San Antonio Zoo makes drive-thru experience so people can see animals during pandemic

The San Antonio Zoo is launching a drive-thru experience this weekend to allow visitors to see the zoo while the facility remains closed for traditional visits amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The zoo announced the new drive-thru tour Wednesday and released a map of trail highlights as well as an audio tour to go along with the route.

This weekend @SanAntonioZoo will launch Drive-Thru Zoo, a one-of-a-kind experience where families can get the chance to see the zoo while we are closed from the comfort, safety, and security of their own vehicle. #DriveThruZoo #SAZoo https://t.co/1VelXlKssw pic.twitter.com/HNwneUm85w

— San Antonio Zoological Society (@SanAntonioZoo) April 29, 2020

The tour includes eight stops throughout the zoo’s exhibits, and there are also “stop-and-go” snacks available for purchase along the route. 

The drive-thru experience costs $40 per car. Visitors with an annual pass or monthly membership can take the drive-thru tour for $32 per car. 

The zoo, which relies heavily on admission sales, is closed until further notice in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It is also asking for donations to its emergency fund to assist with animal care during the closure. 

A few other zoos have offered similar experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Shalom Wildlife Zoo in West Bend, Wis., is offering a drive-thru tour daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. 

Other facilities that typically offer drive-thru safari experiences are working to keep such tours open amid the crisis. Zoo Safariland Stukenbrock in Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany, started allowing visitors to see the animals from their own vehicles earlier this month. 

Updated at 6:28 p.m.