Smithsonian's National Zoo is always free — general admission never costs anything. Free entry passes required for all visitors including infants — reserve online at nationalzoo.si.edu; groups of 16+ use group passes Verified on Smithsonian's National Zoo's own page, last checked 2026-09-15.
| Free day | Always free |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Everyone |
| Reservation | Free entry passes required for all visitors including infants — reserve online at nationalzoo.si.edu; groups of 16+ use group passes |
| What's included | All zoo grounds and animal exhibits (parts under renovation: Africa Trail; the Arabian Leopard exhibit opens 2029) |
| Regular adult price | $0 — always free (entry pass required) |
| Source | nationalzoo.si.edu · checked 2026-09-15 |
National Zoo doesn't need savings math — the ticket line is free for everyone, every open day. Budget for the rest instead: all zoo grounds and animal exhibits (parts under renovation: Africa Trail; the Arabian Leopard exhibit opens 2029).
Smithsonian's National Zoo doesn't need a calendar — general admission is free every day it's open, which changes how you plan compared with a free-day museum. There's no crowd spike to dodge and no reservation race — though note the entry mechanics: free entry passes required for all visitors including infants — reserve online at nationalzoo.si.edu; groups of 16+ use group passes. The date that matters here isn't an admission date at all: it's whichever ticketed special exhibition you might want to add, since those (all zoo grounds and animal exhibits (parts under renovation: Africa Trail; the Arabian Leopard exhibit opens 2029)) run on their own schedules and prices.
Regular tickets ($0 — always free (entry pass required)) are on nationalzoo.si.edu; buying direct means no reseller markup. And if you hold a museum, science-center or zoo membership from another city, run it through our reciprocity lookup — it may already get you in.
National Gallery of Art (always free) · Smithsonian Museums & National Zoo (always free) · Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (always free) — or see the full free museum days in Washington guide.
A single monthly email covering Washington's free days — every date checked against the official pages first.
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Admission is free for everyone, every day — but free entry passes are required for all guests, including infants, reserved online. Grounds are open 8am-4pm with last entry at 3pm (animal buildings 9am-3:30pm). Parking is the real cost: $30 in advance, $40 on the day.
Free entry passes required for all visitors including infants — reserve online at nationalzoo.si.edu; groups of 16+ use group passes
All zoo grounds and animal exhibits (parts under renovation: Africa Trail; the Arabian Leopard exhibit opens 2029)
$0 — always free (entry pass required). A free-day visit puts that back in your pocket.
Yes — general admission is free for all visitors, every open day, no residency requirement. All zoo grounds and animal exhibits (parts under renovation: Africa Trail; the Arabian Leopard exhibit opens 2029).