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Get Up close

Keeper chats, animal experiences and more.

There’s always something new to see and do at the Zoo. Get up close to animals, chat with a keeper and more, with scheduled and unscheduled chats and animal encounters! All free with admission or membership.

Most animal habitats are open today. Learn more about any habitat closures.

Daily Schedule

Pacific Seas Aquarium Dive Talk
11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday

Join us for our dive experience! Meet and talk with divers in our beautiful Northwest Waters habitat and learn about the marine life in the waters of Puget Sound.

Northwest Waters
Tropical Reef Aquarium Lagoon Chat
11 a.m. Friday & Monday

See angelfish, butterflyfish, wrasse, and other colorful tropical fish gliding around stunning coral reefs. Chat with an aquarist who cares for these incredible species in the Tropical Reef Aquarium’s Lagoon habitat.

Tropical Reef Aquarium
Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater Show
11:30 a.m. Daily + 2:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday

Watch, laugh and learn as Rocket the Mail Terrier delivers fan letters that bring new animal friends to the stage to show off incredible natural behaviors. Catch Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater shows daily at 11:30 a.m., with an additional 2:30 p.m. show on Saturdays and Sundays.

Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater
Marine Mammal Keeper Chat
12 p.m. Daily

What do seals like to play with? How loud does a sea lion bark? Our keepers are experts in caring for our marine mammals, and you can find out how they do it. And meet the walruses!

Rocky Shores
Asian Forest Sanctuary Keeper Chat
12:30 p.m. Daily

It’s a pretty cool job taking care of a tapir or tiger – but someone’s got to do it, right? Come watch our keepers in action as they chat about all our Asian Forest Sanctuary animals.

Asian Forest Sanctuary
Bugs Alive: Bugs at Work!
1:15 p.m. Daily

Get a closer look at some of nature’s smallest stars during Bugs Alive: Bugs at Work! in the Nature Play Garden. Join our Wild Wonders keepers daily at 1:15 p.m. for this fun and interactive presentation featuring fascinating bugs and the important jobs they do in our world.

Bugs Alive: Bugs at Work!
Polar Bear Keeper Chat
1:30 p.m. Daily

How long can polar bears hold their breath? How do they adapt to their environment outside of the Arctic? Learn all of this (plus more) during the keeper chat!

Arctic Tundra
Red Wolf Keeper Chat
2 p.m. Daily

Meet these stunning animals, saved from near-extinction in the wild with the help of our Zoo.

Red Wolf Woods
Goat Encounter
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday & Sunday

We think our goats are adorable! Come meet our goats, pet them and find out for yourself.

Kids’ Zone
Tidal Touch Zone
9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday

Feel a soft pink sea star, a spiky purple urchin or a hard crab. The Tidal Touch Zone in the Pacific Seas Aquarium is where low tide meets your imagination.

Tidal Touch Zone
Tropical Shallows
9:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, 9:15 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday

Gently touch tropical sea stars, sea cucumbers, tropical urchins, crabs, shrimp, and more in a warm, shallow pool.

Tropical Reef Aquarium
Antique Carousel
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday

Take a spin on our vintage Paul Titus Carousel and add some sparkle to your Zoo visit. Tickets are $4 per ride ($2 for members).

Carousel
Botanical Garden Tours
First Sunday of the Month at 10 a.m.

Explore the Zoo with one of our horticulturalists and discover lush bamboo forests, pollinator gardens and more.

Garden Tours