El Paso Zoo

What El Paso Zoo does

The El Paso Zoo is a 35-acre municipal zoological park owned and operated by the City of El Paso, Texas, accredited to maintain and exhibit animal collections representing four geographic regions — Africa, Americas, Asia, and the Chihuahuan Desert. It opened in 1930 and currently houses species including Sumatran orangutans, Malayan tigers, African lions, giraffes, Galapagos tortoises, and Mexican wolves. The facility is funded by a combination of self-generated revenue (admissions, memberships, paid attractions, premium animal encounters, summer camps, and event venue rentals), private donations, and municipal allocations, with a $50 million Quality of Life Bond approved by voters in 2012 funding ongoing Master Plan capital improvements. The zoo holds 47 disclosed employees in the input record, though actual operations include broader seasonal, food service, and education staffing.

The business model is a multi-stream consumer-facing attraction platform. Primary revenue streams include tiered general admission ($8.95-$15.95), annual memberships ranging from $60 (Spider Monkey) to $160 (Penguin Pals) with unlimited admission, express entry, and concessions discounts, and a set of paid attractions (carousel $3, ropes course up to $8, splash pad). Premium "Close Encounters of the Wild Kind" animal experiences at $40 per person drive higher-margin per-visitor revenue, alongside school field trips at $5/student, offsite educational programs at $115-$150 per session, and private event venue rentals for up to 370 guests with in-house catering through the Taste of the Wild operation. Conservation donations and membership dues (100% directed to animal care) provide an additional recurring revenue dimension.

The technology stack is largely off-the-shelf: Doubleknot for online ticketing and membership management, govOS forms for reservation workflows, KultureCity for accessibility certification and visitor experience, and a Zoo Cams system streaming live animal webcams. Conservation partnerships include Lion Guardians (sponsoring a ranger in East Africa since 2017), the Species Survival Plan for radiated tortoise breeding, and the Orangutan Safe Program.

Name

El Paso Zoo

Legal name

City of El Paso (El Paso Zoo)

Website

https://elpasozoo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

El Paso Zoo is a 35-acre municipal zoo owned and operated by the City of El Paso, Texas, exhibiting animals from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Chihuahuan Desert. It serves individual/family visitors, schools, and private event clients through admissions, tiered memberships, premium animal encounters, educational programs, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoological Park and Wildlife Education

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE), Amusement Parks & Theme Parks (THAAAAAA), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Zoological park services
• Wildlife education programs
• Animal encounter experiences
• Family attraction admissions
• Conservation and outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

El Paso, Texas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Day passes sold to individual visitors with tiered pricing by age category. Admission fees range from free for children 23 months and under to $13.95-$15.95 for adult non-residents.
2. Memberships: Annual membership packages providing unlimited admission with various tiers from Spider Monkey ($60 single adult) to Penguin Pals ($160 family of 2 adults, 5 children, 2 guests). Includes member discounts on attractions, camps, and concessions.
3. Attractions: Revenue from paid attractions including Hunt Family Endangered Species Carousel ($3 non-member, $2.50 member), Copper Canyon Challenge Ropes Course ($8 Sky Trail, $5 Sky Tykes for non-members), and splash pad access.
4. Close Encounters Premium Experiences: Chargeable behind-the-scenes animal experiences priced at $40 per person including Pronghorn, Penguin, Rhino, and Galapagos Tortoise encounters. Zoo admission purchased separately.
5. Zoo Adventure Tours: Behind-the-scenes group tours at $25 per person plus entrance fees, with 1-hour duration and Ambassador animal encounters.
6. Offsite Educational Programs: Educational outreach to schools at $115 per program (up to 40 participants) or $150 per program (41-200+ participants), bringing animal ambassadors and curriculum to classrooms.
7. Field Trip Programs: Group school visits at $5 per student and $7.50 per chaperone with optional Zoo Adventure Curriculum Programs add-on at $3 per student.
8. Summer Zoo Camps: Summer camp program Beauty and Beasts for children ages 6-10 running June 1 - July 31, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm with animal encounters and conservation education.
9. Event Venue Rental and Catering: Private event hosting in venues including Event Pavilion (up to 320-370 guests), Cocktail Area, and Asia Waterfall area (up to 200 guests). Catering provided by Taste of the Wild with executive chef on staff.
10. Food and Retail: On-site dining through Mesa 915, Char restaurant, Beastro Kiosk, Passport Cafe, and Grasslands Cafe. Retail through Safari Outfitters Gift Shop offering apparel, toys, educational items, and souvenirs with member discounts.
11. Donations and Conservation Support: Donations supporting animal care and conservation work. 100% of membership dues directly support animals, exhibits, and conservation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The El Paso Zoo operates a 35-acre zoological park featuring animal exhibits across four continental regions (Africa, Americas, Asia, and the Chihuahuan Desert), along with paid attractions such as a carousel, ropes course, splash pad, and playground. It sells admissions, annual memberships, premium Close Encounters animal experiences, educational field trips, offsite classroom programs, summer camps, and event venue rental with catering services to individual visitors, families, schools, and groups.

