November 11th is the day where we celebrate Veterans Day. honoring all vets and military personnel who have put their lives on the line to protect us and our freedoms as Americans. As many freebies and deals take place on those days for those who hold or held a title, the Utica Zoo is offering something close to home.

The Zoo will be offering free admission to Veterans and military members on Wednesday, November 11th. The Zoo is proud to offer this promotion as a "gesture of gratitude towards the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country."

Visitor Experience and Marketing Manager Mark Simon said, “We are proud to offer free admission to our Veterans and military members for the Veteran’s Day holiday. Our servicemen and servicewomen have given so much to defend and serve our country, and being able to say thank you in this small way is what we knew we needed to do.”

On top of offering free admission, the zoo is also hosting a special "Reptile Rendezvous" the same day that is included with entry.

The Utica Zoo is open all winter long from 10am-4pm with a large portion of their animals in their habitats throughout the winter.

Support the Utica Zoo

Being hit hard by the pandemic, the zoo was forced to close for 107 days, and then, even when it zoo was allowed to re-open, capacity limitations forced the zoo to keep attendance to 33% of capacity, or around 500 people per day. Andria Heath, the zoo's Executive Director, tells the Observer-Dispatch these challenges have led to a $1 million shortfall in their $2.2 million budget.

If you'd like to support the zoo, donate to their emergency fund. It is earmarked specifically to continue to provide the Zoo's more than 200 animals with everything they need; food, supplements, enrichment, veterinary attention, and more.