Summer may be winding down, but Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is planning one more weekend of icy treats, animal encounters and family activities before Tacoma students head back to school.
The zoo’s End of Summer Blast runs Saturday, September 5, through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. Activities are scheduled throughout all three days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are included with regular zoo admission or membership.
The celebration combines the zoo’s normal animal exhibits with an expanded schedule of keeper talks, live programs and summer-themed enrichment activities—including opportunities to watch animals receive their own special treats.
Animals Get to Celebrate, Too
Animal enrichment is an important part of everyday care at the zoo, giving animals opportunities to explore, solve problems and engage in behaviors they might use in the wild.
For End of Summer Blast, those activities receive a seasonal twist.
At 12:30 p.m. each day, visitors can stop at the Asian Forest Sanctuary for a keeper chat and watch animals receive summer-themed treats. The zoo says additional animals may receive surprise enrichments throughout the weekend, particularly activities designed to help them beat the late-summer heat.
The weekend schedule also includes daily keeper chats with red wolves at 11:15 a.m., marine mammals at noon, polar bears at 1:30 p.m. and clouded leopards at 3 p.m.
Those conversations give visitors a chance to learn more about the animals from the people who work with them every day, including their personalities, diets, behaviors and conservation challenges.
On Sunday, aquarium visitors can also attend an 11 a.m. dive talk inside the Northwest Waters habitat at the Pacific Seas Aquarium.
Bugs, Close Encounters and a Show
The celebration isn’t limited to frozen treats.
The Bugs Alive! program will be presented at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. each day in the Nature Play Garden. The program introduces visitors to some of the smaller creatures that play important roles in the natural world.
At 1:30 p.m., an Animal Close Encounter near the muskoxen habitat will offer another opportunity to see one of the zoo’s animals at closer range.
Families can also catch Zoo’s Got Mail at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Additional children’s activities include story time with zoo guides at 2:45 p.m. and a Nature Explorers activity at 3:15 p.m., both in the Nature Play Garden.
Because animal behavior and care needs can change, the zoo notes that scheduled activities may be adjusted—and visitors may encounter additional, unscheduled enrichment sessions during the weekend.
Cool Off at the Aquarium
If the weather feels more like midsummer than September, the Pacific Seas Aquarium will provide an indoor place to cool down while exploring animals from the waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Visitors can also stop at the aquarium’s Tidal Touch Zone, where they can gently interact with marine life and compare the textures of sea stars, sea urchins, crab shells and anemones.
The zoo describes the experience as a chance to feel as though you’re at the beach—without leaving Point Defiance.
What to Know Before You Go
End of Summer Blast takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. September 5–7 at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, 5400 North Pearl Street in Tacoma.
All event activities and animal programs are included with regular zoo admission or membership. Purchasing tickets in advance may make arrival easier during the busy holiday weekend.
The three-day event also provides families with one final summer outing before Tacoma Public Schools students in grades 1–12 return to class Wednesday, September 9.
See the complete enrichment schedule and purchase tickets on the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium event page here.
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