2025 - Lion

Lion Tour Details

2025 Tour Dates
May 17, July 19, September 20

Tour Time and Meeting Place
2 p.m. Guests meet at the lower Lion viewing area

Minimum Age
12 years old – A paying adult must accompany children younger than 18.

Tour Overview
This tour usually ends around 4:15 p.m. and is not for the faint of heart! Guests go inside the lion barn to watch the keepers interact with a lion during a training session. Lions up close look larger and roar louder than lions stretched out and resting inside their grassy habitat. 

Watching a keeper and a lion interact during a training session is amazing. Keepers rely exclusively on positive rewards (healthy treats) to elicit the lions’ cooperation in learning new tasks. And lions learn quickly when food is included in the training. 

ADA Status Restrictions
This tour is ADA accessible, but guests with mobility issues, including relying on wheelchairs or scooters, should note this on their tour order form so we can prepare to assist them. A short walk over uneven terrain is required to enter the barn.

Important Health and Safety Restrictions

Safety Notes
To accommodate the needs of our staff and guests, we limit the size of the group attending this tour to 6 people.
Guests may not approach or try to touch a lion during this encounter. Guests must remain inside designated spaces while viewing the lion training and visiting the behind-the-scenes area. 

Special Restrictions
Because lions and most cats are highly vulnerable to COVID-19 infections, guests must wear masks to participate in this behind-the-scenes tour. We are unable to waive this restriction for any reason. The Zoo may implement additional health measures (e.g., requiring guests to wear gloves) if new or more serious medical hazards emerge to threaten the well-being of our animals, guests, or staff. 

If we change the medical restrictions noted on the tour after selling tickets to the tour, we will email ticketholders about these changes and will announce them in the following paragraph. Ticketholders who cannot accommodate these introduced changes can receive a full refund for their tour purchase or, if they prefer, may sign up for an alternate tour with acceptable health restrictions.

Original Health Requirements Are Unchanged
The Zoo Society has not adjusted any health requirements since first posting information on this tour.