National Zoo & Aquarium

What National Zoo & Aquarium does

National Zoo & Aquarium is a privately held, ZAA-accredited zoological park and aquarium located in Molonglo Valley / Weston Creek, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, operating under the legal entity Sridate Pty Ltd. It functions as a single-site physical visitor attraction, maintaining a collection of over 100 species, including rare and endangered animals such as Sumatran tigers, cheetahs, Siamangs, and Sun bears, alongside Australia's largest inland saltwater aquarium. The venue operates daily from 9:30am to 5:00pm (closed Christmas Day) and is recognised as a top 2 major attraction in Australia by visitor vote.

The business monetises through a diversified ticket, membership, and experiential revenue stack. Core offerings include general admission and two-day tickets, an annual FONZ membership program with seven tiers (Standard, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Buddy, Joey, 6-month) priced from $64 to $947 AUD, premium tours and animal encounters, themed children's birthday parties ($400-$615), layered children's programs including Junior Zoo Keeper ($650/year), Kids Keeper For A Day ($95), Zoocation ($112/day), and Puggle Club ($15-$18), plus on-site dining, gift shop, and Jamala Wildlife Lodge overnight accommodation. Educational outreach is a key commercial channel, with over 20,000 school children visiting annually through curriculum-aligned self-guided visits, Discovery Learning Sessions, and tailored tours booked via the Book Canberra Excursions platform.

Distribution is primarily direct (walk-up and online ticketing on the zoo's own site) with reciprocal partnerships at Wellington Zoo (NZ), Cockington Green Gardens, and uShaka Marine World extending member benefits. Conservation positioning is reinforced through partnerships with Free the Bears (Sun bear support) and the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, with over $1,000,000 raised for conservation causes to date. Customer segments span families with children, school groups (K-12), animal enthusiasts, FONZ members, and conservation donors.

Name

National Zoo & Aquarium

Legal name

Sridate Pty Ltd

Website

https://nationalzoo.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Zoo & Aquarium is a privately held, ZAA-accredited zoo and aquarium in Canberra, Australia (operating as Sridate Pty Ltd), running a multi-tier ticket, membership, and experiential attraction business serving families, school groups, members, and tourists across the ACT region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoo and Aquarium Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE), Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Wildlife park attraction
• Aquarium and zoo
• Animal encounter tours
• Zoo membership program
• Conservation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Molonglo Valley, Australian Capital Territory

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors pay entry fees to access the zoo and aquarium. Multi-day tickets are also available.
2. Memberships (FONZ): Friends of the National Zoo membership program offering unlimited entry for 12 months with various tiers (Standard, Silver, Gold, Diamond) providing discounts on food, gift shop, tours, and encounters.
3. Tours and Encounters: Premium experiences including animal encounters, behind-the-scenes tours, feeding experiences, and special safaris.
4. Birthday Parties: Party packages including Adventureland Celebration, Rhino Ranger, and Safari Extravaganza options with catering.
5. Children's Programs: Junior Zoo Keeper program ($650), Keeper for a Day sessions ($95), Zoocation holiday program ($112/day), and Puggle Club ($15-18).
6. Gift Shop: On-site retail store selling souvenirs, collectibles, and zoo merchandise.
7. Animal Adoption: Gold and Diamond members receive animal adoption benefits. Conservation donations also supported.
8. Donations: Monies raised through various programs help donate to worthy conservation causes - over $1,000,000 donated to date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The National Zoo & Aquarium operates a physical zoo and aquarium attraction in Canberra, ACT, selling admission tickets, multi-day passes, and annual FONZ memberships to visitors. It generates additional revenue from curated animal tours and encounters, school and children's educational programs, birthday party packages, on-site retail, the Jamala Wildlife Lodge overnight accommodation, and conservation donations/animal adoptions.

Product overview

National Zoo & Aquarium is a unified visitor experience offering standard admission tickets combined with an extensive portfolio of add-on modules and programs. Core offerings include zoo and aquarium entry, annual FONZ membership (with Standard, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Buddy, Joey, and 6-month tiers), tours and encounters with various animals, and Jamala Wildlife Lodge overnight stays. Educational add-ons encompass school programs (self-guided visits, Discovery Learning Sessions), children's programs (Puggle Club, Zoocation, Kids Keeper For A Day, Junior Zoo Keeper Program), and birthday party packages (Adventure Land, Rhino Ranger, Safari Extravaganza). Additional offerings include the Zoo Explorer Passport, Adopt An Animal program, and AdventureLand Playground & Dinosaurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jamala Wildlife Lodge: Wildlife lodge accommodation experience operated by the National Zoo & Aquarium
• Friends Of the National Zoo (FONZ)

