Where
is the Ellen Trout Zoo located?
The Zoo is located at 402
Zoo Circle, Lufkin, Texas 75904. On the north Loop 287,
exit north on Martin Luther King and turn left
immediately onto Zoo Circle. The intersection at Loop 287
and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive is closed on the east bound
side of the road. East bound traffic will need to go to the
US 59 intersection and make a U-turn. Parking is available along
the street or the parking lots in Ellen Trout Park.
Buses are requested to park in the Expo Center parking
lot. Call 936-633-0399 for more information.
Yahoo Map to
the Zoo
What time does the Zoo open?
The Zoo is open daily
from 9:00 a.m. and stops taking admissions at 4:30 p.m., but visitors may remain in the zoo until 5:00 p.m. This includes holidays
and weekends.
What days does the Zoo close?
The Ellen Trout Zoo is
open every day of the year.
How much does admission cost?
Admission Fees
$7.00 for adults 12-59
$6.00 seniors 60 and older
$3.50 for children 4-11
Children under 4 are free
Organized groups of 15 or more adults - $3.50 and children $1.75
School rate (students and teachers) - $2.00.
Zoo admission fees are split with a portion going into the City general fund to help support zoo operations and most going into the zoo building fund to make improvements and help the zoo grow. Current projects of the zoo building fund include the zoo’s new state of the art commissary, and newly renovated visitor walkways.
What is the AZA?
AZA stands for the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums. This professional organization is
composed of accredited Zoos and facilities.
Accreditation is done every five years for every
institution. An inspection by peers is performed to
ensure that member zoos meet established professional
criteria. Those meeting these criteria are accredited.
The Ellen Trout Zoo received
its 5 year inspection and passed in March of 2016. The
Zoo has now been accredited for over 25 years and was
one of the first zoos in Texas to receive
accreditation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit
a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are
supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent
care for animals, a great experience for you, and a
better future for all living things. With its more than
200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global
wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals
in their native habitats. For more information visit
www.aza.org.
For more information on
Friends of
Ellen Trout Zoo, call 936-633-0399 or stop by the
zoo at 402 Zoo Circle, Lufkin, TX 75904. You can pick
up a brochure and join a growing group of people
supporting the zoo. Or you can download a membership
brochure by
clicking here and following the instructions.
The Zoo houses over 800 mammals,
birds and reptiles from around the world.
We do not have a petting zoo because
they require additional staff members to supervise activities of
the animals and the people.
You can
help the
zoo by joining
Friends of
the Ellen Trout Zoo, by participating in the "Adopt
An Animal" program, by making a contribution to the
"Hippo Habitat Fund", or by making a donation to the Zoo
Building Fund.
The Z & OO Railroad is owned and operated by the Lufkin Hosts Lions Club. It does not have any affiliation with the Ellen Trout Zoo or the City of Lufkin. The train ride takes about 8 minutes and goes around the park and across Ellen Trout Lake. Children 3 years of age and under ride free, everyone else is $2 (credit/debit cards not accepted). The proceeds benefit various projects and organizations in the area. From around the first of March until school starts in August the operating hours are from 10:00am until 3:00pm on weekdays and 10:00am until 5:00pm on weekends. When school starts in August and until March the operating hours are from 10:00am until 5:00pm on weekends and major school holidays. We do make special runs during the week for groups with advanced reservations. Reservations must be made by email to zootrain2001@yahoo.com and should be submitted at least two weeks in advance.
Yes, you may fish from any area along
the bank. However, you do need a fishing license to
fish in Ellen Trout Lake.
A Species
Survival Plan (SSP) is a program in which zoos
work cooperatively to carefully manage a species
population. The Ellen Trout Zoo participates in
several SSP's including the tigers, rhinos, Bali
mynahs, cotton-top tamarins, and others here at
the Ellen Trout Zoo. Look for this symbol to
identify SSP species. To learn more about
Species Survival Plans,
click here. |
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