Product overview

El Paso Zoo is a 35-acre zoo offering animal exhibits, educational programs, and visitor attractions organized around four continental regions: Africa, Americas, Asia, and the Chihuahuan Desert. The core product consists of animal exhibits featuring endangered species alongside paid add-on experiences including Close Encounters animal interactions (pronghorn, penguin, rhino, tortoise), Zoo Adventure Behind the Scenes Tours, and Beauty and Beasts summer camp. Digital products include live Zoo Cams streaming animal habitats. Additional revenue services include event venue rental for private functions, tiered annual memberships, and on-site dining/retail amenities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Zoo Admission Day passes to the 35-acre El Paso Zoo with tiered pricing by age category, ranging from free for children under 23 months to $15.95 for non-resident adults. Includes access to animal exhibits across four continental regions.
• Annual Zoo Memberships Tiered annual membership packages providing unlimited admission, express entry, discounts on attractions, camps, and concessions. Tiers include Spider Monkey ($60 single adult) through Penguin Pals ($160 family of 2 adults, 5 children, 2 guests).
• Close Encounters of the Wild Kind Premium behind-the-scenes animal experiences priced at $40 per person including Peninsular Pronghorn, Magellanic Penguin, Greater One-Horned Rhino, and Galapagos Tortoise encounters guided by dedicated zookeepers. Zoo admission purchased separately.
• Zoo Adventure Behind-the-Scenes Tours Guided 1-hour behind-the-scenes group tours at $25 per person plus entrance fees (15-20 participants, ages 6+) providing access to areas not open to the general public with zookeeper meet-and-greets and Ambassador animal encounters.
• School Field Trip Programs Educational field trips for licensed schools at $5 per student and $7.50 per chaperone with optional Zoo Adventure Curriculum Programs add-on at $3 per student, aligned with TEKS/STEAM standards for Pre-K through university.
• Offsite Educational Outreach Programs Curriculum-based educational outreach bringing live animals and biofacts to schools within 25 miles of the zoo at $115 per program (up to 40 participants) or $150 per program (41-200+ participants), covering Chihuahuan Desert wildlife, animal classification, and venomous animals.
• Beauty and Beasts Summer Zoo Camp Summer camp program for children ages 6-10 running June 1 through July 31, Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, offering face-to-face animal encounters, hands-on wildlife activities, and conservation education.
• Hunt Family Endangered Species Carousel 36-foot diameter carousel featuring 30 hand-painted endangered species animals, ADA-compliant swan chariot, and spinning birds nest ride. Non-member $3.00, members $2.50.
• Copper Canyon Challenge Ropes Course Three-story aerial ropes course offering Sky Trail ($8 non-member / $7.50 member) and Sky Tykes ($5 non-member / $4.50 member) experiences with panoramic views of the Chihuahuan Desert.
• Hunt Family Desert Spring Splash Pad Interactive water play area with dancing water, gushers, spray tunnels, tower sprays, and pop-up water features for cooling off during warm weather months.
• Foster Tree-House Playground Imagination-filled tree house playground featuring five tree houses rising up to 16 feet, four slides, tunnel climbers, cargo netting, and 360-degree views. Currently closed until further notice.
• Event Venue Rental and Catering Indoor and outdoor event venue hosting up to 370 guests with Taste of the Wild executive chef catering. Venue options include Event Pavilion (up to 320-370 guests), Cocktail Area, and Asia Waterfall area (up to 200 guests) for private events, birthday parties, and corporate gatherings.
• On-site Dining and Retail On-site dining at Mesa 915 (gourmet salads, sandwiches, pizza), Char (burgers, hot dogs), Beastro Kiosk (beverages, ice cream), Passport Cafe, and Grasslands Cafe. Retail through Safari Outfitters Gift Shop offering apparel, toys, educational items, and souvenirs with member discounts.
