2026 Zoo Camp - Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

A Summer of Learning!

Member registration opens February 17, 2026
General registration opens February 23, 2026

Please note that camp registration will use a waiting room system.

Spend a week this summer exploring some of the most amazing creatures on the planet through fun-filled, educational Zoo Camp programs! The week will be packed with animal encounters, exclusive tours, exciting classroom lessons and other fun activities. Program themes are designed to be fun and engaging for each group. Classes are conducted by experienced teachers and college students, each of whom are current with the following clearances: PA State Police Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse History (Childline) and FBI Criminal Background Check.

Full-day campers are responsible for bringing their own lunches or pre-ordering boxed lunches Monday-Thursday. A pizza lunch is provided by the Zoo on Friday.

The Zoo cannot be responsible for, or dispense, any medications to campers. Campers should only register for one full week of each topic available to their age group. 8- & 9-year-old campers may attend one week of Families Untamed and/or one week of Bio Builders. 10- & 11-year-old campers may attend one week of Creating Wild Spaces and/or one week of Be a Marine Scientist. 12-& 14-year-old campers may attend one week of Photos for Conservation and/or one week of Veterinary Camp.

For your convenience, we offer an extended care program available before and after Zoo Camp on select weeks: June 15-19, July 6-10, and August 3-7. Morning Extended Care is available only for both half and full day camps from 7:45-9am. Afternoon Extended care is available only for full day camps from 4-5:15 p.m. There is a $50 fee for each Monday-Friday a.m. or p.m. session. When registering online you may sign up and pay for your extended care session(s). Space is limited!

Member Registration Begins February 17, 2026

Half-Day Sessions:

Drop off: 9-9:15 a.m.

Pick up: Noon

Fee: Members $215, Non-members $245

Full-Day Sessions:

Drop off: 9-9:15 a.m.

Pick up: 4 p.m.

Fee: Members $349, Non-members $390

Zoo Camp Policies

This year we’re offering the Campership program once again, making Zoo Camp more accessible to campers who otherwise could not afford to attend. This camp scholarship will cover the cost of camp registration, before and after camp care, a $50 transportation stipend for the camper’s legal guardian, and daily lunch for eligible campers. Applications are accepted from December 15, 2025, through February 1, 2026.

This Program is Proudly Supported By

Campership Application

Zoo Camp

Jun 8

thru

Aug 14

Zoo Camp Registration FAQ

How does the Waiting Room work on camp registration day?expand_more

When camp sales open, everyone who arrived early is placed into a Queue. The system then lets people into the purchase flow gradually per minute to keep things running smoothly. Once you enter the purchase flow, you’ll have 10 minutes of active time, which refreshes as you click through the steps until your order is complete. If your internet blips or your browser closes briefly, you usually have a small grace period to re-enter without losing your spot. When your active time ends, the next person in line is allowed in.

Why am I waiting even though I joined right on time?expand_more

The waiting room gradually lets people register to prevent the system from overloading, so everyone gets a fair and stable checkout experience.

Can more than one person try to register my child at the same time?expand_more

No.

Only one person should register a child on one device using one browser from start to finish. If two people try to register the same child at the same time=whether on different devices or browsers-the system detects this and blocks the registration. This is called a duplicate registrant error.

What is a “duplicate registrant” error?expand_more

This error appears when the same child is being added to the same camp session from more than one browser/device at once.
To fix it:

Close all browsers on all devices being used.
Wait 10–15 minutes for the system’s “hold” to expire.
Try again using only one device and continue all the way through checkout without stopping.

What if I run out of time during checkout?expand_more

Each person has a 10‑minute active session. If you get distracted or stop clicking, that session can expire. If it does, you may need to re-enter the Waiting Room and get a new spot in line.

To avoid this, stay focused and complete your order in one continuous flow. The 10-minute active session is refreshed when clicking throughout the order flow until their order is placed

Can I register multiple children in one session?expand_more

Yes-as long as each child is different. You can add multiple children to the same camp or multiple camps in one order. The only rule is that a child cannot be registered more than once for the same camp session.

Should I purchase a membership first if I want member pricing?expand_more

Yes, and it’s highly recommended to purchase or renew memberships a few days before camp registration opens.

This helps because:

It shortens checkout time during the high‑demand launch

It avoids issues where membership discounts might not apply if you are buying a new membership in the same cart as the camp registration

Why does the Waiting Room stay active all day?expand_more

To protect the system during periods of high demand. If too many people arrive at once, even later in the day the system will automatically place users in the Waiting Room again to keep things running smoothly.