The Beardsley Zoo located on 1875 Noble Ave. in Bridgeport is gearing up for summer fun. Below please find the rooster of fun events taking place at the Zoo in May and June, 2019.
May, 2019
May 4, International Firefighters’ Day
The Zoo thanks all firefighters for their exceptional courage and commitment. We’re offering free admission to all firefighters today, as well as police officers and emergency personnel. Show your badge or ID card at the ticket window.
May 12, Mother’s Day
Connecticut’s only Zoo wants to thank all mothers and grandmothers. Bring your mom or grandmother to the Zoo on Mother’s Day and her ticket is on us. Enjoy this special day by visiting animals and then having lunch together in the Peacock Pavilion. This year, we’re offering Mommy and Me treats, a beverage of your choice and a treat for one, two, or three children plus one adult, available for purchase at the Peacock Café.
May 14 & 15, Zoo Tots, 10:30 a.m.
This monthly 45-minute program for children ages 22 months to four years, who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, activities, crafts, and live animals. This session is entitled “Garden Critters,” and will focus on animals that like gardens. The cost is $10 for Zoo members and one child; $15 for non-members and one child. Participants may sign up for either day. To make a reservation, pre-register by calling the Zoo’s Education Department at 203-394-6563, or register by email: programming@beardsleyzoo.orgwith your name, child’s name and age, and membership status.
May 15, Evening Lecture Series, 7:00 pm; Gorongosa National Park—Back from the Brink!
The zoo’s evening lecture series engage audiences of all ages, especially lifelong learners. The resurrection of Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique is an amazing story of ecological restoration. Situated in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, Gorongosa’s dramatic landscape is also a biodiversity hotspot, an incredibly rich and important conservation area in southern Africa. Thanks to the generosity of the Carr Foundation, Gorongosa National Park is being developed and managed as a premier site for research and education, for the people who live in and around the park as well as the growing number of visitors that are discovering Gorongosa’s natural beautify and magic. In 2017, speaker Jim Serach had the opportunity to take a group of high school students there to study tropical ecology in the field, and to see firsthand a model of how to bring an African park back to life. $10 suggested donation. Refreshments provided. In the Zoo’s Hanson Building, 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport.
May 17, Endangered Species Day
Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions they can take to help protect them.
May 24, AARP Fourth Fridays FREE, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
AARP CT’s Fourth Fridays FREE at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is back! AARP CT will provide members with free admission to the Zoo on fourth Fridays May through September (May 24, June 28, July 26, Aug. 23, Sept. 27). Join us as many times as you like, but please be sure to register at http://www.beardsleyzoo.org/aarp/. AARP members may purchase admission for up to three guests at a 15 percent discount off regular admission prices.
May 25, 26, 27, Family Favorite Chris Rowlands Live 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm
Chris is famous for getting everyone involved through singing and dancing—even bringing kids up on stage with him! Rowlands brings animals to life through kid-friendly songs, dance, puppets, and colorful props. Children are invited to wear fun hats and sing along on stage as he shares his self-penned songs about animals and their environment. Free with paid admission to the Zoo. Shown at 11 am, 1 and 3 pm. daily. Each performance is 30-35 minutes long.
May 27, Memorial Day
All active service members and veterans get in free, and their families get 20% off the price of tickets.
June, 2019
June 1, Wild Wine Safari
Zoo closes at 3 p.m. Join us for a fabulous night of great fare from local vendors and tastings of 100 different wines and more than 60 different beers from around the world and close to home.
Zoo Tots, June 11-12, 10:30 a.m.
This monthly 45-minute program, for children 22 months to four years who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, crafts, and a live animal presentation. This session is “Some Like It Hot,” where we learn about how animals handle a variety of temperatures. $10 for Zoo members and one child; $15 for non-members and one child.Participants may sign up for either day. To reserve a space in the program, pre-register by calling the Zoo’s Education Department at 203-394-6563, or register by email: programming@beardsleyzoo.orgwith name, child’s name and age, and membership status.
June 16, Father’s Day
Dads and Granddads get in free with one paying guest. Cannot be combined with other offers.
June 19, Evening Lecture Series, 7:00 pm; Action for Cheetahs in Kenya
The zoo’s evening lecture series engage audiences of all ages, especially lifelong learners, who have an appetite for delving deeper into the wonders of wildlife.Sarah Omusula will highlight the amazing work Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) is doing to save wild cheetahs. Learns about the use of scat detection dogs, how ACK is working to mitigate human/wildlife conflicts, and about their unique education and outreach programs, ACK is a non-profit organization under the Carnivores Livelihoods and Landscapes Program whose mission is to promote the conservation of cheetahs through research, awareness and community participation in Kenya. $10 suggested donation. Refreshments will be served. Location: The Zoo’s Hanson Building, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport.
June 28, AARP Fourth Fridays FREE; 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
If you’re an AARP cardholder, show your card or invitation and you get free admission to the Zoo! Up to three additional guests will receive a 15% discount off regular admission prices.
About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
Let your curiosity run wild! Connecticut’s only zoo, celebrating its 97thyear, features 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Guests won’t want to miss our Amur tigers and leopards, Brazilian ocelot, Mexican and red wolves, and Golden Lion tamarin. Other highlights include our Natt Family Red Panda Habitat, South American rainforest with free-flight aviary, the prairie dog exhibit with “pop-up” viewing areas, and the Pampas Plain, with Giant anteaters, maned wolf family, and Chacoan peccaries. Guests can grab a bite at the Peacock Café, eat in the Picnic Grove, and enjoy a ride on our colorful, indoor carousel. For more information, visit beardsleyzoo.org.
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