Dish-Houston

Hey DISHIES. Gift giving is hard enough especially in this day and age where no one has the ability to hold off and self indulgence is a way of life. DISH is here to give you some really different and interesting gift ideas!

Assuming you've had enough of loud ties, novelty gifts and crowded mall you can now make the holiday season naturally wild when you do your shopping at the Houston Zoo.  It doesn't matter who you are buying for these unique gift ideas are intelligent, green and good for the community!

The Houston Zoo’s gift shop has plush animals, clothing, books, and toys to community arts and crafts created by villagers – farmers, herders, and ranchers – in Africa, Asia and Central America. 

But it gets cooler! You can get special behind the scenes tours, animal art and painting experiences, Zoo memberships, and Adopt an Animal packages.  Special holiday offers are valid until December 31, 2009 and may not be combined with any other offer.   Get complete information online at www.houstonzoo.org/gifts.    

 Gift Memberships

            Give a full year of naturally wild opportunities to enjoy the Houston Zoo when you give the gift of a Zoo membership.  Discounts are now available on Individual, Family, Family Plus, Grandparent, and Supporting Level Memberships purchased as a gift for someone in another household.  Individual memberships begin at $55 and family memberships begin at $80.   Purchase online at http://www.houstonzoo.org/membership.

Members receive 20% OFF on purchases in the gift shop during special member shopping days December 12 and 19.  Find out more at http://www.houstonzoo.org/gifts/.

Animal Painting Experience

            This is truly the gift for the person who has everything.  Here’s an opportunity to own a truly unique masterpiece.  Give the animal lover in your life their very own animal painting by one of our resident artists.  Or give them the opportunity to watch as the masterpiece is created.  Animal Painting Experiences are only $500 and Animal Paintings are $250.  For details about the unique holiday gift opportunity, log on to http://www.houstonzoo.org/events/tours/animalpainting/.  To purchase, call the Houston Zoo at 713-533-6550.

Adopt an Animal

            Why not adopt a bear for your brother or a sea lion for your sweetheart this holiday season?  Adopt an Animal gifts are fun and educational and help care for your adopted animal, as well as support important education and conservation programs at the Houston Zoo.  Adopt packages start at $35.  For $190 become a Guardian of the Animals and have the name of a loved one engraved on a brick at the Zoo’s Front Entrance plaza.  Adopt an Animal packages require 5 business days for processing.  Get complete information online at http://www.houstonzoo.org/adopt/

Behind the Scenes Tours

            For a truly unforgettable experience, see the Houston Zoo from the inside out when you join us for a behind the scenes tour!  Picture yourself face to face with a giraffe, or getting a kiss from a sea lion.  These are just a few of the exciting things that can happen on your Behind the Scenes Tour at the Houston Zoo.   Tours typically take 30 minutes per area and can accommodate groups of 2 to 10 in any given animal area.  Behind the scenes tours are $35 per person/per area for Zoo Members and $50 per person/per area for non-members.  Cat training window or sea lion experiences are $75 (members) and $100 (non-members).  Be a Vet for a Day and shadow one of Houston ’s busiest veterinarians as they make their rounds of the Zoo.  Vet for a Day experiences ($300 members; $350 non-members, party of two) start at 8 a.m. and end at 11:15 a.m.    Tour prices include regular Zoo admission.  

Find more information online at http://www.houstonzoo.org/events/tours/behind/. 

Bricks

Leave your legacy at the Houston Zoo for generations to come when you participate in the Zoo’s brick paver program.  The Zoo’s personalized brick pavers are a lasting way to recognize your family, friends, and love for the Houston Zoo.   Your brick purchase is a contribution to the Zoo’s Annual Drive to Support the Zoo, which directly impacts the Zoo’s first rate animal care and guest experience programs.   Pavers range in size from 8 by 4 inches with 2 lines of text for $100 to 16 by 16 inches with 6 lines of text for $2,500.  For more information, visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/brickpaver/. 

Community Arts and Crafts

Far from large cities, villagers and nomadic peoples around the world create crafts and works of art while balancing their traditional way of living.  Community arts and crafts sold at the Houston Zoo gift shop provide opportunities to raise funds for our conservation partners in Asian, Africa and Central America , as well as increase awareness and offer tools to help with conservation actions and programs in countries where the Houston Zoo is involved in conservation efforts.  By supporting production of community arts and crafts, we work with farmers, herders, and ranchers to find ways for them to protect their traditional way of life and their families.

About Houston Zoo

Recognized by Parents magazine as one of the Ten Best Zoos for Kids, the Houston Zoo is an exciting live animal adventure that provides a unique educational and conservation resource serving 1.7 million guests annually.  Set in a 55-acre lush tropical landscape, the Zoo is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 800 species.  Operated by the not-for-profit Houston Zoo, Inc., the Houston Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species, the provision of engaging educational opportunities and the creation of stimulating exhibits that broaden the experiences of our guests and encourage their curiosity.

The Houston Zoo is located at 6200 Golf Course Drive in beautiful Hermann Park .  The Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during Central Standard Time (last admission at 5 p.m.) and from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. during Central Daylight Time (last admission at 6 p.m.).  The Zoo is closed Christmas Day.  Regular admission is $10 for adults, $6 for seniors, $6 for children ages 2-11 and FREE for children under 2.  Visit the courtesy booth at your neighborhood Fiesta Mart and purchase an adult Zoo admission for $8 and a child Zoo admission for $5.  Zoo memberships start at only $55.  For information on all the great benefits of becoming a Zoo member call (713) 533-6713 or visit our Web site at www.houstonzoo.org. 

Ride METRORail to the Houston Zoo from the Fannin South Park and Ride lot.  With frequent service, METRORail is a convenient answer to traffic congestion in the Texas Medical Center/Hermann Park/Museum District corridor.  For METRORail information, visit www.ridemetro.org.

The Houston Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.  For more information visit www.aza.org.