Behind the Scenes Tours are offered seasonally March through November.
Come get a closer look at how we care for the animals at Henry Vilas Zoo! Sign up for one of our Behind the Scenes tours and get to see an area of the zoo normally only seen by the animals and keepers. Gain some insider knowledge about our zoo, our animals, and our conservation work around the world.
Due to animal schedules and staff capacity, tours open on a month-by-month basis and are limited to the dates and times listed for each month.
Behind the Scenes Gift Certificates on Sale for the Holiday Season!
Give the wildest gift this year with a Behind the Scenes tour at the Henry Vilas Zoo! Gift certificates are available for individual registrations or private tours for our popular Be a Zookeeper or Digging Deeper tours for the 2026 season!
Please allow 3-5 days to process your gift certificate. A staff person will email you with your unique code and instructions on how to redeem the gift certificate. Please ensure your email is correct.
Behind the Scenes tours are held between March and November and gift certificates must be used within the 2026 season. Tours open for registration on a month by month basis to allow for flexibility with staff and animals. Tours are a set schedule, we do not open additional tours for gift certificate holders, and certificates must be used within the 2026 season.
Scroll down to learn more about the specific tours, age requirements, and group sizes.
For questions regarding tours or gift certificates, please email us at education@henryvilaszoo.gov.
Tour descriptions:
Be a Zookeeper
Ever wanted to step into the boots of one of our amazing animal care staff at your Henry Vilas Zoo? Well now is your chance! In this tour we will go behind the scenes and learn about how we take care of the many animals here at the zoo and our conservation efforts to help animals across the globe. You will take a tour of our animal health center, then make some special treats for the bears and see them enjoy it!
Be a Zookeeper Behind the Scenes Tour Details:
- Cost:
- Public Tour: $25 per person
- Private Tour: $150 for up to 5 people
- Age: All ages
- Children must be accompanied by a registered adult
- Capacity: 7 people
- Tour Highlights:
- Behind the scenes tour at the Animal Health Center
- Make enrichment and deliver it to polar bears
Digging Deeper
This tour offers you the chance for a closer look at how we care for some of our most ardent diggers! Did you know that a single aardvark can dig faster than several people with shovels? Learn all about the adaptations that make these animals so unique during your tour. On the tour, you will get the opportunity to see what types of enrichment we use here at the Zoo and you will create your very own animal enrichment for one of our animals.
Digging Deeper Behind the Scenes Tour Details:
- Cost:
- Public Tour: $60 per person
- Age: 3 and up
- Children must be accompanied by a registered adult
- Capacity: 7 people
- Tour Highlights:
- Tour the Green Barn! The Green Barn is located in the Children’s Zoo and houses red pandas, gibbons, aardvark, and meerkats.
- Pick out and create enrichment for our meerkat mob!
- Pick out and create enrichment for our female aardvark, Aayla!
NOTE: These are currently the only Behind the Scenes tours available at Henry Vilas Zoo. We do not have the capacity to provide for individual or specialized requests. We are unable to make exceptions to the group size capacity for tours. If you are a larger group, please check out our other educational programming.
Behind the Scenes Tours are limited to small groups only.
Looking for a program for larger groups? Check out our Critter Connection programs or Walking Tours!
Cancellation Policy
We believe in giving our animals choices, and cannot guarantee animals will present themselves to be touched or fed. If an animal chooses not to participate, or does not present itself to be fed or touched, you will not receive a refund.
If a tour needs to be cancelled by the zoo due to extreme weather or unforeseen circumstances we will reschedule your tour or provide a refund.
If you choose to cancel more than one week prior to the tour, we can reschedule your tour.
If you choose to cancel less than one week prior to the tour, or if participants do not show up for the tour, we will not be able to reschedule or provide a refund.
All cancellations must be made via email to education@henryvilaszoo.gov.
10% of the proceeds of all Behind the Scenes Tours are donated to Henry Vilas Zoo’s conservation partners, and 15% goes directly to purchasing fresh browse for our animals.
For questions regarding tours or gift certificates, please email us at education@henryvilaszoo.gov.
