Only assistance for those on welfare, if you work no help

[faeryedark]

Our zoo has Free Day at least once, maybe twice, a year. Everyone gets in free that day. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Hersheypark's Zoo America is open to the public for free...you just have to use a different enterance, as HP customers come in thru the park and have their hand stamped.
If you're in PA and have a Giant their are usually deals that can be done to get fairly cheap HP tickets.
here soon, (fingers crossed) they should be doing the Pepsi deal, where you buy 15 (20oz) bottles of Pepsi products and get a free ticket (limit 2 per household)

[faeryedark]

I don't disagree with this. To me, zoo trips fall under the category of entertainment or recreation, and therefore I do not think they are entitlements. However, I am ok with a zoo (or amusement park or sports arena or or or) choosing to waive fees as a courtesy for foodstamp recipients or anyone they want as long as they aren't discriminating against protected classes, and I don't think employed or non-foodstamp-recipient falls under that protection. To me, it's no different to me than senior citizen discounts or any other discount or courtesy that a business chooses to offer, but isn't obligated to.

Ehhh, to me it's half and half. yes, it is entertaining but it is also educational and without debating natural habitat vs. the zoo. It may a child's only way of every seeing a wild animl up close...or it could inspire a child to choose a career in conservation, veternary or some other field. I think the few bucks spent/ waived are worth it, even if it just expands the child's thinking

[loaslaen]

First I've ever heard of food stamp kids getting in the zoo for free.Do the parents also get in free?

Let me see if I have this correct - original poster not receiving any assistance and currently is strugggling a bit to make ends meet.Has to pay for kids to enter zoo. Person on government assistance gets kids in zoo free.
Since original poster pays taxes to have zoo operate,original poster should also be allowed to get in zoo for free IMO.Seems like zoo is discriminating against person who works.

I know I'll get in trouble for saying this but the zoo should set up a fund to have people contribute money to send poor kids to the zoo.

That way everyone who enters the zoo pays and the people on this board who think it is a great idea to send poor kids to zoo can put thier money where thier mouth is and make regular donations.

I looked this up because I wanted to know if our zoo had the same policy. The Houston Zoo is the only zoo I could find that had this policy. It seems that they wanted to reach out to low-income families so they had "free days". Some of those free days fell in summer months and the zoo would have very heavy traffic problems that caused the police to have to step in for security and traffic, so they stopped having free days in the summer. I believe they also were taking zip codes to see if the free days were reaching their demographic, and it turned out most people were not from the poorer areas they were reaching out to. They do still have 5 free days spread out through the year, but now they also allow food stamp recipients free admission.

Houston Zoo will let families on food stamps enter for free | Aldine news | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

The policy for free admission with FS is:

The Houston Zoo’s Lone Star Card admission program allows free Houston Zoo admission for card holders receiving SNAP and WIC benefits only. Admission to the Houston Zoo is free (limit 5 persons - 2 adults/3 children of the same household - per visit), for residents presenting their valid current award letter (letter must show benefit expiration date) and a valid photo ID (Texas Drivers License or Texas Department of Public Safety photo ID card ONLY) to confirm card holder status.

In another article I had read that FS families got in free and could invite up to 8 others, and was gonna say that OP could just find a FS family to go with, but either that information was wrong, or the policy has changed.

I've always heard that the income qualifications for WIC are higher than food stamps, so if the OP qualified for WIC, but not food stamps, then that could also be an alternative since it seems WIC recipients also get in free. The website listed above also says that the zoo provides free tickets through the "YMCA, United Way and other organizations. Cannon said 52,000 free passes were redeemed last year for active duty military members and their families, 14,000 more than the previous year."

So there's always other options. To argue about new options the zoo put forward to reach out to allow free access to FS recipients seems fruitless if you're not going to allow the same complaints for military families, YMCA members, United Way members or other such organizations.

[loaslaen]

and if it was me, i wouldnt worry about the zoo. sure it is nice to see animals in their "natural habitat"...but go to goodwill and find a nature book about trees and leaves or flowers or mushrooms and take your kids for a walk in the park or down your street. for that .49 and your time you can have a better time then the zoo and your kids will learn so much more.

that is what i do when i cant afford the zoo.

Or go to africam.com and watch them live in their own habitat.

[motherofmolly]

Or go to africam.com and watch them live in their own habitat.

thanks for the site. but that brings up too, if you cant make the zoo, there are apps available for the iphone and ipod that you can see inside certain zoos and view things. i saw one for penguins.

[Smee]

Ehhh, to me it's half and half. yes, it is entertaining but it is also educational and without debating natural habitat vs. the zoo. It may a child's only way of every seeing a wild animl up close...or it could inspire a child to choose a career in conservation, veternary or some other field. I think the few bucks spent/ waived are worth it, even if it just expands the child's thinking

I don't disagree that it can be educational. I do disagree that anything that may be educational is an automatic entitlement for anyone. International travel can be educational as well, but not many people would argue that everyone should be able to travel abroad for free.

I also agree with loaslaen's point about it being silly to complain about foodstamp recipients getting breaks unless you complain about anyone else who gets breaks.

[pharrothead]

Just for those who are interested in the Pittsburgh area:

If you have an access card, up to four family members can go to any of these museums for $1 each:

Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Science Center and The Andy Warhol Museum.


To me they are educational things that families can do together, that otherwise these kids may not experience. I have 'taken advantage' of it. I took DD to the Carnegie Science Center last summer. General Admission tickets are $17.95 per adult and $9.95 per child between 3-12 years old. That's 'only' $27.90 for DD & I, but by the time you throw in gas (I'm about 60 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, with gas pushing $4 a gallon...), parking, etc it adds up. And it's fun and educational for her.


I could take the $25.90 I saved on admission and well we all know what we can do with $25.90 and a stack of coupons right?

[bali1228]

Its mama and daddy raise it right.

Oh no Smee..it was backin' up backin' up, cus it's daddy taught it good

[Smee]

Oh no Smee..it was backin' up backin' up, cus it's daddy taught it good

Bwaahaahaaa!