San Antonio Zoo Free Days

San Antonio Zoo has no regular free day right now — here's what exists instead. The San Antonio Zoo has no true free admission day for the general public. The closest thing is Locals Day: $8 admission for Bexar County residents on 17 select dates in 2026, purchased online with proof of residency. Kids under 3 are always free, and parking in the zoo garage is free. Locals Day tickets must be purchased online; one guest per party shows Bexar County ID or utility bill Verified on San Antonio Zoo's own page, last checked 2026-09-14.

At a glance

What it costs instead

The baseline without a free day: Dynamic online pricing — advertised as low as $8 adult, which puts a couple at $16 and four adults at $32 before extras. Bringing that down means the routes below: a membership that travels, a discount program you qualify for, or a library pass.

Upcoming free days

No upcoming free dates are published right now. San Antonio Zoo announces free days on its official page — that's the place to watch.

Know before you go

• Who qualifies: No general-public free day; Locals Day discount is Bexar County residents only.
• Reservations: Locals Day tickets must be purchased online; one guest per party shows Bexar County ID or utility bill.
• Worth knowing: Parking is the sleeper deal — the zoo's parking garage is free during business hours, unusual for a major-city zoo.

Other ways in, no calendar required

• Households with a SNAP EBT card can use Museums for All: free-to-$5 admission for up to four, valid during regular hours at 1,700+ institutions across the country — look up San Antonio Zoo on the official participant list.
• Zoo and aquarium memberships travel: the AZA reciprocal program gets members of other accredited zoos free or half-price admission at participating institutions — run your card through our reciprocity lookup before paying the gate rate.

Dates don't line up?

Regular tickets (Dynamic online pricing — advertised as low as $8 adult) are on sazoo.org — skip third-party sellers, the official price is the floor. Planning a bigger San Antonio itinerary? A CityPASS San Antonio bundle can undercut separate tickets — just check the current lineup for San Antonio Zoo before paying.

Also free in San Antonio

San Antonio Museum of Art (tuesdays 4pm–7pm) · McNay Art Museum (thursdays 4pm–9pm) · Witte Museum (tuesdays 3pm–6pm) — or see the full free museum days in San Antonio guide.

↥ Check another museum →   Browse all free museum & zoo days →

FAQ

Related