ATTENDEES CAN ENJOY SIX LOCAL MUSICIANS, UNLIMITED SMALL PLATES, ANIMALS AND INCREDIBLE MOUNTAINSIDE VIEWS – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will kick off its three-date 21-and-up summer event series, Tails, Tunes & Tastes, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., July 25. Up on the mountain, the evenings are cool, and this event lineup is even cooler.
There’s nowhere else you can hand-feed a giraffe, have a drink, try a unique food menu, enjoy live music and watch the sunset from the mountainside. This truly unique event is perfect for a girls’ night out, summer work get-together, unique birthday celebration or date night.
The Zoo’s in-house catering team, Taste, provides the small plates. Executive Chef John Kuespert has created a mouthwatering menu for July. Small plates will include chicken & waffles, shrimp rangoon, vegetarian pesto flatbread, beef sliders, vegan buffalo cauliflower, pork posole croquette, tuna poke, peach cobbler fritter, black forest tart and more.
Tickets are $64.75 per person. (Tickets increase $10 on July 25.) Each ticket includes unlimited small plates, so attendees will enjoy delicious bites throughout the night, in addition to two included drinks plus access to cash bars, six local musical acts, and visits to most animal areas. Capacity is limited, so attendees can feel like they have the Zoo to themselves in some locations, while enjoying a livelier atmosphere near live music. Advance tickets are required and available now at cmzoo.org/tails. This event is for adults only, 21-and-up.
Attendees will have a wild night on the mountain for a worthy cause. 75¢ from every Tails, Tunes & Tastes ticket goes to CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, which has raised more than $5 million for frontline conservation efforts around the world since 2008.
What can you do at Tails, Tunes & Tastes?
– Observe scheduled animal demonstrations and keeper talks.
– Your ticket includes two drink tickets for use at any bar throughout the event. Cash bars are also available.
– Enjoy unlimited chef-created small plates from our custom Tails, Tunes & Tastes menu at our eateries.
– Enjoy local musicians performing throughout the Zoo.
– Visit your favorite animals.
– Watch the sunset from the mountainside.
– Feed the giraffe herd ($3 per lettuce bundle or $5 for two).
– Ride the Sky Ride (weather dependent; $4 for Zoo members, $5 for non-members).
July’s Tails, Tunes & Tastes musical lineup:
– Ava Grace
– Chad Traxler
– George Whitesell
– Grapefruit Moon
– John Spengler & Frenemies
– Shandra Moore
Summer 2024 Tails, Tunes & Tastes dates:
- 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., July 25
- 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., Aug. 29
- 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 26
Tails, Tunes & Tastes is presented with support from NETSCOUT and your Colorado Springs Toyota dealers. Thank you, event sponsors!
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 2024, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #5 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 more than $5 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.
Join us in celebrating the return of the carousel and the milestone in the Zoo’s progress towards major Zoo improvements!
Activities include:
– Brief comments from CMZoo President & CEO, Bob Chastain.
– Free carousel rides 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 13, 2024 (advance Zoo admission required).
– All ages are welcome.
– Learn more about the historic carousel.
– Full reopening event details
CMZOO’S MOST POPULAR 21-AND-UP EVENT IS THURSDAY, JUNE 27 – Where else can you listen to live music, feed a giraffe, and enjoy an adult beverage on a mountainside? (Nowhere!) Make plans for an unforgettable evening on Thurs., June 27, 6 to 10 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 is going fast!
Attendees can enjoy the talents of local musicians, and generously donated food and drink samples from vendors across the Front Range (while supplies last). Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of the few zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that doesn’t receive any tax support, so events like this support continued excellent animal care, Zoo operations and improvements.
Moonlight on the Mountain general admission tickets are $79.75 per person. Advance tickets are required and available at cmzoo.org/moonlight.
General admission tickets include:
– Complimentary souvenir sampling cup and spork, which help us make this a waste-wise event.
– All-inclusive beverage sampling from regional breweries, wineries, distilleries, and non-alcoholic beverage purveyors, while supplies last.
– All-inclusive food sampling from regional restaurants, while supplies last.
