The following info is available on the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Website.

Visitors who live at a Tacoma address will be admitted free on the Tacoma Resident Free Days listed below. Please bring proof of residency.

Free Admission is valid for daytime visits only. Not valid for special events.

The free day is offered as a thank you to Tacoma voters, who in 1999 approved a $35 million bond issue to pay for Zoo improvements. The money has funded several new additions to the zoo over the past decade, including Kids’ Zone and Animal Avenue, the Asian Forest Sanctuary, Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, animal hospital, new front gate, education center, gift shop and café.

In 2014, Tacoma voters approved the Neighborhood Parks & Zoo Improvements and Safety Upgrades Bond, which enables further improvement of the Zoo, including the replacement of the failing 51-year-old North Pacific Aquarium.

The Zoo also rewards Pierce County residents with discounted admission prices every day. That discount recognizes the support of Pierce County voters, who approved a sales tax in 2000 that contributes to Zoo operations.