ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park

Wildlife Park & Zoo Attractionszooamerica.com

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is an 11-acre AZA-accredited zoo in Hershey, Pennsylvania, operated by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company, housing 200+ North American animals across five regional habitats and offering admission, educational programs, and premium wildlife experiences to families, schools, and Hersheypark visitors.

Company typePrivate
Founded1978
HeadquartersHershey, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park does

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is an 11-acre AZA-accredited zoological institution located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, operated as a property within Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company. The park is home to more than 200 animals representing 70+ species from five geographic regions of North America — Southern Swamps, Great Southwest, Eastern Woodlands, Big Sky Country, and Northlands — with exhibits built around native North American flora and fauna rather than exotic species. It traces its institutional history to 1903 when Milton S. Hershey first acquired prairie dogs for his model town, and after a period of closure was reopened under its current concept in 1978.

The product portfolio centers on a single physical venue with diversified revenue streams: general admission and annual passes (a subscription product with unlimited visits for 12 months plus merchandise discounts and exclusive events), premium behind-the-scenes experiences (Early Bird Tour at $115/person, After Hours Tour, Animal Feedings at $60/person, and a Falconry Experience at $80-$120/person led by Master Falconer Jack Hubley), tiered Birthday Party packages ($405-$612.75), seasonal ZooCamp programs (preschool through 12th grade including ZooCrew teen programs), and educational offerings that span on-site, outreach, and live virtual delivery for schools and groups. Daily visitor programming runs seasonally from May 23 to September 7.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, with tickets sold at the ZooAmerica Admissions Building and through online booking integrated into the Hershey Entertainment ticketing platform. The park operates as a cashless venue accepting all major cards and mobile wallets. ZooAmerica has no proprietary technology platform of its own — it relies on Hersheypark's mobile app, ticketing system, and digital infrastructure. Strategic positioning leverages the Hershey brand equity, AZA accreditation, and cross-visitor spillover from Hersheypark, supplemented by conservation partnerships with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, USFWS, Fort Indiantown Gap, multiple universities, and a multi-zoo Woodrat Working Group coalition.

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park firmographics

Firmographics

Name: ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park
Legal name: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
Website: https://zooamerica.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1978
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is an 11-acre AZA-accredited zoo in Hershey, Pennsylvania, operated by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company, housing 200+ North American animals across five regional habitats and offering admission, educational programs, and premium wildlife experiences to families, schools, and Hersheypark visitors.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park industry classification

Industry

Product category: Wildlife Park & Zoo Attractions
NAICS: Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)
SIC: Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
akta.pro primary industry: Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)
akta.pro secondary industries: Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAA)

Keywords

Wildlife park experiences
Zoo admission tickets
Animal encounter tours
Educational zoo programs
Wildlife conservation programs

Where ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Hershey
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Admission and Ticketing: Revenue from general admission tickets, annual passes, and group tickets sold directly to visitors at the zoo entrance and through online booking.
Experiences and Tours: Revenue from premium experiences including behind-the-scenes tours, animal feedings, and falconry programs offered at varying price points.
Birthday Parties and Events: Revenue from birthday party packages (Hoot, Howl, Roar) with varying inclusions and pricing tiers.
ZooCamp Programs: Revenue from summer camp sessions for children from preschool through high school, including ZooCrew teen programs.
Merchandise and Concessions: Revenue from Zoovenirs gift shop, including 15% discount for annual pass holders.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Early Bird Tour - $115/person includes same-day admission
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Animal Feedings - $60/person with admission included
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Falconry Experience - Adults $120, Children 3-12 $80
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Birthday Party - Hoot Package $405
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Birthday Party - Howl Package $493
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Birthday Party - Roar Package $612.75
Subscription	Annual	Annual Pass

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park product offering

Product offering

Core offering

ZooAmerica operates an 11-acre AZA-accredited wildlife park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, housing more than 200 animals representing 70+ species across five geographic regions of North America. The park offers general admission plus a portfolio of fee-based experiences including behind-the-scenes tours (Early Bird, After Hours), animal feeding encounters, a falconry experience, birthday party packages, summer ZooCamp sessions, and on-site and virtual educational programs aligned with PA academic standards.

