Riga Zoo to open only four days a week in winter

Riga Zoo in Latvia's capital will change its opening hours for the winter season. From 1 December 2026 to 28 February 2027, visitors will be able to enter only from Thursday to Sunday, while the grounds will be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The zoo itself announced the changes.

Why the hours are changing

The zoo says the closed days will allow maintenance, infrastructure upkeep and technical work to be carried out more efficiently in winter, along with tidying the grounds. Some of the work may temporarily restrict access to certain exhibits or involve machinery moving around the territory, so it is to be concentrated on days without visitors. This, the zoo says, will make the work safer and keep visits undisturbed.

Several improvement projects for the grounds and infrastructure were already started this autumn, new animals have joined the collection, and work on the existing environment has continued. In winter the zoo plans to carry on with repairs and other work that cannot be done during the busier visitor season without significant restrictions. The aim is to put several parts of the grounds and infrastructure in order by spring.

Exception: “Winter Nights”

During the zoo's traditional themed event “Winter Nights”, from 18 December to 10 January 2027, the zoo will be open every day, including Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Seniors' Day moved

From 1 December, Seniors' Day will also change: it will be held on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays. Other conditions stay the same, and seniors who show a pensioner's ID can visit the zoo free of charge on Thursdays.

Tours and classes

Guided tours and educational classes will continue on days when the zoo is closed to visitors. The education programme lets school groups supplement their lessons with practical experience of the animal world, nature and species conservation.