2025
Each year, the Milwaukee County Zoo and Zoological Society of Milwaukee bring our community together with exciting events, attractions and learning opportunities for all ages. None of it would be possible without the generous support of our sponsors.
A YEAR IN REVIEW EVENTS
1 Family Free Days
JAN.-MARCH, OCT.-DEC.
Sponsored by Tri City National Bank and FOX6
There are many families who call the Zoo home. Penguin parents and chicks, monkey groups, a lion pride and more! Visiting them is even more special on Family Free Days, when admission is free. A total of 40,071 visitors enjoyed free entry on the first Saturday of the month from October 2024 through March 2025.
2 Samson Stomp & Romp
JAN. 19
Presented by Prairie Farms Dairy
We kicked off 2025 with a wildly fun race, thanks in part to the animal costumes. With 943 participants, the Samson Stomp welcomed runners of all ages to the Zoo for its signature 5K race, 2-mile fun run/walk and 1-mile children’s romp.
3 Puttin’ on the Ritz
JAN. 25
Presented by Bridgewood Advisors
The 28th Puttin’ on the Ritz dazzled with gourmet food, fine spirits, amateur boxing and lively auctions at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. With 360 glamorous guests, the event raised $212,300 to benefit the Zoological Society’s mission, including support of the Milwaukee County Zoo.
As we look back on 2025, we celebrate the special moments that made the year unforgettable and the sponsors whose gifts of $2,500 or more helped make them happen. We are grateful for their partnership.
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4 Egg Day
APRIL 19
Sponsored by Racine Danish Kringles
The Zoo’s annual Egg Day welcomed spring with 8,854 visitors enjoying egg-citing fun! From the Egg Hunt Trail and Bunny Parade to free face painting and bunny ears, there was something for every-bunny — even the animals — thanks to special enrichment demonstrations.
5 Mother’s Day
MAY 11
Sponsored by Peoples State Bank
From camels to bongos to bears and more, mothers of all kinds rule the Zoo every day. On Mother’s Day, amazing human moms joined the celebration too, with more than 9,383 mothers and grandmothers enjoying free admission!
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6 Celebrate Diversity
MAY 17
Presented by Meijer
Diversity, nature’s greatest strength, shone brightly during Celebrate Diversity, where over 5,800 visitors explored educational biodiversity stations and enjoyed browsing the pop-up sustainability market.
7 Exploration Dinosaur
MAY 18-OCT. 5
Presented by Meijer
Inspired by the past to protect the future, 143,060 Zoo visitors explored prehistoric life alongside 20 life-sized dinosaurs at Exploration Dinosaur. During Roar & Explore Days, hands-on activities like fossil digging, dino diets and conservation fun sparked wonder in every young paleontologist.
8 Nights in June
JUNE 3-5
Sponsored by Habush Habush & Rottier S.C.®
Summer nights were made for this! Members-only Nights in June let 11,927 members enjoy the Zoo after hours with tunes, treats and tail-shaking fun. The summer exhibit, Exploration Dinosaur, was free each night and $7,900 raised for the Society’s Sponsor an Animal program.
9 Father’s Day
JUNE 15
Presented by Prairie Farms Dairy
Father’s Day is the one day of the year that all dads get free admission. That day, 7,533 fathers and grandfathers attended the Zoo free of charge. Photo by z2 Marketing
Photo by Joel Miller
Photo by Michael Grennell
0 Senior Safari
JUNE 17
Sponsored by St. Camillus
A Zoo day out designed for the young at heart, 4,104 guests aged 60 and older visited for free. Special activities like animal encounters, chair yoga and pickleball helped make the day extra fun in the sun
- Zoo Ball
JUNE 28
Presented by M3 Insurance and Quad
The 42nd Zoo Ball was a record-breaking success! On this unforgettable summer evening, 612 guests came together to raise more than $830,000 for the Society’s mission. This year’s theme, Velvet Jungle: A Sunset Soirée, immersed attendees in the vibrant “Our Zoo, Our Future” plans, celebrating conservation and community.
= Military & Veterans Family Day
JULY 6
Sponsored by WaterStone Bank
To honor our heroes, the Milwaukee County Zoo hosted Military & Veterans Family Day. Free admission and more than 20 veteran groups welcomed 7,747 service members, veterans and their families for a memorable day.
q Kids Nights
JULY 8-10
Sponsored by Lifeway Kefir
Who loves the Zoo more than a kid? That’s why we let 14,632 members go wild during three nights of members-only live music, food trucks and animal adventures. More than $7,000 was raised for the Society’s Sponsor an Animal program.
