Summer Zoo Camp

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo utilizes a camp software system that streamlines and improves the registration process, record keeping, attendance and safety and wellness of your child(ren). All personal, emergency, and medical information entered is kept securely and immediately accessible to camp staff, increasing our ability to perform to the highest quality. You can even sign up for a payment plan with a qualifying deposit at no extra cost! Parents will be able to purchase items such as additional shirts, hats, and water bottles as well as purchase meal plans! Education staff will be available to assist with learning and manipulating the system.

Members: Please make sure your membership is up to date prior to March 6. A membership discount code will be provided to members prior to the registration date. You will need your membership number for verification prior to registration to receive the discount. Please note that the participant must be covered under the membership account number to receive the discount. If non-members utilize the membership discount and membership registration period, you will be refunded and placed on the waitlist to be contacted when non-member registration begins. Call membership at (315) 435-8511 x8537 for any questions or concerns related to your membership account or to sign up for a membership.

Mail-in registrations will no longer be accepted or processed. Please contact the Education department at (315) 435-8511 x8559 for assistance with registering online for the best possible service and experience.

Yes! Registering multiple children for sessions is easy in our new system!

As educators, we feel that campers can maximize their Zoo Camp experience by interacting with peers of their own age level. All sessions are designed to offer hands-on learning that is age appropriate. The registration system will only show you the age-appropriate options available for your child. If there is no availability for your child for sessions in their age group, you can be placed on a waitlist through the registration system. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis as space becomes available. Exemptions to the age requirement can be made only if space becomes available closer to the start of the camp week and the waitlist for that session has been exhausted.

Please contact the Zoo Camp director with any questions or concerns.

There will be circumstances that require us to split up age groups. We are committed to giving your child the best possible experience and will make every accommodation when possible. Requests need to be made in advance during the registration process and must be age appropriate. Please note that we cannot make group changes after camp has begun.

Yes! One-to-one aides are allowed to attend. Before registering for camp, please contact the zoo camp director if you are providing your own aide. If you are interested in the ARC of Onondaga’s free one-to-one aide service, please contact Sarah Clark at
[email protected] for arrangement of care. Please note, to qualify for this service, you will need to be registered and have recommendations from OPWDD. ARC of Onondaga has limited number of aides available, so it is not guaranteed that an aide will be provided.

You will have the opportunity to be added to the wait list during the registration process. If space becomes available during the waiting period, we will notify all parties on the wait list in the order received. You can opt to be removed from a wait list at any time.

Before and After Care may include games or quiet reading and is not part of the normal zoo curriculum. Before Care runs 8 - 9 a.m. and After Care runs 4–5 p.m. You may register your camper for one or both sessions. Cost is $50 per week per camper for either session. Before and After Care is not offered per diem; you must register and pay for the full week. Pre-registration is required - no drop-ins. If you are late picking up your camper from the regular camp day or Before and After Care, late fees will apply.

Your child will participate in fun, hands-on learning that explores every aspect of our zoo. We provide every child with a camp T-shirt. Each camper is required to wear the camp T-shirt daily to identify them as a zoo camper to the public and zoo staff. If you would like to purchase additional T-shirts, please order online during the registration process.

All staff members have experience working with children. Camp staff pass a criminal background check and receive extensive training before camp starts. The camp director and other zoo staff are trained in CPR and first aid.

Please contact the camp director at [email protected] prior to registration to discuss your child’s needs.

We have a variety of outreach animals that your child may encounter such as snakes, insects and small mammals, and older campers may have the opportunity to go behind the scenes with keepers. For the safety of your children and our animals, contact with most animals is prohibited.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo will follow all protocols as mandated by the Onondaga County Health Department and indicated in the Reopening New York: Child Care and Day Camp Programs Guidelines.

Zoo camp is about making new friends and memories, and parents at camp can inhibit a child’s experience. Additionally, room capacities limit the number of people that can be in each room. Therefore, we ask that parents refrain from staying with children during camp.

Zoo Camp instructors are prohibited by law from administering any medication to children at Zoo Camp except for Epi-pens in an emergency; however, the camp health director can assist in self-administration. All medication and Epi-Pens must be received in the original container and be accompanied by written authorization by their doctor. Camp staff can assist with the application of sunscreen and insect repellant with written permission.

Yes. We require that all children be potty trained to attend camp.

For your child’s safety, we require that every person picking your child up from Zoo Camp be registered with our instructors. Before your child can leave zoo grounds, the designated person picking him/her up must provide a photo ID and check out your child.

If your child is enrolled and you must cancel for any reason, your registration fee is non-refundable unless a child on the waiting list can fill your space. In the event the cancelled space is filled, a $25 processing fee will be deducted from your refund.

Catering at the Zoo will offer a weekly meal plan that can be purchased during registration or added later. Please note that last-minute and day-of requests may not be honored based on availability.

Meal Plan Pricing:

5 Day Weekly Meal Plan: $55
4 Day Weekly Meal Plan: $44

Camp Menu: