Houston Zoo reopens Friday with $5 tickets

The Houston Zoo will reopen its doors for the first time since Hurricane Harvey, offering discounted tickets to provide a "place for families and communities to gather and find respite."

Tickets at the main gate will be only $5 for adults and children, according to a zoo press release. The zoo will be open from 9 am to 5 pm with last tickets being sold at 4 pm.

Unlimited rides on the Texas Direct Auto Wildlife Carousel and admission to Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks are included with the special ticket price. The special ticket price is not available online.

"I am grateful to report that our zoo is an island of relative normalcy in an ocean of crisis," Lee Ehmke, Houston Zoo CEO and president, said via press release. "My deepest gratitude goes to the ride-out crew members who worked tirelessly for our animals and facilities over the past seven days."

The zoo did not receive significant damage from Hurricane Harvey. Regular operating hours and admission prices will be in effect starting Saturday.