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w Birdies & Eagles Golf Tournament
JULY 21
Presented by GRAEF
It was a beautiful summer day on the green for the 36th annual Birdies & Eagles Golf Tournament. With 144 generous golfers, the Society celebrated record-breaking support, raising more than $144,000 for our mission to Conserve, Educate and Support.
e Snooze at the Zoo
AUG. 7-9
Sponsored by Educators Credit Union
Families explored the Zoo after hours at Snooze at the Zoo where1,266 campers enjoyed crafts, bat monitoring and sleeping near theanimals.
r A La Carte at the Zoo
AUG. 14-17
Presented by Meijer
Four full days of music, food and fun! Unforgettable moments, delicious bites and great company were enjoyed by 46,614 visitors at A La Carte at the Zoo.
t Ride on the Wild Side
SEPT. 14
Sponsored by Authentic Birth Center
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t y u i o
This year marked the 30th anniversary of Ride on the Wild Side, with nearly 700 cyclists participating, including some who took on a special 30-mile ride to celebrate three decades of the event! Together, they raised more than $50,000 for the Society’s mission.
y Boo at the Zoo
OCT. 17-19 & 24-26
Presented by Prairie Farms Dairy
This year’s Boo at the Zoo gave families two whole weekends of not-soscary fun! Ghosts, ghouls and parents in costume filled the Zoo to enjoy the Trick-or-Treat Trail, live pumpkin carving and more. Photo by Joel Miller
u Fantastic Forest
DEC. 1-31
Sponsored by Hawks Landscape
The Zoological Society of Milwaukee proudly celebrates the return of Fantastic Forest, where local youth groups create animal-themed ornaments, adorning nearly 70 trees in the U.S. Bank Gathering Place each December.
i Wild Lights
NOV. 21-DEC. 31
Presented by We Energies Foundation
Cheers! 21+ event sponsored by North Shore Bank Bigger and brighter each year, Wild Lights’ dazzling holiday light display brought wonder and joy to 40,291 guests in 2024. In 2025, Wild Lights will return — inviting you to enjoy an enchanted evening under the stars, surrounded by twinkling lights and glowing animal displays throughout the Zoo. Photo by Joel Miller
o Frosty Free Week
DEC. 26-30
Sponsored by Generac
Our gift to you is Frosty Free Week — a chance for us to say thank you for a great season. All guests receive free daytime admission as our way of sharing the joy! Photo by Joel Miller Regular concession and attraction rates apply.
Photo
Michael Grennell
Photo by Michael Grennell
EDUCATION
p Kohl’s Wild Theater
In partnership with Kohl’s Cares Kohl’s Wild Theater had a standout season, bringing conservation stories to life! At the Kohl’s Wild Theater stage in the farm area, 15,888 guests enjoyed free, high-energy performances and 25,567 guests joined in at-habitat games and activities featuring puppetry — each one sharing playful messages about protecting wildlife and wild places. Nearly 10,000 more guests explored the Kohl’s Wild Theater Education Station, connecting with our educators and volunteers for even more hands-on learning outside the show.
The fun didn’t stop at the Zoo! The team also hit the road for a robust outreach season, reaching over 6,775 students and families through school visits and community events across southeastern Wisconsin.
[ Summer Zoo Camps
Sponsored by Penzeys
Our Zoo Classes and Camps brought STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math) to life for hundreds of children and families this summer. From May through August, Summer Zoo Camp offered unforgettable experiences that blended learning with adventure for toddlers to teens. Through hands-on activities with biofacts and immersive Zoo exploration, campers formed meaningful connections to wildlife and discovered the importance of conservation.
And the learning doesn’t stop with summer, our Fall and Spring Zoo Classes continue to inspire, all led by the passionate educators at the Zoological Society.
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ATTRACTIONS/ VISITOR SERVICES
Sponsored
Photo by Michael Grennell
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Two of the Zoo’s North American river otters, Shamrock and Clover, were born on St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate, zookeepers sometimes give them
experience — breaking into iced four-leaf clovers and hearts. Photo by Joel Miller
Photo by Jody Allen
Photo by Michael Grennell
Amid the fall foliage, the Chilean and Caribbean flamingo flamboyance brings a splash of pink to the season! Caribbean flamingos sport bright pink plumage, while the smaller Chilean flamingos have pale pink feathers.
Photo by Joel Miller
Filly, the Zoo’s female jaguar, spends time in her outdoor habitat on warm days. She is especially remarkable as the first big cat born in the wild to come to the Milwaukee County Zoo since Pat the Great Cat, another rescued conflict jaguar from the Belize Zoo, arrived in 2008! Photo by Carolyn Lewis
Photo by Michael Grennell
Photo by Carolyn Lewis
Photo by Carolyn Lewis