What’s the difference between buying someone a membership and buying someone a gift membership?

When you purchase a membership for someone the 12 months of membership starts immediately. You will need to provide all information including the full names of the adults on the membership, number of children (if applicable), the recipient’s address, email address, and phone number. We will process the membership and notify them via email when their cards are ready for pickup. We do not notify them the membership was purchased for them as a gift.

When you purchase a gift membership the 12 months does not start until they redeem the gift certificate. At the time of purchase, you will need to provide only a name for the recipient. You will automatically receive an electronic gift certificate to the email address you entered at the time of purchase.  You can print out or forward via email the certificate to the recipient which they can redeem at their convenience. The gift certificate is good for 12months from the purchase month. Their membership is activated when they present the gift certificate to us.

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I was given a membership gift certificate over 12 months ago; can I still redeem it?

Membership gift certificates are valid for 12 months from the purchase month. After 12 months have passed, we will accept the gift certificate for redemption, but the value of the gift certificate will be for less than 12 months.

For example:
I was given a gift membership and the purchase date on the certificate is 12/4/2021. I can redeem the gift certificate for a full 12-month membership up until 12/31/2022.

If I redeem the gift certificate on | My expiration date will be:

3/15/2022 | 3/31/2023
7/9/2022 | 7/31/2023
11/1/2022 | 11/30/2023
12/20/2022 | 12/31/2023
1/1/2023 through 12/31/2023 | 12/31/2023

*The gift certificate in this example will lose all value and will no longer be accepted on 1/1/2024.

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I was given a gift certificate, but misplaced it; can I still redeem it?

Please contact the membership department by phone or email and we can look up the gift certificate for you.
Please call (610) 799-4171 x225 or email membership@lvzoo.org

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What ages are guests considered children? Adults?

For membership purposes, a child is aged 2 to 17, and an adult is aged 18+. Children under the age of 2 are free.

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My child turns 2yo in 4 months, but I am due for renewal now; do I have to pay a child rate for them?

You do not need to pay for your child if they are not yet aged 2. When you renew next year, you will need to pay the child rate for them.

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My child turns 18yo in 7 months, but I am due for renewal now; do I have to pay for them as an adult?

You do not need to pay the adult rate for your child if they are not yet aged 18. When you renew next year, you will need to pay the adult rate for them.

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I have 5 children, but the family membership includes 4. How do I add another child?

At checkout you can add additional children to any membership for $15 annually.

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I only have one child; can I add a child to a ‘Couples’ membership?

Yes. At checkout you can add a child to a couples membership, for an additional $15 annually.

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I want to add an additional adult to my membership; how do I do that?

At checkout you can add an additional adult to any membership, EXCEPT the Family Membership, for $30 annually. If you need a third adult added to a Family Membership you must upgrade to the Family Plus Membership.

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I bring a different adult with me each time I visit. Can I add an unnamed adult to my membership?

Adults on memberships must be named, and their name must match the name on their state or government issued identification, which is required to be presented at check-in.

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I just joined and haven’t received my membership cards; how can I visit the zoo?

If you joined online you should have received a confirmation email which can be shown, along with photo ID, to be admitted to the zoo. If you did not receive a confirmation email, check your junk/spam folder. If you do not have the email, you can check on the status by emailing membership@lvzoo.org

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When and how will I get my permanent membership cards?

Permanent membership cards are created within 2 weeks of purchase. You will be notified via email once the cards are ready for pickup. You do not need to make a special trip to the zoo to pick them up but instead can get them on your first visit back to the zoo after you receive the notification email. If you did not receive an email (it can sometimes be flagged as junk/spam) and it has been 2 weeks or more, your cards are ready for pickup. In the event the cards are not ready when you visit, staff will look up your profile and you will be admitted with a photo ID. We do not mail membership cards.

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How do I receive free or discounted admission to other AZA accredited institutions?

You can present your Lehigh Valley Zoo membership cards to receive free or discounted admission to institutions that participate in the reciprocity program. Prior to visiting we highly recommend confirming their participation by visiting https://www.aza.org/reciprocity and contacting them ahead of time to confirm their process.