– Live musical entertainment throughout the Zoo.
Other details:
– This evening event is just for adults 21-and-up. IDs must be presented on event night. No one under age 21 will be permitted, including children or infants.
– Advance tickets are required. No walk-up tickets will be available. This event is popular, and is likely to sell out.
– Dress for a night of dancing and walking up and down the hills of the Zoo!
– Designate a driver, or better yet, don’t drive at all! Take a taxi or use a ride-sharing service like, Lyft or Uber.
– Sky Ride tickets $5 per person at the Sky Ride cashier booth (Last ride up at 7:30 p.m.)
Sample beer, wine, liquor, coffee and more from these regional companies!
– 3Hundred Days Distilling
– Antelope Ridge Mead Inc.
– Atomic Cowboy
– Bristol Brewing Co
– Cheers Liquor Mart
– Deuces Wild Brewery
– Drip Queen Coffee
– Fossil Craft Beer
– Goat Patch Brewing Company
– Lebowski Taproom
– Kangaroo Coffee
– Lost Friend Brewing Company
– Manitou Brewing Company
– Manitou Winery
– Monster Brewing
– Raising Cane’s
– Rock Bottom Brewery
– Tractor Beverage Co
– Valor Bartending
– Complimentary fountain soda and cash bar at Grizzly Grill
Savor food from some of your local favorites!
– Chuy’s
– The Block Bar and Grill
– Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
– Edelweiss German Restaurant
– Four by Brother Luck
– Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub
– Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar
– La Casita Mexican Grill
– My Neighbor Felix
– Nothing Bundt Cakes
– P.F. Chang’s
– Viewhouse Eatery Bar & Rooftop
– The Paleta Bar
More to come!
Dance the night away to local musicians located throughout the Zoo until 10 p.m.!
– George Whitesell
– Guys On Boxes
– Joshua Janitell
– Katie Hale & the P-47s
– Peter Wooten
– Rafiel and the Roomshakers
– Reckless and Blue
– Ryan Flores
– Jason Lee Band
Moonlight on the Mountain is made possible thanks to your Colorado Springs Toyota dealers! Advance tickets are required. Reserve your tickets now at cmzoo.org/moonlight.
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 2024, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #5 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 more than $5 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.
On the longest day of the year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will celebrate the longest-necked animal: the giraffe! On Fri., June 21, giraffe keepers and staff from the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (The Giraffe Center) are throwing a daylong event to commemorate World Giraffe Day.
“This is our way of thanking our community for their dedication to our herd, our Zoo and our conservation partners all year long,” says Diana Miller, giraffe specialist at The Giraffe Center. “We have a ton of inspiring activities planned!”
There will be many giraffe-themed activities along the giraffe plaza and the giraffe boardwalk, where guests can learn about CMZoo’s giraffe herd and take direct steps to save wild giraffe. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., several giraffe-themed activities are free for anyone with a ticket to the Zoo. Guests who want to participate in the giraffe fan parade should be sure to get a ticket for 10 a.m. or earlier. A full schedule of events is available at https://www.cmzoo.org/world-giraffe-day/.
Watch for signs on how to navigate through African Rift Valley as we embark on our exciting giraffe habitat improvements, scheduled to start in mid-June. Learn more about the giraffe herd’s future home and consider supporting it here: cmzoo.org/giraffeproject
By visiting the Zoo, guests and members can help save giraffe on World Giraffe Day and every day. Through CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program, every admission to the Zoo raises 75¢ for conservation. Since 2008, guests and members have raised more than $5 million for frontline conservation partners and projects around the world.
Giraffe are one of CMZoo’s legacy Q4C projects, so an easy way to support giraffe conservation is to simply visit the Zoo. Specifically, CMZoo visitors are supporting Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and their important work studying and protecting wild giraffe, growing populations, advocating government protections and policies for giraffe, and educating and empowering communities who live near wild giraffe.
“In the past year, members’ and guests’ Q4C funds supported additional anti-poaching efforts by funding a new GCF veterinary vehicle to respond to snaring and poaching,” says Diana. “We still have a long way to go, but it’s working, too. With this support, the latest surveys show that the population of wild giraffe is increasing steadily.”
