Provide the perfect adventure for your young animal fanatic! Camps feature animal experiences, zoo expeditions, and hands-on, camper-driven exploration. Escape the ordinary - go WILD with Safari Camp at Denver Zoo.
2024 Summer Safari Camp registration opened to Denver Zoo Members on Tuesday, January 16 at 9:00 a.m. Registration opened to all on Wednesday, January 17 at 9:00 a.m. Remaining camp spots are extremely limited.
While our system does not accommodate a waitlist, if space opens due to cancellations or transfers, they will automatically repost on our website. Please check back often for updated availability.
Members: If you updated your account password for Denver Zoo’s new ticketing system, please use your OLD password when registering for camps and when accessing the Camp Portal.
Registration Information
Step 1 of Registration: Purchase a spot for your camper in the week and camp title of your choosing. No camper details will be filled out at this time.
- Members must log-in with their email on record that is associated with their membership to receive early registration access. Click HERE to login, request password, or complete a membership look up. **Insider tip: log in to your account prior to registration opening to make sure you see your name, membership category, and expiration date in the upper right corner.
- Members: If you updated your account password for Denver Zoo's new ticketing system, please use your OLD password when registering for camps and when accessing the Camp Portal.
- Have a major credit card on hand and ready to go. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AMEX.
- Complete your purchase. This step reserves your camper's spot.
Step 2 of Registration: After purchasing a camp, click HERE to fill out general questions about your camper(s) in the Parent Portal, including a brief medical history, sign waivers, etc. Campers cannot attend camp until this step is complete!
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- Members: If you updated your account password for Denver Zoo's new ticketing system, please use your OLD password when registering for camps and when accessing the Camp Portal.
Have the following information available for this step in the registration process:
- Contact details including home and work addresses, and phone numbers for the parent/guardian that is filling out this information (and any additional parent/guardian)
- Name, and date of birth of camper
- Medical history for camper
- Name, address, and phone number of camper’s physician, dentist, and preferred hospital
- Name, address, and phone number of two emergency contacts
- Name, address, and phone number of any additional people (must be over 18) who are authorized to pick up camper
2024 Costs
- 5-day Camps - $350
- 3-day Camp (June 5 -7, July 1-3) - $210
- 6-9 Grades "Conservation" Camps - $410
- 8-9 Grades "Animal Care 101" Camp - $410
- Late Care - $75 for 5-day Camps, $45 for 3-day Camps
2024 Summer Safari Camps are available at the above rates for both Denver Zoo members and the general public. We appreciate your support!
Service and Accommodation Fees
- Cancellation Policy: All sales are final, unless the Zoo must cancel the program.
- Accommodation Fees: With advance notice, children may be dropped off or picked up during lunchtime (12:00–1:00 p.m.) at no charge, as campers are always in a pre-defined area during the lunch hour. At other times of the day, campers may be anywhere within the 80-acre Zoo property (or on a field trip), making late arrivals and early departures complicated, resulting in an $5 accommodation fee.
2024 Dates & Times
Running Weekly: June 5 - August 16, 2024
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A limited number of Late Care spots are available for pre-registered campers. Late Care occurs from 4:15 - 5:30 p.m.
Before Care is not offered.
Important Information
Medication Administration Permission Form
If your child requires emergency, prescription, or over-the-counter medication during camp, a parent/guardian and the child’s physician must complete and submit a Medication Administration Permission Form two weeks prior to your child’s first day of camp. Any medication for a chronic illness such as asthma, allergies, or diabetes must be accompanied by a Care Plan written and signed by the child’s physician. Upon review of your camper’s forms, it may be necessary to meet with the parent/guardian to develop a Health Plan.
Accommodations for Special Needs
Campers of all abilities are welcome to register for camp. In order to meet our goal of setting all campers up for success, we ask that you please contact us if your child has any special needs of which we should be aware. We happily work with parents/guardians to make Safari Camp accessible to children with varying needs in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities act; however, we are unable to provide one-on-one or supplementary services. If your child needs to attend camp with his/her full-time care provider, special arrangements can be made, but must be scheduled several weeks in advance for security purposes. After undergoing a background check, the adult caregiver may attend at no charge.
ACCESS TO AWE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Camp scholarships are offered annually through Denver Zoo's Access to Awe Fund.
The application opened on January 5. All funds have been distributed and the process closed for Summer 2024.
Click below to learn more about camp scholarships.
CONTACT US
Questions or concerns? Contact us at guestcare@denverzoo.org.
2024 Program Information
Weekly Programs For Kindergarten Through 9th Grade
All Camps are not offered all weeks. Please check the Camp Schedule for availability.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Zoo Engineers
Every animal needs a habitat. Take a closer look at the Zoo homes of our favorite animal residents and discover how their space provides what they need! If you built a zoo, what would the habitats look like? We'll need to ensure the creature comforts; put on your Zoo engineer hat if you're up to the challenge!
