Zoo Accessibility

The Lion Lot is in close proximity to the Ticket Plaza and is available for guests with accessibility needs. Be sure to have a visible placard posted on your windshield. Accessible parking spaces are visually identified. This lot also contains general public parking spaces. Other parking lot names are Stork, Otter, Tiger, and Bear. Busses should use Otter parking lot for drop off and pick up.

Download the Accessible Accommodations Map

• Tram: The Tram is a complimentary service that provides roundtrip travel from African Elephant Crossing directly to the Primate, Cat and Aquatics building. The Tram operates between 11 a.m. until closing (times of operation are subject to change). Trams are wheelchair accessible and can accommodate empty and folded strollers and wagons. Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECVs), motorized scooters, and other mobility devices may be loaded onto the Tram, however, the rider may not ride on the mobility device while the Tram is in motion and the rider must be able to transfer to a seat. Rented ECVs can make the journey up the paved hill to Primate, Cat and Aquatics with a near full battery. It is recommended that guests renting an ECV visit Primate, Cat and Aquatics first during their visit while their mobility device has the strongest charge.  A charging cord is provided as part of the rental to recharge the ECV while inside the building.
• Parking Lot Shuttles: The Zoo does not have shuttle service from/to parking lots. However Cleveland Metroparks Zoo does provide accessible parking near the Zoo entrance in the Lion Lot. If a guest needs to drop someone off at the front entrance of the Zoo prior to parking, there are two designated drop-off areas for guests beyond the crosswalk but before the Lion Lot.
• Rentals: The Zoo gift shop in the Welcome Plaza has push wheelchairs, strollers, and Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECVs) for rent on a first-come, first-served basis. Wheelchairs and ECVs may also be reserved in advance by phone at 216.661.7603. Quantities are limited. Please note: ECVs cannot be rented in thunderstorms, rain or snow and is a single-person device only. ECV operators must be 18 years of age or older with a valid ID.  Service animals are not permitted to ride in the basket of rented ECVs.
• Accessible Trail Maps: Maps denoting trail loop mileage and challenge level are available by request from the Guest Resource Center at the front entrance of the Zoo.

If you need an accommodation, please make a request at least two weeks (and a minimum of 72 hours notice) before the program, activity, or event. Call 216.635.3391 to place a request.

Select evening signature events offer drive-through options. Visit FutureForWildlife.org for availability.

• The “Audio Everywhere” phone app is a free assistive listening program that can be downloaded from the app store and is compatible with the audio at the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Welcome Pavilion, African Elephant Crossing, Asian Highlands, and Ballarat Theater in Australian Adventure.
• Provide sign language interpreter services (with 72 hours advance notice)
• Provide Guest Services escort for narration (with 72 hours advance notice)
• Amplified live programs and shows
• Captions on habitat videos
• Transcripts of audio files for the Boomerang Train, Tram, African Elephant Crossing interpretation and Circle of Wildlife Carousel available upon request. These can be picked up inside the Guest Resource Center by the front entrance of the Zoo.
• Assistive Listening Devices available for staff-led tours and education programs (with 72 hours advance notice)
• Accommodations for education programs can be requested by calling 216.635.3391 (with 72 hours advance notice)

Tactile and Sensory Signage at the Zoo

• Areas across the zoo include 3-D touchable items such as statues and raised graphics to encourage tactile experiences and learning. A list of these items is available upon request. It can be picked up inside the Guest Resource Center by the front entrance of the Zoo.

4-D Theater

• Assisted listening devices are available upon request at the 4-D Theater.

Caregiver Admission Pricing

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo provides discounted admission to caregivers of individuals with a disability in the following ways:

• Tickets: The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo provides one complimentary ticket (with the purchase of an admission ticket) for a caregiver who is assisting a guest with special accommodation needs.  Please stop at the Box Office in Ticket Plaza to request your complimentary ticket by name (e.g. “caregiver ticket”).
• Membership: Members that require a caregiver will be provided a caregiver access card to use in conjunction with a valid membership. All membership rules still apply.

Please call 216.635.3329 to request this caregiver access card. Requests for a caregiver access card must be made at least 5 business days in advance of the next Zoo visit. The Caregiver access card will then have the same expiration date as the member’s active membership and will not need to be requested again until the membership is renewed. Members must still present a valid membership card and photo ID to gain access to the Zoo along with the caregiver access card for caregiver admittance.