Products and services

• Zoo Entry Tickets General admission tickets to the National Zoo & Aquarium offering unlimited entry to the zoo, the inland saltwater aquarium, and AdventureLand Playground for individual visitors and families.
• Two-Day Tickets Multi-day entry passes allowing visitors to experience the zoo across two consecutive days, targeted at tourists and families seeking extended visits.
• FONZ Membership Program Annual and 6-month Friends of the National Zoo membership program with multiple tiers (Standard, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Buddy, Joey) offering unlimited entry, gift shop and food discounts, free member tours, animal adoption benefits, and exclusive member events.
• Tours and Animal Encounters Premium curated wildlife experiences including the Wild Night Zooventure, Cheetah Experiences, behind-the-scenes tours, and animal encounters with lions, tigers, meerkats, birds, and tree kangaroos, sold as add-ons to general admission.
• Inland Saltwater Aquarium Australia's largest inland saltwater aquarium, included with zoo admission and featuring fish, sharks, eels, stingrays, frogs, snakes, and lizards.
• Jamala Wildlife Lodge Overnight wildlife accommodation experience located adjacent to the zoo featuring luxury animal lodges with close wildlife encounters, operated as a sub-brand of the National Zoo & Aquarium.
• School Visits and Discovery Learning Sessions Australian Curriculum-aligned educational programs for K-12 school groups including self-guided visits and guided Discovery Learning Sessions, with group pricing from 330-405 AUD per booking.
• Junior Zoo Keeper Program Year-long program for children aged 8-14 covering enclosure design, animal enrichment, breeding & conservation, diet preparation, and habitat maintenance, with 7 x 3-hour sessions, branded merchandise, unlimited entry, and a Conservation Celebration Day.
• Kids Keeper For A Day Three-hour immersive session for children in school years 3-10 to experience zoo keeper duties including cleaning, feeding, enrichment toy-making, and conservation learning.
• Zoocation School Holiday Program School holiday day program for children in Kindergarten to Year 6 featuring animal encounters, game-based learning, crafts, and hands-on activities with daily themes, billed at 112 AUD per day.
• Puggle Club Monthly preschool story-led program for children aged 2-5 featuring gentle animal interactions and nature-inspired crafts, offered at 15-18 AUD per session.
• Kids Birthday Party Packages Themed children's birthday party packages including Adventureland Celebration (400 AUD), Rhino Ranger (510 AUD), and Safari Extravaganza (615 AUD) with catering, cabana hire, and animal encounters.
• Adopt An Animal Program Symbolic animal adoption program that lets supporters adopt a zoo animal and receive a personalised adoption certificate; included as a benefit in Gold and Diamond FONZ memberships and available as standalone donations.
• On-site Gift Shop Physical retail store at the zoo selling souvenirs, collectibles, plush toys, and zoo-branded merchandise, offering 15% discount to FONZ members.
• AdventureLand Playground and Dinosaurs Interactive outdoor playground with dinosaur-themed attractions included with zoo admission, designed for children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1,000,000 donated to conservation causes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wellington ZoominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal partnership offering FONZ members 30% discount on entry to Wellington Zoo in New Zealand
• Cockington Green GardensminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal partnership offering FONZ members 10% discount on entry to Cockington Green Gardens in Canberra
• Jamala Wildlife LodgecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecial offers at Jamala Wildlife Lodge available to FONZ members. The lodge offers unique overnight wildlife experiences adjacent to the zoo
• Book Canberra ExcursionscoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline booking platform partner for schools to book self-guided trips, Discovery Learning Sessions, and tailored tours
• Free the BearscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner supporting Free the Bears organization which rescues and rehabilitates captive bears and works with local communities and governments. The zoo supports Sun bear conservation efforts
• Save the Tasmanian Devil Program (STTDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through zoos and wildlife parks for captive breeding programs to ensure continued existence of Tasmanian devils facing facial tumour disease
• uShaka Marine WorldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFONZ members receive 10% discount at uShaka Marine World booking anytime

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Perth Zoo: Perth Zoo is a Western Australian government-operated zoo offering animal encounters, school programs, and memberships. It competes with NZAQ for wildlife tourism and education customers, though it serves a different geographic market.
• Melbourne Zoo (Zoos Victoria): Zoos Victoria operates Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo, and Healesville Sanctuary, serving as a multi-site government-backed incumbent. It competes directly with NZAQ for members, school groups, and conservation funding, and dwarfs NZAQ in scale and asset diversity.
• Sea World Gold Coast: Sea World is a major marine theme park on the Gold Coast with aquarium content and marine animal encounters that overlap with NZAQ's aquarium offering. As a large corporate operator, it competes with NZAQ for the same family and school-group tourism market, though with a more theme-park orientation.
• Taronga Zoo Sydney: Taronga Zoo is one of Australia's largest and most-visited zoos, operated by a not-for-profit with government backing. It competes with NZAQ for Australian and international visitors, offers animal encounters and accommodation, and sets the benchmark for exhibit scale and conservation credentialing.
• Werribee Open Range Zoo: Werribee Open Range Zoo is a Zoos Victoria property offering safari-style wildlife experiences comparable to NZAQ's safari tours. It competes for the same premium-experience tourist and parent demographic and benefits from being part of a larger multi-site network.

Emerging players

• Australia's Wildstorm Wildlife Park / Reptile Park (e.g., Australian Reptile Park): Australian Reptile Park is a wildlife attraction on the NSW Central Coast offering animal encounters, educational programs, and venom-milking research. It competes with NZAQ for family visitors and school groups in the broader Sydney-Canberra corridor.

Direct peers

• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Gold Coast) operates as a ticketed wildlife attraction with a strong focus on Australian native species, animal encounters, and family experiences. Its scale and target audience are highly comparable to NZAQ, making it a direct competitor for the family tourist segment.
• Australia Zoo: Australia Zoo (Sunshine Coast, QLD) is a privately-operated zoo with a similar diversified revenue model across admission, membership, accommodation, tours, and conservation. Both are family-owned Australian zoos that compete for the same wildlife tourism audience, making them the most directly comparable peer.

Regional players

• Wellington Zoo: Wellington Zoo is a New Zealand-based zoo that is an existing reciprocal partner with NZAQ (FONZ members receive 30% off). It operates a similar model of admission, conservation, education, and encounters and serves as a reference point for trans-Tasman zoo partnerships.
• uShaka Marine World: uShaka Marine World is a South African marine theme park and aquarium that is an existing reciprocal partner. While geographically distant, it offers a comparable marine-themed family attraction with aquarium and water park components that overlap with NZAQ's aquarium offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9bbsPymN80nVq1cNMtPr2w
• Facebookfacebook.com/canberrazoo
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalzoo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-zoo-aquarium

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 National Zoo & Aquarium