Gray Wolf
Wolves have long legs and large heel pads that enable them to run through snow and cover large distances in search of food. They trot along at 5 mph, but can obtain speeds of 45 mph for short distances.
Summer Zoo Camp Information
Summer Zoo Camp is eight weeks of fun filled camp sessions geared toward specific age groups. At camp, kids participate in zoo tours, hands-on activities, games, and crafts and interact with animals and staff here at the zoo. Our Zoo Camp instructors are experienced, enthusiastic staff and each session has a 1:8 adult to child ratio. Zoo Camp offers your child a unique opportunity to experience all the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has to offer! These fun, educational camps fill up quickly, so don't delay!
Camp Registration
New this Year! Registration for Zoo members begins on April 8 at 9 AM and open registration begins on April 22. We strongly encourage you to register online for the fastest service. Members receive early registration and discounts for all Zoo Camp sessions. To learn more about membership, please click here.
If you would like to register via mail, please download a registration form here and mail it to the address at the bottom of the form. Mailed in registrations postmarked before April 8 will not be considered until all appropriately postmarked registrations have been processed. Mailed in registrations will be processed in the order in which they are received.
To read a brochure outlining the rights and responsibilities of campers, camp operators, and parents, please click here.
Registration Tips:
Have you used our reservation site to purchase tickets before? If not, please check out the site here, follow the directions on the log-in page to request your password, and make sure you are familiar with the registration process before April 8. This will ensure your camp registration goes smoothly. If you have used the reservation site before, please do a 'dry-run' by logging into your account to make sure you can log in smoothly before camp registration begins on April 8.
Is your membership expired or do you plan to purchase a membership and camp session together? To ensure a smooth process on registration day, please consider renewing or purchasing your membership at least a week before camp registration begins, and logging into your account ahead of time. To renew your membership or purchase one now, please click here.
Cancellation Policy:
If your child is enrolled and you must cancel for any reason, your registration fee is nonrefundable unless a child on the waiting list can fill the space. In the event the cancelled slot is filled, a 25% processing fee will be deducted from your refund. If there is no waiting list for the program you are cancelling, no refund will be issued.
Camp Forms
The following summer camp forms must be on file at least one week before your child's camp session.
Forms can be hand delivered or faxed to Liz Schmidt at (315) 435-8517. They can also be mailed to:
| Rosamond Gifford Zoo |
| Attn: Camp Forms |
| One Conservation Place |
| Syracuse, NY 13204 |
Session Offerings and Prices
If the session you seek is full, please email lschmidt@rosamondgiffordzoo.org to be placed on the waitlist.
Entering Kindergarten |
Dates |
Common Senses$120 Members/$140 Non-members Can you name all five senses? After this camp you'll be able to! Animals use their senses to find food, escape predators and take care of their young, and we'll find out how through tours, animal encounters, crafts, and stories in this sense-ational camp! |
Session A This camp is full.
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Entering 1st & 2nd Grade |
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Under ConstructionSpecial Holiday Week Pricing: With all of the construction going on at the zoo lately, why not explore what the animals are building? From tunnels to nests to burrows, discover some amazing animal creations! What materials do they use? How and why do they build it? We'll even build some human-made homes for some of your favorite animals, while getting down and dirty in this handy camp (hard hats not required). |
Session B
This camp is full. |
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly$200 Members/$220 Non-members Everyone loves a cute, furry animal, but some animals just aren't cute! We'll take a look at the Zoo's cutest, ugliest, weirdest and wildest animals through animal encounters, zoo tours, activities, games, crafts, and more in this wacky camp!
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Session C FULL Session D FULL |
I Like to Move it!$200 Members/$220 Non-members Dip, dive, duck, dodge! Soar, swoop, scurry, scamper! Lunge, lope, lumber, leap! Animals have many ways of moving and for many reasons! Dash to the zoo and jump into this camp as we explore animal movement through tours, games, activities, and crafts!
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Session E FULL
Session F FULL |
Entering 3rd & 4th Grade |
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Under ConstructionSpecial Holiday Week Pricing: With all of the construction going on at the zoo lately, why not explore what the animals are building? From tunnels to nests to burrows, discover some amazing animal creations! What materials do they use? How and why do they build it? We'll even build some human-made homes for some of your favorite animals, while getting down and dirty in this handy camp (hard hats not required).
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Session G This camp is full.
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Shake, Rattle and Roll!$200 Members/$220 Non-members Animals move, talk and behave in some far-out ways! From leapin' lemurs to slitherin' snakes, we'll explore the wild and wacky ways animals act, move and communicate through games, activities, songs, and crafts in this camp that really shakes, rattles, and rolls!
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Session H FULL Session I FULL |
Wild About Art$200 Members/$220 Non-members Use our colorful zoo animals as your inspiration to create in this imaginative camp! You may find yourself sketching a squirrel monkey, painting a penguin, or sculpting a skink as we explore the animal world with hands-on projects to explore your inner Picasso! To help unleash your inner artist, we'll tour the zoo, attend animal demos and meet animals up close, and finish the week with our very own art show for your family!
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Session J
This camp is FULL.
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Entering 5th & 6th Grade |
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At Home in my Biome$200 Members/$220 Non-members From frozen tundra to misty rainforests, animals live in the most amazing places! Our Zoo is home to animals from all over the world. We'll visit a new biome everyday and learn about the plants and animals that call it home without ever leaving the Zoo in this adventurous camp!
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Session K FULL Session L FULL
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Wild by Design$200 Members/$220 Non-members If you could design your own zoo, what would you do? How would you safely take care of dangerous animals like snow leopards and bears? How would you make your zoo appealing to the public? From zookeepers to exhibit artists to educators, running a Zoo takes a lot of people! Find out what it takes to run a successful zoo with activities such as checking out our exhibits from behind the scenes, staging a puppet show to teach the public about animals, and creating your own zoo in this hands-on camp!
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Session M FULL Session N FULL
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Entering 7th 8th 9th Grade |
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Jr. Zookeeper$285 Members/$305 Non-members Due to a hands-on format, this experience has very limited spaces. All campers who attend this camp need a negative TB test on file with the zoo no later than August 5. This one-of-a-kind experience will give participants the exciting opportunity to work behind the scenes and shadow zookeepers in a specific animal area. Campers will work with zookeepers during the morning and finish the day with a focus on researching, creating, and implementing a unique enrichment project for an animal of their choice in that area. This experience is geared towards campers with a zoo career in mind. Please choose from the following animal areas:
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Register by area on the reservation site August 19-23
All Sessions are FULL. |
Double "Zoo"Pardy$145 member/$165 non-member Have you been coming to zoo camp forever, or just plain love animals? Do you think you know everything there is to know about the zoo? Test your smarts each day as you compete in challenges, solve puzzles and test your zoo knowledge through games and tours to win fabulous prizes and the title of Zoo Know-it-All. Campers will wrap up the week on an overnight, where your zoo know-how will be put to the ultimate test! **This camp rund Monday through Thursday 1-4 pm and culminates with an overnight experience from 7 pm Friday to 9 am Saturday. There is no afternoon session on Friday. |
Session O: Overnight: No afternoon session on Friday, July 12
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Working earlier or later than Zoo Camp Hours? |
Available throughout the summer |
If the session you seek is full, please email lschmidt@rosamondgiffordzoo.org to be placed on the waitlist.
Severe Weather Policy
All education programs, including edZOOcation, camps and overnights, will run as scheduled unless the zoo has been closed by order of Onondaga County administration. Sorry, but no refunds or rain checks will be given for "no-shows" for any reason.
