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The Living Desert
47900 Portola Ave, Palm Desert
(760) 346-5694
Hours of Operation and Admission Cost
Admission Rates:
The zoo has different admission prices for the summer and for the rest of the year. “Summer” is mid-June through the end of August. “Season” rates are for September through Mid June.
Summer Rates:
General Admission: $9.50
Seniors (62+) and Military: $9.50
Children (Ages 3-12): $5.25
Children under 3: Free
Season Rates:
General Admission: $12.50
Seniors (62+) and Military: $11.00
Children (3-12): $7.50
Children under 3: Free
Summer Hours:
Open every day June 16 to August 31, from 8 am to 1:30 pm. Last admission is at 1 pm.
Season Hours:
Open every day August 30 - June 15, from 9 am to 5 pm. Last admission at 4.
The Living Desert is closed December 25th.
Top 10 Attractions at the Living Desert
1. The Garden Railroad: Operational during the “Season”, come view historic scenes such as Mount Rushmore, the south rim of the Grand Canyon with a scale model of the El Tovar Hotel and Southwest United States cliff dwellings. The Old Indio train station depicts the early days of railroading here in the Coachella Valley from about 1875 to the mid 1950's.
2. Eagle Canyon: This exhibit is home to many birds and animals and they all coexist in a beautiful setting, amongst cliff ledges, grasses and trees. The cliff ledges are home to mountain lions and the Golden Eagle and families delight in spotting this glorious bird. A small sampling of what can be seen includes fennec foxes, javelina, badgers, rare Mexican grey wolves and mountain lions.
3. The Petting Zoo: Located in Village WaTuTu, come see and groom the dwarf African goats, Sicilian dwarf donkeys, Ankole cattle, and Jacob sheep.
4. Bighorn Mountain: View and learn more about endangered Peninsular Bighorn sheep.
5. Active desert birds: Look out for hummingbirds, quail, doves, cactus wrens, orioles, finches and roadrunners.
6. Village WaTuTu: This exhbit is an authentic replica of a village found in northeast Africa. Listen as master storytellers weave spellbinding tales of African and Native American folklore. The Village also features camels, hyenas, addax, leopards, tortoises, weaver birds and the beautiful plants that grow in this African region.
7. Gecko Gulch playground: Let the kids get the wiggles out here. The features include: a Saguaro cactus slide, a discovery dig area, a sand dune play area and tunnels to crawl through.
8. New Giraffe habitat with a baby giraffe named Maliki: Try to stop by here during the daily animal chat at the feeding platform.
9. Wildlife Wonders Show: You will be delighted by the eight to ten animals which participate in each program, with many of them being endangered or threatened species. It’s entertaining and you will gain a new understanding for these amazing animals.
10. Tour the Wildlife Hospital and Garden: Take a docent-led tour to observe medical procedures and examinations taking place in the Small & Large Animal Treatment Rooms.