Palm Beach Zoo

Name

Palm Beach Zoo

Legal name

Zoological Society of the Palm Beaches

Website

https://palmbeachzoo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit zoological park in West Palm Beach, Florida, operating a 23-acre AZA-accredited facility housing 350+ animals and offering admissions, memberships, animal encounters, and education programming to families, school groups, and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoological Park & Wildlife Conservation

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation
• Zoological park
• Animal experiences
• Conservation education
• Endangered species

Headquarters

HQ city

West Palm Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: The zoo sells day-time admission tickets to the general public. Ticket prices vary by day and time of year. The last ticket is sold at 4:15pm; the zoo is open 9am-5pm every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving.
2. Memberships: Annual memberships provide unlimited daytime admission for a full year along with member perks and discounts. Multiple membership levels are offered to accommodate individuals and families.
3. Animal Experiences: Fee-based behind-the-scenes and up-close animal encounters including Koala Experience, Tiger Experience, Panther Experience, Otter Experience, Flamingo Experience, Sloth Experience, Aldabra Tortoise Experience, and Bear Experience.
4. Special Events: Ticketed seasonal events including Zoo Lights (holiday light show with over one million LED lights), Boo at Zoo (Halloween event), Pumpkinpalooza, Wild Night Out, and Zoo Camp programs.
5. Food, Retail, and Merchandise: On-site food and beverage concessions (Tropics Cafe, food carts), a gift shop, and branded merchandise sales. The zoo also operates a carousel and train attractions.
6. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID#: 59-1259270), the zoo relies on donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and charitable foundations. Donors can contribute via the website, adopt an animal, or fund capital projects.
7. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors (e.g., Braman Motorcars, Florida Crystals, FPL) provide financial support in exchange for brand visibility at events, habitats, and programs. Sponsorships fund conservation initiatives and capital projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Palm Beach Zoo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit zoological park operating a 23-acre facility housing over 350 animals in West Palm Beach, Florida. It sells day-time admission tickets, annual memberships, fee-based behind-the-scenes animal experiences (Koala, Tiger, Panther, Otter, Flamingo, Sloth, Aldabra Tortoise, Bear), seasonal ticketed events (Zoo Lights, Boo at Zoo, Pumpkinpalooza, Wild Night Out), zoo camp, birthday party packages, and on-site food/retail, while running AZA Species Survival Plan breeding programs and field conservation projects.

