Hungry for adventure? This Labor Day take your family to NC Zoo in Asheboro for a wild, fun and rewarding experience! Admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors and $6 kids 2-12. Group discounts and combo tickets are available.

Things to know before you go

Plan ahead!
• The zoo park is huge with over 5 miles of trails. You can easily spend 4-5 hours to see all the animals and plant exhibits. Decide in advance which animals you must see and start from the corresponding parking lot.

• North America has more entertainment options for toddlers and young children, while Africa has the most popular animal exhibits and the Wild Earth Africa Theater featuring an exciting 4D safari ride ($3). Here is the NC Zoo Map.

• If you’re short on time or ran out of steam skip Streamside in North America and Forest Aviary and African Pavilion (under construction, all animals moved out) in Africa.

Transportation and Food
• Shuttle buses run every 20 minutes from/to each parking lot, however they travel outside the viewing trails.

• Trams go throughout the zoo in the weekend and you can hop on and off. During the week be prepared for a hearty 3 miles walk from one parking lot to another.

• There are water fountains at every corner, even cooling stations. The park has restaurants and snack bars at every tram stop and park entrance. Check the map for details.

North America Animal Highlights

California Sea Lions
• Sea lions and fur seals have small ear flaps unlike the “true” seals.
• Throughout 19th century sea lions were hunted to almost extinction for their blubber used as oil for lamps. Demand decreased significantly with the invention of electric light.
• Expert swimmers they can stay under water for over 20 minutes and can dive to several hundred feet.

Harbor Seals
• Seals can see very well in dim light underwater as well as in bright light on shore when their pupils close to thin slits much like cats’ eyes.
• Seals and other sea mammals exhale when they take a deep dive. Without air in their lungs they can dive more quickly. Seals conserve the little oxygen left by reducing the heart rate and body temperature.
• Seals have very sensitive whiskers ten times more than that of land mammals. They use them to feel vibrations of moving fish and to navigate in murky waters.

Meet Wilhem, the ever wanderer polar bear and a successful circus rescue from Mexico.

How long can you hold your breath? How far can you dive? Take the test then check out these master divers:
• Polar bear 15 feet
• Humans 351 feet
• Sea lions 600 feet
• Elephant seals 5000 feet
• Sperm whales 10,000 feet!

At the Cypress Swamp you can admire American alligators, the elusive and almost extinct puma (also known as cougar, mountain lion, or panther) and a variety of birds.

Conclude your North America journey on the prairie where herds of buffalo and elk roam free. Before entering the African habitat stop by the Honey Bees exhibit, the newest and sweetest attraction at the NC Zoo.

Don’t forget you’re only half an hour away from Seagrove, the pottery capital of the world filled with grinned face jugs, fancy plates, funny figurines and exquisite crafts. Saturdays there are free live artist demonstrations at the NC Pottery Center downtown.

The fun has just begun at NC Zoo in Asheboro!

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