A Note from the Zoo Director

Hello Everyone!

Our Centennial Celebration continues this fall with two very special events: Glow Wild, and our Centennial Gala.

Glow Wild is our family-friendly evening lantern festival that begins September 15, and is offered Thursdays through Sundays until November 27. Come explore the Zoo at night and journey through a wonderland of larger-than-life illuminated lanterns. You can walk through a brilliant wisteria tunnel and enjoy interactive experiences with the kids. You don't want to miss this first-time-ever event!  

Our Centennial Gala will be held on October 29 at the Inn at Longshore in Westport. The third in-person Gala celebrates our centennial year with our very special VIP cocktail hour featuring Master Falconer Brian Bradley and his Sky Hunters in Flight, and our fascinating guest speaker, Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo. This elegant evening affair raises money to support the Zoo's many rare and endangered species. We hope to see you there.

In animal news, we'll say good bye to our summer visitors, the African spur-thigh tortoises, until next year. If you're looking for our bald eagle, Kodiak, you'll find him in a temporary home between the Amur tiger and leopards while we explore solutions to the black vultures who have been his uninvited guests.

Our Free Summer for Connecticut children 18 and under and an accompanying adult ends on September 5. Thank you to everyone who visited this summer. We hope you had a wonderful time.

I'll see you at the Zoo!

-Gregg Dancho

Zoo Hours

Zoo: Open daily, 9:00am - 4:00pm

Peacock Cafe:

Open Daily, 9:00am - 4:00pm

Carousel:

Open Daily, 9:00am - 4:00pm

Canteen:

Open Daily, 10:00am - 3:00pm

Hours are subject to change due to staffing and/or weather conditions. Please be sure to check our website or Facebook page for any information regarding Zoo closures.

Plan Your Visit!

This Month at the Zoo!

TICKETS ON SALE! Glow Wild Lantern Festival 

Journey through a wonderland of illuminated larger-than-life lanterns inspired by our wild world.

This amazing festival will culminate a year of festivities celebrating the Zoo’s 100th birthday and will be held every Thursday - Sunday from September 15- November 27. The festival will showcase more than 35 large-scale illuminated displays, featuring hundreds of beautiful individual and interactive lanterns.

Spanning the width and breadth of Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s 30 acres, guests are invited to walk through glowing corridors. Displays of flora and fauna will light up the night sky, dazzling guests of all ages. Glow Wild is designed for everyone to enjoy--whether a family outing, romantic date, or co-worker get together.

Thank you to our sponsors: Our Glow Wild Sponsor is the Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Foundation, along with Premier Sponsors Avangrid (UI, SCG), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), R.D. Scinto and the Emanuel Family, and The Ernest & Joan Trefz Foundation. Select Sponsors are M & T Bank, Newtown Savings Bank and Subway Restaurants.  Our Hospitality Sponsor is Homewood Suites by Hilton and our Media Sponsor is WTNH News 8.

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International Red Panda Day
September 18

Come see our adorable red panda Berry in her home, the Natt Family Red Panda Habitat. The Zoo’s Education staff will be giving talks on this adorable member of the Zoo family. Learn about red pandas and help us create as many Red Panda Rangers as possible in a single day. What is a Red Panda Ranger? A Red Panda Ranger is a special title given to children who help spread the word about red pandas. Red pandas have been identified as a flagship species and an indicator of ecological health. Join us!

16th Annual Golf Tournament

Monday, September 12, 2022

It's time to tee up for the Zoo! Join the Zoo on Monday, September 12th at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield. This year's tournament will feature a traditional shotgun start, grill lunch, and buffet dinner.

Individual player registrations start at $500. To sponsor the tournament, please visit the Zoo's website.

Secure Your Foursome

Fairy Tales

September 17

Once upon a time in a zoo not so far away, there was a day for all children to dress up like their favorite storybook characters! On Saturday, September 17th, the Zoo will turn into a magical land, with a day full of fun activities, including princesses, story time at multiple locations on grounds, face painting, glitter tattoos, and animal presentations! Seven different costumed storybook characters will be on Zoo grounds from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by the Pediatric Care Alliance, a partnership between Connecticut Children’s and Hartford HealthCare.

Buy your tickets today!

Learn More  

Sunday Serenades September 18

Join us from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and listen to The Sun Kings, a Beatles Tribute Band.

Enjoy the music created by one of the most influential bands of our time. You'll hear many of the Fab Four's #1 hits, B sides and deep tracks--all performed with attention to detail duplicating their tight harmonies, fancy guitar work and solid backbeat.

In short, that signature Beatles sound!

Free with admission.  Purchase tickets today!

Buy Tickets Today

Evening Lecture Series

Voice of the North: What loons are telling us about a changing arctic

Join Tamara Zeller from the US Fish and Wildlife Services on September 21 for a series of short youth-produced films about loon research in Alaska and the collaborative efforts of scientists to learn more about these iconic species. Films will touch upon loon migration, habitat changes, and challenges facing loons in an evolving arctic climate. We will also show a film about the loons of Connors Lake in Anchorage, and the story behind efforts to conserve them. Registration is $10/lecture.

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo's Evening Lecture Series is sponsored by AARP and brought to you by the CBZ Volunteer Council.

Register Today

Centennial Gala
October 29

On Saturday, October 29, 2022, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo will celebrate 100 years of educating guests about the importance of wild animals and wild places while providing the community with a wonderful place for families to enjoy time together.

Join us at The Inn at Longshore in Westport for dinner, cocktails, musical entertainment, animal encounters, and silent & live auctions at a spectacular venue. With emcee Melissa Sheketoff, host of WICC's Melissa in the Morning, and special guest speaker Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo, this is one wild night out you don't want to miss!

RSVP Today

100 Years of Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

The Zoo has been helping people make wonderful memories since 1922. Before social media, postcards were the way people could quickly and easily stay in touch. Enjoy this look back through time through the beauty of postcards. This video takes us back through the years!

Watch the Video

School’s in session, and with that, the ever-important, but sometimes elusive, healthy snack plan. Here are some ideas for your child’s lunchbox that are energizing and easy.

Read more here.

Follow @ConnecticutChildrens on social media for the latest parenting tips from our pediatric experts, brought to you through Connecticut Children's Pediatric Care Alliance with Hartford HealthCare.

Needs & Deeds

A place to show gratitude to our faithful Zoo supporters and acknowledge current needs.

Needs
The Zoo is in need of the following:

Your Zoo Memories! As part of our Centennial, we will be collecting stories, photos, and memories to highlight the Zoo's impact on our community. To submit a memory, please click here.

If you would like to contribute to or donate equipment, please contact Ashley Volkens at [email protected].

Thank you!

Deeds
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to:

The Katharine Matthies Foundation for their award of $10,000 towards our Education Programming

ANIMAL FUN FACT

My nickname is the “dwarf leopard” because of my size and unique color patterns. And although I am a cat, I am an excellent swimmer. Can you guess who I am?

Click for the Answer!

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