Zoo & aquarium ticketing
Sell zoo and aquarium admission with timed entry and member pricing
Pace arrivals across the day, honor member and school-group pricing automatically, and scan every guest in at the gate — without paying a monthly platform fee.
How this type of ticketing works
Zoos and aquariums sell the same admission every day, but demand swings hard by weekend, weather, and school holidays. Timed-entry tickets smooth those peaks: guests choose an arrival window at checkout, and each window has its own capacity cap so galleries and habitats never get overwhelmed.
With TixSimple you publish one branded admission page, add ticket types for adults, children, seniors, and members, and give each arrival window a QR-scannable slot. Guests get their tickets by email and can save them to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Staff scan at the gate and the ticket is instantly marked used.
What to set up in TixSimple
- 1Create a recurring admission event with your open hours and daily capacity.
- 2Add ticket types: Adult, Child, Senior, Member, School Group, Educator.
- 3Turn on timed-entry windows with a per-window cap that matches gate throughput.
- 4Upload your member email list so member pricing applies automatically at checkout.
- 5Add optional extras: parking, behind-the-scenes tours, feeding experiences, and donations.
- 6Create scanner keys for each entrance so you can compare gate volume later.
Fee example: Adult general admission
A $24 ticket carries a TixSimple platform fee of $0.64 (1.3% + $0.33). If you sell 400 tickets, the total platform fee is $256. Stripe processing is separate and you choose whether to pass fees to the buyer or absorb them.
Ticket price
$24
Platform fee
$0.64
Net revenue
$9,344
Memberships, donations and education groups
Conservation venues earn well beyond admission. TixSimple supports name-your-price donation tickets with a suggested amount, member-only pricing tied to an uploaded email list, and comped tickets you can issue to donors, press, or school partners without running a card.
For education bookings, custom attendee fields let you collect school name, grade level, chaperone count, and lunch space needs at checkout, so your education team is not chasing details by email.
- Member-only pricing driven by an uploaded email list
- Name-your-price donation tickets at checkout
- School and group booking forms with custom fields
- Add-on experiences: feedings, tours, and parking
Frequently asked questions
Can members book free or discounted admission online?
Yes. Upload a CSV of member email addresses and set the member price. When someone checks out with a matching email, they see the member rate automatically — no separate portal or code to remember.
How do we handle school field trips?
Create a School Group ticket type with its own price and capacity, and add custom fields for school name, grade, and chaperone count. You can also issue the tickets directly if the school pays by invoice.
Can we cap how many guests arrive each hour?
Yes. Each timed-entry window has its own inventory, so once an 11:00 am window sells out, guests are shown the next available time.
Do we pay a monthly fee?
No. TixSimple charges 1.3% + 33¢ per paid ticket, and free tickets — including comped member entries — cost nothing.
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