The NC Zoological Association membership is the most underrated subscription in NC. Every NC adventurer needs to have one to gain unfettered access to so many amazing parts of NC.
Background
The NC Zoological Association membership is not talked about enough. If you are not aware, The NC Zoological Association in the local NC chapter of the larger international Zoological association. They link together all kinds of zoos, museums, parks and more across all 50 states and other countries. This helps to ensure humane treatment of animals and proper resourcing. The NC Zoo in Asheboro has a massive backing from the state of NC but not all locations are as lucky.
Ya, Ya, Ya But What Does The Membership Get Me?
Great question. A membership can get you free admission or 50% off all associated locations with one guest. Boom. That’s the big one. You also get 10 ADDITIONAL guest passes PER YEAR. Yes you read that right. If you live in a place like NC that has several great locations you can go to all the time or you plan to explore much more, this can be a cost effective way to do so. For the NC Zoo in Asheboro and all NC Aquariums, admission is fully covered with a membership.
Now, depending on the level of membership you get, there are other perks like vanity license plates, invitations to special socials and other formal events, and even preferred entry into the park. Personally, I love that there is an entirely separate line for entry into the NC Zoo. This drastically cuts down on wait time to get in.
Options
There are multiple types and lengths of membership.
Length
The lengths of membership are 1 year, 2 years and life time. The lifetime option can provide a significant value if you find yourself frequenting the establishments on the list. The 1 year and 2 year option are perfect if you know you have several trips to the organizations on the list plan over the next 1-2 years but not much else. As you might expect these membership options are progressively more expensive. The length of time you want your membership to run will be the largest driving factor in the cost
Types
Now There are a few different types as well. Individual, family, companion, grandparent …. And several more. The individual one is fairly straight forward. You can get in with a single guest every time at either 50% off or free depending what location you are going to (plus you have 10 guest passes per year). Now if you have a life time membership, even for an individual that is a lot of people.
Family and Grandparent memberships are very similar. They include 2 adults in a house hold, and all the kids in your house or as many grand kids as you have. Yes. A-L-L. Now as far as I can tell they only have one enforcement tool to prevent this from covering a whole class trip. When you register for your membership you are asked how many children under 18 are in your household. The number you put down is the number of children they will let you bring in each visit.
The Grandparents membership is nearly identical except that it is for the number of grandchildren you have. If you have a bunch of grandkids you want to bring to the zoo, you could use your guest passes to get your kids in also for free.
At the time of writing here are the pricings for selection options.
| 1 Year Membership | 2 Year Membership | Lifetime Membership | |
| Individual | $59 | $108 | – |
| Companion | $79 | $148 | – |
| Family | $84 | $158 | – |
| Grandparent | $84 | $158 | – |
| Zoo Keeper | $175 | $340 | – |
| Curator | $300 | $590 | – |
| Director’s Guild | – | – | $1500 |
| President’s Club | – | – | $5000 |
| Conservator’s Circle | – | – | $5000 (Plus $1000 Annually) |
Recommendations
I am personally a family lifetime membership holder. Kaitlyn and I recently decided to move forward with this option based on a few factors. First, we are fairly active traveling around on weekends to see lots of different stuff that is included on the list of affiliated locations. Second, we are planning on having more kids. Like quite a few. We estimated that if we are going once a year to the zoo with even just 2 kids, we will make our money back before they turn 18. Third, the NC Zoo in Asheboro is actively expanding with several significant expansions planned in the coming 10 years. We want to be able to check these things out free at will. We have used it already on several occasions with friends and family to make a “no-admissions” day for all of us at the zoo just this year.
If you are a young family and can afford it, the lifetime pass is a really great value that is sure to build lots of great family memories. Even if you cannot afford a lifetime pass, a 1-2 year pass when you have school aged children will make for a magical few visits for your kids or grandkids. In my opinion a lifetime family membership would also be an amazing gift to give you son’s or daughter’s family after they have their first child.
Overall
The Zoological Society membership is comes with a decent price tag but offers some great value. There are some strong options available in the Family and Grandparent variants. If you are a lover of the Zoo, go get yours today!
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