Product overview

Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society operates as a single-location zoological park offering visitor admission to its 23-acre facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. The organization provides animal experiences (koala, tiger, panther, otter, flamingo, sloth, bear, and tortoise encounters), annual memberships, and hosts seasonal events including the popular Zoo Lights holiday spectacle. Additional offerings include adopt-an-animal donation programs, birthday party packages, zoo camp for children, and conservation education programs. The zoo maintains a diverse animal collection of over 350 animals and conducts global conservation efforts. Revenue is generated through admissions, memberships, donations, and special events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zoo Admission Tickets Daytime admission tickets to the 23-acre zoo for individual visitors and families. Sold at the gate and via tickets.palmbeachzoo.org with prices varying by day and time of year.
• Zoo Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Birth of three critically endangered Malayan tiger cubs in May 2020, contributing to the global SSP population of approximately 50 Malayan tigers
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Imvelo Safari LodgescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Palm Beach Zoo partnered with Imvelo Safari Lodges in Zimbabwe to treat Thuza, a male southern white rhino suffering from a life-threatening parasitic eye infection. Animal behaviorists from Palm Beach Zoo and Precision Behavior developed a desensitization training plan that allowed anti-poacher guards to administer eye drops within a week. The effort supports the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative's goal of reintroducing southern white rhinos to communal lands outside Hwange National Park.
• Precision BehaviorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Precision Behavior's animal behaviorists, partnering with Palm Beach Zoo, traveled to Zimbabwe to develop a desensitization training plan for treating Thuza, a wild white rhino with a parasitic eye infection. The behavioral training techniques were transferred to local anti-poacher guards within two weeks, saving the rhino's eyesight and supporting the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative.
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2023Palm Beach Zoo is AZA-accredited (seventh consecutive accreditation) and participates in AZA Species Survival Plan programs (SSPs) for endangered species including Malayan tigers, jaguars, koalas, siamangs, and African crested porcupines. AZA members collectively provided $208 million in field conservation across 115 countries in 2020 and support 500 SSPs for threatened and endangered species.
• Carlton Ward Jr. / Path of the PanthercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Palm Beach Zoo partners with National Geographic Explorer and photographer Carlton Ward Jr. on the Path of the Panther project, deploying high-resolution wildlife trail cameras across panther habitats. Zoo staff helps maintain the monitoring system throughout southern Florida and funds a wildlife research position. The project contributed footage to the Path of the Panther documentary.
• Braman MotorcarsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 October 2019Braman Motorcars Palm Beach and Jupiter provided a $25,000 sponsorship for the zoo's Malayan tiger project in October 2019. The sponsorship supports tiger conservation both at the zoo and in Malaysia. Tiger River and Tiger Falls habitats are sponsored by Braman Motorcars. Braman Motorcars also hosts Club Braman members at zoo events.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalm Beach Zoo's dive team was approached by NOAA three years prior to the article's publication to participate in coral reef surveys as part of the Florida Reef Resilience Program. The team surveys 4-5 reef sites per outing during peak thermal stress periods (8-10 week seasons) collecting data on coral bleaching and Stoney Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), shared with reef managers for adaptive management.
• FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalm Beach Zoo's dive team partnered with FWC in coral reef conservation surveys. The zoo also works with FWC on Florida panther rescue, having received Sassy the panther after her mother was killed by a car, and collaborates on panther corridor monitoring cameras as part of the Path of the Panther project.
• Florida Reef Resilience ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalm Beach Zoo is one of several dive teams (along with Keys Marine Lab, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, University of Miami, and others) collaborating on underwater coral reef conservation as part of the Florida Reef Resilience Program, surveying sites across Southern Florida.
• Florida Crystals CorporationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFlorida Crystals Corporation organized local Palm Beach County farmers (First Produce, Pero Family Farms, Pioneer Growers Co-op, TKM Bengard Farms, Roth Farms, Ray's Heritage, RC Hatton, NK Lago Farms) to donate fresh produce to the zoo's animals during COVID-19 closure, facilitating a supply chain of locally grown food for the zoo's commissary.
• ZDR3 (Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalm Beach Zoo team members were deployed via ZDR3 (the largest zoological disaster response organization in the US) to assist with Hurricane Ian recovery at The Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City, FL. The zoo also provided specialized animal food to The Lemur Conservation Foundation and Iguanaland in Punta Gorda, FL.
• SuffolkCaresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSuffolkCares served as the Presenting Sponsor of the 2020 Tropical Safari Gala, which raised a record-breaking $1.8 million for the zoo.
• Florida Power & Light (FPL)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFPL is the presenting sponsor of Zoo Lights (the holiday light event) through the FPL SolarNow program. FPL also provided a grant enabling solar panels at the Melvin J. and Claire Levine Animal Care Complex, making it the nation's first LEED Gold-certified zoo animal hospital.
• City of West Palm BeachcoreOthersThe City of West Palm Beach owns and rents the land on which the zoo sits. The zoo operates under a lease agreement with the city. The city also leases a Southern Boulevard building to the zoo for offsite business operations.
• Sea Turtle Care & Conservation SpecialistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2025, Sea Turtle Care & Conservation Specialists and Palm Beach Zoo partnered to provide critical care for sea turtle hatchlings and adults at the zoo's hospital, helping rehabilitate turtles affected by setbacks during their journey.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zoo Miami: Zoo Miami is an AZA-accredited zoological park in Miami-Dade County, Florida, offering comparable animal exhibits, conservation programs, and family admission-based experiences. It is a direct Florida-based peer to Palm Beach Zoo and the largest zoo in the region.
• Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens: Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens is a nonprofit AZA-affiliated zoological park in Sanford, Florida, offering comparable admissions, animal experiences, education programs, and conservation initiatives. It is a regional Florida zoo peer of similar scale and operating model.
• The Florida Aquarium: The Florida Aquarium is an AZA-accredited nonprofit aquarium in Tampa, Florida, offering comparable ticketed aquatic animal experiences, education programs, and seasonal events. Palm Beach Zoo's current COO, Casey A. Coy, previously served as VP of Operations and Dive Safety Officer at The Florida Aquarium, making it a closely comparable operational peer.
• ZooTampa at Lowry Park: ZooTampa is an AZA-accredited nonprofit zoo in Tampa, Florida, with a similar operating model including admissions, memberships, animal encounters, conservation programs, and seasonal events. The current Palm Beach Zoo COO previously served as VP of Operations at ZooTampa's predecessor, the Florida Aquarium, underscoring direct operational parallels.
• Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is an AZA-accredited nonprofit zoological park in Northeast Florida offering comparable admission-based wildlife experiences, gardens, SSP breeding programs, and education programming. It is a directly comparable Florida zoo peer.
• Brevard Zoo: Brevard Zoo is a nonprofit AZA-accredited zoo in Melbourne, Florida, offering a similar scale of animal exhibits, education programs, and community-focused operations. It is a mid-size Florida zoo with comparable conservation programming.
• Naples Zoo: Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is a nonprofit zoological garden in Naples, Florida, featuring comparable animal exhibits, boat tours, and family admission-based experiences on a similar scale. It serves as a regional peer in the Southwest Florida market.

Broad incumbents

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a large-scale theme park in Tampa, Florida, with significant animal exhibits and conservation programs alongside amusement rides. It competes for Florida family tourism dollars with Palm Beach Zoo but operates at a substantially larger scale.
• Disney's Animal Kingdom: Disney's Animal Kingdom is a much larger themed zoological park at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, combining amusement attractions with animal exhibits and conservation programs. It is a broad incumbent competitor for Florida wildlife tourism dollars, though it operates at a far larger scale and price point than Palm Beach Zoo.
• Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society): The Bronx Zoo is one of the largest AZA-accredited nonprofit zoos in the U.S. and a flagship member of the Wildlife Conservation Society. It offers a comparable mix of admissions, memberships, animal experiences, SSP conservation, and education programming, operating at a national rather than regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PalmBeachZoo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/palmbeachzoo/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/palmbeachzoo
• Instagraminstagram.com/palmbeachzoo/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/palmbeachzoo

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Palm Beach Zoo