The Zoo in You
Two peas in a pod or apples and oranges? Explore the diversity that makes our animal kingdom truly extraordinary. Compare and contrast patterns, traits, habits, and lifestyles - and where YOU fit in the puzzle! Connect the dots – and stripes! - as we uncover the characteristics that make all living things the same, but different.
Nature Play the Zoo Way
Your camper will have an unbe-LEAF-able week connecting with animals and the natural world in Denver Zoo’s nature play camp! Young explorers will engage their sense of wonder and discovery as they literally dig into nature on the Zofnass Barclay Family Nature Play Trail; climb under bushes, find bugs, balance on stumps, and get their hands dirty. This camp is sure to ROCK – come play with us!
2nd and 3rd Grade
Eco Explorers
Join us on a journey of discovery as we uncover the connections between plants, animals and people in the ecosystems we share. At Denver Zoo, we believe that everyone has the power to make a positive impact on our planet. We’ll help campers discover the ways they are already helping wildlife, and easy ways to keep making a difference!
Zooper Keepers
Denver Zoo has its very own Zooper Heroes – the animal care team! Each day they provide food, space, fun, and support for over 3000 animals, each with unique needs. From a three-legged African wild dog to nearly 30 tons of elephant - get to know the animals, their stories, and play a role in helping them thrive!
Nature Play the Zoo Way
Your camper will have an unbe-LEAF-able week connecting with animals and the natural world in Denver Zoo’s nature play camp! Young explorers will engage their sense of wonder and discovery as they literally dig into nature on the Zofnass Barclay Family Nature Play Trail; climb under bushes, find bugs, balance on stumps, and get their hands dirty. This camp is sure to ROCK – come play with us!
4th and 5th Grade
Bio-mimics
Some animals are stealthy, others have extraordinary healing capabilities, but the best of the best copy and duplicate the remarkable abilities found in others! Explore some of nature's bio-mimics and learn how people use animals as inspiration. Why is the extreme durability of a rainforest seed important for saving elephants? Imagine how you'd incorporate the best adaptations animals into something that can help us all!
6th and 7th Grade
Conservation Camp
Join Denver Zoo in its commitment to save wildlife! Meet conservationists at Denver Zoo and delve into the challenges, successes, and partnerships to save animals like bison, Lake Titicaca frogs, and big horn sheep. Then take your knowledge on the road! Do your part to build a world where wildlife thrives by participating in REAL field conservation in Colorado. One or two days of this camp involve field trips doing conservation work in the Denver metro area.
6th through 8th Grade
Zooper Villains and Monsters
Bam! Boom! Zap! ROAR!? Good vs. evil is the ultimate battle in any comic – but what about in the critter-verse? Like a book, there’s more to a villain than its cover! Are they monsters or simply misunderstood geniuses of evolution? Become the author and help us tell the story for the animal antiheroes among us – it’s sure to be a page turner!
8th and 9th Grade
Conservation Camp
Join Denver Zoo in its commitment to save wildlife in this special camp. Meet conservationists at Denver Zoo and delve into the challenges, successes, and partnerships to save animals like bison, Lake Titicaca frogs, and big horn sheep. Then take your knowledge on the road! Do your part to build a world where wildlife thrives by participating in REAL field conservation in Colorado. One or two days of this camp involve field trips doing conservation work in the Denver metro area.
Animal Care 101
In this special week of camp, students entering 8th and 9th grade will interact directly with Denver Zoo’s animal care staff! Our team of Animal Ambassador zookeepers will teach campers the ins and outs of how they care for and train (small) animals. Campers will discover how keepers set goals for their animals, and how to create fun enrichment that helps our animals show off their impressive, natural behaviors. If your soon-to-be 8th or 9th grader is curious about working at a zoo someday, this camp will demonstrate what caring for the animals is all about!
Safari Camp Safety Measures
Denver Zoo follows local, state and federal guidelines when developing its programs, including the CDC Community Level prevention tool and COVID-19 Guidance for Children’s Day Camps. Additionally, Safari Camps collaborates with a contracted health professional to ensure best practice for camper health and wellness. Denver Zoo may adjust COVID-19 related policies or requirements of staff, volunteers, campers and families and will communicate those updates accordingly.
- Face Coverings: Face coverings are recommended indoors for staff, volunteers, and campers.
- Group Size: Camp groups will be set as recommended by CDPHE for children’s day camps as it relates to total group numbers, room capacities with social distancing, and/or any additional updates as they become available.
- Physical Distancing: Children and staff will maintain physical distance as recommended by CDPHE for children’s day camps, as much as possible.
