Cheyenne Mountain Zoo opened its International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The zoo was founded in 1926, so the opening also kicked off a six-day celebration of its 100th year. The ribbon-cutting got the headlines. For anyone living below the mountain, the bigger change is where giraffe feeding happens now. Visitors can feed the herd inside a 12,000-square-foot barn with a clear roof, fresh air coming in through giraffe-size garage doors, and a feeding island in the middle of the room.
That makes October through December a real season for the zoo's best-known experience. Before, it was a summer thing. What decides whether a cold-weather visit goes well is the zoo's calendar, not the forecast. Between now and New Year's, a long list of evening events, late openings and Shrine closures shortens or changes the day.
What Changed Inside the Barn
The old giraffe exhibit had three feeding zones. The new habitat has 11. The outdoor yard is 25 percent larger and has a new feeding tower. There are also switchbacks that, for the first time, encourage the giraffe to climb the zoo's hillside. Indoors, guests reach the central feeding island by a rope bridge or stairs, which means feeding "from above, face-to-face and feet-to-hooves," as the zoo puts it.
The roof is the part that matters most in winter. It is made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, or ETFE, a clear material used in sports stadiums, airports and some European zoos. It fills the barn with sunlight and moonlight, and the zoo describes it as low-maintenance and resistant to fire and hail. On a gray December afternoon, the barn stays bright, and guests can feed the herd from inside.
Feeding runs daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the African Rift Valley area, and the Giraffe Center page lists no separate fall or winter schedule. On the zoo's 2026 event pages, giraffe lettuce costs $3 a bundle or $5 for two.
President and CEO Dave Ruhl explained the design at the opening:
"This new space gives giraffe more choice about where to stand, where to rest, who to be near and where to engage with our guests. Choice matters because it gives animals even more control over their own lives."
That has a practical side for visitors. With 11 feeding zones spread across the barn and the yard, the herd is spread out too, so you can visit at different times and see different giraffe up close.
The Dates That Shorten the Day
On a normal day, the zoo is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last timed entry at 3 p.m. This fall, that schedule changes on many dates. Here's the 2026 calendar from the zoo's own pages:
| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 9 | Dog Days; limited dog tickets, advance purchase required |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. |
| Oct. 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 | Boo at the Zoo nights; daytime hours 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Dog Days, on a Boo day schedule |
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. |
| Dec. 2 to Jan. 1, 2027 | Electric Safari nightly, except Christmas Eve |
| Tue., Dec. 15 | Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. |
Boo at the Zoo takes up three October weekends, and it reshapes the whole day. On those Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the zoo opens early at 8 a.m., sells its last timed tickets between noon and 12:30 p.m., runs the last Sky Ride at 1 p.m., and closes the Shrine at 1:30 p.m., with the last car up at 12:30. Then it reopens for Boo from 4 to 8:30 p.m., and advance tickets are required. If you want a calm hour in the giraffe barn on a Boo weekend, go first thing in the morning. Afternoons are out.
Both Dog Days fall on Fridays. The second one, October 30, is also a Boo night, so dog owners that day are working within the 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. window.
Saturday Is the Only Day Everything Lines Up
Two of the mountain's other attractions run on their own schedules, and those schedules overlap very little.
The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun is 1.4 miles up the Russell Tutt Scenic Highway from the zoo entrance. Spencer Penrose built it between 1934 and 1937, and its top deck sits at 8,136 feet. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Zoo admission covers the drive up that day, whether or not you go into the zoo. Every person heading up needs paid admission and an advance timed ticket. The road is drive-up only, and you enter through a signed archway in the southwest corner of the zoo's parking lot.
The Mountaineer Sky Ride now runs only on weekends, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting, with the last ride at 1:30 p.m. It's closed on weekdays. The zoo hasn't announced when the Sky Ride's 2026 season ends, so check the visit page before you plan a day around it.
The Shrine is closed Sundays and the Sky Ride is closed weekdays, which leaves Saturday as the only day you can do the giraffe barn, the Sky Ride and the Shrine in one visit. Then take out the Boo Saturdays of October 17, 24 and 31, when the Sky Ride and Shrine shut down by early afternoon. That leaves October 10 as the only fully open Saturday left in October. In November, the Shrine closes on Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving, and closes early the day before Thanksgiving. During Electric Safari it has early closures, then closes completely from December 25 through January 2. On Christmas Eve it closes at 2 p.m., with the last car up at 1 p.m.
Here's one way to plan a full November Saturday:
- Book a timed ticket for 9 a.m., and arrive within 30 minutes of the start time.
- Head to the Giraffe Center first, while the barn is quiet and the morning light is coming through the clear roof.
- Catch the Sky Ride before its last ride at 1:30 p.m.
- Drive up to the Shrine with your admission receipt before it closes at 4 p.m.
The Shrine's walkway is about 50 yards uphill from its parking lot. Its interior rooms, chapel and restrooms are reachable only by stairs. The zoo also asks visitors to come ready for unpredictable weather and to bring their own water. Guests who need wheelchair-accessible transport can drive their own vehicle up, as long as they're on the road by 3 p.m.
How Tickets Work This Season
Every visit needs a timed ticket bought in advance, and capacity is limited. Everyone needs an e-ticket, including children 2 and under. The Plan a Visit page says advance tickets apply to members and nonmembers alike. The current-members page specifically names Individual Plus, Family, Grandparent and Family Plus memberships, so members should check the rule for their own tier before heading up.
If timed tickets sell out, rideshare tickets are always available, and they're free for members. Get there by Uber, Lyft or taxi, then show your ride receipt along with the rideshare ticket at Admissions. That's useful to know in the Giraffe Center's first season. KKTV reported large crowds on opening day. One more change for families: the zoo's alerts page lists the Carousel as closed until further notice.
Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of only a few that run without tax support. The Giraffe Center was paid for entirely by the zoo and its donors. Seventy-five cents from every visit goes to its Quarters for Conservation program, which has raised more than $6 million. Admissions and memberships help pay for things like the barn's roof.
Electric Safari Closes Out the Centennial Year
Electric Safari runs nightly from December 2 through January 1, 2027, except Christmas Eve. The event listing describes 85 light sculptures and a holiday-safari drone show. The Centennial Drone Show is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., weather permitting. Santa will be at Safari Lodge nightly from 4 to 8:30 p.m. through December 23. Tickets are $5 cheaper on non-peak dates, but the listing doesn't say which dates those are. The Electric Safari page also notes that tickets and rideshare tickets will go on sale closer to the event.
Ruhl tied the new barn to the zoo's founding at the September opening. "One hundred years ago, Spencer Penrose's dream was not simply to create a collection of animals, but to build something lasting for the people of the Pikes Peak Region," he said. The centennial ends with the Electric Safari lights. After that, the giraffe barn will be one of the zoo's main draws through its first winter, and the Giraffe Center page lists feeding daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At Trish Ingels, we think the zoo, the Shrine and the Penrose legacy on Cheyenne Mountain are part of what makes the Broadmoor area special. If you'd like to talk about owning a home in the shadow of that mountain, request a private consultation with Trish. She brings Broadmoor expertise to serious buyers and sellers.
