• 74 things to bring

What Should I Bring to the Zoo

Tickets, a water bottle, broken-in shoes, a hat and a snack first: what to bring, part by part.

What Should I Bring to the Zoo

  1. Timed-entry tickets on your phoneCheck your entry time the night before. A screenshot works where the signal does not.
  2. Zoo membership cardBring the card and the ID that goes with it, if someone in the family is a member.
  3. Payment cardFor the gate, the cafe and the gift shop. Keep it in a pocket that zips.
  4. Student, senior or military IDBring it if the zoo's price list has a discount you can claim.
  5. The zoo's own list of what not to bringRead it before you pack. Balloons, balls, straws and glass are the things to look for.
  6. Paper zoo mapPick one up at the gate. It never runs out of battery, and a child can hold it.
  7. Photo of the feeding and keeper-talk timesSnap the board by the entrance, then plan the day round the two you most want.
  8. Photo of the sign where you parkedZoo lots are big, and every row looks the same at closing time.
  9. List of three animals you must seeEveryone names one before you leave home. See those first, then wander.
  10. Small backpackHands stay free for railings, cameras and small hands. Check the zoo's bag rule.
  11. Money for a stroller or wagon rentalSee on the zoo's own page if it rents them. It saves hauling yours from the car.
  12. Pocket power bankA day of photos and map checks can flatten a phone by lunch.

Next step Draw an animal to look for first

All 74 things to bring

For the gate 12

  • List of three animals you must see Everyone names one before you leave home. See those first, then wander.
  • Money for a stroller or wagon rental See on the zoo's own page if it rents them. It saves hauling yours from the car.
  • Paper zoo map Pick one up at the gate. It never runs out of battery, and a child can hold it.
  • Payment card For the gate, the cafe and the gift shop. Keep it in a pocket that zips.
  • Photo of the feeding and keeper-talk times Snap the board by the entrance, then plan the day round the two you most want.
  • Photo of the sign where you parked Zoo lots are big, and every row looks the same at closing time.
  • Pocket power bank A day of photos and map checks can flatten a phone by lunch.
  • Small backpack Hands stay free for railings, cameras and small hands. Check the zoo's bag rule.
  • Student, senior or military ID Bring it if the zoo's price list has a discount you can claim.
  • Timed-entry tickets on your phone Check your entry time the night before. A screenshot works where the signal does not.
  • Zoo membership card Bring the card and the ID that goes with it, if someone in the family is a member.
  • The zoo's own list of what not to bring Read it before you pack. Balloons, balls, straws and glass are the things to look for.

For walking all day 17

  • Adhesive bandages For a heel that starts to rub halfway round.
  • Animal checklist to tick off Write ten animals before you go and tick each one you find.
  • Bag for your own trash Loose wrappers blow into enclosures. Carry yours to the next bin.
  • Binoculars Big enclosures put the animals far off. A small pair is enough.
  • Camera with a zoom lens A phone is fine at the glass. For a cat asleep on a far rock, zoom helps.
  • Cloth for your lens and glasses Warm bird houses fog them up the moment you walk in.
  • Coins for the pressed-penny machine A flattened coin with an animal on it is a souvenir that fits in a pocket.
  • Earbuds for the zoo's audio tour If your zoo's app has a tour, you can listen at each stop without blocking the path.
  • Folding tote for the gift shop It keeps a plush giraffe from riding on your shoulders all afternoon.
  • Hand sanitizer For after railings and before snacks, when the sink is a walk away.
  • Refillable water bottle for each person Fill them at the fountains you pass. One each stops the arguments.
  • Shoes you have already walked far in A zoo day is hours on your feet on hard paths. New shoes can wait.
  • Sit pad or folding stool Benches fill up near the popular animals. A pad turns any low wall into a seat.
  • Sketchbook and a pencil A tortoise or a sleeping lion holds a pose longer than any other model.
  • Small bills for a carousel or train ride Rides inside a zoo can cost extra. Agree how many before you reach the queue.
  • Spare socks After a splash zone or a puddle by the otters, dry socks feel like a gift.
  • Wristwatch Feeding times come and go while you stand at the monkeys.

