April 29, 2019
Cool Zoo and the Gator Run lazy river, Audubon Zoo’s popular water attractions, will open for the 2019 season on a weekends-only schedule beginning Saturday, May 4.
The water park will be open daily for the 2019 summer season beginning Saturday, May 25. Starting August 10, the water park will be returning to weekends-only through Labor Day, September 2, when the water park will close for the 2019 season.
Cool Zoo returns with all its visitor-favorite features: the alligator water slide, the spider monkey soaker, water-spitting snakes, and shady spots for grown ups. Back for its fifth year, the Gator Run lazy river offers Zoo visitors the option to cool down by floating atop an inner tube along a course that measures 750 feet in length. It also features two sand beaches and water cannons that can be used to shower visitors as they float by.
Gator Run includes showers, restrooms, lockers, outdoor seating, a private area for nursing mothers, and the Gator Bites’ concession stand with a menu of pizza and other food and beverage items.
Rafts are included in the admission price for Gator Run. Anyone under 48 inches will need a life jacket, which are supplied by Audubon Zoo.
Outside food and drinks are welcomed in Cool Zoo and Gator Run, but the size of coolers and ice chests cannot exceed 28 quarts. Glass containers and disposable straws and lids are not permitted for the safety of our animals. Audubon reserves the right to search coolers.
Regular admission to Cool Zoo, including Gator Run, is $10 for Audubon Nature Institute members and $12 for non-members, plus Audubon Zoo admission.
Non-members can take advantage of a discount. The Zoo + Cool Zoo Combo ticket is $29.95 for adults (13-64), $24.95 for children (2-12), and $26.95 for seniors (65+). Visitors can bring their own towels or purchase them at the Cool Shop.