Costumes, animals, candy and fun!
Free with admission. Oct. 15-16

Meet our plants.
Free with admission. Oct. 2

Meet our plants.
Free with admission. Sept. 4

Have fun after-hours.
Free for members.

Time to roar!!! Meet our tigers.
Free with admission. July 30 – July 31

Have fun after-hours.
Free for members.

Celebrate Pride and our LGBTQIA+ community at the Zoo!
June 25-26.

Have fun after-hours.
Free for members.

The new Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater show and Budgie Buddies are back! Opening Weekend: May 7

Go beyond the typical Mother’s Day gifts and give mom a memorable experience she can enjoy with the whole family this year. Get up close to a moose, pet a … Continued

It’s penguin nesting season at the Zoo! As of late April, keepers had observed three eggs laid from penguin pairs Yellow & Orange (1 egg) and Pink & Red (2 … Continued

What takes up to 10 hands, a calm demeanor, incredible skill … and maybe a little luck? Try drawing blood from a snake. Unlike some species, snakes don’t have visible … Continued

Feb. 12-13!
Animals. Enrichments. Feel the love.

The word “enrichment” is said dozens of times a day around the Zoo. As in, “we have Suki’s enrichment ready” or “Indah really seemed to enjoy her enrichment today” or … Continued

Love is in the air at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! There’s no concrete way to measure an animal’s love but many of the animals at the zoo are coupled … Continued

What a year this has been! Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium provided a home and second chance to a rescued sea lion named Björn, celebrated the births of a Southern … Continued

Blizzard the polar bear celebrated his birthday at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium with all his favorite things: cake, a tree, a big barrel and more than 2,000 pounds of … Continued

UPDATE: 12/7/2021: The pup has a name! Keepers named the pup “Segway.” Read more here. Southern three-banded armadillos Vespa and Scooter welcomed a female pup into the world in late … Continued

’Twas the month before Christmas and inside Kids’ Zone, The meerkats received a surprise of their own; A stocking was hung on the rock wall with care, But the one … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium staff are mourning the loss of Kirana, a female  Sumatran tiger who died this morning after experiencing severe injuries during a breeding introduction as part … Continued

UPDATE December 2021: Our veterinarians have been working with veterinary oncologists and Blizzard’s care team to provide the best possible care for Blizzard. The senior polar bear is receiving oral … Continued

On a rainy, late-summer morning in Tacoma, keeper Cindy is watching the puffins. She’s drenched, but that’s just part of the job she loves. The “unglamorous” part of keeper life … Continued

Have fun after-hours.
Free for members. Reservations required.

Have fun after-hours.
Free for members. Reservations required.

After a week of public voting, fans chose Gertie as the name for the new giant Pacific octopus in the Pacific Seas Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The … Continued

As a powerful heat wave hits the greater Tacoma area with temperatures nearing 100-degrees, keepers at both Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash. and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park … Continued

Whenever Friday the 13th rolls around, even the least superstitious of us might look askance at a black cat or shiver at an owl hoot. But animal superstitions, although fun, … Continued

Human athletes might be battling it out for medals at the Olympic Games in Japan this month, but here at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, we have our own incredible … Continued

Zookeepers and the animals they love What’s the animal you feel most deeply inside? The one you connect with, love, relate to, share traits with? For National Zookeeper Week 2021, … Continued

What do you do if your 760-pound male muskox refuses to do what you ask him? Well, if you’re a zookeeper, you have other strategies in your pocket. For keeper … Continued