Indianapolis Zoo location, cost and everything

By: Tahlil / Read more about us.

Half a century ago the Zoo started with only a few animals and now it is the largest zoo in the USA. The Indianapolis Zoo has over a thousand animals counted on this very day.

Indianapolis Zoo It cost only $30 to $50 to take a complete tour of the zoo per person. Children have the minimum cut in the ticket. Staying may require an additional $50 to $100 for a 2-star or 3-star hotel and around 200 for a 4-star hotel. 

However, the cost can only be estimated when the determiners are present. Thus, for a single person, the estimated cost will be around $200 on top including an overnight staying or it will be less than 100 bucks with food cost and ticket. A family tour requires an additional cost per person.

Today, alongside the visiting cost at Indianapolis Zoo we will be discussing the history and everything you need to know for a hassle-free and enjoyable visit to the Zoo. Let’s start from the beginning.   

Indianapolis Zoo visit
Indianapolis Zoo visit

A brief history of Indianapolis Zoo and its rival

58 years ago on April 16, 1964, the Indianapolis zoo was first founded at the George Washington Park site. Today’s 64-acre Indianapolis Zoo was established in 1988, after 24 years of first establishment, at the White River State Park; in Downtown, Indianapolis.

It is one of the largest privately funded and one of a few triple-accredited zoos in the world. The zoo has invested a valuable amount of money in the 21st century to redecorate and collect rare and important species. Moving to White River Park the zoo got enough space to expand. Gradually it became the home of thousands of animals.

The White River Garden has more than 50,000 plants of around 3,000 species and according to a survey, it is the most visited attractive place in the state.  

Few projects and constructions are undergoing and they are all getting done by their own economy and funding. Since the Zoo is a nonprofit private organization it celebrates a day in June as the highest fundraising day.

The location of the ZOO

34 years ago Indianapolis Zoo was substituted from George Washington Park to White River State Park. Today, it is spread over 64 acres of land and reserving numerous species of animals and birds. It includes several parts of the Zoo with a different ecosystem for animals and other species.

The address is 1200 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46222, United States.

The beautiful animal preservation center is located at the shore of the White River. This allows the Zoo to have the perfect blending over the reservation environment. It sets the Zoo as Plains, Deserts, Oceans, Forests, and Flights of Fancy. 

Location map.pdf

The schedule of opening and closing 

Weekly 7 days opening keeps the zoo crowded all time. Visitors are pleased with the idea of keeping the zoo open the whole week. Since many cannot afford time due to business, it needs to be accurate timing to visit whenever one gets time to enjoy.

The opening schedule is maintained from Monday-Thursday and Friday-Sunday.

Indianapolis Zoo time schedule

On other holidays of the year, the zoo is open as per the schedule of Sunday’s opening and closing. The zoo is available from 9.00 in the morning to 7.00 pm for all public vacations in the USA.  

Indianapolis Zoo cost

The estimated cost of visiting the Indianapolis Zoo has already been given on top of the article. Now we will be elaborating on the cost regarding each of the categories you will be spending. The overall discussion below would help you to understand the cost of the Indianapolis Zoo. 

Admission and tickets

Tickets are available all over the week. Up to 50% discount is offered on online purchases on selected days. Tickets are available in two packages,

  1. Standard admission
  2. Total adventure package (TAP)

The ticket prices at the gate are $32.75 for an adult, $28.75 for a child, and $30.75 for a senior. Children under 2 years of age are free to enter.

The standard admission package includes a zoo and aquarium, animal chats, and presentations. Meaning the basic amusement is confirmed with the standard ticket.

The Total adventure package (TAP) comes with the extra interest of unlimited rides and animal feeds with all that is offered in the standard admission package.

TAP tickets are selling at $45.75 for an adult, $41.75 for a child, and $43.75 for the seniors per head.

We can compare both the admission packages side by side through the table below.

CategoryStandard AdmissionTAP
Adult$28.75$45.75
Child$24.75$41.75
Senior$26.75$43.75
Parking$10

Parking cost

At the Indianapolis zoo, parking is not a big deal for members since they do not require paying for it. But for the nonmembers, a standard amount is taken as a parking ticket cos.

Specifically, the cost of a ticket for a car or private vehicle is $10.

Walking here with campers or a large van, you need to park your vehicle by buying the ticket for $20. This ticket is valid for a day; except for the vehicles of zoo transportation.

Hotels for an overnight visit and staying 

Indianapolis Zoo partners with several hotels to ensure an exciting and affordable stay for tourists and visitors. Staying overnight in the partnering hotels offer you discounted ticket for your family and the pleasure to serve you the best foods in the town.

You will find hotels participating-collaborating the zoo at three different spots on your preference. We have given the addresses of these hotels or you can simply contact them through the official site of the Indianapolis Zoo.

1. DOWNTOWN

  • Crowne Plaza at Historic Union Station
  • Holiday Inn Express and Suites at Downtown-City Center
  • Omni Severin Hotels and Resorts
  • Staybridge Suites at Downtown

2. NORTHSIDE

  • Homewood Suites at Keystone Crossing

3. WESTSIDE

  • Crowne Plaza at Airport
  • TownePlace Suites by Marriott at Airport

Outside the partnering hotels and suites, you will find some other hotels nearby that can also be comfortable as well as affordable. We have mentioned some of them below.

