Member Preview Days: California Trail Gondola!

Oakland Zoo Members are invited to preview the California Trail aerial gondola before it opens to the public on June 5!

Reservations are required because capacity is limited.

Tickets are timed to help manage parking and wait time at the gondola. You are welcome to ride the gondola any time after the hour listed on your ticket on the day of your ticket (Saturday, June 3 or Sunday, June 4) although we request you arrive within one hour of your ticket time.

The registration process asks for your membership number and expiration, so have your card handy. If your membership expires before June 2, 2017 you can renew it online.

Frequently asked questions:

How many gondola tickets can I reserve?

• You may reserve as many gondola tickets as adults and children covered by your membership:

  • Individual = one ticket
  • Dual = two tickets
  • Family = six tickets
  • Family Plus = seven tickets
  • Sustaining = eight tickets
  • Friends of the Wild = eight tickets
  
  

Does my infant/toddler need a ticket to ride the gondola?

• This event has the same policy as Zoo admission: age 2 or older is required to have their own ticket. Children under age two may accompany an adult with one ticket.

Will parking be reserved for members with gondola preview tickets?

• Unfortunately no. Because parking is limited, we respectfully request that your total Zoo visit be no more than two hours. This will open up parking spaces for members with gondola preview tickets later in the day.

Can we get off at the top of the gondola ride (at the California Trail Visitor Center and restaurant)?

• We are still waiting for the restaurant occupancy permit to be approved. This event will likely be simply a round-trip gondola ride.
• The new restaurant has an amazing view and will be worth a return visit!

My family can't attend this weekend - how can we ride the gondola?

• The gondola will be open to everyone beginning June 5.
• Take advantage of early entry for members! During the summer, members can enter the Zoo at 9:30 am and be first in line to ride the gondola. Remember to enter the Zoo early, you have to enter through the Main Entrance and check in at the Membership Booth - don't park in the lower parking lot near the Children's Zoo.
• Visit the Zoo on a weekday afternoon. Attendance is lower on weekdays, which should mean shorter lines at the gondola. School groups and day camps tend to visit in the morning and leave by 2 pm, so a weekday afternoon is a lovely time to visit.