With Q4C support, GCF continues to monitor giraffe populations in Uganda, in partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Recent surveys indicate that all four populations of giraffe in Uganda are increasing in number, with seven new calves reported in Lake Mburo National Park, seven calves in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, thirteen calves in Kidepo Valley National Park, and four hundred calves in Murchison Falls National Park.
“I keep having to tell people that’s not a typo,” Diana says. “There really are four hundred calves documented in the population in Murchison Falls National Park. That population is an excellent example of what can happen when all of the delicate conservation puzzle pieces fit together well.”
In addition to fieldwork and local communities’ buy-in to coexisting with giraffe, an important piece of the conservation puzzle is public support and funding. Zoos play a vital role by inspiring people all over the world to care for wildlife and wild places – and with programs like Q4C, zoos can connect funding from inspired people to frontline organizations who can make the impact.
“Nobody helps guests fall in love with giraffe as well as our herd can,” Diana says. “From confident Tumbili to curious Wednesday, sassy Azmera and wise Mahali, the giraffe at CMZoo have inspired countless people to care for their wild counterparts. They have the most important jobs here at the Zoo, and our job is to take good care of them.”
CMZoo’s herd receives top-of-the-line care with hoof care and husbandry training programs that continue to lead the profession. After more than a decade sharing methods with other giraffe care teams, CMZoo established The Giraffe Center to serve as a resource for all giraffe care professionals. The Giraffe Center offers in-person and online husbandry and hoof care trainings, as well as customized consultations for giraffe care teams all over the world.
“We love traveling to other facilities to see how they do things, brainstorm problem solving with them, share what works for us and discuss what we’ve learned from other organizations,” says Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at The Giraffe Center. “But, there’s nothing like being with your home herd. Our giraffe are such rockstars at training, so our annual workshops here at CMZoo are a lot of fun.”
At the end of May, The Giraffe Center hosted another giraffe behavior workshop at CMZoo with Behavior Works. The behavior workshop is a continuation from the introductory giraffe care workshop. At the behavior workshop, Amy and The Giraffe Center team help giraffe care professionals build upon the fundamental teachings they learn from the intro giraffe care workshop by getting hands-on with members of the CMZoo herd.
“CMZoo’s investment in The Giraffe Center has been fulfilling because we know we’re making giraffes’ lives better,” Amy says. “Seeing our workshop attendees work with our giraffe to learn how it should look to trim a hoof, and then hearing about their giraffe’s improved mobility at home after they’ve applied what they learn is so rewarding.”
The network and collaboration between giraffe organizations goes both ways. Amy and Diana have been instrumental in the design of the new barn that will soon stand tall in African Rift Valley at CMZoo. The team has traveled internationally to share best practices of giraffe care and to observe how others’ facilities and environments can best support a herd.
“We’re focused on environmental enrichment for all of our animals at the Zoo,” says Amy. “With a brand-new giraffe barn coming to CMZoo soon, we’re going to be able to fine-tune building and yard features that we’ve seen work elsewhere as we build this environment from the ground up. It’s happening soon, and we’re really excited to help it come together.”
The 10,000-square-foot giraffe barn’s design is in final considerations. Guests and members should expect to see changes to African Rift Valley start soon, and continue for the next few years as The Giraffe Center takes shape.
Adding animal demonstrations to your next Zoo day itinerary is one of the best ways to kick off the summer. Included with your regular daytime ticket, you’ll have access to multiple animal demonstrations throughout the day. From brachiating orangutans to a guinea pig parade, these demonstrations offer fun and educational experiences for our guests while also enriching and engaging our animals. Highlighting their natural behaviors and unique features, these demonstrations provide insight into some of the residents of CMZoo.
(Animal demonstrations are weather and animal permitting.)
