Events & Programs Archives

REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW FOR FALL 2026 ENROLLMENT IN 3- TO 5-YEAR OLD CLASSES – Colorado kiddos who thrive in nature-based learning have a new opportunity to enroll in preschool at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo! Little Paws Preschool at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will welcome its inaugural class on the first day of school: Mon., Aug. 24, 2026. Interested parents should email [email protected] for initial information and an application to follow.

Little Paws Preschool will offer two classes:

3-year-olds
9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays
$220.75 per month

4- to 5-year-olds
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
$460.75 per month

Little Paws Preschool is accredited by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. The academic calendar mirrors Cheyenne Mountain School District 12’s calendar, with classes starting on Mon., Aug. 24.

Classes are small, with around 15 students each, and teachers are early childhood professionals whose credentials meet state licensure regulations. Lead teachers are director-qualified through the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. Students will spend their mornings exploring established trails and outdoor play settings in and around the Zoo.

“We view nature as the most inspiring cultivator of learning and our students as explorers within an experience-rich, living classroom,” Brittinie Ford, camp and school director at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, says. “We immerse our students in outdoor nature trails, play areas, and safe animal habitats to build resilience, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging in the world around them.”

Curriculum centers on play as the foundation of early learning. Through open-ended outdoor play, preschool explorers will develop essential life skills tailored for success in a modern world:

• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Collaboration and social communication
• Emotional intelligence and resilience
• Love of lifelong learning
• Creativity and innovation
• Global mindset
• A Community of care and responsibility

Little Paws Preschool emphasizes compassion and respect for all living things. Explorers learn to care for animals, respect global cultures, and make choices that positively affect the world around them. This fosters empathy, responsibility, and a sense of guardianship for the natural world.

Preschoolers’ days flow with a gentle, predictable rhythm that supports explorers’ well-being, while allowing flexibility for extended exploration.

Little Paws Preschool learning activities will strive to strike a balance between:

• Outdoor adventures
• Nature-based learning
• Hands-on science and animal inquiry
• Creative arts inspired by the environment
• Rest, nourishment, and quiet reflection

For more information, visit cmzoo.org/littlepawspreschool.
To begin the enrollment process and to learn more, email [email protected].

CMZOO’S MOST POPULAR 21-AND-UP EVENT IS THRUSDAY, JUNE 25 – Where else can you listen to live music, feed a giraffe, enjoy an adult beverage on a mountainside, and watch a drone show after sunset? (Nowhere!)

Make plans for an unforgettable evening on Thurs., June 25, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Moonlight on the Mountain is the Zoo’s most popular after-hours event exclusively for adults 21-and-up. VIP tickets are sold out and general admission tickets are going fast!

Attendees can enjoy the talents of 10 local musicians, and generously donated food and drink samples from around 40 breweries, restaurants, and more from the Front Range region. A full list of vendors and musicians is below.

Moonlight on the Mountain general admission tickets are $79.75 per person. Unless they’re sold out, tickets increase to $89.75 on June 25. Advance tickets are required and available at cmzoo.org/moonlight. This event is likely to sell out.

General admission tickets include:

– Complimentary souvenir sampling cup and spork, which help make this a waste-wise event.
– All-inclusive beverage sampling from regional breweries, wineries, distilleries, and non-alcoholic beverage purveyors
– All-inclusive food sampling from regional restaurants.
– Live musical entertainment throughout the Zoo.
– Evening animal viewing, including giraffe feeding for $3 per lettuce bundle! Most animal areas will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Primate World will be closed. The penguin building and grizzly bear viewing area will close at dusk.
– Access to scheduled animal demonstrations and keeper talks:
• 6:30 p.m. – Elephant Keeper Chat in elephant barn
• 7:30 p.m. – Screech Owl Demo in The Loft
• 8:30 p.m. – Hippo Demo at Water’s Edge: Africa’s outdoor hippo plaza (weather-dependent)

Moonlight on the Mountain is made possible thanks to your Colorado Springs Toyota dealers and Blue Federal Credit Union!

BEVERAGES

Sample beer, wine, liquor and coffee from these regional companies!
– Atomic Provisions
– 3 Hundred Days
– Bristol Brewing Co
– Cheers Liquor Mart
– Drip Queen Coffee (N/A)
– Felene Vodka
– Kangaroo Coffee
– Lebowski’s Taproom
– Manitou Brewing Company
– Manitou Winery
– Phantom Canyon Brewery
– Raising Cane’s (N/A)
– Red Leg Brewing
– Stoneyard Distillery
– The Melting Pot
– VAQIT
– Voodoo Brewing Company
– More to come!
(Cash bar and complimentary fountain soda at Rocky Mountain Wild Barbeque Co.)

FOOD

Savor food from some of your local favorites!
– Ambrosia Sweets
– Celestial Creek Ranch
– Chamonix Casino Resort
– Colonel Mustard’s Sandwich Emporium
– Freddy’s
– Hyatt Place
– Love & Some Baked Goods
– Phantom Canyon Brewery
– Noodles & Company
– Taste – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Catering
– Texas Roadhouse
– The Melting Pot
– Voodoo Brewing Company
– SSA
– More to come!

MUSIC

– Dumpster Fire
– George Whitesell
– Hoot Boots Band
– Jason Lee Band
– Joshua Janitell
– Peter Wooten
– Ryan Flores
– Sandy Wells
– Tensas & the Mourners
– More to come!

Get Moonlight Tickets

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2025, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #2 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised nearly $6 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO – Sometimes screens seem like the easy solution to summer slack. If the in-between-vacation time this summer has you scratching your head about how to keep youngsters active and engaged, check out some of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s summer EdVenture programs for kids of all ages!

Spending time outdoors is a proven method for combatting stress, anxiety or depression – even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado provide tips for staying safe in warmer weather, and they say helping kids stay active has countless mental and physical health benefits.

CMZoo’s EdVenture programs offer excellent opportunities for kids and parents to connect over mutual passions for nature, while spending time outdoors, regardless of a child’s age or needs.

Stroller Safaris are informal exploratory experiences for kids ages 1-4 and their accompanying adult. Participants use all five of their senses to connect with nature and animals at the Zoo, and connect with other parents and kids from the community. Each month, guests will participate in age-appropriate activities and get to meet a unique animal that matches the theme. If you have a large group of friends you can even book your own private session. Dates are posted a month in advance and themes for the year here.

CMZoo’s Respecting Our Abilities and Resilience (ROAR) Connections is an evening program designed for children ages 6-12 with autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorders, developmental disabilities/delays or medical fragility. These programs are scheduled once a month, alternating between Wednesdays and Saturdays. Each month has a different theme with changing crafts and animals to meet! Monthly program offerings will be updated here.

For sixth through twelfth graders, the Youth Conservation Leadership Conference, Fri., July 16 through Sun., July 19, could be the perfect program to develop a blossoming passion for conservation and education. Get more information and register in advance here.

Teen Community Workshops offer middle- and high-school students a variety of daytime adventures and opportunities to connect with like-minded outdoorsy teens. Programs include exploring seasonal wildlife behaviors, birding and wildlife photography! Learn more and register here.

From unique and differing needs programs to camps, Hands-On Homeschool, and family programs, the Zoo’s educational and nature-driven programs have something for everyone. Learn more about EdVenture programs here.

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