ZooTampa is Florida’s most popular cultural institution, welcoming over 1 million visitors annually and creating unforgettable connections with wildlife and each other. Whether you are passionate about creating an exceptional guest experience in the park, support the Zoo’s continued growth and development, or anything in-between, there is an opportunity for everyone to embark on their next career step while having a lasting impact in protecting wildlife and the world we share.
Working at ZooTampa has unique benefits far beyond normal medical coverage and sick days—parks you can’t find anywhere else. If getting close to animals from around the world isn’t enough, we offer other benefits like quarterly performance bonuses, gym memberships, free or discounted tickets to attractions throughout Florida, and more!
Every team member at ZooTampa plays a pivotal role in our mission to protect and preserve wildlife. Want to know what it’s like working at ZooTampa? Hear from some of our team members below!
We offer a variety of careers for everyone. From guest-facing and in-park positions to working in our offices and behind-the-scenes, every position plays an integral role in our mission and our guest experience.
Rescue, rehabilitate and care for animals; create exceptional personalized experiences that connect people with wildlife and each other in fun, immersive ways.
Everyone we touch is motivated to join us in taking action to protect and preserve wildlife.
Leadership in all aspects of our organization through persistance, collaborations, and imagination.
Innovation – Doing things the way they have always been done—even if it led to past success—doesn’t necessarily lead to future success. We must reimagine the future, think differently, challenge the status quo, and change the rules.
Discipline – Carefully analyze the logic and rationale behind every decision and act accordingly.
Common Sense – We must listen to and trust our instinct.
The highest level of examplary animal care, operational actions, and sustainable practices.
Quality – Consistent attention to every detail is a sacred trust that is never compromised.
Humility – We cannot become complacent, arrogant, or take success for granted. We must always work hard to be a leader in our field and deliver on our brand promise every day.
Simplicity – Reducing something to its essential elements isn’t always easy. Nothing is so complex that it cannot be distilled to one page. It requires strong organizational skills and those who do it well are extremely valuable to our organization.
Safety – We prioritize and hold ourselves accountable for the well-being of our guests, employees, and animals.
A welcoming, equitable environment that promotes the success of all, encourages diverse perspectives to be heard, and values individual differences.
Communication – Open and honest communication between all levels is fundamental to our success and ensures everyone knows where the company is going and how we plan to get there. Active, two-way communication is essential. Leadership must encourage input and actively listen to employees. This is necessary to generate diversity in ideas and will result in a more committed workforce.
Planning – Take the initiative to design and commit to a desirable future and invent ways to get there. We encourage individual and team participation so that everyone is a part of the planning process.
Honesty – Always maintain an unwavering commitment to truth, integrity and objectivity. We interact honestly and respectfully with all our employees, guests and partners, and we expect the same in return. It is imperative that we operate our organization in a simple, clear and transparent way.
Provide consistent, unmatched customer service to every guest on every visit.
Memorable Connections – We are set apart by our ability to provide world-class customer service. Our front-line employees are the face of ZooTampa and their influence guarantees we can achieve our mission.
Fun – We all must enjoy what we do, be excited by challenges, and energized by possibilities. We work hard but we also should have fun.
Working at ZooTampa has unique benefits beyond typical medical coverage and sick days—perks you can’t find anywhere else. Your morning might begin with a streak of color soaring overhead—that would be our vibrant macaws performing their daily flyover. Perhaps you’ll feel what it’s like to have a 4,000-pound rhino eating out of your hand—don’t worry, their slobber is non-toxic.
The benefits extend far beyond the walls of our Zoo. Working at ZooTampa means you’ll be an important part of a respected non-profit organization dedicated to supporting conservation efforts, not just in Florida but globally. As a result, your day-to-day job will have a lasting impact on wildlife, as well as on the guests who visit ZooTampa.
Join the ZooTampa team, and help us in our mission.
Hear from some of our team members about what they love most working at ZooTampa!
– Ansley Blackwell
Communications Specialist
I am proud to work at the Zoo because we are part of Tampa’s story and the community ties are deep and long-standing; what we do here matters. The amazing work that the Zoo does daily is a testament to the attention to quality and detail that goes into animal care, conservation, education, and all aspects of the work done by the Zoo’s team.
– Hannah Grosvenor
Development Coordinator
I love working for ZooTampa. Our mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and care for animals is something I have personally believed in my entire life. Working in Development for the Zoo gives me the feeling of great accomplishment, knowing that the money I am helping to raise directly helps all of our animals in some way.
– Cody Gonzalez
Guest Services Manager
My team. I have a great group of team members within the Guest Services department that are always ready to take that extra step.
– Christy Taylor
Early Childcare Education Manager
My favorite part of the job is interacting with our families and children every day and being a small part of their lives.
– Jordan Liggett
Sr. Manager of Entertainment Productions
Never start a conversation with “No”; there is always a way to make something happen. Remember why we are here; all our excellent work makes a difference.
