The Best New York 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 feedings, areas just for children, and touch tanks where kids can participate.
Psst… Take a spin on 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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Closest subway stops: NRW – 5th Avenue-59th Street station
Stop by the iconic 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
Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx
(718) 220-5100
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Closest subway stops: 2 and 5 – Bronx Park East station
Recommended ages: All ages
The Bronx Zoo is the Wildlife Conservation Society’s flagship zoo. Explore more than 265 acres and meet more than 8,000 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, nature trek and up-close-and-personal Wild Encounters are open, too, which will help you and the kids maximize your day at this famous zoo!
Brooklyn
Prospect Park Zoo
450 Flatbush Ave., Prospect Heights
(718) 399-7339
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Closest subway stops: BQS – Prospect Park station
Recommended ages: All ages
Some of Prospect Park Zoo’s coolest animal inhabitants include sea lions, dingoes, 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
Alley Pond Environmental Center
229-10 Northern Blvd, Queens
(718) 229-4000
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Closest bus stop: Q12: Northern Blvd/Morgan St
Alley Pond is dedicated to educating kids (and parents!) about animals, open spaces, and waterbodies, as well as protecting and preserving nature. Some of the Animal Ambassadors you can visit include rabbits, chinchillas, turtles, snakes, and birds.
APEC hosts a variety of programming for kids 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 center’s beautiful trails!
Queens Zoo
53-51 111th St, Corona
(718) 271-1500
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Closest subway stops: 7: 111th St
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 zoo also offers a walk-through aviary, an animal trail, and several very cool domestic animals such as Flemish great rabbits and Texas longhorns!
There are several educational programs kids can take part in, including wildlife school, professional development programs, and school break programs. Visit the zoo’s website to learn more.
Staten Island
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) 442-3101
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The Staten Island Zoo has everything kids could want in a zoo, including a children’s center, horse barn, the Honey Bee Apiary, an exhibit that showcases cuddly otters, 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 kids can meet countless farm animals including horses, sheep, and cows, and can participate in programming 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 Blvd, 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
Muscoot 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 quaint and family-friendly place to explore. There are more than six miles of trails to hike with the kids, several programs for kids in the summer and winter, and awesome maple sugaring events happening safely and soon.
The Wolf Conservation 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 fear wolves; beyond the Ambassadors, guests can visit red wolves and Mexican gray wolves.
Special programming includes a summer wolf camp for kids, the Sleeping with Wolves overnight program, and several virtual opportunities to meet the wolves.
Orange County
Hudson Highlands Nature Museum
Outdoor Discovery Center: 120 Muser Drive (across from 174 Angola Road), Cornwall
(845) 534-5506
Wildlife Education Center: 25 Boulevard, Cornwall-on-Hudson
(845) 534-7781
The Hudson Highlands Nature Museum’s mission is to help kids become responsible caretakers of the natural world through educational programming, several places to play, and miles of hiking trails.
Visit the Grasshopper Grove in the spring, summer, and fall, explore the expansive grounds, or download a trail map and hike one of the two stroller-accessible trails or into Black Rock Forest. Maple sugaring events are also happening this spring—visit the website for details.
Fairfield County, CT
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
1875 Noble Ave, Bridgeport
(203) 394-6565
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Many exotic and fantastic animals call the Beardsley Zoo home. From rare Amur leopards and tigers to maned and Mexican wolves, your kids are sure to find an animal they’ll fall in love with.
The zoo also offers Zoo Patrol programming for kids, plenty of virtual educational events, birthday parties, and scavenger hunts. Keep an eye out for the peacocks who roam freely around the zoo grounds!
Zoo Live Streams
Bring the zoo to you with these zoo experiences!
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and Prospect Park Zoo are sharing animal content like videos, virtual learning, and Instagram stories visiting animals to bring the zoo to you. Visit this page to stay updated.
Utica Zoo
Uti-kaZoo: Utica Zoo Kid’s Academy- Learn about alligators, crocodiles, Waylon, and more via videos and activities.
Zoo New England
The Kids’ Corner offers videos and fun print-outs, games, quizzes, and more
