Plan a Field Trip
Thank you for choosing the Minnesota Zoo as your field trip destination! A day at the Minnesota Zoo offers discovery, learning and more, whether you opt for a self-guided experience or select from our menu of programs. A year-round destination that offers both indoor and outdoor adventures, our exhibit areas and trails include: Discovery Bay, Medtronic Minnesota Trail, Northern Trail, Russia’s Grizzly Coast, Tropics Trail and the new Treetop Trail!
Teacher Field Guide:
The 2026-2027 Guide for Teachers is coming soon!
Registration:
Registration is open for field trips through August 31, 2026. Book Your Field Trip Today!
Registration will open on August 1, 2026 for the next school year.
The following groups are eligible for our youth/school group rate:
School and youth groups are comprised of 8 or more children ages 3 thru college, organized by a recognized provider such as:
● School (Pre-K through College)
● Day care
● School age care
● Scouting associations
● Park districts
● Faith-based organizations
● Community Education
● Non-profit organizations serving youth/families
● Homeschools (with a minimum of 8 youth)
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Please book your field trip for your school/youth group online a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the date of your visit. Full payment is due 2 weeks before your field trip date. Field trips are available every day of the week, however Mondays are not available during the months of October to March. The Zoo is open to field trip groups and Zoo members starting at 9 a.m. year round.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call 952-431-9390.
SCHOOL/YOUTH GROUP PRICING
Register at least two weeks in advance to receive 2026-2027 youth/school group admission rates. You must book tickets and pay 2 weeks in advance for field trips. Memberships will not be accepted as part of a group admission.
Please note: you will need to use a credit card to get through the registration system, but that card will not be charged if you choose the $0 payment plan option during checkout. Two weeks before your field trip is when your payment is due and you may use a different credit card (such as a district/organization card) at that time for the field trip fees. Credit cards are not stored so you'll always need to call in your payment if paying by credit card before the due date (2 weeks prior to your field trip).
If you are booking several field trips, please book each date on a separate order transaction.
School Group Pricing - School Year
September 8, 2026 to June 11, 2027
Minimum of 8 students to receive the group rate
Admission for public school groups will be based on the percentage of Free and Reduced-Price Lunch recipients (from the previous school year) at the school. This pricing will be available during the school year (September 8, 2026 to June 11, 2027) for all eligible public school groups with eight or more students. Minnesota Zoo uses the list from the previous school year as provided from the Minnesota Department of Education to determine eligibility.
Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Percentage
PreK-5th
6th-college
Teachers/Chaperones
(1 to 5 ratio)
Paras and bus drivers
Adults
School with 0-49.99% FRPL or schools outside of Minnesota
$6
$8
Free
Free
$12
School with 50-84.99% FRPL
$3
$4
Free
Free
$12
School with 85-100% FRPL
Free
Free
Free
Free
$12
Parking: $10 per car and $15 per bus
Please remember to book your field trip a minimum of 2 weeks in advance no matter which Free/Reduced Lunch category you fall into. Every group needs to be registered in advance.
Youth Group Pricing - School Year
September 8, 2026 to June 11, 2027
Minimum of 8 students to receive the group rate
PreK-5th
6th-college
Chaperones (1 to 5 ratio)
Paras and bus drivers
Adults
$6
$8
1 chaperone is free per 5 paid students
Free
$12
Parking: $10 per car and $15 per bus
School/Youth Group Pricing - Summer
June 12 to August 31, 2027
Minimum of 8 students to receive the group rate
PreK-5th
6th-college
Teachers/Chaperones
(1 to 5 ratio)
Paras and bus drivers
Adults
$10
$15
1 chaperone is free per 5 paid students
Free
$15
Parking: $10 per car and $15 per bus
STEM Stations at the Zoo
Presented by Flint Hills Resources
FREE interactive stations will be set up throughout the indoor Zoo areas, facilitated by our education staff. These stations will feature hands-on activities and biofacts and are open on select dates from Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Themes this year include:
Month
Theme
Specific Dates of STEM Stations
November 2026
and January 2027
Adventures in STEM
STEM is all around us! Stop by the stations to experience how zoo and conservation professionals utilize STEM in their daily work and put your skills to the test through inquiry and engineering.
November 10-13, 17-20
January 12-15, 19-22
December 2026
Zoo Careers
Ever wonder what it takes to work at a zoo? These stations are all about investigating what types of careers are available at a zoo. Learn more about a variety of skills from animal care to exhibit design and a few jobs in between!
December 15-18
February 2027 and April 2027
Around the World
Head to the Zoo for a global animal adventure! Get up close and personal with amazing animals while learning how to talk about them in different languages. Middle and high school students take the stage with fun, interactive presentations about Zoo topics from sea lions in Spanish to flamingos in French.
**All schools/students are welcome to attend. Presentation tables are requested via a link in your field trip booking confirmation email.
Student Orientation Times (for presenters): 9:45-10:30 a.m.
Presentations: 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
February 17 and 18: Spanish
February 24: German
February 25: French
April 27: American Sign Language
March 2027
Local Conservation
You don’t need to travel across the world to see rare and endangered animals! Stop by our stations to learn more about the conservation efforts happening right here in Minnesota, and easy ways that you can protect and conserve some of our amazing native species. Our stations will focus on conservation efforts of the following species: American bison, Prairie butterflies, Freshwater mussels, and Minnesota native turtles.
March 9-12, 16-19
April 2027
Global Conservation
The Zoo aids many programs around the world to protect wild animals and wild places. Field Trip groups can talk with educators, interact with biofacts of threatened species, and learn how to help animals across the world from their own homes and communities. Stations will focus on conservation efforts of the following species: African penguin, chinchilla, Amur tiger, and black rhino.
April 13-16, 20-23
If a group cancels a field trip visit less than 3 weeks in advance, they will be billed the following:
• 1 to 3 weeks: 50% of total
• One week or less: 100% of total
Payment is due a minimum of 2 weeks prior to your visit to the Zoo.
- Paying by credit card (preferred method). Please call 952-431-9200 with your order number and credit card payment a minimum of 2 weeks prior to your Zoo visit. The card used to hold your reservation will not be charged if you choose the Payment Plan option during the check out process. It will not be automatically charged when your payment is due, so please call in the information to us a minimum of 2 weeks before your visit.
- Paying by check. Please mail in your check (with your order number referenced) so it is received a minimum of 2 weeks prior to your visit to the following address:
Minnesota Zoo
Finance Department-Field Trip
13000 Zoo Blvd
Apple Valley, MN 55124
- Adult chaperones should stay with their groups at all times. This includes middle school and high school groups.
- Youth/students are encouraged to use the play areas but must be accompanied by a group chaperone and meet the age requirements posted.
- Youth/students are welcome to visit our gift shop but should be accompanied by an adult chaperone when possible.
- Code of Conduct for all Zoo guests, groups, and students: To make the Zoo experience enjoyable for you, our other guests, and the animals that call the Zoo home, we have a code of conduct in place that can be viewed by clicking here.
Teachers/Group Leaders: Please view and show this to your students before your Zoo visit group leader/teacher/student PDF for all the details prior to your field trip.
Lunches can be stored on the shelves or in the black bins by the Target Learning Center. Your group can eat your lunch at the tables at the entrance to the Tropics Trail or outdoors (if the weather permits). The seating in the food court is reserved for those that are purchasing their lunch at the Zoo.
13000 Zoo Boulevard
Apple Valley, MN 55124
952.431.9200
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