If you go
› What: BOGO admission days (free child’s admission with paying adult)› When: Jan. 2-31 (open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except New Year’s Day)› Where: Chattanooga Zoo, 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave› Admission: $8.95 adults, $6.95 seniors 65+, $5.95 children 3-12› Phone: 423-697-1322› Website: www.chattzoo.org
Chattanooga Zoo will be closed on New Year’s Day, but starting Saturday, Jan. 2, visitors can take advantage of BOGO admission deals for the rest of the month.
The BOGO offer grants one free child admission (regularly $5.95) with each adult paying regular price ($8.95). The deal cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.
Zoo officials say the offer is a chance for guests to enjoy a day at the zoo with fewer crowds than in the summertime and observe the animals’ behavior in a different climate.
Many of the animals tend to be more interactive and sociable during colder weather, zookeepers say. Some, such as snow leopards and red pandas, originate from colder climates and thus prefer the brisk winter air to hot summer days. In the winter, many of the animals can be found in outdoor exhibits frolicking and playing and paying more attention to people passing by.
“In the spring and summer, with thousands of guests coming to visit each day, the animals tend to ignore visitors, but in the winter, the occasional visitors become more of a novelty and the animals seem much more animated,” says CEO and President Dardenelle Long.
The zoo offers daily keeper chats for visitors, and special events are offered throughout the month. These include Zooper Hero Day on Saturday, Jan. 9, and Snow Leopard Appreciation Weekend on Jan 23-24. All activities for both events are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are included in regular admission; the BOGO deal does apply.