Bring a can of food to the Louisville Zoo gate this winter and adult admission drops to $11. Children and seniors pay $8. The discount runs from now through February 28, 2027, and the cans go to Dare to Care, the regional food bank.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and the zoo announced the return of Wild Winter Days on November 2, 2026. The promotion is presented by Kroger.
How it works
One or more non-perishable items per person gets the discounted rate: $11 for adults aged 12 to 59, $8 for children under 12 and anyone over 60. The discount is sold only at the zoo’s admission windows, not online, and it cannot be combined with other discounts or applied to prepaid groups, field trips or fee-based programs. One discount per ticket, however many cans you bring. A portion of every admission goes to the zoo’s conservation work in Kentuckiana and further afield.
Dare to Care’s most-wanted list is canned meat such as tuna and chicken, canned fruit and vegetables, beans, peanut butter, soup, rice, cereal, fruit juice and pasta. No glass. The food bank publishes the full list of what it can and cannot take.
Eighteen years, 30,000 pounds
This is not a new idea being tried out. The zoo and the food bank have run the winter drive together for 18 years, and guests have brought in more than 30,000 pounds of food across that period. The zoo offers its own unit of measure for the total: roughly five male rhinoceroses.
“Wild Winter Days is a great opportunity for families to enjoy the Louisville Zoo while also giving back to our community,” Greenberg said. “That spirit of generosity is what Louisville is all about.”
Hours, which change
The zoo is open daily year-round, but the winter clock is shorter. Through March 19, 2027 the gates are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with guests out by 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The Louisville Zoo is the state zoo of Kentucky and an agency of Louisville Metro Government, which is why a mayor is announcing a ticket discount. It is also the state’s top paid non-profit attraction, so a winter admission deal is a lever with some reach behind it.
Recent arrivals are still worth the trip in the cold. The zoo’s three Amur tiger cubs, its first in 22 years, are out daily from noon to 3 p.m. Before the winter rate starts, the Throo the Boo 3K evening run closes out the fall calendar on November 7.
Quick answers
- How much is Louisville Zoo admission during Wild Winter Days?
$11 for adults aged 12 to 59 and $8 for children under 12 and visitors over 60, for anyone bringing one or more non-perishable food items per person. The rate is available only at the zoo's admission windows, not online.
- When does Wild Winter Days run?
From November 2, 2026 through February 28, 2027. It is presented by Kroger.
- What food does Dare to Care want?
Canned meats such as tuna and chicken, canned fruit and vegetables, beans, peanut butter, soup, rice, cereal, fruit juice and pasta. No glass containers. The food bank publishes a full list of accepted and excluded items at daretocare.org.
- Can the discount be combined with other offers?
No. One discount applies per ticket however many items you bring, and it cannot be applied to online purchases, special fee-based programs, prepaid groups, field trips or other discounts. No refunds are given on tickets bought in advance.
- What are the Louisville Zoo's winter hours?
From November 2, 2026 through March 19, 2027 the zoo is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with guests exiting by 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
- How much food has the drive collected?
More than 30,000 pounds over 18 years of partnership between the zoo and Dare to Care.
