Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you replace a lost card?
If you want to replace a lost membership card, there are several actions that you can take.
There is a $5 fee for replacing an annual membership card and a $10 fee for replacing a life-membership card.
- You can call the Society office toll free during regular
business hours (888-244-3736) and use a charge card to pay for a new
card that we will mail to you.
- You can wait until your next visit and pay the $5 fee when you enter. We will then mail a new card to you.
- You can mail your membership information and your payment
to the Zoo Society 44-03 Zoo Parkway; Asheboro, NC; 27205 and we will
mail a replacement card to you.
What if you don’t want to replace a lost card?
If you do not want to replace the card, that is O.K., too.
You can still visit the N.C. Zoo without paying admission for as long
as your membership is valid. All you need do is to show a picture
identification card to the person working in either of the N.C. Zoo
Society's members-only, express entry ticket booths.
Member booths always sit on the far left when you face a N.C. Zoo entrance.
These booths are staffed whenever the N.C. Zoo is open.
The person working in the booth can verify the status of
your membership in a database that is available to N.C. Zoo Society
employees. As long as your membership is valid, you will be admitted to
the N.C. Zoo without charge.
How can you visit a reciprocating zoo or aquarium if you have lost your card?
If you want to visit a reciprocating zoo or aquarium
without replacing your card, you will need to call or e-mail us before
you visit that institution. We will prepare that institution for your
visit by FAXing an official verification of your membership status.
If you plan to visit a reciprocating institution on a weekend, please
notify us the week before your visit to ensure that someone is
available in our business office to verify your membership and send the
FAX. Just call or e-mail us before noon on Friday to ensure
that we can help you.
Who is covered by a Family Membership?
Family and higher level memberships (Zookeeper, Curator and
Life memberships) provide free admission to two adults who live in the
same home and to the minor children (younger than 18) who live in this
household, too.
Who is covered by a Grandparent Membership? Grandparent memberships provide free admission to two grandparents living in the same house and all of their minor grandchildren (17 years old and younger).
Grandchildren do NOT have to live with their grandparents to be
covered.
Does a Family Membership cover both Minor Children and Grandchildren?
No. Individuals who have both children and grandchildren
younger than 18 can cover either their children OR their grandchildren
with a membership but CANNOT include both grandchildren and children on
their memberships.
Are children who are attending college covered by the membership if they are older than 17?
No. Even if a non-minor child lives with you, that child is
NOT covered by a Family Membership. You can however, cover that child’s
admission by purchasing a Family-Plus membership, which allows you to
bring a guest in free each time you visit. Or, you can obtain an
Individual Membership to cover a child that is older than 17.
Can any two adults living in the same household purchase a Family Membership?
Yes, individuals do not have to be related or married to
purchase a Family Membership. The only requirement is that the two
individuals live in the same home.
Can a membership card be loaned to a nanny, friend, grandparent or
other relative so that person can bring a member’s child or children to
the Zoo?
The children covered by a Family Membership can visit
without either of the adults named on the card but a Family Membership
card CANNOT be shared with another adult. Only the adults named
on the card can use a membership card to gain free admission. (To be
admitted, adults must verify their idenity with a picture
identification card.)
If you want free admission for a nanny or other adult who is bringing
your child or children to the Zoo, you can purchase a Family-Plus
Membership and, as long as that adult is visiting with your child or
children, the adult will be admitted free.
The “plus” component of the membership entitles a member to bring a guest in free each time the member visits the N.C. Zoo*.
All "plus" guests must enter through the Zoo Society’s Members Only,
Express Entry ticket booths. These booths are on the far left when you
face either Zoo entrance.
How many children does a Family Membership cover?
Your N.C. Zoo Society membership grants free admission to
the N.C. Zoo for all of the children who live in your home and who are
not yet 18.
Many reciprocating institutions do NOT extend free admission to more
than two children. So, if you visit another institution with your
membership card, be prepared to pay admission for additional children.
Can you loan an Individual or a Family Membership to a friend or relative?
No. Memberships are non-transferable.
Is an annual membership valid from January through December or for a year from the time of purchase?
The membership is valid for a full 12 months.
Questions about Membership Cards
How long will it take to receive a membership card?
We normally mail membership cards out within 3 to 5
business days. However, you can use your receipt — the pink copy from a
Zoo purchase or a print out of the e-mail we send when you
purchase on-line—as proof of your membership while you are waiting for
your card to arrive.
Questions About Reciprocating Institutions
What are reciprocating institutions?
More than 150 zoos and aquariums around North America
reciprocate with each other by granting free or reduced admission to
each other’s members. The institutions that reciprocate do so
voluntarily and are free to leave or join the partnership at any time.
These institutions are listed here, on our Web page, and are also free to set their own rules, which change from institution to institution.
As a member of the N.C. Zoo Society, you qualify for
reduced or free admission to these partner institutions, and we do our
best to keep the list current.
Sometimes, though, institutions make changes that we don’t hear about.
Consequently, our Web site includes phone numbers for every institution
on the list. We ask that you always call ahead to verify that the zoo
or aquarium you want to visit still reciprocates with us.
When you call, ask if that institution has any specific restrictions
for visitors from reciprocating institutions. For example, some
organization will admit only two adults and two children on a Family
Membership (even if we admit more children.) And, some
institutions grant our members a discount on admission fees but do not
grant free admission.
No reciprocating institutions honor the "plus" part of N.C. Zoo Society
memberships. If you have a family plus membership here, you can
bring a guest in free each time you visit us, but you will NOT be able
to take a guest in free at a reciprocating institution.
Where can you see a list of the zoos and aquariums that reciprocate with the North Carolina Zoo Society?
This Web page
lists participating reciprocal institutions. This list changes
unpredictably and periodically because zoos volunteer to participate
and can withdraw at any time.
Always call before you visit.
How can you speak with someone about my membership?
You can call the N.C. Zoo Society between 8 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, to ask questions or request information
about our membership programs. The phone number is 336-879-7273. Or e-mail us using the Web site's Contact Form or by sending an e-mail to zoomember@nczoo.com.
Questions About the Web Store
Can you combine several discounts (a coupon from the mail or a Corporate discount) to lower the cost of a membership purchase?
No, the Zoo Society honors only one discount per purchase, so pick the best one.
Can you get a Senior Discount when you purchase your membership on the Web site?
Sorry, but the site is not able to offer senior discounts
over the Web. Call us toll free if you are 62 or older
(888-244-3736) and our staff will provide you with the discount.
What do you do if you experience a problem with a Web order?
E-mail jparker@nczoo.com and explain your problem so that we can fix it.
How can I communicate with a person working for the Zoo Society?
Monday – Friday, just give us a call. The Zoo is open every
day but Christmas day, but the Zoo Society offices close on weekends
and major holidays.
We answer the phone (usually before it rings twice!) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday - Friday.
You can also use the Zoo Society's Web page contact form
to communicate with us. We answer these e-mails between 7 a.m.
and 9 p.m. on weekdays. We also respond, at a somewhat
slower pace, to e-mails sent on the weekend. Weekend e-mails are
processed from a remote location, so the person responding to them
cannot verify membership status information.
* Reciprocating Institutions do
NOT honor the “plus” component of our memberships and will NOT extend
free or discounted admission to non-members.
If your specific question has not been answered, please use our Contact
Form to ask it. Or give us a call during the week at
336-879-7250.
Last modified
08/31/2010 06:48am.
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