• Equipment Rentals Stroller, wheelchair, wagon, and ECV rentals available at the Safari Outfitters Gift Shop near the front gate. Single Strollers $8, Double Strollers $10, Wagons $10, Wheelchairs $10, ECVs $25.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports Lion Guardians program with one of 70 rangers in East Africa
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lion GuardianscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, the El Paso Zoo has been sponsoring one of 70 Lion Guardians Rangers in East Africa. Lion Guardians help protect lions by warning livestock herders to avoid areas where lions are living. Conservation donations can be directed to the Conservation Fund.
• Species Survival PlancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe El Paso Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan conservation breeding program for radiated tortoises, working with other zoos to protect critically endangered species through coordinated breeding efforts.
• KultureCityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKultureCity provides sensory inclusion certification program with training, sensory bags, and guidelines enabling the zoo to accommodate visitors with sensory sensitivities through designated quiet areas and headphone zones.
• Orangutan Safe ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe El Paso Zoo supports the Orangutan Safe Program, a conservation initiative helping to save wild orangutans through collaboration and sustainable palm oil awareness.
• Oklahoma City ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of Mr. Potato Head, a Galapagos Tortoise who arrived from the Oklahoma City Zoo in 1991 where he was hatched in 1951.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Houston Zoo: Large, nonprofit-managed zoological institution in Texas offering education programs, conservation partnerships, premium animal encounters, memberships, and events. Comparable on programming depth and educational/customer segmentation strategy.
• Dallas Zoo: Major Texas zoo with comparable exhibit zones, school field-trip programming, premium behind-the-scenes experiences, memberships, and event venue rentals. Directly comparable on operational structure and revenue mix.
• Phoenix Zoo: Large Southwestern US zoo with similar desert-climate operating challenges, comparable exhibit structure, premium experiences, education programs, and membership tiers. Useful comparable for climate-driven attendance seasonality.
• Sedgwick County Zoo: Mid-sized regional zoo in the central US operating animal exhibits, education programs, premium experiences, and memberships on a similar municipal model — relevant operational and revenue-mix comparable.
• San Antonio Zoo: Mid-sized Texas zoological park operating animal exhibits, education programs, premium experiences, events, and memberships on a similar municipal/regional model. Closest in-state comparable for scale, programming mix, and target family demographic.
• Albuquerque BioPark Zoo: Municipal zoological park in the Southwest US with a comparable Chihuahuan Desert-adjacent focus, education programming, and regional family draw. Closest geographic and climatic peer.
• Audubon Zoo: Mid-sized US zoo with similar exhibit zones, school programming, premium animal encounters, memberships, and event rentals. Comparable on revenue mix and family/education segmentation.
• Oklahoma City Zoo: Regional zoo already documented as a partner (source of the Galapagos Tortoise 'Mr. Potato Head'). Similar 35–50 acre footprint, exhibit zones, education programs, and memberships model — strong operational peer.

Broad incumbents

• Denver Zoo: Larger, established regional zoo with broader conservation programming, larger staff, and broader geographic draw. Comparable on programming breadth (education, conservation, premium experiences) but materially larger scale.

Others

• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA): Industry accreditation body governing US zoos and aquariums including El Paso Zoo's Species Survival Plan participation. Relevant industry-ecosystem peer for benchmarking standards, conservation partnerships, and accreditation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/el-paso-zoo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 El Paso Zoo