Caregivers are not considered guests or babysitters and must be with the named members or must accompany a babysitter (for memberships with a valid babysitter option) to gain access to the Zoo.

Military Admission Pricing

Military and their families are admitted at a discounted cost (limit of 6 tickets per family per visit at $12 per ticket). These tickets can only be purchased at the the Box Office in Ticket Plaza. Military members will need to show active or veteran identification.

Group Advance Reservation Admission Pricing

Organizations that serve individuals with disabilities qualify for discounted group admission. Staff from these centers/organizations (i.e. groups with disabilities) must make an advanced reservation that contains the purchase of at least 5 clients and 1 staff member. All groups of people with disabilities (physical and developmental) are admitted for $4.00 per person, regardless of residency status, with prepaid reservations.  Chaperone/staff discount is limited to a maximum 1:1 ratio.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires facilities like Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed. Moreover, as an institution which recognizes the importance of serving all members of our local and world communities, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo welcomes visitors with service animals consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

Only trained service animals will be admitted to the Zoo. Pets, under any circumstances, will not be admitted to the Zoo. Guests with a service animal must meet with a Guest Services Supervisor each time they visit prior to entering the Zoo. The Guest Services Supervisor will greet the guest and may only ask:

      "Is the dog, miniature horse or monkey a service animal required because of a disability?

      If the answer is yes, "What work or task has the dog, miniature horse or monkey been trained to perform?"

Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as any dog or miniature horse, that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. A monkey which collects or retrieves items for a person whose mobility is impaired may also be considered an animal assistant in Ohio and should be treated as a service animal. A dog, miniature horse or monkey that is not trained is not considered a service animal.

Any dog in training to become an assistance dog shall be covered by a liability insurance policy provided by the nonprofit special agency in such work protecting members of the public against personal injury or property damage caused by the dog.

Emotional support animals and other non-service animals are subject to Cleveland Metroparks regulations of household pets and other animals, and are not considered a Service Animal.

Guests with service animals will:

1. Agree to remain out of restricted areas.The type of service animal may determine which areas may be restricted. For example, service dogs (canines) are restricted from entering the following areas:
   1. Wallaby Walkabout
   2. Boomerang Train
   3. Contact Yard
   4. Outback Aviary
   5. Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter
   6. Rosebrough Tiger Passage (near glass)
   7. Asian Highlands (near glass)
2. Under the ADA all service animals must be under the control of its owner/handler. Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective means.  The care and supervision of the service animal is the sole responsibility of his or her owner.
3. In the event that a Zoo animal should respond adversely to the presence of the service animal the owner/handler will move promptly away from the immediate area to avoid injury to the Zoo animal due to fright or panic.
4. Service animals may not cross over barriers or otherwise come in close proximity to the animals in the Zoo's care.
5. Owners will be responsible for all actions of the service animal including the clean-up of all defecation from the service animal. We ask that dogs relieve themselves on the grassy areas of the Zoo (i.e. the picnic area between Palava Hut and Daniel Maltz Rhino Reserve, the grass between the TreeTops Cafe playground and Aldabra tortoise exhibit, and the pathway underneath Fulton Road bridge leading into Wilderness Trek)
6. Owners will be held responsible for any damages or injury caused by their service animal.
7. Service animals are not permitted to ride in the basket of ECVs rented from the Gift Shop.

Service animals may be excluded from the Zoo grounds or a portion of the Zoo grounds for any of the following reasons:

• Aggressive behavior by a service animal toward any other person, including guests.
• An animal that is not being controlled by its owner.
• An animal that elicits extreme fear or aggression from a Zoo animal, creating a direct threat to the health or safety to itself or others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation.
• An animal that is not housebroken.
• An animal whose behavior (e.g., barking) fundamentally alters/disrupts shows or presentations.
• An animal who is showing signs of severe illness creating health issues or direct threat issues to the health and safety of others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation (e.g., severe diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding).

If a service animal is excluded from the Zoo grounds or a portion of the Zoo grounds, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will make reasonable accommodations to permit the guest to continue their visit. These accommodations will not include kenneling or stabling the service animal.    

