Family Fun and Learning: Benefits of Zoo Membership

Two years ago we moved to the Portland area. We had three young kids. We decided it would be fun if we invested in a Zoo membership. If we went to the zoo three times within a year then it would pay for itself. That first year we went five or six times. The kids love going to the zoo.

At our year mark we renewed our membership. But what we discovered half way through that second year is that the Oregon Zoo is part of a Reciprocal membership program. This program allows members to visit other attractions and museums for free using the membership. Each month there is a different museum or attraction that opens its doors to the other that are part of the program. For example, when we went camping in June, on of the things we did was visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum. We were able to show our zoo membership cards and get in for free. July has been super busy and has just flown by. If we would have had time we would have used our zoo membership to visit the Deepwood Museum and Gardens.

If you have a membership to a zoo, aquarium, museum or other attraction, I would ask or look into seeing if they have a similar program or what other benefits they might offer their members.

Below is a list of what museums and attractions are included in this reciprocal membership program and what month they are opening their doors to other attraction members in the program. I’ve also included a link to the Oregon Zoo info page on this Program.