Discover the opportunities that are available and find which position best suits your next career chapter.
Creating exceptional experiences for our guests is at the core of our operations. If you’re passionate about making our guest’s visit unforgettable, you may be interested in the following positions:
An exceptional guest experience would not be possible without operations teams who work to provide a beautiful, immersive environment, clean facilities, build, construct and maintain our buildings and habitats, and keep us and our guests safe. These jobs include:
ZooTampa could not continue to grow and evolve without the dedicated teams of our Business Support. From finance to development, marketing to human resources, each team plays a pivotal role in keeping our business up and running so we can continue working towards our mission of protecting and preserving wildlife and creating exception guest experiences. Our Business Support positions include:
Our animal care team is made of dedicated, passionate team members who are focused on providing the best world-class care to the animals who call ZooTampa home. Saving species in today’s world takes vision, innovation, and collaboration and all of this would not be possible without the commitment our animal care teams have to ZooTampa and protecting and preserving wildlife and the natural world we share. Our animal care and health positions include:
Inspiring guests, members, and our community to join us in saving wildlife requires educating and inspiring everyone we touch. Our Guest Engagement team is responsible for delivering our conservation messages to visitors through creative and immersive programs. Jobs in our Guest Engagement team include:
Working at ZooTampa means you’ll be an important part of a respected non-profit organization dedicated to supporting conservation efforts, not just in Florida, but globally. Your day-to-day job will have a lasting impact on wildlife, as well as on the guests who visit ZooTampa.
We offer outstanding opportunities for applicants seeking careers in hospitality, animal care, skilled trades, horticulture, education, marketing, finance and more. Join us in our mission to rescue, rehabilitate and care for animals; create exceptional personalized experiences that connect people with wildlife and each other in fun, immersive ways.
ZooTampa is proud to be an equal opportunity employer of choice within the Tampa Bay community. We are a Drug-Free Workplace and participate in E-Verify.
For Food & Beverage opportunities, please visit Spectra Job Listings.
Open today from:
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Spectra is our exclusive F&B provider. For those opportunities, please apply directly to Spectra here and search the job openings by typing in ZooTampa.
You will receive an auto-generated email from ZooTampa at Lowry Park noreply@echo.newtonsoftware.com.
1. Please make one field trip per reservation order. Complete one and start a new one if you have multiple days you are booking.
2. Headcount can be approximate. Please include children and adults in your headcount. Please do not include pass holders in your headcount for a ticket.
3. On the ticket page, choose the correct grade level (to the left of your screen) to receive the correct chaperone ratio.
4. On the ticket page, when on the calendar section, the number of tickets available will appear in the top right corner for each particular day. Tickets available include children and adults. If you have more people than tickets available, please choose another day.
5. Anyone that is ordering lunch, even pass holders and adults that receive free chaperone tickets, do need to pay for a lunch IF they are ordering one. Free chaperone tickets and pass holders are for admission only.
6. Payment does not need to be paid at the time of registration. Choose the pay upon arrival option if you would like one person to pay for your entire trip on the day of your visit.
7. The prices of adult and children’s tickets are different.
8. You will receive a confirmation number and confirmation letter via email when your trip is confirmed. If you do not, please contact Jamie.Elkington@Zootampa.org right away.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park offers a variety of delicious food for guests at several restaurants and concession stands throughout, but we understand that guests may need to bring outside food for special dietary needs. Acceptable and prohibited food items are listed below. For the convenience of our guests, there is a picnic area located outside the park near the main parking lot.
For the safety of our animals, guests and employees, the following items are not permitted to be brought into ZooTampa:
The following items are also prohibited to avoid blocking of walkways and/or trip hazards:
Please leave any unnecessary articles secured within your vehicle to expedite your entry into the park.
We reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not observing Zoo Rules.
With a new Pay For A Day, Rest of Year Free ticket – for a limited time – you get unlimited admission through December 31, 2023 including access to our seasonal event series. Some blockout dates apply — see below for details. Not valid with any other discounts.
When does my Pay For A Day ticket expire?
For a limited time, new Pay for a Day, Rest of Year Free tickets are valid from the day of purchase until 12/31/2023 Pay for a Day, Rest of Year Free tickets which were purchased prior to October 1st, 2022 are valid until 12/31/2022.
What are the blockout dates?
3/11/23 – 3/19/23
11/24/23 – 11/26/23
12/26/23 – 12/31/23
Can I purchase a Pay For A Day ticket on a blockout date?
Yes! You can purchase a Pay for a Day, Rest of Year Free ticket for first-time use on a listed blockout date and have full access to the park on that day. Blockout dates apply to repeat visitation.
Can I use my Pay For A Day ticket on blockout dates?
If you already have your Pay for a Day, Rest of Year Free ticket and wish to visit during a listed blockout date, please stop by the Zoo’s ticketing windows for alternate options:
