San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park set to re-open

The re-opening of both parks will come with exclusive preview days for members and donors

Posted on June 10, 2020

After being closed to guests since mid-March, San Diego Zoo Global has announced that the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will re-open to the general public on Saturday, June 20, ending the first major closure in the conservation organization’s 103-year history. Before the official re-opening, the Zoo and Safari Park will hold a series of special preview days to express San Diego Zoo Global’s deep appreciation for its vast dedicated membership base and committed donors. These invitation-only preview events will begin this Sunday, June 14.

“We’re thrilled to once again welcome guests back to San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park for the first time in three months,” says Paul Baribault, president/CEO for San Diego Zoo Global. “There’s no better way to celebrate the occasion than to invite our faithful members and donors, who have been steadfast allies helping us by continuing to support our mission to save wildlife worldwide.”

“Through both our wildlife sanctuaries, we offer an important service to the community by providing a safe outdoor experience that is family friendly, where they can learn about wildlife, connect with nature, and find ways to join us on our mission to save species,” says Shawn Dixon, chief operating officer of San Diego Zoo Global. “Although the next visit by our guests may feel a bit different from their past treks through the Zoo and Safari Park, I’m confident our San Diego Zoo Global family — first-time guests, members, donors, volunteers and staff — will help us make ‘different’ great.”

To ensure a safe and healthy guest experience, Zoo and Safari Park officials have enacted an extensive range of temporary changes that comply with guidelines outlined by local and state health authorities. Both parks will resume operations in stages that will start with limited dining and shopping experiences, reducing the number of guests on grounds at a given time, increasing the number of handwashing and sanitizing locations, maintaining robust cleaning routines, adding one-way path modifications and barriers, encouraging the wearing of face coverings, and observing social distancing practices. During the initial re-opening phase, the Zoo’s Guided Bus Tour, Kangaroo Bus and Skyfari Aerial Tram, and the Safari Park’s Africa Tram will be unavailable. Activities that traditionally include larger numbers of guests — including some shows, tours, and Safari experiences — will also be temporarily unavailable.

For more details on the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park re-opening, including yearly membership options and important information for guests planning their next visit, go to SanDiegoZoo.org/Reopen.