Cincinnati Zoo hosting quiet hours for guests with sensory sensitivities

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is hosting quiet hours on Wednesday during its Zoo Access for All Celebration.

Officials said to assist those with sensory sensitivities, excess noises will be silenced or turned down. Noises required for safety, such as train crossing signals and vehicle in reverse sounds, will still be heard at the usual volume during quiet hours.

“Elephants will still trumpet, but you won’t hear announcements or music over the PA system,” Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard said in a statement. 

The event is all day Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is free with Zoo admission. 

The Zoo opens daily at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Cincinnati Zoo members enjoy early entry at 9 a.m.

“The Zoo is for everyone. Our goal is to be a place where both animals and people can thrive, no matter who they are, no matter what challenges – physical, economic, or social – they face,” Maynard said. “That’s what our Zoo Access for All program is all about.”