For the holidays this year, consider gifting those close to you something wildly fun to experience together at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium or Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Get up close to a moose, pet a goat (in a holiday coat!) or touch a jellyfish.
1. Enjoy Zoolights
Give a magical evening of holiday wonder with tickets to Zoolights. Your loved ones can explore seas of dazzling lights, be mesmerized by classic animal displays (like a 100-foot-wide giant Pacific octopus!) and warm up with tasty treats. Don’t forget to hunt for Sasquatch. Zoolights runs from Nov. 28-Jan. 4, with a two-night closure on Dec. 24-25.
Cost per participant: Ranges from $7-$20
2. Groom the Groovy Goats: Zoolights Edition
During this one-of-a-kind holiday-themed animal encounter, you’ll get up close and personal with our magnificent herd of goats. Meet Snap, Buckle, Marion, Juniper, and the rest of the herd. Spend quality time with them, pose for a photo with your favorite new friend, and reward them with a nutritious, festive treat. After your goat adventure, stroll through the zoo to enjoy Zoolights, the perfect gift for the whole family!
Cost per participant: Members: $35 / Non-members: $55
Includes: Zoolights evening admission
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3. Go on a Wild Zoo Tour
Grab your phone or camera and get ready to embark on a memorable zoo tour! During this early morning experience, your group will have the zoo to yourselves as you visit selected areas before the zoo opens for the day. You’ll be accompanied by one of our knowledgeable guides as you get a chance to say good morning to some of our resident animals. This unique experience includes a special animal encounter at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater.
Cost per participant: Members: $55 / Non-members: $75
Includes: Zoo daytime admission
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4. Take a Behind-the-scenes Tour of the Aquarium
Ever touched a moon jelly or fed an anemone? On this private tour, you’ll explore the Pacific Seas Aquarium’s backstage areas to see where aquarists work and discover how they care for marine animals. Slip into the mesmerizing world of jellies to see how they grow. See where divers get suited up and submerge into exhibits to clean and care for the animals. Be awed by the massive life support system that sustains these habitats. Peer over Baja Bay to see the graceful swimming of sea turtles and spotted eagle rays from above water. Try your own hand at being an aquarist by helping feed the animals in the Tidal Touch Zone!
Cost per participant: Members: $55 / Non-members: $75
Includes: Zoo daytime admission
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5. Adopt an animal species
“Adopt” a Zoo animal species to help support animal care, wildlife conservation and the zoo’s educational programs. Each adoption gift comes with a stuffed animal, adoption certificate, animal fact sheet and photo.
Cost: $65
Learn more about Adopt a Species
6. Embark on a Private Botanical Tour
Spend time getting to know the Zoo’s more rooted residents with a member of our horticulture team. Your tour guide will introduce you to some of the fascinating adaptations that help plants thrive in different habitats. You’ll learn about the ways our horticulture team works to recreate these habitats so that they can successfully grow unusual plants from around the world right here in Tacoma.
Cost per participant: Members: $30 / Non-members: $50
Includes: Zoo daytime admission
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7. Experience an Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive
Discover the delight and wonder of meeting sharks eye-to-eye in their newly remodeled home, the Outer Reef habitat. Dive into the world of sharks and discover their biology, while also learning how to protect these incredible animals in the wild. Our expert divers will coach you through the entire experience.
Cost per participant:
September 2, 2025 – January 5, 2026: Members: $95 (plus tax) / Non-members: $115 (plus tax)
January 6, 2026 – June 2, 2026: Members: $100 (plus tax) / Non-members: $120 (plus tax)
June 3, 2026 – September 7, 2026: Members: $105 (plus tax) / Non-members: $125 (plus tax)
Includes: Zoo admission and a souvenir video taken by staff during the dive.
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8. Take a Wild Drive
Uh-oh! There’s a traffic jam… a herd of bison are in the road! During a Wild Drive, take your own personal vehicle on the paved roads through Northwest Trek’s peaceful 435-acre Free-Roaming Area past dozens of animals native to the Pacific Northwest. Your guided experience includes a live audio narration by a naturalist who will share engaging stories about the species you’re seeing and what makes them special.
Cost per vehicle (includes up to 8 people per vehicle): Members: $60 / Non-members: $115
Includes: Admission to the wildlife park’s walking paths (see cougars, grizzly bears, gray wolves and more).
9. Take a Keeper Adventure Tour
Want to get up close and personal with a bison? Stare down a moose? Then hop in a Jeep with one of Northwest Trek’s keepers, go off-road and experience a 90-minute animal adventure you’ll never forget.
Cost per participant: Members: $60 / Non-members: $115
Includes: Admission to the wildlife park’s walking paths (see a cougar, grizzly bears, gray wolves and more).
10. Become a member
This is the gift that keeps on giving, all year long! Gift a membership to either Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium or Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Or get a combo-membership to both! Memberships save you money and get you discounts and perks all year long. Quality time for the family, all year long.
Cost: Memberships start at $100 and go up from there depending on the level you’d like to gift.
