Summer Fun Ready to Start at Living Desert

Summer fun begins Tuesday, June 1 at the Living Desert when daily summer hours will be 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

PALM DESERT/INDIAN WELLS – Beginning Tuesday, June 1 through September 30, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens will begin its summer schedule — and summer fun — and open an hour earlier for guests to enjoy all the wildlife, gardens and special attractions. Daily hours will be 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with last admission at 1 p.m.

Hours for the new Australian Adventures, Kraal, and Tennity Wildlife Hospital lobby also will be 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily. The popular giraffe feedings will be available 8 a.m. to noon and the new Desert Plant Conservation Center, an exhibit of desert plants ranging from seed to mature floras, remains open during summer hours. Animal chats including pronghorn, cheetah, hornbill, coati, camels, African wild dog, eagles, desert tortoise will return and guests are encouraged to check the daily schedule for exact times.

Coinciding with the summer hours, The Living Desert’s carousel, Wildlife Wonders Show, and nature preserve hiking trails will be closed until October 1.

The Living Desert’s free, interactive Explore Guide, designed to enhance visits, is available via QR codes in the Zoo. As a certified Sensory Inclusive™ facility, sensory bags, equipped with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads will be available to any guest who may feel overwhelmed by the environment. In addition, special maps and signage will identify “Headphone Zones,” which are areas of high volume, and “Quiet Areas” perfect for taking a break.

Advanced reservations are required. For tickets and more information, visit livingdesert.org or call (760) 346-5694.