Our Work

The Friends is very grateful to all of our donors and supporters for helping us raise more than $25 million to reimagine and rebuild the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo. These donations, along with funding support from the City of Palo Alto, helped make possible a museum and zoo that will offer a truly unique experience to children and families for generations to come. The Friends is committed to working with the City to make the JMZ as accessible and welcoming to all. To that end, we have several projects in the works, including supporting the JMZ to provide reduced-priced admission, which we are excited to share more about soon.

Access and Inclusion

The following Friends’ programs have promoted access and inclusion for many years:

Science Outreach Program

This program ensures that elementary school children in the Ravenswood City School District receive exceptional, engaging science programming, right in their classrooms or homes. During the 2021-2022 school year, the program served more than 1,500 students with more than 400 in-person lessons in East Palo Alto elementary schools.

Super Family Sundays

Super Family Sundays are special events for families who have children with disabilities. These events are free and provide exclusive access to the JMZ in a calm and friendly environment.

California Dinosaur Garden

Scheduled to open in 2023, the California Dinosaur Garden will be an immersive experience of the Cretaceous period in California. The Friends completed a  capital campaign to raise funds for this special exhibit.