2024 – Public VIP Elephant Tour
Tour Details
Tour Dates: March 23, April 13, May 11, June 22, September 21, October 19
Tour Time and Meeting Place: 1:15 p.m. Guests gather at the Stedman Education Center to board a bus that will transport them to the Elephant Barn. The Stedman Education Building is the two-story, glass and concrete building facing Lot D in the North American parking area.
Minimum Age: 12 years old – Children younger than 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Tour Overview: This tour usually ends around 2:30 p.m. A private bus transports guests from the Stedman Education Center to the off-habitat elephant barn to meet with zookeepers to see how they train and manage the elephants. Guests also tour the elephant barn and usually visit a non-public viewing area behind one of the elephant habitats.
ADA RESTRICTIONS: Public VIP Elephant Tours are not accessible to guests using wheelchairs or electric scooters or with mobility issues that prevent them from climbing a steep, uneven staircase and walking several hundred feet over an uneven pathway.
For Guests with Mobility Issues: We can modify a Private Elephant Tour to accommodate guests with mobility issues that require them to use a wheelchair or motorized scooter or prevent them from climbing a steep staircase and negotiating an uneven and somewhat long pathway. This modified tour is offered as a Private Tour only and does not include the full range of experiences provided in the VIP Public tour. To view options for reserving a private elephant tour, click here.
Important Health and Safety Restrictions
Safety Note: To accommodate the needs of our guests and staff, we limit the number of people attending this tour to 16.
Guests may not approach or try to touch any of the Zoo’s elephants and must remain at least 6 feet away from them at all times. Elephants can be dangerous animals, and guests are required to follow all safety instructions issued by the animal keepers or tour guides.
Current Health Requirements: Guests are not currently required to wear masks or gloves to participate in this tour. However, the Zoo may implement additional health measures (e.g., requiring guests to wear gloves) if new or more serious medical hazards emerge to threaten the well-being of our animals, guests, or staff.
If we change the medical restrictions noted on the tour after selling tickets to the program, we will email ticketholders about these changes and will also report them in the following paragraph. Ticketholders who cannot accommodate these introduced changes can receive a full refund for their tour purchase or, if they prefer, may sign up for an alternate tour with acceptable health restrictions.
Original Health Requirements Are Unchanged: The Zoo Society has not adjusted any health requirements since first posting information on this tour.