If you just joined LVZoo and do not yet have your membership cards, but would like to visit another institution on the reciprocity list, you can email membership@lvzoo.org to request an emailed reciprocity letter to present to the other institution. We do not mail membership cards.

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Why doesn’t my membership card list my children’s names?

We do not verify identity of children at check-in because they don’t require photo identification. You are welcome to bring any children along with you, up to the maximum number of children allowed by the membership level you’ve chosen.

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I have a membership which covers my children. Can I send my children along with someone else to visit the zoo?

Children are only admitted with at least one of the named adult cardholders covered by the membership.

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How do I get my discount at the nature store or one of the food stands?

To receive a discount you will need to present your permanent membership card, temporary membership card, or confirmation email, prior to checkout.

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I lost my membership card, how do I get a new one?

Lost membership cards can be replaced for $5 per card. You can request a new card over the phone, via email, or in person at the zoo.

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I’m a member. How do I purchase discounted tickets to a special event?

Tickets to special events that offer discounted admission to members can be purchased via our online ticketing page www.lvzoo.org/tickets. At checkout you will be asked to provide your Member ID. Your Member ID can be found on your membership card. If you recently joined, your Member ID is not yet available. Please contact the Membership Department by emailing membership@lvzoo.org to request a one time code for your purchase.

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My membership expired; can I still receive the $15 discount?

We offer a $15 discount to members who renew prior to their expiration date, or within the 7-day grace period after expiration. If you miss the renewal window the $15 discount is not available to you and you are considered a NEW member. If you use the renewal form online after the 7-day grace period and receive the $15 discount, we will contact you to collect the $15 prior to processing your membership. We appreciate your understanding.

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I had a grandparent membership which expired; why is the grandparent membership no longer available?

Due to the increase of special requests received for alternate membership levels, we reevaluated our membership base in September of 2020. In order to streamline our offerings, and appeal to a wider range of guests, we eliminated the Grandparent level which was almost identical to the Family membership. If your Grandparent membership has expired, we are no longer offering it as an option; you will need to re-join as a Family Member.

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I have a child or an adult who utilizes a Direct Support Professional (DSP); do they have to pay admission when they accompany the member child or adult?

We offer free admission to 1 DSP for the member needing assistance. The DSP must be able to provide a photo ID and proof of employment with the company they work for. We need to know the name of the company ahead of time to include the name on the membership. A friend or family member is not permitted free admission as a DSP.

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How does an individual needing a Direct Support Professional (DSP) sign up for a membership?

You can sign up for a membership online, over the phone or in person. To purchase the membership online you will complete the application for the individual only. You will then need to immediately follow up with us via email, or phone to notify us the membership needs a DSP designation. If you do not notify us prior to processing the membership, an additional $5 fee will be owed to recreate the membership card.

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I only come to the zoo during the summer; is there a partial year membership available?

No. Lehigh Valley Zoo is open 12 months a year! A family membership works out to $10.42 per month, which is less than one admission ticket. We think you’ll agree, that is a great value!

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Why do I have to show my ID every time?

Our membership cards do not have photos on them, and we have over 4,000 household memberships. The staff at the membership booth changes regularly and it is impossible for us to know every member. We require every adult to have a state or government issued photo ID with them every time they visit.

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I want to visit the zoo but forgot my membership card; what do I do?

As long as you have a state or government issued photo ID we can look up your membership in our database.

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I bought tickets to the zoo and now I want to become a member; can I get a refund for my tickets?

We will apply a credit for the Zoo daytime general admission tickets you purchased to a membership within 7 days of your visit, as long as you can provide proof of purchase. The credit is only valid for the quantity and type of guest included on the membership. For example, a Family membership allows 2 Adults and up to 4 children. If you purchased 4 Adult tickets and 6 children’s tickets, we would provide a credit for 2 adult tickets and 4 children’s tickets. To receive a credit, you can reach out to us via phone or email. We will provide you with a discount code to apply to your online membership purchase.

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