Summer Schedule
9:30 a.m. — Penguin Keeper Talk in Water’s Edge: Africa
10 a.m. — Guinea Pig Parade in Water’s Edge: Africa (Tues., Wed., and Sun. only)
10 a.m. — Lion Enrichment in African Rift Valley (Tues. and Sat. only)
10 a.m. — Wolf Feeding in Rocky Mountain Wild (Thurs. and Sun. only)
10:45 a.m. — Caring for Elephants in Encounter Africa
11:15 a.m. — Orangutans are Awesome in Primate World
11:30 a.m. — Barn Owl Training in Scutes Family Gallery
11:30 a.m. — Alligator Feeding in Australia Walkabout (Mon. and Tues. only)
2:15 p.m. — Caring for Elephants in Encounter Africa
2:30 p.m. — Skunk Training in The Loft
3 p.m. — Treetop Acrobats in African Rift Valley at the colobus monkey exhibit (Fri., Sat., and Sun. only)
3:15 p.m. — Caring for Awesome Apes in Primate World
3:30 p.m. — Grizzly Demo in the temporary bear habitat above the tapir yard
4:15 p.m. — Meet the Hippos in Water’s Edge: Africa
Advance tickets are required and can be purchased at cmzoo.org.
FOUR-MILE WALK/RUN FUNDRAISER OFFERS ONCE-A-YEAR EXPERIENCE ON FOOT TO WILL ROGERS SHRINE OF THE SUN – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo hosts its 16th annual Run to the Shrine, featuring a North American river otter as this year’s event mascot, on Sat., May 18 and Sun., May 19, 2024.
Where else can you hand-feed a giraffe and then walk up the side of a mountain? (Nowhere!) The 4-mile round trip up-and-back course offers breathtaking views of Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods, and parts of the Front Range as participants run by African lions, giraffe and African elephants through the Zoo, up to Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun and back into the Zoo. The evergreen-forested course, with a nearly 1,000-foot elevation gain, is good practice for competitive runners gearing up for summer races and a fun challenge for weekend warriors and families. Runners and walkers are welcome, and jogging strollers equipped with automatic hand brakes and tethers are allowed on the course.
Run to the Shrine is the only time of the year foot traffic is allowed on the picturesque route through and above the Zoo to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, and back down. Saturday is sold out and there are only a few hundred spots left for Sunday’s event. Participant and spectator tickets are available. Spectators can explore the Zoo from 5 to 8 p.m. when the event ends, but do not get access to Shrine Road.
Registration includes Zoo admission for the evening, a commemorative performance running T-shirt featuring a North American river otter , and access to a post-event celebration at the Zoo’s Lodge at Moose Lake. All proceeds help feed and care for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s animals. Since the Zoo doesn’t receive any tax support, community events like Run to the Shrine help keep the zoo “running.”
Fast Facts
Run to the Shrine at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
5 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 18 – SOLD OUT
Sunday, May 19
- 4-mile run/walk through the Zoo, up to Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, and back to the Zoo
- Post-race expo
- Access to the Zoo from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Advance registration is required and capacity is limited.
- Register now at cmzoo.org/run
Run to the Shrine helps CMZoo – one of the only AZA-accredited, nonprofit zoos that doesn’t receive any tax support – fund Zoo operations, improvements, animal care and conservation. We’re wild about our Run to the Shrine 2024 partners, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Your Colorado Springs Toyota Dealers and Colorado Springs SCHEELS.
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 2024, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #5 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 more than $5 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 –Summer is around the corner, and many parents are planning activities to keep the kids active, healthy and inspired. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado offer expert tips for making outdoor activity and exercise fun for the whole family.
How about a summer project that doesn’t require a road trip, but does provide endless memories, education, and screen-free time in the calming presence of nature? A backyard pollinator garden checks all the boxes, and the size of space available doesn’t matter. Plus, it feeds butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators that are so vital to our ecosystems.
If establishing a garden sounds overwhelming, keep reading. The annual Plant Sale at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo can be your guide! This year’s sale is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thurs., May 16 and Fri., May 17, plus 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., May 18 at the Zoo. With a selection of drought-resistant, native, pollinator-friendly and deer-resistant plants, gardeners can feel confident they’re choosing items that can do well in Colorado’s sometimes-tricky gardening zone.
