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A trip to the Los Angeles Zoo will soon cost a few more dollars after the city council votes to raise ticket prices starting next month.
On Friday, council members voted unanimously to approve an ordinance that increases the general zoo admission fee by $5. The decision comes months after elected officials approved a $14 billion spending plan aimed at curbing the city’s budget crisis for 2025-26.
The next admission fee will be effective on July 1st. Tickets for children aged 2-12 are $22, while tickets for adults aged 13 and over cost $27. Senior tickets for people over the age of 62 cost $24.
According to the LA City Controller, the zoo’s first budget came from bond measures approved by voters in 1956.
La Zoo opened in 1966.
This is not the first time the council has approved a rise in ticket prices. In 2012, ticket prices rose by $2. A San Diego Zoo ticket costs $40 per adult, starting from $16 per adult. Adult tickets for a day at the San Diego Zoo today are $76.
“Zoos are struggling with budget control, but the only way to make money is to raise prices,” wrote one Reddit user. “Be careful to compare prices at the San Diego Zoo (Prime Tourist Attraction) and the Los Angeles Zoo (accessible to those who live there). The point is that Lazo operates on a different level.”
Mayor Karen Bass’ first proposed urban budget called for 53 positions at the zoo, a cut in the workforce by about 19%, and a one-off cut of $500,000 for part-time staff. In a letter to the Council’s Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee, Dennis Verett, director and chief executive of Lazo, said these cuts would result in heavy workloads for employees and harm the visitor’s experience.
Verret proposed restoring one free position and ten fill positions. The city’s approved budget will come into effect on July 1st.
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