Meet cute and cuddly pandas at the Bronx Zoo.
Zoos, Zoos, Zoos
Take your little monkeys to the zoo! Here are some of the best zoos for kids in Westchester. The zoo is a year-round excursion. Today’s zoos offer more than viewing animals. There are creative kid-friendly programs popping up everywhere.
The Classic: The Bronx Zoo
This is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States with 265 acres of parkland and naturalistic habitats for some 4,000 animals. There are outdoor exhibits, indoor exhibits, rides, and a children’s zoo. In the children’s zoo, you can meet, greet and get up close to animal friends such as goats, sheep, and donkeys. The Children’s Zoo is open late spring through October.
Winter hours, until April 3, are 10 am to 4:30 pm daily. After April 3 the Zoo stays open until 5 pm and 5:30 on the weekends. Total Experience Tickets, which include Butterfly Garden, Children’s Zoo, Congo Gorilla Forest, as well as Jungle World, Nature Trek, Wild Asia Monorail, and Zoo Shuttle are $30.95 adults, $22.95 children 3-12, children under 3 free. Tip, admission is “by donation” on Wednesdays. Parking is $17. Reservations not required.
Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx. 718-220-5100. bronxzoo.org
A Zoo and More
Trailside Museums & Zoo in Bear Mountain State Park
This zoo is one of the best for Westchester kids because it offers so much more than just the zoo experience. It’s a great teaching environment. The zoo is open year-round and is home to orphaned animals or those in need of rehabilitation. Kids can see coyotes, red foxes, and opossums. Then visit the bald eagles and wild turkeys. In conclusion, make sure to spot the reptiles and amphibians. Exhibits here explore the local geology and ecology. The four museums each offer a different view of our local world and environment. There’s also the opportunity to take a hike in Bear Mountain State Park. A trail map can be found on the website. Besides animals and trails, the zoo also features an outdoor seasonal ice rink and a popular Merry-Go-Round.
The Trailside Museum & Zoo is open daily from 10 am to 4:30 pm. The Merry-Go-Round is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm. The Ice Rink is open from November to March, 90-minute sessions start at 10 am. See the website bearmountainicerink.com for additional hours. A Trailside Museums and Zoo outing can be especially economical. Parking is $10. There is a just $1 suggested donation at Trailside Museum and Zoo. Ice Rink admission is $5 for ages 12 and up, ages 4 and under are free. Merry-Go-Round admission is $1.
Bear Mountain State Park, 3006 Seven Lakes Dr., Bear Mountain, NY. 845-786-2701. trailsidezoo.org
Best Zoo in Connecticut for Westchester Kids
Connecticut Beardsley Zoo
The Best zoo in Connecticut for Westchester kids features animals and more! The littlest kids get a kick out of this zoo. They love the Zoo’s Farmland with miniature horses, ducks, and cows. There are all sots of the animals from pigs and goats to a Siberian Tiger and a Giant Anteater. There’s also the popular Carousel. The Carousel operates on Thursday and Friday from 9 am to 3 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 91m to 4 pm. It’s a big hit with the youngest set. Open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. For all ages. $16 adults, $13 children 3-11, children under 3 free. Parking is free. Reservations not required.
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave. Bridgeport, Conn. 203-394-6565. beardsleyzoo.org
A Zoo in New York City for Westchester Kids
Central Park Zoo
It might seem strange, but Westchester kids can head to New York to see one of the best zoos in the area. Central Park Zoo opened on this site in 1861 and is one of the oldest zoos in the country. The zoo comprises seven acres in Central Park. It currently has 23 species of waterfowl on exhibit and 74 penguins that swim daily in the Polar Circle. You can also see grizzly bears, tropical birds, and snow leopards. Winter hours, until April 3, are 10am to 4:30pm daily. After April 3 the Zoo stays open until 5 pm and 5:30 pm on the weekends. Total Experience Tickets include the Main Zoo, Tisch Children’s Zoo, and one entry to the 4-D theater are $19.95 adults, $14.95 children 3-12, children under 3 free. Reservations not required. Central Park Zoo, 64th St., and Fifth Ave., New York, NY. 718-220-5100. centralparkzoo.com
Psst … check out these other places to see are other places to see animals!
