Help earn the OKC Zoo national recognition in three prestigious categories. Vote daily through March 18, 2026.
Now through March 18, 2026, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is encouraging fans to vote in three USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice polls to distinguish the Zoo, its habitats, and programs as the best of the best in the nation! The OKC Zoo is tapped for three honors from USA Today’s 10Best website: Best Zoo, Best Zoo Exhibit for Expedition Africa, and Best Zoo Membership for ZOOfriends. Fans are allowed to vote once per day in all three categories at Oklahoma City Zoo: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards.
“We’re asking OKC Zoo fans from across the state and around the world to take a minute to support us with their votes,” said Dr. Dwight Lawson, Executive Director and CEO of the OKC Zoo. “Each one of these categories represents years of hard work on the part of our staff and volunteers combined with the steadfast support of our community. If you love the Zoo, please let your voice be heard.”
Founded in 1902, the Oklahoma City Zoo is the state’s most-popular cultural attraction, welcoming more than a million guests each year. The Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and leads conservation efforts both locally and internationally to preserve wildlife and wild places.
Expedition Africa presented by the Inasmuch Foundation opened to the public in March 2024 and quickly became a favorite destination for visitors. It’s the largest ever expansion for the Zoo, measuring in at more than 12 acres, and including new experiences like the Savanna, a vast plain where giraffes, ostriches, Nile lechwe, and eland can live together as they do in Africa. Expedition Africa is also home to the renovated Love’s Pachyderm Building, where guests can find smaller species native to Africa, including dwarf mongooses, naked mole rats, and an African lungfish.
ZOOfriends is the Zoo’s passport program, giving members free general admission for 12 months, discounts admission to hundreds of accredited AZA zoos and aquariums, and other benefits. This year, ZOOfriends added a new perks program to give members an added benefit each month, including admissions for guests, free pollinator seeds, and more. ZOOfriends memberships range from a one-person passport for $60 all the way up to a 10-person passport for $299. Learn more at https://www.okczoo.org/membership.
“What a joy it would be to bring more titles home to the Zoo and our city,” Lawson added. “Of course, our biggest honor is always having guests visit, connect with members of our animal family, and come away inspired to take conservation action.”
Vote daily for the OKC Zoo through March 18 at Oklahoma City Zoo: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards.
The OKC Zoo is located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35 and a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, and Oklahoma City’s Adventure District. During the OKC Zoo’s Winter Hours, now through Sunday, March 1, 2026, the park will be open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with last entry at 4 p.m. Purchase Zoo admission in advance at okczoo.org/tickets to avoid the entry lines. For more Zoo information, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Linktree, TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories.