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New York Zoos

The New York Zoos have delighted visitors for generations. The zoo system in new york is comprised of three main zoos, the Central Park zoo, the Prospect Park Zoo and the Queens Zoo. New York has spent time and resources maintaining its zoos and updating them. Each zoo in New York has a little different personality, but they all are special in their own way and are worth a visit. New York zoos delight millions of visitors each year.

Central Park Zoo

The Central Park Zoo was years in the making, but its begriming as it looks today was in 1988. It was part of the modern movement among urban zoos to switch from cages and drab enclosures to habitats reflecting the animals origins. These changes have helped modernize zoos and it makes living conditions more comfortable and less stressful for the animals who reside within their care.

Today there is a rain forest habitat where you can see animals of the Amazon as well as a Arctic habitat that is home to the Central Park Zoo's penguin and polar bears. The Central Park Zoo even has a Children's zoo where kids can get up close to animals and learn about them in a comfortable setting.

The Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Park Zoo takes up 5 plus acres near 5th Ave. There are more than 130 different species of animals housed in specially created habitats that resemble their natural environment. Central Park Zoo is made up of the following five main exhibits.

Central Garden & Sea Lion Pool:  See the acrobatic talents of these amazing creatures and don’t miss feeding time, a visitor favorite.

Polar Circle: A year round Arctic experience that showcases arctic wildlife such as polar bears and penguins.

Temperate Territory: Walk the temperate trail and experience the sights and sounds of snow monkeys, red pandas and much more!

Tisch Children’s Zoo: A young explorer’s walk through adventure. Featuring friendly sheep, alpacas, and a duck or two.

Tropic Zone: The Rainforest: Viewing platforms let you experience all layers of rainforest life from tortoises and two-toed sloths to tropical birds.

Hours
April - Oct. Monday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm, Weekends 10 am - 5:30 pm; Nov. - March Daily 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Admission to Wildlife Center includes admission to Children's Zoo: Adults $8.00; Senior Citizens (65+) $4; Children 3-12 $3.00; Children under 3, Free.

Central Park Zoo
64th Street and Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10021
212-439-6500
http://www.centralparkzoo.com

Queens Zoo

Reopened in 1992, the Queens Zoo was the second zoo in New York to be renovated by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Because of the concerted efforts and the $16 million dollar renovation, the Queens Zoo now almost feels more like a park than a traditional zoo. The Queens Zoo is a beautiful park like setting that is home to many animals that are native to North America. Trails wind through various habitats like the California Coast and the Great Plains showcasing some of America's best loved animals from the Bison, to the Bald Eagle and Elk. The Queens Zoo is also the only zoo in new york to contain the endangered spectacled bear of the Andes.

Located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on 11th Street
between 51st and 53rd Streets in Queens.
111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
718- 271-1500
www.queenszoo.com

Prospect Park Zoo

The Prospect Park Zoo is Brooklyn's Zoo and it is located on the east side of Prospect Park. Its earliest conception was in 1890, but it became an official city zoo in 1935. Many of the architecture from the 1930s still exists at the Prospect Park Zoo making it a particularly charming New York zoo.

Today Prospect Park is home to over 140 different species of animals from around the word and it is visited by thousands of people every year. This New York Zoo is actively engaged in habitat restoration throughout the world. The goal of the Prospect Park Zoo is education and conservation. There are many educational programs including a Wildlife Theater.

The Prospect Park Zoo is located in Brooklyn, New York. Guests love strolling down Discovery Trail and viewing prairie dogs, hawks, otters and kangaroos. There are so many different types of animals that make the Prospect Park Zoo their home. From California Sea Lions to Hamadryas Baboons, there are always active animals that will put a smile on the faces that visit them. The Prospect Park Zoo is located in one of New York's oldest and most beloved parks, Prospect Park. With architecture from the 1930's Prospect Park and Prospect Park Zoo is particularly charming.

Located in Brooklyn's Prospect Park on Flatbush Avenue,
near East Lake Drive and Ocean Avenue.
450 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718-399-7339
www.prospectparkzoo.com

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo's motto is Saving Wildlife and Wild Places. Visitors get to view polar bears, leopards, lemurs and great apes all while visiting the Bronx Zoo in New York. The zoo is easy to get to by car or mass transit and the Bronx Zoo is accessible to persons of all abilities. The zoo's education department has won several awards and it strives to teach young and old alike about nature and wildlife through its interactive programs. When visiting consider seeing the Bronx Zoo through a guided tour (reservations required).

Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was one of the first conservation organizations in the U.S. The Society began with a clear mandate: Advance wildlife conservation, promote the study of zoology, and create a first-class zoo – the Bronx Zoo.

It is a famous zoo located within the Bronx Park, in the Bronx borough of New York City. The largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, the Bronx Zoo comprises 265 acres (107 ha) of parklands and naturalistic habitats, through which the Bronx River flows. The Bronx Zoo is south of the New York Botanical Garden. Fordham University owned most of the land which became of the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden. Fordham sold it to the City of New York for only $1 under the condition that the lands be used for a zoo and garden; this was in order to create a natural buffer between the university grounds and the urban expansion that was nearing. In the 1880s, New York State set aside the land for future development as parks. In 1895, New York State chartered the New York Zoological Society (later renamed to Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS) for the purpose of founding a zoo.

The zoo opened its doors to the public on November 8, 1899, featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Heins & LaFarge designed the original permanent buildings as a series of Beaux-Arts pavilions grouped around the large circular sea lion pool. Many exhibits, for example World of Birds and World of Reptiles, maintain the original taxonomical arrangement, while others are arranged geographically, such as African Plains and Wild Asia.

In 2006, the Bronx Zoo is home to more than 4,000 animals, many of which are endangered or threatened species. Nearly two million people visit the Zoo each year.

Directions

The Bronx Zoo is easy to get to from anywhere in the tri-state area.  During summer months, the Zoo parking lots can fill up early, and traffic may be redirected to other available parking spaces. If you arrive at the Zoo and experience parking lot closures or extensive traffic delays, we encourage you to use alternative parking, which is available at nearby Fordham University. For your convenience, and in support of the environment, please consider using mass transit as an alternative.
 

Mass Transit
Express Bus from Manhattan
The BxM11 express bus makes stops along Madison Avenue, between 26th and 99th Streets, then travels directly to the Zoo’s Bronx River entrance (Gate B). For your return trip, pick up the bus just outside the same gate at the MTA BxM11 sign (just before the underpass).

Local Buses
* In the Bronx, take Bx9 or Bx19 buses to 183rd Street and Southern Blvd, which is the location of the Zoo’s Southern Blvd pedestrian entrance (Gate C). Or take the Bx12 or Bx22 buses to Fordham Road and Southern Blvd, then walk 5 blocks south on Southern Blvd to 183rd Street.

* From Queens, you can take the Q44 to 180th Street and Boston Road. You must then walk north (take a right on Boston Road) one block to the Bronx Zoo’s Asia gate entrance (Gate A).

Subway
#2 or #5 train to East Tremont Ave/West Farms Square. At street level, walk straight ahead (follow train uptown) on Boston Road 21?2 blocks to the Zoo’s Asia gate entrance (Gate A).

Train
Take Metro North’s Harlem line to Fordham, then take the Bx9 bus eastward to 183rd Street and Southern Blvd.

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