Nocturnal Adventures
NOCTURNAL ADVENTURES for school groups
Designed specifically for youth ages 6 and up, each night includes special Zoo tours, meeting some of the Zoo’s Animal Ambassadors plus fun hands-on activities and games before settling down for slumber. In the morning, you will be served breakfast, have a private animal encounter as a group, and still have the whole day to explore the Zoo on your own—this time in the daylight. Have fun together as a class and learn about animal adaptations, habitats, conservation and much more!
Cost: $70 per person (includes all evening activities, evening snack, breakfast, private animal encounter and admission to the Zoo the following day).
Payment: A $100 deposit is due at time of reservation, and full payment is due 30 days prior to the program.
Spring 2025 Dates:
April 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24
May 1, 7, 8, 14, 15
Program Details
Each program includes all evening activities, evening snack, indoor sleeping accommodations, breakfast buffet, parking and admission to the Zoo for the day following your overnight.
- Parking: Vehicles may unload luggage at the admission entrance of the Zoo. Vehicles staying overnight should park in the main Zoo lot.
- Check-in begins at 6:30pm: Zoo staff will meet overnight groups at the admission entrance to the Zoo. Participants should have all their overnight luggage with them. Zoo staff will direct groups where to put luggage. Luggage will not be taken to the evening activities, so be sure to keep anything you will need before bedtime with you. Each participant is responsible for getting their own luggage to the sleeping area.
- Evening activities: All program activities begin around 7:15pm.
- Sleeping arrangements: Your group will sleep in one of the designated sleeping areas, such as the Dolphin Gallery or the Hix Institute. The Zoo reserves the right to move your group’s sleeping area. At the end of the night’s activities, Zoo staff will review sleeping arrangements and safety procedures and answer any questions. Education staff will stay overnight. Zoo Security staff are on site 24 hours a day. Lights out is around 10:15 pm.
- Morning: A wake-up call is issued at 7am. Groups will pack up before breakfast. A breakfast buffet will be served starting at 7:30am. Following breakfast, luggage should be stored in vehicles until the end of the visit.
- Animal encounter: Zoo staff will guide groups to a private animal encounter area. Afterward, program participants are free to explore the Zoo on their own.
- Additional meals: Lunch or dinner can be provided for your group through the Zoo’s catering partner. Please call Sodexo Live! at (317) 275-5606 for more information.
Program Requirements
- Participants must be at least 6 years old.
- All participants must have a signed waiver of liability before beginning the program. Participants under the age of 18 must have their waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.
- All school and scout groups must provide a certificate of liability insurance.
- School groups must be registered by a staff member or administrator for the school.
- Every attempt will be made to accommodate groups of all sizes, but minimum and maximum attendance levels are necessary to guarantee the quality of our programs.
- Each session has a minimum attendance of 35 individuals (adults and youth) and a maximum of 100.
- If you have a smaller group, you may sign up for a date to combine with another group.
- If a date has not reached its minimum 30 days prior to the date of the event, the overnight may be cancelled. We will contact you to assist you with a refund or moving your group to an available date.
- A deposit of $100 is due at time of registration with the remaining balance due 30 days prior to your program. A $25.00 processing fee is charged to change a reservation.
- Refunds/cancellations: A 14-day cancellation notification is required to issue a full refund, minus the $100 deposit. We offer no refunds—partial or full—if your group cancels less than 14 days before the overnight date.