Today's hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.)

Today's hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.)

Today's hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.)

The wildest events in town start here.

Gather your herd and head to the Zoo. The Zoo’s 163-acre campus in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park offers multiple unique venues to host your next corporate or social event. The Zoo offers multiple spaces for corporate outings, weddings, receptions and more.*

Contact us to request a private event rental today!

*The Zoo is not available to rent for social events such as children's and teen's birthday parties, proms, dances, bar/bat mitzvahs, debuts, cotillions or quinceañeras. Fundraising, ticketed events, product sales and political functions are not permitted. Facilities cannot be rented for events that are open to the public.

sloth in a tree

A long table set for a meal and surrounded by chairs set up in the rainforest of the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Amazonia exhibit

An exhibit inside the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Amazonia exhibit with water, fish, trees and a roseate spoonbill

Amazonia Exhibit

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor

Reception Capacity: 100

Lady Elliot Reef

An aerial view of colorful round tables decorated for a private, catered event in the Amazonia science gallery at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

Round tables decorated for a private, catered event in the Amazonia science gallery at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

The Amazonia science gallery at the Smithsonian's National Zoo with large windows, tiled floors and exhibitry

Round tables decorated for a private, catered event in the Amazonia science gallery at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

Amazonia Science Gallery

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor

Reception Capacity: 200

Giant panda Mei Xiang stands in the grass near a tree in her outdoor habitat at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

Clint Fields Plaza at the Smithsonian's National Zoo with bamboo wrapped pillars, panda exhibit panels and a catered food table

Guests mingle during a private catered event overlooking the panda yards at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

Tables decorated for a catered event at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Clint Fields Plaza

Clint Fields Plaza and Panda House

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Outdoor

Reception Capacity: 300

Asian elephant

Cocktail tables decorated in brightly colored table cloths outside the Zoo's Elephant Community Center

A colorful catered event set up under a large tent with cocktail tables, benches with pillows and lights

People seated around tables eating alongside elephants in the Elephant Community Center during a private catered event at the Zoo

A catered event set up inside the Elephant Community Center at the Smithsonian's National Zoo with people eating dinner at tables alongside the Zoo's elephants

People sit around tables overlooking elephants inside the Zoo's Elephant Community Center during a private, catered event

Elephant Community Center

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor Outdoor

Reception Capacity: 300

Guests seated on couches outside the Great Cats exhibit during a private catered event at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

A group of people talking and enjoying drinks under lights outside the Great Cats exhibit in the evening at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

A table set for a meal with flower centerpieces at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Great Cats exhibit

Great Cats Circle

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Outdoor

Reception Capacity: 2000

An orangutan crossing the o-line at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

An event tent, tables and chairs set up in a grassy green meadow surrounded by trees on a sunny day at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

A dragon-shaped inflatable castle set up below the O-line where two orangutans cross the sky at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

A large event tent set up over a brick path surrounded by trees at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Great Meadow

A bar and decorated tables set up under a large event tent lit up with lights in the Great Meadow

Great Meadow

Venue Availability: Morning, Daytime, Evening

Venue Setting: Outdoor

Reception Capacity: 360

Luke Lion

A large event tent set up with table and lights in the evening in a grassy field

Lion-Tiger Hill

Venue Availability: Morning, Daytime, Evening

Venue Setting: Outdoor

Reception Capacity: 1000

An emerald tree monitor lizard climbing on a branch with leaves

Reptile Discovery Center

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor

Reception Capacity: 200

A canid (called a fennec fox) with thick, desert sand-colored fur, a bushy tail and big ears

A food table decorated with table cloths and flowers set up in front of an exhibit in the Small Mammal House at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

Small Mammal House

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor

Reception Capacity: 200

Three large zebra Chinese paper lanterns lit up at night

The Pavilion at ZooLights

Venue Availability: Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor

Reception Capacity: 220

An Allen's swamp monkey with thick gray fur seated in the grass

Think Tank

Venue Availability: Morning, Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor

Reception Capacity: 150

maned wolf grass background

The view from the back of the Visitor Center Auditorium at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. There is an aisle down the center with auditorium seats on either side and a stage at the front

A view of auditorium seats at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Visitor Center Auditorium

Visitor Center Auditorium

Venue Availability: Morning, Daytime, Evening

Venue Setting: Indoor

Reception Capacity: 320

Host a Private Event Contact