Etiquette Guidelines

To make sure all our animals, guests, and staff have a safe and happy day, we ask that you follow these simple guidelines.

How to Be a Thoughtful Guest

By reading and practicing the following, you’re helping create a fun, healthy, and respectful experience for everyone.

Keep the noise down: Loud voices, shouting, or banging on glass can stress our animals. Remember, they have feelings too!
Respect our roaming residents: Please don’t chase guinea fowl or other free-roaming birds.
Keep objects out of habitats: Never throw rocks, trash, or other items into exhibit areas, as they could harm the animals. If something falls in, alert a staff member immediately.
Food, drinks, and smoking: No food or drinks inside Zoo buildings. Smoking is only allowed in posted areas.
Safety barriers are there for a reason: Never go over, under, between, or climb guardrails, fences, moats, or walls. Keep children safely with you.
No sharing human food: Our animals have specialized diets, carefully prepared by our keepers. Human snacks are not on the menu.
Help us care for the environment: Use recycling bins for plastic, glass, and aluminum, and avoid picking flowers, climbing trees, or disturbing the landscape.
Active play: Running, shoving, climbing rocks or trees, and riding bikes, scooters, skates, or skateboards is not allowed.
No pets allowed: For the welfare of our animals, pets cannot be brought into the Zoo or left in vehicles.
Follow staff instructions: Our team is here to keep everyone safe.
Most importantly: Explore, learn about our amazing animals, and have fun!

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo welcomes trained service dogs; those individually trained to perform work or tasks for a person with a disability. This does not include pets or emotional support animals.
Service dogs must remain harnessed or leashed unless it interferes with their work or the handler’s disability prevents it. Guests are responsible for controlling their service animal and cleaning up after them.
For the safety of all, service dogs should avoid the area between the tiger and leopard habitats, though otherwise they are welcome throughout the Zoo.
Guests may be asked to remove service animals if guidelines are not followed.