Woo at the Zoo: Mating, Dating & Copulating
Saturday, Feb. 11 / 6:00 PM / Tickets: $35Romance can be wild in the animal world, and we’re here for it. Join the zoo team for an evening of shocking animal facts – and big laughs!
- This event is intended for guests 18+.
- Light appetizers and NA drinks included. Beer and wine-based beverages are available for purchase (21+).
- Proceeds benefit conservation programs.
- Prizes and support from local partners!
Purchase Ticket
Egg-stravaganza
April 8 / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM / Tickets: $5 (Members)Join us for plenty of egg-themed facts & fun, animals, story times, and so much more!
- Special event admission pricing is in effect.
- Event admission is included for individuals named on Gold & Monarch level memberships!
- Standard Member tickets are $5 online or $7 walkup.
Standard Member Tickets
Non-Member Tickets
Egg Hunts Sponsored by Canaries Community Fund
- 10 AM - 1 PM: Egg bio facts and craft
- 10:15 AM: Animal Story in Classroom
- 11 AM: Egg Hunt (Ages 4 and under)
- 11:30 AM: Egg Hunt (Ages 5+)
- 11:30 AM: Creature Feature in Lobby
- 12:30 PM: Animal Story in Classroom
- 1 PM: Creature Feature in Lobby
Party for the Planet
April 22 / 10:00 AM - 12:00 PMWe’re cleaning up the Big Sioux River, in conjunction with the city-wide cleanup! Choose to clean up at the Butterfly House & Aquarium (BHA) or Great Plains Zoo (GPZ) and help make a positive impact on our environment.
As a bonus, you'll get to meet some amazing animals, whose wild counterparts are directly impacted by river cleanups. PLUS, the first 200 people to join us will receive a take-home cleanup kit, so you can continue to beautify your environment all year!
At GPZ, you’ll check in at the front gate to get your supplies and bracelet. Once you’re done with the cleanup, visit our train station to turn in your trash bag and get your cleanup kit. At Sertoma Park, you’ll check in at the picnic shelter and join the city cleanup. Be sure to stop by at BHA afterward to visit the animals and grab your take-home cleanup kit.
Children 12 and under must be supervised by an adult. Let's make a difference together and show our love for the planet!
Rhinopalooza
Saturday, May 6Your Great Plains Zoo believes an "all hands on deck" approach is needed to help save the critically endangered black rhino. One of the flagship animals of the Great Plains Zoo, the black rhino is critically endangered, with only approximately 3,000 mature adults left in the wild.
This year, we renewed our commitment to the species with a new partnership with Conservation Biologist Dr. Jeff Muntifering in Namibia. To help us continue to raise awareness of this important species, we invite you to join us for Rhinopalooza on Saturday, May 6.
- Rhino watermelon-eating contest
- Rhino training demonstration
- Black rhino Zookeeper chats
- Rhino browse feeding
- More to come!
We hope our three black rhinos (Jubba, Imara, and Komati) will inspire you to join us and take action to protect Black Rhinos in the wild!
Zippity Zoo Day
June 24 / 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM / Tickets: $5 (Members)Come one, come all... to Zippity Zoo Day!
It all kicks off Saturday, June 24 at 9 AM. The event ends at 4 PM (last event admission is 3 PM). Special event pricing is in effect – only $5 for zoo members!
Check back for 2023 details.
Flutterfest
Saturday, June 10As your GPZoo continues to focus on pollinator education and conservation, we wanted to introduce an educational event focused on pollinators, and specifically the butterfly. Join us for this event (cost included in admission) to learn a little more about the conservation program for the Dakota skipper butterfly at your GPZoo, and how YOU can help save pollinators in the wild!
ZooBoo
October 27 - 29Sensory Sunday
Your Great Plains Zoo works to be an inclusive place of fun, education, and discovery! This year we have added an additional hour to ZooBoo to allow those with sensory processing issues to experience the event. During this time, the capacity allowed will be low. We ask that you please not reserve a ticket for this time if you don't require it to allow others that do to have a ZooBoo experience to last a lifetime!
ZooBoo tickets are valid for the day of purchase only. Each ticket grants entrance for one individual on the night purchased. ZooBoo is held rain, snow, or shine and is completely outdoors – so be sure to dress for the weather. No refunds will be given.