For additional information about our Service Animal Policy, please contact us at 216-661-6500.

Click here for a Zoo map that denotes general services such as family/single-use/ all-gender restrooms, private nursing area and more.

Family Restrooms

Family restrooms are ADA accessible and are equipped with benches, child changing stations and privacy locks. These restrooms are located at:

• Australian Adventure (across from koalas)
• African Savanna (by rhinos along the pathway leading to the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine).
• African Elephant Crossing (across from meerkats)
• Circle of Wildlife Carousel

Family restrooms are not equipped for adult individuals needing to be laid down to be changed. Individuals seeking an adult changing location should use First Aid.

Adult Changing Area/First Aid Room

First Aid can be found next to our Boomerang Train ticket booth. This area has air conditioned space where adults can have their special needs taken care of. This space has an adult sized medical treatment table.

Nursing Mothers Room

This air conditioned space is located in our Welcome Plaza near the restrooms. It is available on a first-come, first-served basis for nursing mothers. Nursing mothers are welcome throughout the park, but this location is available for guests wanting a private area.

Since March of 2019, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has been Sensory Inclusive Certified by KultureCity. This venue is certified as a trained and trusted advocate for those with sensory needs. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has partnered with KultureCity to promote an accommodating and positive experience for guests with sensory issues.

Sensory Bags

Sensory bags are complementary and can be loaned out to guests as they enter the Zoo from the Guest Resource Center. Bags must be returned at the conclusion of the Zoo visit.

Each sensory bag includes: fidget toys, noise cancelling headphones, sunglasses, visual communication supports (Double sided card. One side is a feelings thermometer, with pictures to represent emotions. The other side is a requesting card, with pictures to represent things an individual might need if they are escalated such as a break, a snack, etc.,)  and a KultureCity VIP lanyard.

Quiet Zones (areas that might be quieter/secluded)

• Walkway to Rosebrough Tiger Passage (pathway between the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine and the tiger habitat)
• Wilderness Trek (near reindeer habitat)
• Deckwalk (middle of deck)
• Deckwalk at the top

Headphone Zones (areas that might be loud) 

• Circle of Wildlife Carousel
• Boomerang Train (train ride around Australian Adventure)
• Yagga Tree slide (in Australian Adventure)
• Primate, Cat & Aquatics building
• Main Food Court
• The Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter deck

Sensory Maps

Download the Accessible Accommodations Map

Quiet Room

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo does not currently have a designated quiet room, however, guests can inquire at the Guest Resource Center for special accommodations. On occasion, the Nursing Room located near the front of the Zoo can be used.

Sensory Story

https://venue.kulturecity.org/venues/cleveland-metroparks-zoo

Eagle Zip Adventure Zip Line

• Passengers with physical disabilities must be able to transfer into the seat and be secured into the restraints.
• Legs must be present to the knee at a minimum.
• Riders must not have a condition which prevents a normal seating position or use of the safety restraints.
• Height and weight restrictions apply.

Boomerang Train

The train is wheelchair accessible.

Carousel

The Circle of Wildlife Carousel is wheelchair accessible.  The carousel has two chariot seats to accommodate wheelchair seating or for those who may not be able to climb onto one of the animals.

4-D Theater

The 4D Theater is wheelchair accessible.

Giraffe Deck

The Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter is wheelchair accessible. Staff are available to assist guests as needed.

Food Allergy Information

Email [email protected], Aramark food service provider at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Photo and Face Paint Information

• Photo Safari- If your party wishes to have a photo taken as you enter the Zoo but someone in your party has sensory issues feel free to let the photographer know and we can turn off our camera’s flash and lower our voices while we interact with your party.   Photo Safari does have a wheelchair accessible counter for photo viewing for any guest that needs a lower counter to comfortably view and purchase their Zoo memories.
• Face Paint- Our artist can apply face paint to any guest while they sit in their wheelchair, guests do not have to sit on our stools in order to participate in getting a face paint or glitter tattoo. Guests with sensitive skin or allergies may inquire with our artist for an ingredients list.

The Cleveland Metroparks website has been designed to conform to Level “A” of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

Transcriptions of Video are available upon request by calling the Zoo Library at 216-635-3333