Zoo Camp

Spring Camp: Camp starts at 9:00am with drop-off beginning at 8:45am. The camp day ends at 4:00pm

Summer Camp: Camp starts at 9:00am with drop-off beginning at 8:45am. The camp day ends at 3:00pm. If you need a longer day, please see our extended care option

We offer extended care for Summer Camp from 7:45-9:00am and from 3:00-5:00pm. Extended care costs a flat fee of $75 per week for 5-day camps and $45 per week for 3-day camps.  

To participate in the Indianapolis Zoo Camp, campers must: 

• Be between the ages of 6 and 13.
• Be able to follow simple directions and communicate needs and interests
• Be willing to spend the week outside and engage in group activities 
• Be able to manage self-care tasks, such as eating and using the restroom, without assistance*  
• *For individuals with extra care needs, please see “How do you accommodate campers with accessibility or special needs?” 

Each camp group may have different schedules each day. Please note that sometimes the schedules change due to weather or animal availability. Each week of camp can look very different but will always include a few basic elements:  

• Zoo walks—a guided walk through one or more Zoo exhibit area each day 
• Educator chats in the Zoo 
• Lessons on the camp theme (includes animal artifact items and activities)  
• Indoor and outdoor games centered around the camp’s theme 
• Hands-on activities based on the camp theme 

Additional activities such as animal feeds, behind-the-scenes tours and rides may be included in some camps depending on the topic and age of campers but are not guaranteed. 

The Indianapolis Zoo is a large space, and there will be a lot of walking. Make sure your child is prepared with comfortable walking shoes that have closed toes and heels as well as socks.

Campers will spend a significant amount of time outside. Please prepare for this by providing your child with a hat and applying sunscreen before the day begins. Camp Counselors cannot apply sunscreen to your child, but staff will give frequent reminders to campers about sunscreen, hats and drinking water throughout the day. Feel free to send your child to camp with their own sunscreen in their backpack which they can re-apply later. There will be shade and air conditioning breaks throughout the day.  

Campers may have the opportunity to get up close to certain animals in the behind-the-scenes areas. We do occasionally have opportunities for animal interaction with our Ambassador Animals. We do not guarantee that campers will touch animals during their camp experience.

Campers will be given a camp t-shirt at the start of camp that they will need to wear throughout camp. Additional camp t-shirts can be purchased at registration. T-shirts are only provided for Summer Camp. Comfortable pants or shorts are recommended as there will be lots of walking and plenty of games throughout the day. For safety, campers must wear closed-toed and closed-heeled shoes (crocs, sandals and clogs are not appropriate footwear for camp).

If your questions were not answered in our FAQ section, please reach out to our education staff at edustaff@indyzoo.com or (317) 630-2000 with any questions you have!

Registration must be completed online by a parent or guardian. You will need a credit/debit card, and payment must be made in full at the time of registration. Within a week of registration, you will receive a link to your parent/guardian portal where you will input your camper’s health information and sign all pertinent waivers.  

Gift certificates are available for our 5-day camps only. These may be applied to any of our Zoo Camp 5-day camp programs, including spring break and summer sessions. No gift certificates are available for 3-day camps. 

Yes. If your desired camp has reached capacity, there will be a link to add your name to a waitlist. If any spots should open, we will contact names on the waitlist in the order that they were received. 

• Refunds are available up to 45 days prior to the program start date. All refunds are subject to a $25 administrative fee. 
• If you need to cancel within 45 days of your scheduled camp program, we can offer you a transfer to a similar program during the same session (summer, fall, winter, spring break) if requested at least two weeks prior to the program and if there is room in the camp. 
• No transfers are allowed within two weeks of the program start date. 
• Refunds will not be issued for no-shows for any camp program regardless of reason.  
• To cancel or request a transfer, please contact the Zoo Camp team. 

There will be a question in your online parent/guardian portal where you can add the name(s) of the other campers you would like to be grouped with your camper. We will do our best to accommodate these requests. Additionally, please note that we cannot enroll campers in programs if they do not meet the age requirements for that camp.

We follow the recommendations put forth by the American Camp Association for staff-to-child ratios. Below are the ratios by age: 

• • For programs for 6- to 8-year-olds, 1 counselor to every 8 campers  
  •  For programs for 9- to 12-year-olds: 1 counselor to every 10 campers 

• Please contact us as soon as possible at edustaff@indyzoo.com if your child needs any special accommodations. The Zoo team will work with you to formulate a great plan of action for your child. 
• We strive to make our Zoo camp as inclusive as possible and welcome campers of all abilities. Zoo camp requires campers to be able to spend most of the day outside and walking across the Zoo. Some of our behind-the-scenes spaces do contain stairs. Please note that while the Zoo does not employ specific individuals certified and trained to support special-needs children, we do have experience accommodating campers of differing ability levels.    
• If your camper needs health, behavioral or bathroom support, they will need to bring an aide with them in order to attend camp. Aide requests must be made no later than 30 days prior to the start of camp and aides will need to undergo a background check. Please reach us to us at edustaff@indyzoo.com. 

If your child has allergies or asthma that require the use of an Epi-pen/inhaler and can administer it themselves, they may have it with them at Zoo Camp. Please note that Zoo Camp staff are not allowed to administer any medicine to campers. Epi-pens and inhalers must be clearly labeled with the child’s name and dosage. The camper must carry it with them throughout the day. Zoo staff will not be able to carry any medications for campers. 

If your child has prescription medication that must be taken during camp, a caregiver can come to the Zoo to administer it. Arrangements need to be made with the Zoo Camp team by email prior to the camp session. 

Please indicate which camp your child is attending, the nature of the needs, and any other information you feel that we need to create a great camp experience for your child.  

Please also let us know if your child has a behavioral treatment plan. 

To protect campers with nut or shellfish allergies, we will have an allergy-free table for lunch. If your child has a different allergy but you want them to eat at an allergy-free table, please contact the Zoo Camp team.  

There are many activities that campers may participate in depending on their age and the camp topic. Some behind-the-scenes areas and animal feeds involve nuts or shellfish. If your camper has either a nut or shellfish/fish allergy, we will not let them participate in these activities without your specific permission, to avoid any possible allergen exposure.

Zoo Camp will run rain or shine. Our Zoo Camp staff are trained in how to respond in inclement weather (thunderstorms, excessive heat, etc.) 

The overall number of campers in each camp varies based on age group and week, but campers will be placed in cohorts of 6-10 campers per counselor. Cohorts may be together for some activities. 

Refunds are available for all Zoo Camp programs minus a $25 administration fee if requested by refund deadline date.

If you need to reschedule your camper to a different week of camp, you have until 2 weeks prior to the start of your registered camp to let us know of the change. Campers can only be rescheduled to camps that have not met capacity limits and if they are the correct age for that camp.