Costume Guidelines
While we want everyone to have a fun experience and feel free to express themselves, we value safety and offer a family-friendly environment for all. Please read our guidelines below:
- No inflatable costumes. (They can agitate animals.)
- Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be offensive or violent in nature.
- Costumes may not contain any sharp or jutting objects that could harm other guests.
- Adults may wear costumes but we ask that they be family-friendly.
- The Zoo reserves the right to ask adults to remove costume masks.
Did you know that all candy distributed at ZooBoo 2023 is palm oil sustainable?
Palm oil, which is grown in tropical rainforests, is an ingredient in many types of candy. The uncontrolled clearing of rainforests for palm oil plantations has led to the widespread loss of habitats for endangered species, including Orangutans and Siamang Gibbons.
Do your part to preserve wildlife by purchasing candy that is palm oil free, or made with sustainable palm oil. View our handy candy guide here.
Every year, the Great Plains Zoo thrills kids and adults alike with ZooBoo, a Halloween extravaganza! With plenty of spooktacular fun to be had, there's something for everyone.
- Exploration of the entire Great Plains Zoo campus, with free-flowing movement!
- A trick-or-treat experience at the Zoo!
- Hundreds of painted and carved pumpkins!
- ‘Sensory Sunday’ exclusively from 9-10 AM for those with sensory needs!
- Animals are on exhibit Saturday and Sunday!
Admission included with Monarch and Gold memberships. No ticket required, as long as everyone is named on your membership. Bring your membership card directly to the quick scan line.
Buy tickets in the ADMISSIONS PORTAL.
Santa at the Zoo
December 9 / 10:00 AM - 2:00 PMVisit Santa Claus - and your favorite animals - at the zoo!
Join us 10 am - 2 pm on Saturday, December 9.
Santa visits are included with zoo admission or your membership.
Actors from The Premiere Playhouse will perform selections from A Christmas Carol.
Get a S'mores for Snow Leopards kit and toast your marshmallows at one of our Plaza fire pits!
Meet amazing, adorable ambassador animals - and more!
Included with zoo admission! (FREE to members!)
Open all year, the zoo is the perfect place for a peaceful winter stroll - with surprises around every corner!
Santa at the Zoo
Saturday, November 25November 25 | 1-4 pm
1-4 pm - Crafts and coloring in the Education Center, Conservation table
1 pm - Creature Feature
2 pm - Grand unveiling
2:30 pm - Creature Feature
It’s a new Sioux Falls holiday weekend tradition! The Creative Creatures art show, curated by Untitled.10, brings the work of local artists out of the gallery and into the zoo!
2023's event will center on nine local artists creating original murals on the large, white wall in the zoo lobby. The murals will be inspired by animals living at the zoo, all of which are viewable all year.
Kids can stop in the Education Center and help color in their own "mural" - a banner that we'll save to help welcome African lions to the zoo in 2024.
Visit some incredible education animals during two Creature Features. Stop by the Conservation table to learn about the zoo's black-footed ferret field work, and learn how to spot these nocturnal creatures in the night!
Artists will be working on their murals on weekends during November, and the public is welcome to watch them work!
2023 artists include:
- Luke Latza
- Josh Lee
- Anastacia Pollack
- Kelsey Bageant
- Shelby Wright
- Kendal Schreier
- Sonia Perea Morales
- Victor Aislinn
- Ashes Avon Burtz
Zoofari
Date TBAStay tuned, more information is coming soon.
Wings & Waves Gala 2023
October 12The 11th Annual Wings & Waves Gala is an evening to celebrate the success of the Butterfly House & Aquarium (BHA) and Great Plains Zoo (GPZ) as we become stronger together!
About Wings & Waves 2023
At this year's Wings & Waves Gala, you'll learn more about what it means for the BHA and GPZ to be stronger together as the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium! Plus, you'll hear all about our plans to create a year-round destination for education, conservation, and discovery!
Funds raised will support the efforts to bring all the elements of land, sea, and sky to one campus and continue building connections with the natural world.
The Wings & Waves Gala provides an excellent opportunity to connect and network with business leaders, influential community member, plus staff and volunteers from the BHA and GPZ.
The evening will feature dinner, desserts, opportunities to bid on unique auction items and experiences, and a chance to engage with live animals from both the Butterfly House & Aquarium and Great Plains Zoo at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Sioux Falls.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Connect with Amanda Stidd-Klein at astidd-klein@gpzoo.org or by calling 605.367.8313 x 113.