The Virginia Zoo is pleased to announce its first Sensory Friendly Morning will take place on Sunday, November 3rd from 9:30am-12:30pm. The Zoo is partnering with the Autism Society of Tidewater Virginia and Complete the Puzzle to provide guests of all abilities and needs, along with their families, the opportunity to visit the Zoo in a less overwhelming environment. Join us as we present all your favorite Zoo activities in a lower-stress environment. With access to animal ambassadors, activity carts, nature play program, and more, the whole family can enjoy this sensory-friend morning at the Zoo.
“We are excited to offer this opportunity to our community,” said Michelle Lewis, Curator of Education. “It is important that the Zoo and its programs are welcoming for people of all abilities. We are fortunate to have excellent partners who are helping to make this program a reality and something we hope to offer at regular intervals throughout the year moving forward.”
Due to limited capacity, timed tickets will be required for entry to the Zoo for this time and date. Individuals with an ADA-recognized disability and one companion can receive free admission upon request on the event day at the Front Gate. ADA admission is only redeemable at the ticket booth. All additional family and friends attending are requested to purchase and reserve your tickets ahead of time. This limited capacity will allow us to offer our standard programming in a calmer environment. In addition to limited capacity, we will be reducing lights and sounds. The Zoo train will not be running to limit sound; however, it will be available for viewing, touching, and photos. The train will resume standard operations post event at 12:30pm.
Tickets can be purchased online at: https://virginiazoo.org/event/sensory-friendly-morning/. This event will take place rain or shine. General Zoo Admission will resume at 12:30pm on this date.
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