8 Best Zoos and Aquariums in New York

New York is home to several zoos and an aquarium with different types of experiences. If you are looking for an accessible option in the heart of the city, you can't miss the Central Park Zoo. And, of course, you shouldn't leave behind the Bronx Zoo, the most impressive for its size and variety of species.

Among the best things to do in New York is to visit Aquarium NYC, the oldest aquarium in the United States. There are other zoos distributed in different neighborhoods, which also offer small marine life spaces. The one in Queens, for example, is very interesting because it specializes in native American species. I leave you a complete guide with prices, schedules and all the information you need.

I recommend you to consider buying tickets to the Bronx Zoo and discover more than 10,000 animals of 650 species. Every day the zoo prepares an itinerary that varies and makes the experience more original. It includes animal shows, feeding sessions and 4D shows with special effects.

Connect with your favorite animals and don't miss wild encounters with lions, giraffes and more. Travel around the world and visit the Himalayan Highlands, where red pandas and white-naped cranes await. Or hop on the monorail that runs through Wild Asia Monorail. You can also take advantage of:

• Madagascar, famous for its lemurs and Nile crocodiles.
• JungleWorld, a wild environment with leopards, insects and reptiles.
• Children's Zoo, a children's area where kids can interact with domestic animals.
• Bug Carousel, a themed carousel where you can ride on carriages with giant insects, such as the praying mantis.

This zoo uses large landscaped areas instead of traditional cages, which is why it is one of my favorites. Also, you can't miss the Christmas lights at the Bronx Zoo. It's an annual festival that you must buy tickets for in advance. It allows you to see different illuminated animal figures, ride the Christmas train and enjoy endless entertainment.

Details of interest

• Price: Bronx Zoo tickets start at $31 per person.
• Hours: every day from 10:00 to 17:00, on Saturdays and Sundays the hours are extended until 17:30. However, please note that the Bronx Zoo's hours may change depending on the season.
• Location: 2348 Southern Boulevard, Bronx.
• How to get there: Take the 2 or 5 subway line to the Pelham Parkway station. Then walk a couple of minutes or use the [](https://bustime.mta.info/m/?q=BxM11 express bus){target="_blank" rel="noopener"} from Manhattan via White Plains RD.
• What's usually included in the ticket: access to the zoo and daily shows (they vary daily, be amazed).

You can't miss the oldest aquarium in the United States and the only one in the city. At the New York Aquarium you can delight yourself with marine shows and more than 350 species. It is also one of the few places in the world where you can touch stingrays in a controlled environment.

Can you imagine seeing zombie worms? In this aquarium it is possible. It houses other amazing creatures such as sea lions that enjoy their acrobatics, black-footed penguins and sea otters.

Here children have the chance to be biologists for a day and discover the secrets of marine life. You also have to take the family on the Shark Voyage, a tourist train that runs through shark tunnels. In addition, it offers special events on Halloween, Christmas and other holidays. And you also have projections with simulations in the 4D Aquatheater.

Details of interest

• Price: from 30 € per person.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but hours may change according to the season.
• Location: 602 Surf Ave in Brooklyn.
• How to get there: take the F or Q subway line to the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station, or take the B36 bus.
• What's usually included with admission: Access to all meals and animal interactions, including touch pools and the Playquarium. You can also enjoy the aquarium shows in the 4D Theater and Aquatheater.

Among the best things to do in Central Park is a visit to the Central Park Zoo. It is ideal to see endangered species and enjoy animals such as grizzly bears and snow leopards.

If you plan to visit New York with children you can not miss this zoo suitable for all ages. In fact, they have a special area known as the Tisch Children's Zoo, which is a small farm where they can interact with goats and sheep.

It also has a 4D theater that offers special experiences and projects the history of the zoo. I find it easy to walk around because it is divided into three ecosystems, but you can always book a tour of New York with a visit to the Central Park Zoo and learn about it with a tour guide.

Details of interest

• Price: Tickets to the Central Park Zoo start at $20 per person.
• Hours: in spring and summer open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00; holidays and Sundays from 10:00 to 17:30. Meanwhile, in autumn and winter it is open every day from 10:00 to 16:00. Be sure to plan your time well, as the animal habitats close half an hour before the zoo closes completely.
• Location: on the southeast side of Central Park.
• How to get there: you can take the New York subway to the Fifth Avenue station, you will have to walk four blocks to find the entrance to the zoo.
• What's usually included with admission: access to the zoo and the Tisch Children's Zoo, as well as interactive exhibits in the 4D theater.

Another must-see zoo is the Prospect Park Zoo. Its focus is on the conservation and protection of species and it is home to 400 animals of at least 100 species. Among its main attractions are:

• Discovery Trail, a trail where you can see red pandas and dingos at a safe distance.
• Hall of Animals, take the opportunity to see the rarest and smallest species, such as dwarf mongooses and dart frogs.
• Animal Lifestyles, discover the behavior of various species.
• Sea Lion Court, is the area where you can see the sea lions, noisy and very funny animals that make sounds, dance and play with each other.