Product overview

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park operates as a single unified AZA-accredited zoo venue offering general admission access to over 200 North American animals across five regional habitats. The product portfolio consists of the core park admission supplemented by fee-based experience add-ons including Early Bird and After Hours behind-the-scenes tours, Animal Feeding encounters, Falconry Experience, Birthday Party packages, ZooCamp summer programs, and both in-person and virtual Educational Programs. All offerings are delivered on-site at the Hershey, Pennsylvania location with no digital product components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Companies that use ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Fort Indiantown Gap (FIG) / Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with biologists at Fort Indiantown Gap to develop a captive rearing program for the Eastern regal fritillary butterfly since 2011. The zoo serves as home to the butterfly rearing lab where female butterflies collected from FIG lay eggs for the conservation project.
Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on multiple conservation programs including regal fritillary butterfly project, barn owl nest box program, Baltimore checkerspot butterfly survey, and Allegheny woodrat breeding program with financial support and project direction.
Temple UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Eastern regal fritillary butterfly conservation project.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Eastern regal fritillary butterfly project; the species has proposed listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Woodrat Working Group (Maryland Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Greensboro Science Center, Elmwood Park Zoo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-zoo collaboration for Allegheny woodrat breeding and reintroduction program working with state agency biologists.
Pennsylvania Western UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Eastern regal fritillary butterfly conservation project.
Penn State DuboisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Eastern regal fritillary butterfly conservation project.
Franklin & Marshall CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Eastern regal fritillary butterfly conservation project.
ToyotaminorOthersOfficial Vehicle of ZooAmerica, providing vehicles for zoo operations.
Milton Hershey SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZoo places barn owl nest boxes on Milton Hershey School property. Barn owl chicks are banded by federally certified bird bander and data sent to Pennsylvania Game Commission. Also partner in kestrel nest box project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Philadelphia Zoo: Historic AZA-accredited zoo in Philadelphia serving the same Pennsylvania / Mid-Atlantic family audience. Comparable educational programming, conservation mission, and ticketed experience model, though at significantly larger scale.
Elmwood Park Zoo: AZA-accredited Pennsylvania zoo of comparable size and North American wildlife focus. Already collaborates with ZooAmerica through the Allegheny woodrat (Woodrat Working Group) program, making it the closest operating and geographic peer.
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore: AZA-accredited Mid-Atlantic zoo. Direct peer on conservation programming — already partners with ZooAmerica on the Woodrat Working Group — and competes for the same Mid-Atlantic family tourism segment.
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: AZA-accredited Pennsylvania zoo combining terrestrial and aquatic collections, comparable to ZooAmerica in geographic market and education/conservation positioning, though with a much larger animal inventory and footprint.
Toledo Zoo: AZA-accredited Ohio zoo and active conservation partner through the Woodrat Working Group. Comparable in terms of AZA accreditation standards, educational programming, and species survival plan participation.
Lehigh Valley Zoo: Smaller Pennsylvania zoological park competing for the same Northeast family and school-group market. Similar mid-size operating profile, educational programming, and ticketed admissions/revenue mix.
Greensboro Science Center: Combined zoo, aquarium, and science museum in North Carolina. Direct peer via Woodrat Working Group partnership and shared focus on hands-on family education tied to wildlife conservation.

Others

Hersheypark: Sister attraction within Hershey Entertainment & Resorts. Not a direct competitor but a closely adjacent guest-experience destination that drives cross-traffic and shared branding — making it a uniquely relevant ecosystem partner/peer.

Broad incumbents

Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society): One of the largest AZA-accredited zoos in the U.S. with extensive North American wildlife programming. Serves as a broad incumbent peer setting expectations for ticket pricing, conservation credibility, and premium experiences.
Smithsonian's National Zoo: Large, federally operated AZA-accredited zoo with a global animal collection and deep conservation mission. Sets the benchmark for conservation programming and educational authority that smaller zoos like ZooAmerica compete against for visitor mindshare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park

What does ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park do?

Is ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park a public or private company?

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park founded?

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park based?

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is headquartered in Hershey, United States, in the North America region.

How does ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Admission and Ticketing is the primary driver. The others are experiences and Tours, birthday Parties and Events, zooCamp Programs and merchandise and Concessions.

Who are ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Philadelphia Zoo, Elmwood Park Zoo, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Toledo Zoo, Lehigh Valley Zoo and Greensboro Science Center. Hersheypark is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society) and Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Does ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park have an API?

No public API is recorded for ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park.

What industry is ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park in?

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park's product category is Wildlife Park & Zoo Attractions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAL, Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections), with a secondary code of THAAAFAG, Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums). Its NAICS code is 71213 and its SIC code is 7900.