Cool Zoo Opens for Summer 2023

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – It is time to get out the bathing suits, towels and sunscreen and make plans to visit Audubon Zoo’s coolest water attractions. Audubon’s Cool Zoo with the Gator Run lazy river is set to open May 6, and will operate weekends-only through the end of May.   

Audubon will offer two sessions each day for guests to enjoy Cool Zoo while visiting Audubon Zoo. These two daily sessions allow Audubon to manage capacity and clean between sessions. The two sessions are 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  At 1:00 p.m. each day, Cool Zoo will briefly close to allow Audubon staff time to clean all shared equipment and surfaces.

“The Cool Zoo with the Gator Run offer great ways to have fun and stay cool while visiting the Zoo,” said Audubon’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Uptown Facilities Daine Appleberry. “We are excited to reopen this popular attraction for the summer season.”  

Beginning May 29, the water park will be open daily for guests to enjoy. It will return to weekends-only operation on Aug. 5 until it closes for the season on Sept. 4.

Cool Zoo tickets can be purchased online and at the Zoo front gate. Regular admission to Cool Zoo, including Gator Run, is $9 for Audubon Nature Institute Members and $12 for non-Members, plus Audubon Zoo admission.  For more details, about tickets, cabana rentals, and the 2023 season schedule click here. https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/tickets

Cool Zoo includes all its visitor-favorite features: the alligator water slide, the spider monkey soaker, water-spitting snakes, and shady spots for grownups. The Gator Run lazy river offers visitors the option to cool down by floating atop an inner tube along a 750 foot-long course that is three-feet deep and 10-feet wide. It also features two sand beaches and water cannons that can be used to shower visitors as they float by. 

Gator Run includes showers, restrooms, lockers, outdoor seating, a private area for nursing mothers, and the “Gator Bites” concession stand, serving a menu of pizza and other food and beverage items. 

Rafts are included in the admission price for Gator Run. Anyone under 48 inches will need a life jacket supplied by Audubon Zoo. 

Outside food and drinks are welcomed in Cool Zoo and Gator Run, but the size of coolers and ice chests cannot exceed 28 quarts. Glass containers and disposable straws and lids are not permitted for the safety of our animals. Audubon reserves the right to search coolers. 

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