Free Tiger Fun Day returns to Panaewa Rainforest Zoo July 11
Free admission, tiger treats and hands-on learning return to Hilo’s Panaewa Zoo on July 11 for Tzatziki and Sriracha’s 11th birthdays.
Families looking for a low-cost summer outing in East Hawaii will have a free day at the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens on Saturday, July 11, when Tiger Fun Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for both residents and nonresidents, making the event one of the easier Big Island outings for households trying to stretch a summer budget.
The county-built celebration centers on the birthdays of the zoo’s Bengal tigers, Tzatziki and Sriracha, who are turning 11 this year. The schedule starts with zoo passports going on sale at 9:30 a.m., followed by a tiger birthday party at 10:30 a.m. and a day of games, hands-on activities, face painting, food vendors and educational stations spread across the grounds. Children who visit the learning stops can earn a Junior Zookeeper badge, turning the morning into both a play date and a lesson in animal care.
Parking and crowd flow are part of the planning, too. Shuttle service will be available from the Panaewa Equestrian Center parking lot, a practical detail for families heading to the zoo’s 12-acre site at 800 Stainback Highway in Hilo. The zoo sits within the Panaewa Recreational Complex, alongside the county equestrian center, and the layout gives visitors a full morning or afternoon without needing to leave the area.
The zoo’s own materials describe Panaewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens as the only zoo in the United States set in a tropical rainforest. It is home to 82 species and nearly 300 animals, with a playground, pavilions, a gift shop and other amenities that make it an easy destination for school groups, grandparents and parents with younger children. The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and the first Thursday of each month, when it closes for ReZOOvenation.
Tiger Fun Day also serves as a fundraiser for the Friends of the Panaewa Zoo, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the zoo and its animals. A 2024 listing for the event showed how the day has become a recurring summer tradition, with free admission and some games and concessions inside the zoo sold for cash only. For Hilo-side families, this year’s version pairs an affordable outing with a local institution that depends on community support to keep its doors open and its animals visible year-round.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
