Last Splash of Summer at Audubon's Cool Zoo
The long holiday weekend is also the last chance for guests to enjoy the coolest place to beat the heat in New Orleans. Audubon Zoo’s Cool Zoo and Gator Run lazy river close for the season after Labor Day.
This weekend, there are two sessions each day for guests to enjoy Cool Zoo: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. At 1:00 p.m. each day, Cool Zoo will briefly close to allow Audubon staff time to clean all shared equipment and surfaces. Cool Zoo WILL be open on Labor Day but closes at 5:00 p.m. for the rest of the year.
“Cool Zoo is fun for all ages – little ones enjoy the splash pad and guests of all ages can cool off in the Gator Run lazy river,” said Audubon’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Uptown Facilities Daine Appleberry. “Cool Zoo is a fun way to cool down on these hot summer days, and also have fun exploring the Zoo.”
Cool Zoo tickets can be purchased online and at the Zoo front gate. Tickets for Audubon Nature Institute members are $10. Guests who are not members can purchase their Cool Zoo ticket along with admission to the Zoo for $38. For more details about the last weekend of the 2024 Cool Zoo season, to purchase tickets or reserve a cabana for your session, visit https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/cool-zoo.
Cool Zoo includes visitor favorites: the Gator Run lazy river, offering visitors the option to cool down while floating atop an inner tube along a 750-foot-long course that is three-feet deep and 10-feet wide, the alligator water slide, the spider monkey soaker, water-spitting snakes, and shady spots to relax.
Cool Zoo also features two sand beaches and water cannons that can be used to shower visitors as they float by on Gator Run rafts. Use of rafts is included in the admission price. Anyone under 48 inches will need a life jacket supplied by Audubon Zoo. Cool Zoo also includes amenities, including showers, restrooms, lockers, outdoor seating, a private area for nursing mothers, and the "Gator Bites'' concession stand, serving a menu of pizza and other food and beverage items.
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.