“I can say from experience that gardening together builds some great core memories,” Zach Groskopf, horticulture technician at CMZoo, says. “I got into horticulture because I used to garden with my grandmother a lot. Now, I actually work the same garden that we planted together years ago. It’s nice; it brings back memories every time I’m in there.”
Zach and the rest of the horticulture team at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be available at the Plant Sale to help shoppers pick the best plants for their gardens, guiding folks through variations in sunlight, soil, water and attention needed for the plants to thrive. Here are three plants available at the 2024 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Plant Sale that Zach recommends adding to any Colorado garden.
Tradescantia. This is a perennial flowering plant that produces pollinator-attracting flowers all season long, from spring to the first frost in fall. It grows wild in Colorado, so it should thrive in any backyard. There will be two color varieties at the Plant Sale: a lime-green foliage with a deeper purple flower and a slivery blue leaf with a lighter, more violet flower.
“I find tradescantia naturally all over my yard, and I love it,” says Zach. “The only downside is the deer love it, too. As long as you plant it near deer-repelling flowers, or you don’t get deer in your yard, it’ll be fine. Tradescantia is super resilient. It tolerates heat and cold and doesn’t need a ton of water once it’s established.”
Zach also recommends the silver butterfly bush, a type of buddleia making its first-ever appearance at the Plant Sale. This perennial grows drooping clusters of tiny pastel purple flowers, and this specific type of buddleia can grow up to four to six feet tall. It’s deer-resistant, drought-resistant, pollinator-friendly and can grow in full sun or partial shade.
No Colorado garden is complete without the Colorado State Flower – the Rocky Mountain Columbine. Three color varieties of columbine will be available at the Plant Sale: Denver Gold, with vibrant gold petals; an all-white variety; and the classic Rocky Mountain variety, featuring purple and white flowers.
“The columbine is my personal favorite flower because they’re beautiful and they’re resilient,” Zach says. “I keep bees and these flowers make the most delicious honey, too. The columbines at the Plant Sale are special because we grew all of them from columbine seeds collected from all around the Zoo.”
In addition to Zach’s top three plants, shoppers can pick up a unique variety of interesting pollinator-friendly plants, veggies, herbs and more. One special addition this year is a non-fruiting strawberry plant with interesting variegated leaves, known for its super-spreading ability to cover blank spots in the garden.
The Russian sage is another Colorado favorite, although it is not a native plant. The flowering shrubs grow up to five feet tall and five feet wide, and they need very little water or attention. They’re perennials, so each year they return stronger and taller, producing aromatic sage leaves and small purple flowers that bees and butterflies can’t get enough of.
Zach also recommends the moonshine yarrow as a more simple ‘first-timer’ plant. The leaves are incredibly soft, so it offers an additional tactile element for kids exploring in the garden.
Herbs, like basil, and a ton of tomato plants are available for purchase for those who would rather try a patio veggie garden or kitchen-window herb shelf.
There are no reservations or tickets required to attend the Plant Sale, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thurs., May 16 and Fri., May 17 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., May 18 – when the Zoo closes early for Run to the Shrine. Plants will be available on a first-come first-served basis, so don’t be late!
This year, the Zoo’s fundraising Plant Sale will be near the front entry of the Zoo. Keep an eye out for signs directing you to the sale as you walk towards our admission windows. Zoo admission is not required to attend the Plant Sale, and Zoo guests can stop in to shop on their way out.
This year’s Plant Sale is in-person only. There will be no online shopping or shipping options available. Come out to the Zoo and chat with our expert horticulturists about which plants work best in your garden, and know you’re supporting the ongoing beautification of the Zoo with your purchases.
Schedule of Activities:
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Join us for family activities in Scutes Family Gallery:
— Coloring pages
— Paper masks
— Button making
— Simulated pouch peek activity (find an imitation tree kangaroo joey in a pouch replica)
— “Walk like a tree kangaroo” activity
11 a.m., Keeper talk at the Matschie’s tree kangaroo exhibit in Australia Walkabout.
1 p.m., Puppet show in Safari Cabin (near the entrance to the Sky Ride).
