Are you ready for an adventure? Spend the night in the Alaska Zoo Gateway Hall and take a night tour on zoo grounds! Program topics include nocturnal animals, habitats, animal care, constellations and space/sky science including night sky watching as weather allows. Participants sleep in tents indoors with access to a kitchen and bathrooms. The room has security lights and locked doors. The tents will sleep 3-4 girls each. Supper and breakfast are provided. This overnight program is one of the most popular winter programs at the zoo!

There are two options: Regular Zoo Snooze and Zoo Lights Snooze. They are priced differently. All Zoo Snoozes start Fridays at 6pm and end Saturdays at 9am.

2026 Dates (Regular Zoo Snooze)

• November 6th-7th
• November 13th-14th
• November 20th-21st

2027 Dates (Zoo Lights Snooze)

• January 15th-16th
• January 22nd-23rd
• January 29th-30th
• February 5th-6th
• February 19th-20th
• February 26th-27th

2027 Date (Regular Zoo Snooze)

• March 5th-6th

Prices: You pay a $500 deposit through online registration which is applied toward your total due on the evening of your program.

• Regular Zoo Snooze: $70/child, $20/adult.
• Zoo Lights Snooze (January, February): $80/child, $25/adult.
• No refunds for deposits or Zoo Snooze.

How to Pay:

• Pay the $500 deposit online to secure your date.
• No refunds for deposits, so please be sure your plans are set before you make a deposit.
• Minimum 15 kids plus chaperones 1:5 required. If your group falls below this, you are still required to pay this minimum (totals are $1,050 for regular snooze, $1,200 for lights snooze).
• 40 people is maximum group size. You are allowed to share your snooze with another group. The total group size must be 40 or fewer.
• Your final balance due will be dependent on your group size, with the total minus $500 being owed in-person on the program date when you arrive.
• Group leaders arrive at 5:45pm to make final payment with a zoo educator at the entrance.
• All other attendees wait in their cars.
• We do not offer a zoo member discount for this program.

This program is ideal for scouts and other similar organized groups. We can also schedule Zoo Snooze for school groups! Reservations are for one group per date or several groups if leaders are known to each other previously and from the same organization. Group adults must supervise youth at all times, including staying in the Gateway Hall overnight. Ratio of 1:5 must be maintained at all times. Leaders will be responsible for ensuring that parents pick up promptly at 9am and must remain with all children until pick-ups are complete. Zoo staff will not remain to supervise children.

Zoo Snooze includes pizza for supper, a continental breakfast and tea/coffee provided in the kitchen - all provided by zoo staff. If you have allergy concerns in your group, please inform staff ahead of time. You are welcome to bring snacks and you will have access to a full kitchen with a microwave and a coffee pot with carafes (no Keurig on site). Any messy food or drink items must be kept on the kitchen island to protect the carpet and wood flooring. Groups are welcome to bring larger bowls for popcorn.

Things to bring and know for your group:

• Full winter gear and footwear for time outdoors in the evening.
• Sleeping gear (bag, pillow, pad).
• Flashlight, camera.
• Water bottle.
• Toothbrush/paste and any other hygiene items needed.
• Medications should be controlled by group leaders.
• A bag large enough to contain smaller items (stuffies, sleeping aids, etc).
• No noise makers or night lights due to group sleeping in a common space.
• Dim safety lights will be on all night to illuminate the room.
• Restrooms are adjacent to the Gateway Hall space.
• Zoo staff have tents to set up. If you have different plans or gear, let us know ahead of time.
• Group leaders must be responsible for all devices and chargers. The zoo will not replace broken or missing items.
• Group leaders need to monitor content on devices to ensure that it is appropriate for a group setting.

Contact [email protected] for questions or more information. We will reach out in advance to ensure that details and questions are covered.