The Detroit Zoo has been a metro Detroit favorite for generations and we love carrying on the tradition of regular family strolls with our littles through the zoo. Here are a few reasons to go ahead and get the membership and some more modern favorites you don’t want to miss.
The Detroit Zoo is home to over 2,000 animals and its 125 acres features multiple award winning attractions including the National Amphibian Conservation Center, Great Apes of Harambee and Arctic Ring of Life. Take your littles to race along side the sea otters, walk next to kangaroos, get close up to lions and feed the giraffes. NEW in 2026 are the Erb Discovery Trails, which open on May 23rd! The Detroit Zoo offers family fun all year long and with a family membership it’s easy to stop by anytime to stretch your legs among the animals for an hour or an entire afternoon.
Family memberships at the Detroit Zoo are $149 annually and include admission and parking for two named adults and 4 children. Residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties receive a $10 membership discount. The cost for a family of 4 for a single visit to the zoo is $110 (at the gate) – that means with simple two visits you’ll have more than paid for your membership.
GIVEAWAY: Detroit Zoo Membership 2026
Enter to win a family membership to the Detroit Zoo.
In addition to visiting animals from around the world, here are a few more reasons to plan a trip to the Detroit Zoo:
Polk Penguin Conservation Center
The Polk Penguin Conservation Center is a 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area offers breathtaking views of penguins behaving as they would in the wild. And the underwater gallery and two acrylic tunnels allows visitors an up-close look to watch penguins waddle, dive and swim under water.
Railroad & Carousel
You can’t go wrong with a train ride. Help those little legs along and start your Zoo Visit from the Africa Station and walk your way back to the entrance. The Tauber Family Railroad tickets are $3 per person for a one-way ride. Or make a stop at the beloved carousel for a ride on your favorite animal! Carousel ride tickets are $3 per person.
Playground Picnic
Grab your metro Detroit favorite – Buddy’s Pizza or Coney Corner (open seasonally) – from the concessions and enjoy a picnic at the playground. The Detroit Zoo has two play areas for kids, Rissman PlayVenture is a newer native play space that inspire kids to climb through a spider web, crawl through animal burrows and engage in imaginative play. Kids 5 to 12 will have fun running around the Korman Tadpole PlayVenture playground.
NEW FOR 2026: Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails
There’s no better reason to sign up for a family zoo membership than to explore the Erb Discovery Trails. Opening Memorial Weekend (Saturday, May 23rd), this permanent exhibit gives you an up close and hands-on animal encounter. But that’s not all, the seven-acre adventure also includes aerial climbing experiences and interactive spaces that create new ways to connect with animals and the natural world.
Special Events
Mark your calendars and start making plans to visit the Detroit Zoo for these special events:
