Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang went on view Friday in Zoo Atlanta's new Panda Grove. Here are the hours, the members' early entry days and parking.
Giant pandas are back on view in Atlanta. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang went on show Friday, Nov. 6, when Zoo Atlanta opened their new home, the Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove.
It was the first time the public could see the pair. They arrived in Atlanta on Sept. 27 and had been off view since, Zoo Atlanta said in its opening announcement.
Who the pandas are
- Ping Ping is a 6-year-old male.
- Fu Shuang is a 6-year-old female.
- Both were born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China, a conservation partner of the zoo.
The pair are in Atlanta under a new research agreement on giant panda conservation between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The zoo announced the agreement in April 2026.
Zoo Atlanta said it is now one of three zoos in the U.S. with giant pandas, and the only one in the Southeast.
The new pair follow the zoo’s first pandas. Yang Yang, who came to Atlanta with Lun Lun in 1999, left for China on Oct. 12, 2024, according to the zoo’s giant panda page.
“This is an extraordinary moment in history for Zoo Atlanta, the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” Raymond B. King, the zoo’s president and CEO, said.
What changed in the habitat
The Panda Grove is a $6 million update of the zoo’s original panda habitat. A grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation paid for it. The zoo listed these changes:
- larger indoor dayrooms, each with new climbing structures and its own pool
- new climbing structures in the outdoor habitats
- a redesigned complex with water features and aquatic plants
- a sculpture by David Landis, “Reflecting the Wild,” donated by Ron and Judy Goldstein
The habitat is named for Arthur M. Blank, whose support for the zoo’s panda program goes back to 1999, the zoo said when it set the opening date. The first panda habitat also carried his name.
“The Grove will give generations of Atlantans and guests from around the world the chance to experience these remarkable animals up close,” Blank said in that announcement.
Members-only panda mornings
Zoo Atlanta members get early entry to see the pandas before the gates open to everyone else, the event page says:
| Dates | Members enter from |
|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8 | 8:30 a.m. |
| Monday, Nov. 9, to Sunday, Nov. 22 | 8 a.m. |
Regular zoo operations start at 9 a.m. Members can buy member-priced tickets at the gate for guests who are not on their membership.
The zoo said opening weekend also brings commemorative giveaways and community activities.
What it means for you
- Hours: The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Dec. 6, with last entry at 3:30 p.m. From Dec. 7 it opens at 10 a.m. It closes only on Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to the zoo’s visit page.
- Tickets: Buy them on the Zoo Atlanta website.
- Where: 800 Cherokee Ave. SE, in Grant Park. Read our Grant Park neighborhood guide.
- Parking: The lot on Cherokee Avenue and the Grant Park Gateway deck on Boulevard charge $3 an hour, up to $12 a day.
- Can’t get there? The zoo runs a Panda Cam.
For more family outings, see our kids activities in Atlanta and things to do this month, including the zoo’s IllumiNights from Nov. 21.
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