Spend a day with your kids at a zoo in Staten Island, New Jersey, or New York City where the whole family can visit a variety of exotic and local animals. Some locations even have animal feedings, areas just for children, and touch tanks where kids can participate. This comprehensive list of zoos in NYC and the surrounding area includes updated hours, admission prices and more helpful information for planning your next zoo trip.
Central Park Zoo
64th Street and Fifth Avenue, Central Park
212-439-6500
Facebook • Instagram
Closest subway stops: NRW: 5th Avenue-59th Street station
Hours: April 2-Nov. 5, 2022: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm; Weekends and holidays, 10am-5:30pm; Nov. 6-March 2023: Daily, 10am-4:30pm. Last entry to the zoo is 30 minutes before closing.
Admission: $13.95; $10.95 seniors; $8.95 children ages 3-12; free for children ages 2 and younger
Stop by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo to see its famous sea lions, visit the grizzly bears or the snow leopards, and be amazed by several types of penguins! The zoo also hosts community events, has a Children’s Zoo perfect for little ones, and offers programming that is sure to get kids excited about animals, nature, and protecting both.
Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx
718-367-1010
Facebook • Instagram
Closest subway stops: 2 and 5: Bronx Park East station
Hours: April 2-Nov. 5, 2022: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm; weekends and holidays, 10am-5:30pm. Nov. 6, 2022-March 2023: Daily, 10am-4:30pm. Last entry to the zoo is 45 minutes before closing.
Admission: $41.95; $36.95, seniors; $31.95, ages 3-12; Free for children ages 2 and younger; free for children younger than 2.
The Bronx Zoo is the Wildlife Conservation Society’s flagship zoo. Explore more than 265 acres and meet more than 10,000 animals, including gorillas in the Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit, lions and tigers, giraffes, the animals of North America, and so many more. The Bug Carousel, Treetop Adventures zipline experience, and up-close-and-personal Wild Encounters are open, too, which will help you and the kids maximize your day at this famous zoo!
Staten Island Zoo
614 Broadway, Staten Island (The Broadway entrance is closed. Use the zoo’s Clove Road address, 705 Clove Road, in your GPS)
718-442-3100
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10am-4:45pm
Admission: $10; $7 seniors; $6 children ages 3-14; free for children 2 and younger.
The Staten Island Zoo has everything kids could want in a zoo, including a children’s center, an exhibit that showcases cuddly otters, a reptile wing, and several dinosaur sculptures!
Turtle Back Zoo
560 Northfield Ave., West Orange, NJ
973-731-5800
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: daily, 10am-4pm
Admission: $17; $14 seniors; $14 children ages 2-12; free for children younger than 2.
The Turtle Back Zoo features many different animal species, including giraffes, sea lions, penguins, red pandas, lions, llamas, jaguars, bears, cougars, grey wolf, alligators and more. Visitors can feed a giraffes, pet stingrays, step into the beautiful butterfly tent, watch hundreds of birds zip by in the free flight aviary, ride a pony and feed the farm animals, among other exciting exhibits.
Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure
Cream Ridge, NJ732-928-2000
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Check website for details
Admission: $19.99 and up
Featuring 1,200 animals from six continents including elephants, rhinos, tigers, giraffes and lions, Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure takes explorers on an exciting animal adventure. It covers over 350 acres and takes 1.5 to 3 hours to drive through.
Prospect Park Zoo
450 Flatbush Ave., Prospect Heights
718-399-7339
Facebook • Instagram
Closest subway stops: BQS: Prospect Park station
Hours: April 2-Nov. 5, 2022: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm; weekends and holidays, 10am-5:30pm; Nov. 6, 2022-March 2023: daily, 10am-4:30pm. Last entry to the zoo is 45 minutes before closing.
Admission: $9.95; $7.95 seniors; $6.95 children ages 3-12; free for children 2 and younger
Some of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo’s coolest animal inhabitants include sea lions, dingos, emus, and the fluffy Pallas Cat. Take a winding walk along the Discovery Trail to visit red pandas and tufted deer, or visit the zoo’s smallest species in the Hall of Animals. The zoo’s barn and garden are the perfect places for little ones to explore, too!
Queens Zoo
53-51 111th St., Corona
718-271-1500
Facebook • Instagram
Closest subway stop: 7: 111th Street
Hours: April 2-Nov. 5, 2022: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm; weekends and holidays, 10am-5:30pm; Nov. 6, 2022-March 2023: daily, 10am-4:30pm. Last entry to the zoo is 30 minutes before closing.
Admission: $9.95; $7.95 seniors; $6.95 children ages 3-12; free for children 2 and younger.
Besides being home to a wide variety of wildlife—from alligators, to mountain lions, to Andean bears—that visitors can view at their leisure, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo also offers a walk-through aviary, an animal trail, and several very cool domestic animals such as Flemish great rabbits and Texas longhorns!
Bergen County Zoo
216 Forest Ave., Paramus
201-634-3100
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: daily, 10am-4:30pm, weather permitting
Admission: Admission for Bergen County residents: $4; $2, ages 3-14; seniors, $1; Free for kids younger than 3; Non-residents: $8; $5, ages 3-14; $2, seniors; free for kids younger than 3. Free admission from Nov. 1-April 30.
Some of the animals you can visit at the Bergen County Zoo include spider monkeys, mountain lions and alligators. The zoo is open 364 days a year and offers train and carousel attractions for kids in the spring, summer, and fall, as well as pony rides.
Wanna read more stuff like this? Get our newsletters packed with ideas, events, and information for parents in Staten Island.
