Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Name

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Legal name

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society

Website

https://cmzoo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase timed entry tickets to access the zoo grounds and exhibits. Advance tickets are required for both members and non-members.
2. Memberships: Annual membership subscriptions providing unlimited zoo access with advance ticket reservations. Memberships are non-refundable after purchase and can pay for themselves in as few as three visits.
3. Animal Experiences and Encounters: Paid experiences including giraffe feeding, elephant hydration, rhino snack time, reptile art, and ZOOMobile outreach programs.
4. Retail (Gift Shop): On-site gift shop operated with retail partners SSA selling zoo merchandise.
5. Food and Beverage: On-site Longneck Cafe and catering services for events.
6. Special Events: Ticketed events including Electric Safari holiday lights, Tails Tunes & Tastes adults-only evenings, Moonlight on the Mountain, and Boo at the Zoo.
7. ZOOMobile Programs: Community outreach programs bringing animals to schools, events, and groups for educational experiences.
8. Donations: Visitor donations supporting animal care, education, and conservation efforts. Every visit contributes 75 cents to conservation programs through Quarters for Conservation.
9. Member Conservation Grants: Annual member conservation fund where members vote on distribution of $75,000 to conservation projects worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo operates a mountainside zoological park in Colorado Springs where visitors view and interact with animals through paid exhibits, feedings, and up-close encounters. The zoo funds its animal care, education, and conservation mission through admission tickets, annual memberships, on-site retail and food sales, special ticketed events, and donations (including Quarters for Conservation).

Product overview

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo operates as a single unified attraction with multiple interconnected services and programs. The core product is the zoo itself, which offers animal exhibits, visitor experiences, and educational programs. Supporting services include ZOOMobile (community outreach bringing animals to external events), EdVenture Programs (educational camps and excursions), Quarters for Conservation (fundraising allocation program), Adopt an Animal (symbolic adoption), Membership program, and special events like Electric Safari and Run to the Shrine. The zoo also developed the PalmOil Scan mobile app for consumer advocacy. The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe is a major upcoming expansion opening in summer 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PalmOil Scan: A free global mobile app that helps consumers make sustainable palm oil choices to protect endangered animals in the wild.
• Longneck Café
• International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe
• ZOOMobile
• Quarters for Conservation (Q4C)
• EdVenture Programs

