raffles respectively. After all three Member Nights, everyone that brought in donations to any of the three Member Nights will be entered to win the Behind-the-Scenes Bongo Tour!
• Each electronic item donated counts as one entry. Each Membership can earn up to 5 entries, but feel free to bring in additional donations!
• Acceptable donations include:
  • Cell phones,
  • iPads/tablets,
  • Smartwatches,
  • Handheld GPS,
  • iPods/MP3 players,
  • Personal digital assistants (PDAs or handheld PCs),
  • Handheld gaming systems,
  • VR headsets,
  • Digital handheld scanners, and
  • Walkie-talkies.
• Your ECO-CELL donation will be recycled, reducing mining for rare minerals and metals that are essential in producing electronics. By reducing mining, you are protecting many endangered species’ habitats, including the critically endangered Eastern mountain bongo’s home range. Click here to learn more about this initiative.

Food & Drinks (extra cost)

• Food Trucks in Fountain Plaza
  • Lobstah King’s ($)
  • Locoto’s ($)
• Beastro will be open serving a limited menu from 5:00-7:45pm.
  • Remember: Members get 10% off (not including alcohol)!

Gates will open at 5 PM. Event ends at 8 PM. As an outdoor venue, events are rain or shine unless otherwise indicated. If any changes are made, an announcement via an email to our members and/or ticket holders and on the Virginia Zoo social media channels will be issued prior the event.

The Zoo is a smoke-free facility; no smoking is allowed inside the Zoo. This also includes e-cigarettes and vaping.