To our Friends community,

We are pleased to share that last night the Palo Alto City Council adopted the Finance Committee’s recommendation and lowered the JMZ admission fee from $18 to $10. Over the past year, the Friends have worked tirelessly to ensure that the JMZ reopens with a ticket price that makes the JMZ as affordable and accessible as possible. Thank you to all of you that attended and spoke at Finance Committee and City Council Meetings, wrote City Council Members, and spread the word on social media in support of our efforts. Your voice made a difference! 
 
Although the $10 admission fee is what comparable children’s museums and zoos in the area charge, we know the jump from “free to fee” may be disappointing for many Palo Alto residents. The Friends remain committed as ever to expanding access to science education in our community. For more than 20 years, the Friends have funded a program in which JMZ educators provide the same science lessons taught in Palo Alto schools to children in East Palo Alto and other underserved communities. As we look to the future, it is our goal to make the JMZ, and the richer experience the new museum and zoo will provide, as open and inclusive to all as possible.
 
We are busy planning for the October reopening and are eager to introduce the reimagined Junior Museum & Zoo to the community. We know this will be an incredible destination for young children and their families to engage in hands-on play and early-science education, and to interact with new and beloved animals in the zoo.
 
Thank you again for your support. We cannot wait to welcome you to the new JMZ soon.

Sincerely,

Lauren Angelo
Board President, Friends of the JMZ
Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo