How Virginia Zoo Field Trips and Education Programs Work

The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk presents field trips as its main education offering, framed around what the site calls "the wild side of learning." If you are a teacher, homeschool parent, or group organizer deciding whether to book a visit, the site's Field Trips section is the place to start — it is listed as a distinct program area alongside the zoo's events and blog. The site confirms that education programs and field trips exist as a category to explore, but it does not publish booking steps, pricing, or grade-level details in the material available here, so treat the Field Trips page itself as the source for those specifics.

What the zoo says about its education offering

The site describes field trips as a way to "experience the wild side of learning with the Virginia Zoo's education programs and field trips." Two things are worth noting from that framing:

• The programs are positioned as experiential rather than classroom-style — the appeal is learning through being at the zoo.
• Field trips and education programs are grouped together, suggesting a single entry point for schools and groups rather than separate tracks.

Beyond that description, the site does not spell out program length, age ranges, group sizes, or whether sessions are guided or self-led. Those are the details to confirm directly on the Field Trips page before committing to a date.

How this fits with other family programs

Field trips sit alongside the zoo's public programming, which gives a sense of how the education side operates. The site's events calendar includes Zoo Tales, described as a "popular story-time program" — a format aimed at younger children and families. If your group is early-years or family-based rather than a formal school group, that kind of scheduled program may be a better fit than a structured field trip.

The calendar also shows Wild Babies, a recurring event, and a Member Perks Pass running through fall 2026. These are separate from field trips but useful context: the zoo runs a steady schedule of themed programs, so a field trip can potentially be paired with a public event on the same day.

Planning around the 125th anniversary year

The zoo is marking 125 years since its opening in 1901, and the site says the year includes "special events, discounts, giveaways, and more." For group organizers, that is a reason to check the site before booking rather than relying on older information — anniversary-year pricing or perks may apply, though the site does not state which discounts cover field trips.

The blog is also worth a look for program context. Recent posts include a keeper's trip to Nepal with the Red Panda Network and the arrival of new chicks to the zoo's flock, which can give you material to tie a visit to specific animals or conservation topics.

What to check before you book

Because the site does not publish field trip logistics in the material available, confirm these directly:

The last row matters if your group is not a school: the zoo also hosts private events, so a corporate or community group may have a different path than a class visit.

The short answer

Use the Field Trips section to judge fit, then confirm logistics directly, since the site describes the programs but does not publish their terms. If your group is family-oriented rather than a school class, check the events calendar first — programs like Zoo Tales may serve you better than a formal field trip.