Page Text: September – November 2025
Wellness is coming to The National Reptile Zoo!
Zoo Zen is an innovative new series of wellness-focused events taking place at the zoo ever second Wednesday in September through to November 2025 from 6-8pm.
Join a guided Pilates session with instructor Michelle Meagher, followed by a relaxing sauna, an invigorating cold plunge and enjoy exclusive after-hours access to the zoo.
It’s a unique mix of fitness, relaxation, and wildlife for a refreshing midweek experience.
Supported by Kilkenny County Council’s Night Time Economy Initiative
Past Events
Invertebreakfast
Every Tuesday 11am & 12pm in October 2025
Creepy-crawly or culinary delight? Invertebreakfast is your chance to explore the surprising world of insect-based foods right here at The National Reptile Zoo. From boosting personal health to easing the strain on our planet, insects may just be the future of sustainable eating.
Join us for a breakfast event that blends discovery with deliciousness, challenges perceptions, and offers a taste of the unexpected. Whether you’re curious, eco-conscious, or simply adventurous, this is your chance to see—and taste—food in a whole new way.
Special Offer: Tickets are half price—but numbers are limited!
When: Tuesday mornings, from 7th to 28th October only.
Tickets available at reception and do not need to be booked in advance.
Supported by Kilkenny County Council’s Home of Halloween Initiative
Cosmic Creatures – Space Week 2025
When: October 4th – 10th 2025, throughout the day
Tickets: Included with general admission, booking not required.
Life in space depends on carefully designed life support systems, but humans aren’t the only ones who need help surviving outside their natural environment. At the National Reptile Zoo, animals from all over the world—like snakes, alligators, and African tortoises—live comfortably in Kilkenny thanks to special habitats that recreate their native conditions.
By exploring how these animals survive in environments that would otherwise be impossible, we can learn valuable lessons about building systems to support human life in space.
During Space Week, join us for a closer look at our animals and discover:
How they adapt to harsh conditions in nature
The technologies we use to care for them at the zoo
What African tortoises living in Ireland can teach us about surviving among the stars
Then apply what you’ve learnt: inspired by the efforts we take to maintain ideal environments for our animals, design your own space habitat and explain how it would help humans (or something else) survive far from Earth!
Alternative Kilkenny Arts Festival
This August 2025, The National Reptile Zoo presents a two-part celebration of art, nature, and wild imagination through “NRZ Nature Gallery” and an evening of art at the zoo – “Drawn to Scales”!
NRZ Nature Gallery is an in-house exhibition of artwork inspired by wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems — both local and global.
Curated within the Zoo’s conservatory and media room, the exhibition showcases creative interpretations of nature; from textures and forms to the hidden lives of animals and the spaces they inhabit. Featuring works by wildlife photographer Tasneem Khan alongside an open call for submissions from local photographers responding to the same theme.
The gallery invites visitors to see beyond the exotic and unknown — and into the intricacies of wild beauty and conservation. This exhibition runs from August 7th to 17th.
Complementing the exhibition is a special art experience evening on Tuesday, August 12th (6:00–9:00 PM), where participants join a private, guided session at the Zoo after hours. Through one-on-one introductions to three reptiles in their habitats, attendees will explore animal behaviour and environmental parameters.
You will have the time, space and assistance to draw, sketch, paint, sculpt, and write – make artworks inspired by these living subjects — capturing the detail, colour, wonder and visual stories of the natural world.
Together, these events offer a deep and creative dive into the wild — connecting ecology, expression, and education in an unforgettable setting.