Children Can Earn Free Admission To OKC Zoo This June

Parents in Oklahoma, you're in luck! There's a unique opportunity for children to earn their way to visit the Oklahoma City Zoo for free starting Monday, June 2. Not only will the program get the kids reading and learning, but it'll pave the way for a fun summer activity for the entire family to enjoy.

For the ninth year, the OKC Zoo and Botanical Gardens is bringing back their Read For Adventure literacy and conservation program. Students are tasked with reading a selected book, this year it's Juniper’s Butterfly Garden—A Small Start for a Better World. 

In return for their dedication, students will receive a voucher for free general admission to the OKC Zoo for up to four people that will be good to use until June 30, 2026. Students will need to check the book out from one of the 200 participating libraries in the state and will receive their voucher once returning the book.

Conservation efforts in Oklahoma for monarch butterflies are hard to go unnoticed.

According to the OKC Zoo press release about the 2025 program, Juniper’s Butterfly Garden was written by Oklahoma City resident Autumn Heigle, who previously worked as the OKC Zoo’s creative services manager.

@rainbowboymom Kid Book Review!!! Juniper's Butterfly Garden!!! #library #kidbooks #librarybooks #kidbooktok #kidbookreviews #okczoo #okczoobook ♬ original sound - Daisy

She was inspired by the Zoo’s commitment to monarch conservation and wanted to write about a child creating a monarch habitat in order to help save the population.

@kenyajustnot My little frog is so happy in his garden pond #flowers #garden #monarchbutterfly #oklahoma #diy #frogs #monarchfeeders #bloom #summer #update #nature #pollenators ♬ original sound - oldphilosophartaccount

Over the nine years that the program has been running, it has "brought more than 70,000 Oklahomans to the OKC Zoo with free general admission vouchers,” said Dwight Lawson, OKC Zoo’s executive director and CEO.

This year, they're expecting thousands of other students and families to participate, which is why they've created a ton of different summer activities for everyone to take advantage of while visiting. For a full look, click here.