New York’s best zoos in Manhattan, Bronx and beyond

New York’s best zoos in Manhattan, Bronx and beyond

Spend a day with your kids at a zoo in New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Orange County, and Fairfield, where the whole family can visit a variety of exotic and local animals. Some locations even have animal feeders, areas just for kids, and touch tanks for kids to participate in.

Psst… Take a ride at the Electric Eden Raceway at Luna Park in Coney Island this summer!

Manhattan

Central Park Zoo

64th Street and Fifth Avenue, Central Park

(212) 439-6500

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Nearest metro stops: NRW – 5th Avenue-59th Street station

Stop at the iconic Central Park Zoo to see the famous sea lions, visit the grizzly bears or the snow leopards and be amazed by different species of penguins! The zoo also hosts community events, has a children’s zoo perfect for little ones, and offers programs that are sure to get kids excited about animals, nature, and protecting both.

Bronx

Bronx Zoo

2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx

(718) 220-5100

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Nearest metro stops: 2 and 5 – Bronx Park East Station

Recommended ages: All ages

The Bronx Zoo is the flagship zoo of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Explore over 265 hectares and encounter more than 8,000 animals, including gorillas in the Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit, lions and tigers, giraffes, the animals of North America and much more. The Bug Carousel, Nature Tour and Up Close Wild Encounters are also open, allowing you and the kids to make the most of your day at this famous zoo!

Brooklyn

Prospect Park Zoo

450 Flatbush Ave., Prospect Heights

(718) 399-7339

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Nearest metro stops: BQS – Prospect Park station

Recommended ages: All ages

Some of Prospect Park Zoo’s coolest animal residents include sea lions, dingoes, emus and the fluffy Pallas’s cat. Take a winding walk along the Discovery Trail to visit red pandas and crested deer, or visit the zoo’s smallest species in the Hall of Animals. The zoo’s barn and garden are also the perfect places for little ones to explore!

Queens

Alley Pond Environmental Center

229-10 North Boulevard, Queens

(718) 229-4000

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Nearest bus stop: Q12: North Blvd/Morgan St

Alley Pond is dedicated to educating children (and parents!) about animals, open spaces and water bodies, and to protecting and preserving nature. Some of the animal ambassadors you can visit include rabbits, chinchillas, turtles, snakes and birds.

APEC hosts a variety of programs for children, including the Summer SENSES science exploration program and other summer camp sessions, holiday-themed weekend programming and the Vet Tech 101 program. And you can always explore the beautiful routes of the center!

Queens zoo

53-51 111th St, Corona

(718) 271-1500

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Nearest metro stops: 7: 111th St

In addition to being home to a wide variety of wildlife – from alligators to mountain lions and Andean bears – that visitors can view at their leisure, the zoo also offers a walk-through aviary, an animal trail and some very cool pets, such as Flemish large rabbits and Texas longhorns!

There are several educational programs that children can participate in, including nature schools, professional development programs and school holiday programs. Visit the zoo’s website for more information.

Staten Island

Staten Island Zoo

614Broadway, Staten Island (The Broadway entrance is closed. Use the zoo’s Clove Road address, 705 Clove Road, in your GPS)

(718) 442-3101

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The Staten Island Zoo has everything kids could want in a zoo, including a children’s center, a horse stable, the Honey Bee Apiary, a cuddly otter exhibit, a reptile wing, and several dinosaur sculptures!

Long Island

Suffolk County Farm and Education Center

350 Yaphank Ave, Yaphank

(631) 852-4600

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Suffolk County Farm is open every day, weather permitting. The children can meet numerous farm animals, including horses, sheep and cows, and participate in programs such as winter wildlife clinics and winter adventures. Follow the farm’s Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on the animals.

Long Island Game Farm Wildlife and Children’s Zoo

489 Chapman Boulevard, Manorville

(631) 878-6644

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The Long Island Game Farm is home to zebras, giraffes, alpacas, donkeys, wild mustangs, African serval cats, emus, wallabies, lemurs, alligators, foxes and more!

Westchester County

Muscat farm

51 Route 100, Katonah

(914) 864-7286

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Muscoot has more than 50 animals to visit, including donkeys, cows, horses, goats, chickens and turkeys, and several historic buildings that make it a scenic and family-friendly place to explore. There are over six miles of trails to hike with the kids, several programs for kids in the summer and winter, and great maple sugaring events that take place safely and quickly.

The Wolf Protection Center

7 Buck Run, South Salem

(914) 763-2373

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The Wolf Conservation Center is committed to protecting, celebrating and educating people about wolves. Ambassador Wolves Silas and Nikai teach people not to be afraid of wolves; outside the Ambassadors, guests can visit red wolves and Mexican gray wolves.

Special programming includes a summer wolf camp for children, the Sleeping with Wolves nighttime program and several virtual opportunities to meet the wolves.

Orange Country

Hudson Highlands Nature Museum

Outdoor discovery center: 120 Muser Drive (opposite 174 Angola Road), Cornwall

(845) 534-5506

Nature education center: Boulevard 25, Cornwall-on-Hudson

(845) 534-7781

The mission of the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum is to help children become responsible stewards of the natural world through educational programs, diverse play areas and miles of hiking trails.

Visit Grasshopper Grove in spring, summer and fall to explore the extensive grounds, or download a trail map and hike one of two stroller-accessible trails or into the Black Rock Forest. Maple Sugaring events are also taking place this spring – visit the website for more information.

Fairfield County, CT

Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut

1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport

(203) 394-6565

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Many exotic and fantastic animals call the Beardsley Zoo their home. From rare Amur leopards and tigers to maned and Mexican wolves, your kids are sure to find an animal they will fall in love with.

The zoo also offers Zoo Patrol programming for children, numerous virtual educational events, birthday parties and scavenger hunts. Keep an eye out for the peacocks that roam freely around the zoo grounds!

Livestreams from zoos

Bring the zoo to you with these zoo experiences!

Association for Nature Conservation

The Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo share animal content such as videos, virtual learning and Instagram stories featuring animal visits to bring the zoo to you. Visit this page to stay informed.

Utica Zoo

Uti-kaZoo: Utica Zoo Kid’s Academy – Learn about alligators, crocodiles, Waylon and more through videos and activities.

New England Zoo

The Kids’ Corner offers videos and fun printables, games, quizzes and more