Products and services

• Daily Zoo Admission Tickets Timed-entry tickets purchased in advance that grant general public access to zoo grounds, animal exhibits, demonstrations, and guest experiences for the selected date.
• Annual Membership Annual subscription providing unlimited zoo visits with advance ticket reservations, member-only events, discounts, and voting rights on the $75,000 annual member conservation grant allocation.
• Animal Experiences and Feedings Paid interactive guest experiences including giraffe feeding ($3 per lettuce bundle), budgie feeding ($1 per seed stick), chicken feeding ($1), goat feeding ($1), elephant hydration ($10-$15), and rhino snack time ($10).
• Reptile Art Experience 30-minute guided art session where guests work with a skink to create a take-home canvas; $130.75 members / $180.75 non-members with up to 6 participants at $50.75 each, includes admission.
• ZOOMobile Outreach Programs Off-site community outreach bringing live animal ambassadors to schools, birthday parties, senior centers, and corporate events throughout the Pikes Peak region. Base fee $245.75 for a 45-minute presentation plus mileage-based travel fees.
• Special Events Ticketed annual events including Electric Safari holiday lights, Tails Tunes & Tastes adults-only evenings (21+), Boo at the Zoo, Moonlight on the Mountain, and Dog Days at the Zoo.
• EdVenture Educational Programs Educational programs including summer camps, school break programs, teen leadership programs, and EdVenture excursions that take guests into wild settings to experience wildlife.
• Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) Conservation fundraising program where 75 cents from each visitor admission is allocated via tokens to frontline conservation organizations. Has raised over $6 million since launching in 2008.
• Adopt an Animal Symbolic animal adoption program supporting zoo animal care with digital, traditional, gift package, and group adoption options.
• On-Site Food and Beverage On-site food and beverage service through Longneck Cafe plus catering services for special events.
• On-Site Gift Shop On-site retail store operated with partner SSA selling zoo-themed merchandise and souvenirs.
• Commercial Photography and Videography Permits Permits for commercial, professional, and personal photography and videography shoots on zoo grounds; commercial photography starts at $500, videography at $1,500, personal sessions $100 for two hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6 million raised for conservation since 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's Hospital ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Year-round partnership supporting various programs including Run to the Shrine fundraiser, primate care education initiatives, and community health programs. Partnership connects wildlife experiences with pediatric health messaging.
• Zoos VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2020CMZoo members voted to donate $20,000 to Zoos Victoria's Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund following Australian bushfires. Funds support long-term care for bushfire-impacted animals, supplementary feeding, and habitat restoration in conjunction with Australia Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
• Tsavo TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 December 2018Ongoing conservation partnership where $75,000 of funds raised annually through Elephant and Rhino Snack Times is donated to Tsavo Trust. The Trust works to protect elephants and rhinos in Africa from illegal poaching through anti-poaching efforts and aerial surveys.
• Denver Zoo Conservation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGiraffe conservation partnership supporting the Giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP) through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Includes temporary giraffe placements supporting genetic diversity and breeding programs.
• RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMZoo participates in RSPO initiatives including sustainable palm oil advocacy and producer-buyer engagement trips. Zoo's PalmOil Scan mobile app helps consumers make sustainable purchasing decisions.
• Conservation InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in sustainable palm oil supply chain initiatives, bringing North American buyers to engage with producers in Ecuadorian Amazon as part of efforts to build inclusive and resilient supply chains.
• SSA GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner operating the zoo's gift shop, providing merchandise and retail experience for visitors.
• iiCON ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for recent zoo improvements including new admissions plaza, gift shop, and Longneck Cafe.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oregon Zoo: Pacific Northwest AZA-accredited zoo with similar climate, conservation focus, and educational programming. Comparable in scale and audience mix, and competes for similar regional family visitation.
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: Mid-size AZA-accredited zoo known for conservation breeding programs, signature animal experiences, and a strong social/digital brand. Closely comparable operating model with premium encounters, donor-supported funding, and active SSP work.
• Audubon Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo operated within a larger nature institute, with a similar mix of animal encounters, education programs, and conservation fundraising. Comparable in scale and mission integration.
• Phoenix Zoo: AZA-accredited, privately operated nonprofit zoo in a similar Sun Belt climate with a comparable mix of paid experiences, memberships, and events. Strong conservation programs and direct-to-consumer ticketing model.
• Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Omaha): Top-ranked U.S. zoo and aquarium in Omaha, NE, with a strong conservation and research program and large-scale capital builds. Comparable in operating model and brand ambition, and a direct competitor in USA TODAY 10Best rankings.
• St. Louis Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo with a strong conservation and breeding track record, free general admission funded by a tax district, and extensive paid experiences. Comparable in scale, mission, and experience-based monetization strategy.
• Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance: Regional AZA-accredited zoological park in Denver, CO. Operates with a similar nonprofit model, conservation mission, and Species Survival Plan participation (including a formal giraffe SSP partnership with CMZoo). Most directly comparable peer in terms of size, climate, and mission.

Broad incumbents

• Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society): One of the largest and most influential U.S. zoos, operated by a multi-park conservation society. Larger in scale, broader in geographic footprint, and a global leader in field conservation, but a benchmark peer for mission alignment and brand.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Flagship U.S. zoo with the largest conservation research budget and a globally recognized brand. A scaled-up reference point for conservation credibility, membership model, and capital campaign execution.
• Smithsonian's National Zoo: Federally funded zoological park with deep conservation and SSP participation, including giant panda and endangered species breeding. Comparable in mission and AZA standing, structurally different on funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cheyennemtnzoo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CMZooCS
• Facebookfacebook.com/CMZoo
• Instagraminstagram.com/cheyennemountainzoo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheyenne-mountain-zoo

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cheyenne Mountain Zoo