Buzz
Exploring your nearby zoo offers a fantastic opportunity to encounter and admire a diverse range of animals. However, it can often feel like you're merely observing from a distance, separated by barriers like glass or fences, rather than truly engaging with those playful monkeys, majestic lions, or graceful dolphins. Fortunately, many zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks have introduced exciting and secure methods for visitors to interact closely with their most fascinating inhabitants. If you want your next zoo visit to be unforgettable, why not dive into one of these immersive zoo adventures—sometimes quite literally?
1. Adventure Aquarium – Camden, New Jersey
Adventure Aquarium Facebook
While many people enjoy swimming with dolphins (and we’ll certainly share where you can do that), far fewer are brave enough to venture into the depths with sharks. At the aptly named Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey, visitors can take part in a one-of-a-kind experience: swimming and snorkeling alongside sharks. Following a training session (thankfully provided), you can dive into a submerged channel at the Shark Realm exhibit, featuring openings that let you peek into the tank—where sandbar sharks, nurse sharks, and others might swim by if they choose. After your shark encounter, head over to the Stingray Lagoon to swim with and feed the stingrays. Once you’ve emerged from the shark-filled waters, explore the rest of the aquarium and proudly display your souvenir t-shirt, snorkel, and mask, all included in the $175 admission fee.
2. Lowry Park Zoo – Tampa, Florida
Lowry Park Zoo Facebook
While many zoos provide special feeding experiences, Florida’s Lowry Park Zoo stands out by offering the chance to feed white rhinos. Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, visitors can assist in feeding these magnificent creatures—a rare opportunity that only a handful of zoos provide. If rhinos aren’t your favorite, you can also feed giraffes at Lowry Park—or better yet, why not enjoy both experiences?
3. The Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park – Wynnewood, Oklahoma
GW Zoo
True to its name, Oklahoma’s Garold Wayne
4. Adelaide Zoo – Adelaide, Australia
ThinkStock
Australia’s Adelaide Zoo provides not one, but two unique interactive experiences. The first is the Big Cat Interactive, which changes daily based on the animals’ moods and availability. Activities might include feeding lions or getting close to Sumatran tigers. The second experience involves spending time with the zoo’s Nile hippo pair, Susie and Brutus. For $90 per person (less than the $145 Big Cat experience), you can assist a zookeeper with their daily mouth check and help distribute tasty hippo treats (just don’t eat them yourself!).
5. San Diego Zoo – San Diego, California
San Diego Zoo Facebook
The San Diego Zoo provides a variety of “special experiences,” such as the 90-minute “Backstage Pass” (priced at $99 per person). This exclusive pass grants you the opportunity to touch, assist in training, and get intimately close to many of the zoo’s animals. Popular options include meeting a cheetah (and snapping a photo with your new striped friend), touching rhinos, and feeding several other zoo inhabitants.
6. Indianapolis Zoo – Indianapolis, Indiana
ThinkStock
If sharks aren’t your thing, the Indianapolis Zoo offers a gentler alternative with their Dolphin In-Water Adventure. Following a classroom training session, you’ll spend 35 minutes wading in the dolphin pool, where you can assist in feeding the dolphins and practicing their sign language. While the nonmember ticket price is $225 per person, the experience—and your souvenir towel—make it unforgettable.
7. Cincinnati Zoo – Cincinnati, Ohio
ThinkStock
The Cincinnati Zoo boasts a variety of unique experiences, from interacting with red pandas and camels to feeding giraffes and participating in their Junior Zookeeper program (which heavily features baby animals). Their Elephant Extravaganza is particularly special, offering a chance to meet the zoo’s four elephants. Highlights include watching My-Thai paint a picture and helping give her a bubble bath. Priced at $500 per couple, a portion of the proceeds supports elephant conservation in the wild.
8. Houston Zoo – Houston, Texas
ThinkStock
Giraffes are generally quite welcoming when it comes to accepting snacks from strangers, and the Houston Zoo’s Masai giraffe family is no exception. The zoo provides twice-daily feeding opportunities for just $5 per person (after all, lettuce isn’t free), though availability depends on both “weather and giraffe participation.”
9. Detroit Zoo – Detroit, Michigan
ThinkStock
The Detroit Zoo earns extra points for its creative experience names—like Breakfast with the Butterflies!—but the standout is their Mingle with the Macaronis program, which lets visitors interact with penguins in their natural habitat. For approximately an hour, you can learn about Macaroni, Rockhopper, and King penguins, feed them, and observe their playful behavior. Still not convinced? You can bring an entire group for $600, which even includes access to their incubation and nursery area.
10. National Zoo – Canberra, Australia
ThinkStock
Australia’s National Zoo in Canberra offers an engaging experience called “Meet a Cheetah”, where visitors can interact with these famously swift big cats. Known for being the “friendliest” of their kind, the cheetahs welcome up to two guests (alongside a zookeeper) during each exclusive 15-minute session. Participants (or “meetahs”) can pet and play with these speed champions. The $175 per person fee also grants full-day access to the zoo, so after your cheetah encounter, you can explore the rest of the exhibits—perhaps even visit the penguins.
11. ZSL London Zoo – London, England
ZSL Facebook
For an unforgettable experience, the London Zoo’s Keeper for a Day program is unmatched. Spend an entire day alongside a friendly zookeeper, enjoying the highlights (meeting giraffes, penguins, and more!), the not-so-bad (because honestly, there’s nothing bad here), and the slightly messy (yes, you’ll help with cleaning). While it’s one of the pricier interactive options at around £280 per person, it’s undoubtedly one of the most rewarding.
