Seneca Park Zoo admission reduced to $1 for SNAP recipients

Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·3 min read

Update: On June 24, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello signed legislation to reduce Seneca Park Zoo admission for income-eligible families to $1 per person as part of the national Museums for All program. To participate, individuals and families must be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and present Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and photo ID. The $1 admission rate, which goes into effect June 24, is available for up to four people per EBT card. Revenue from all zoo admissions covers the cost of the program, a county spokesperson said.

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Original story, June 8: The price of admission to Seneca Park Zoo would be lowered to $1 for SNAP recipients under a plan proposed Tuesday by Monroe County Executive Adam Bello.

If the plan is approved by the County Legislature at its June 14 meeting, the zoo would join the George Eastman Museum and Rochester Museum & Science Center as local participants in the national Museums for All program and the first zoo in New York state to take part.

“Finances should never be a barrier to our residents’ ability to enjoy the rich cultural institutions our county has to offer,” Bello said. “Providing this benefit to individuals and families with lower incomes fosters a more inclusive Monroe County and is the right thing to do.”

SNAP, an acronym for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps low-income families, senior citizens and disabled people supplement their food budgets.

Museums for All participants get discounted admission when they present SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, cards and photo identification.

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Regular Seneca Park Zoo admission for non-members from April 1 to Oct. 31 ranges from free for children 2 and younger to $12 for 12- to 62-year-olds. From Nov. 1 to March 31, it's free for children 2 and younger and $10 for ages 12 to 62.

Admission is free year-round for zoo members. Memberships start at $57 a year for an individual, and a family membership is $104.

Admission to George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave., is free for SNAP recipients versus as much as $18 for non-members. Admission to Rochester Museum & Science Center is $3 for SNAP recipients. For non-members, it can go up to $18.

Olmy, a month-old Masai giraffe, zooms around the Animals of the Savanna exhibit at the Seneca Park Zoo.
Olmy, a month-old Masai giraffe, zooms around the Animals of the Savanna exhibit at the Seneca Park Zoo.

In January 2019, The Strong National Museum of Play, one of Rochester’s most acclaimed and popular attractions — and a huge draw for families — announced it was reducing admission for SNAP recipients. That cost stands at $5 per person versus as much as $19 for non-members (not including Butterfly Garden admission).

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In February 2019, the Memorial Art Gallery announced it would admit SNAP recipients free of charge. Otherwise, paid gallery admission for non-members is up to $20 — half off on Thursday evenings.

Bello also is proposing a massive expansion of the zoo, located at 2222 St. Paul St. in Rochester on the Irondequoit border. In his May 12 state of the county address, he unveiled a $121 million plan to add an indoor rainforest and a 220,000-gallon aquarium to house at least two species of sharks. New York state has agreed to contribute $42.5 million to the project.

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: $1 Seneca Park Zoo admission proposed for SNAP recipients