Virginia Zoo Membership Swaps (2026 Schedule)

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A membership swap is one of the better perks the Virginia Zoo offers, and one of the least known. For a set month, Zoo members get a benefit at a partner organization, and that partner’s members get a benefit at the Zoo. You do not buy anything extra. If you already hold a Zoo membership, you just show your card.

The partner changes every month, and not every month has one, so it is worth knowing the schedule before it passes you by.

2026 Membership Swap Schedule

Right now, in August, the swap is with the YMCA of South Hampton Roads and the YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas, running August 1 to 31.

Here is the full year:

• March 1 to 31: Norfolk Botanical Garden
• April 1 to 30: The Mariners’ Museum and Park
• May 1 to 31: Elation Brewing and Waters Edge Winery
• June 1 to 30: Hermitage Museum & Gardens and Dogtopia
• July 1 to 31: Nauticus
• August 1 to 31: YMCA of South Hampton Roads & YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas
• September 1 to 30: Chrysler Museum of Art and Virginia MOCA
• December 1 to 31: Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Museum

January, February, October and November do not currently have a swap. Those months carry other member perks instead, including a magnet giveaway in February, a Member Perks Pass running October 1 through December 30, and a 2027 calendar giveaway in November.

Worth Knowing Before You Go

• The benefit differs by partner, and the Zoo publishes the specifics for each swap separately. Check what this month’s actually includes before you drive over.
• You need a current membership card, either the Zoo’s or the partner’s depending on which direction you are going.
• The windows run to the calendar month, so a swap that starts on the 1st ends on the last day of that month.

The Zoo keeps the current details and any month by month changes on their own page, and it is the place to confirm exactly what a given swap gets you: Virginia Zoo Membership Benefits.

Members also get more than swaps. Member Mornings run on Saturdays and Sundays through the summer, and Wild Wednesdays bring restaurant specials in the cooler months.

Find even more local museum deals on our BIG LIST of Museum Admission & Membership Discounts in Hampton Roads!