  • Fairfield In and Suites by Marriot
  • Courtyard by Marriot
  • SpringHill Suites by Marriot
  • Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis
  • The Westin Indianapolis

Restaurants

Talking about appetizers, you can enjoy some of the best food items in nearby restaurants. We have also included the leading ones for your ease of having healthy and affordable food for the trip. Restaurants you can look for,

  1. Harry and Izzy’s
  2. Smokey Bones Greenwood
  3. Weber Grill Restaurant
  4. The Old Spaghetti Factory
  5. OP Italian
  6. St. Elmo Steak House

Number of animals at the Zoo

Over 235 species are being preserved at the zoo of Indianapolis. Every day new species are being added to the sanctuary. Starting from mammals to water beasts, the collection of natural lives will surprise anyone. We have named only a few of the notable animals in the table below.

More than 1,400 animals are preserved in the Zoo.   

African ElephantsEagle
Addra GazelleBoas
Cape PorcupineAngelfish
UromastyxBudgerigar
African Plated LizardCabot’s Tragopan
Alaskan Brown BearCheetah
African LionCalifornia Sea Lion
Red PandaCockatiel
Amur TigerBottlenose Dolphin
RayGuinea Baboon
Eastern White Bearded WildebeestYellow-Billed Hornbill
Gentoo PenguinIguanas
Grant’s ZebraMeerkats
Green Morey EelOrangutans
Green WoodhoopoeOstrich
Pacific WalrusPythons
AnuliKubwa
RubinPakak

In the beginning, there were only a few of them and a small collection in different parts of the Zoo. Once the collection started to expand and the zoo has become the largest preservation center in the USA now. Now people love to visit with their family and children.

Zoo discounts

Earlier we mentioned the discounts on the tickets at the Indianapolis zoo. Tickets are found up to 50% discounts on selected days. Looking forward to this, the last week of the month offers several days with discounts on online tickets.

The discount price of tickets started on the 27th of this July and that day offered an adult ticket for $24.75, a senior ticket for $22.75, and a child ticket for $20.75.

From the 28th to end of the July the tickets are being sold at $28.75 for an adult ticket, $24.75 for a child, and $26.75 for a senior.

During the year, you will find more offers and discounts both online and offline and you can avail of them from the official site of the Indianapolis Zoo. Your membership can save your pocket in addition.

Membership price at Indianapolis 

Membership gets you the experience of being a part of the Zoo. Your membership will benefit you in many ways. Starting with walk-in entry without any pass, you get to enjoy any ride and also get to visit the whole Zoo without any restriction. Zoo membership requires a fixed amount of price that enables you as a part of the Zoo family.

The membership here in Indianapolis is classified into 4 categories. They are,

  1. Individual Memberships
  2. Household Memberships
  3. Conservation Club Memberships and
  4. Nussbaum Society Memberships

We have sequentially described the membership of the Zoo. To know more take a look at the tables below.

Individual Memberships

Membership TitleDescriptionPrice
Individual and GuestFree admission for 1 adult and 1 guest$170.00
Individual Plus 4Free admission for 1 named adult and 4 guests$250.00

Household Memberships

Membership TitleDescriptionPrice
Family BasicFree admission for 2 adults sharing the same household plus all dependent children aged 21 and under$210.00
Grandparent BasicFree admission for 2 adults sharing the same household plus all unmarried grandchildren aged 21 and under$210.00
Family Plus 2Free admission for 2 adults sharing the same household plus all dependent children age 21 and under. Plus 2 guests.$250.00
Grandparent Plus 2Free admission for 2 adults sharing the same household plus all unmarried grandchildren age 21 and under. Plus 2 guests. $250.00

Conservation Club Memberships

Membership TitlePrice
Keeper’s Circle$400 – $699
Curator’s Circle$700 – $999
Director’s Circle$1,000 – $1,349

*All donor-level memberships include free admission for 2 adults sharing the same household plus all unmarried (grand) children age 21 and under; plus 4 guests. Additional benefits vary by level.

Nussbaum Society Memberships

Membership TitlePrice
Chairman’s Circle$1,350 – $2,499
Naturalist’s Circle$2,500 – $4,999
Guardian’s Circle$5,000 – $9,999
Conservationist’s Circle$10,000 – $24,999
Steward’s Circle$25,000+

*All donor-level memberships include free admission for 2 adults sharing the same household plus all unmarried (grand) children age 21 and under; plus 4 guests. Additional benefits vary by level.

*Memberships are non-transferable and non-refundable

Indianapolis Zoo wedding

Romance meets excitement at the Indianapolis Zoo. Create your dream wedding in the heart of the city amongst gorgeous gardens or dining with dolphins. Weddings at the Zoo allow you to host an environmentally friendly event that supports broader conservation efforts in a fun atmosphere with memorable photo opportunities.

Indianapolis Zoo offers a guest capacity of 0-399 in 4 different packages. They are likely to be 0-99, 100-199, 200-299, and 300-399 guests at a time per function.

Services are available for bachelor parties, bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, and showers.

In-venue you can arrange traditional or western ceremonies, rehearsal dinners, and receptions for business and casual occasions. Foods are available Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Organic, and Vegan.

The venue can be selected as indoor, outdoor-covered, or outdoor not-covered. The natural aesthetic environment can make your moment more lively and beautiful to keep in memories.

When the zoo remains closed?

For visitors, it is necessary to know when the zoo is unavailable to avoid an unplanned visit. It is also necessary to know to learn that the zoo changes its schedule and shortens the period of visiting in winter.

Here, we give you the information on the closing of the zoo.

The zoo remains closed on the 2nd Friday of June every year. During winter the visiting hours are reduced but the zoo remains open as per schedule.

Occasions on which Indianapolis Zoo remains closed are,

Thanksgiving, Christmas eve, Christmas day, New Year’s eve, and New Year’s day. Particularly, in January and February, Mondays and Tuesdays are closed. On summer and shiny days, the zoo is open daily, including Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day.

Except for the days mentioned above, Indianapolis Zoo is available for the rest of the year for visiting with your favorite ones.

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