Food and water 15

  • Apple slices in a tub They survive a backpack better than a banana does.
  • Crackers and cheese For the long stretch between the gate and the lunch spot.
  • Cup with a fixed lid If your zoo's rules turn away straws, a sippy lid still keeps the drink off the shirt.
  • Frozen water bottle It keeps the lunch bag cold all morning and is a cold drink by noon.
  • Insulated bottle of coffee or cocoa For a cold morning before the cafe opens.
  • Juice boxes Freeze them the night before and they double as ice packs.
  • Money for one treat Settle on ice cream or the gift shop before you go in, not at the counter.
  • Packed lunch, if the zoo allows it Zoos set their own rules on outside food. Read yours before you make sandwiches.
  • Paper napkins The cafe's dispenser is always empty when the ketchup spills.
  • Picnic blanket A patch of lawn makes a calmer lunch spot than a crowded table.
  • Sandwiches cut in halves Halves are easier to eat on a bench with a peacock watching.
  • Snack that stays in the car Everyone is hungry again the moment the doors shut.
  • Soft cooler bag A soft one fits under a stroller. Check the zoo's rule on cooler size.
  • Trail mix in small bags One bag each, handed out at the farthest point from the cafe.
  • Tub with a lid for leftovers Half a sandwich saved is a snack for the ride home.

For children 18

  • Baby carrier For any indoor house where strollers have to wait outside.
  • Change of clothes for each child Splash pads, petting yards and ice cream can all happen in one day.
  • Clip-on stroller fan Clip it to the frame for a hot afternoon in the queue for the giraffes.
  • Coins for the feed machines A petting yard may sell feed by the handful from a machine that takes coins.
  • Crayons and a few sheets of paper For the lunch table, and for drawing the animal of the day.
  • Diapers and a folding change mat Pack more than a normal outing needs. The day runs long.
  • Ear defenders for a child who dislikes noise Bird houses and school groups get loud.
  • Light blanket for a stroller nap Zoo naps happen. Tuck it round the legs when the afternoon cools.
  • Photo of each child, taken at the gate If you get separated, you can show staff what they are wearing today.
  • Rubber boots for a wet day Puddles are part of the show for a small child.
  • Small toy animal It gets to meet the real one. The favorite that cannot be replaced stays home.
  • Stroller lock You will park it outside more than one building.
  • Stroller rain cover It also keeps the wind off a napping child.
  • Stroller, even for a child who walks Small legs give out about halfway round, far from the gate.
  • Swimsuit and a small towel Only if your zoo has a splash area. Look at its map before you pack.
  • Wagon, if the zoo lets them in It carries two children and the lunch. Check the rule before you load the car.
  • Wet wipes Sticky hands after ice cream, and the stroller tray after lunch.
  • Wristband with your phone number Write it in pen and show your child where it is before you go in.

For sun or rain 12

  • Compact umbrella Fine on the open paths. Fold it in the indoor houses and the crowds.
  • Gloves and a warm hat for a winter visit Winter zoo days are quiet. Warm hands make them long enough to enjoy.
  • Insect repellent For shady paths near water in the warm months.
  • Packable rain jacket Rain empties a zoo. With a jacket you get the paths to yourself.
  • Plastic bag for wet clothes Splash-pad shorts and rained-on socks stay away from the sandwiches.
  • Poncho big enough to cover a backpack One that goes over you and the bag saves a soggy lunch.
  • Small towel to dry a bench After a shower every seat in the zoo is wet. One towel fixes that.
  • Spray bottle of water A mist on arms and faces in a slow, sunny queue.
  • Sun hat with a wide brim Most of a zoo day is spent outdoors between patches of shade.
  • Sunscreen Put it on in the parking lot and pack it for after lunch.
  • Thin layer for cold indoor houses Air-conditioned buildings feel icy after an hour in the sun.
  • Warm layer for the morning The first hour after opening is the coolest. Tie it round your waist by eleven.

How it works

These 74 things to bring to the zoo are sorted for the gate, for walking all day, food and water, for children and for sun or rain.

Read the full guide

If you bring only five things

Your tickets, a full water bottle, shoes you have already walked far in, a hat and a snack. With those in the bag, everything else here is comfort.

Pack for the far end of the map

Water, snacks and dry socks matter most at the far corner of the zoo, so they go in the bag you carry. The car keeps the second set: clean clothes and something to eat on the way home.

Questions and answers

What should I not bring to the zoo?

Anything on your zoo's own list of banned items. Balloons, balls, glass bottles, straws and scooters are the things to look for there, and pets stay at home unless the zoo's page says otherwise.

Can I bring food and drinks into the zoo?

That is each zoo's own rule, so read its visitor page. Where outside food is allowed, pack sandwiches, fruit in a tub and a frozen water bottle in a soft cooler. Where it is not, plan on money for lunch.

What should I bring to the zoo with a toddler?

A stroller even if they walk, a change of clothes, diapers and a change mat, a cup with a fixed lid, wet wipes, a sun hat and a light blanket for the nap that comes halfway round.

What should I wear to the zoo?

Shoes you have already walked far in, a hat with a brim, a warm layer for the first hour and a thin one for cold indoor houses. Add a packable rain jacket if the forecast is unsure.

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