Like the Bronx, here they prefer artificial habitats that recreate the places where each species belongs. If you wonder why they are not returned to their natural environment, you should know that many are not able to survive on their own. In the saddest cases, their ecosystems were destroyed or invaded by other species.

Details of interest

• Price: from 10 € per person.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 to 17:00; Saturdays and Sundays until 17:30. Please note that hours may vary according to season.
• Location: 450 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn.
• How to get there: The easiest way is to take the Q subway line to the Prospect Park station.
• What's usually included with admission: You can enjoy all areas and exhibits such as the barn and sea lion training.
• Zoo policy: Please note that admission is issued on a timed basis. For example, if your ticket is timed for 10:00, you must arrive between 10:00 and 11:00 to enter because it will not be valid after that time. This does not limit the time you can spend in the zoo, which is completely free.

If you plan to go through New York borough by borough, why not give the multi-ethnic and fascinating Queens a try? Here hides a jewel of the New York animal world: Queens Zoo, where you can see Andean bears and have fun feeding sea lions.

Its main attraction is the Aviary, which features black-crowned night herons and scarlet macaws, but has an amazing number of species. It also houses a domestic farm ideal for interacting with donkeys and alpacas, the friendliest animals in the entire zoo.

But if you want to go wild, I recommend the Wild Side exhibit which has a species once thought to be extinct. It is the Chaco peccary that lives in Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina. It has disappeared by 50% and is therefore rigorously preserved in this zoo.

Details of opardo Amurinterés

• Price: from 10 ¤ per adult and with discounts for children.
• Hours: every day from 10:00 to 17:00; on Saturdays and Sundays the hours are usually extended until 17:30. Hours may also change according to the season.
• Location: 53-51 111th Street in Queens.
• How to get there: You can take the Q23 and Q58 bus lines or take the train that connects to the Mets-Willets Point station.
• What's usually included with admission: unlimited access to all exhibits.
• Special zoo policy: Please note that admission is timed and punctuality is required.

New York is one of the world's leading capitals and it's no wonder it has such comprehensive entertainment options. Staten Island Zoo is ideal for discovering the animal world in a more tranquil setting. In addition, here you will find the largest reptile collection in the county.

Not only that, it also has the Amur leopard, a rare feline that is on the verge of extinction. It is also home to a marmot, a species famous for its ability to predict the weather.

If you go to New York in February, on the second day of the month you can witness Groundhog Day, when this animal comes out of its hibernation period. If you can see its shadow as it leaves its burrow, then winter has a couple more weeks to go, but if you don't see it, it's almost over. This event is also celebrated in Pennsylvania and is a tradition of the old American farmers.

In Staten Island you can also take a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry, a different experience that connects the island with New York in record time. But be careful! Not to be confused with the New York ferry that takes you to Brooklyn.

Details of interest

• Price: from 10 € per person, with special prices for children.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 am to 4:45 pm; may change according to season.
• Location: 614 Broadway, Staten Island.
• How to get there: You can take the free ferry to Staten Island. From the ferry terminal you can take a bus to the zoo.
• What's usually included with admission: Unlimited access to the zoo's attractions and exhibits.

New York is just twenty minutes away from its twin New Jersey, where Bergen County Zoo is located. I wouldn't miss it if I were you. It's famous for its exotic species and animal-focused summer camps - have you ever seen a bald eagle or would you like to? It has several specimens, as well as mountain lions and the famous American bison.

It's a wilder and smaller environment than the zoos in the middle of New York, but it's worth it to see animals from South America. In addition, you can enjoy rides on the zoo's tourist train, which costs about €2, or take the kids on the merry-go-round for €2. Both attractions are available from 10:00 to 16:30.

Details of interest

• Price: from 4 € per person, with discounts for children and seniors.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 to 16:30, last opening to visitors at 16:00.
• Location: 216 Forest Avenue, Paramus.
• Directions: The easiest way to get there is to take bus #168 from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to the Forest Ave at Spring Valley RD stop.
• What's usually included with admission: Access to educational activities and exhibits. Please note that the carousel and zoo train have an additional cost starting at $2 per person.

If you are still curious about animal wildlife or you have already visited the previous options, I want to talk about a hidden gem of the county. It is Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, an animal experience fifty minutes away from the New York furor with more than 1400 animals from different continents.

Initially, this zoo only housed animals native to New York, such as red-tailed hawks and Brooklyn eagle owls. However, its habitats expanded. Among its main exhibits is the Reptile Center, where you can see fascinating creatures.

You can also visit Big Cat Country, a world dedicated to the majestic felines, or visit a sea turtle recovery area, where they are usually treated and then returned to the ocean. Those that are in a more delicate condition are left to live in the zoo's pleasant spaces.

If you go with children be sure to take advantage of the zoo's tourist train and carousel, as well as the interactive farm and free-flying bird exhibit.

Details of interest

• Price: from 20 € with discounts for children.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Location: 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange.
• How to get there: you can take the bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to Northfield Ave.
• What's usually included in the admission: All attractions and exhibits. However, there are activities such as pony rides and zip lines that may have an additional cost.