Central Park Zoo

It’s my second time in this Zoo first was 17years ago at summertime with my daughter now 2days ago with my son.
We had really great time. The penguins the seals I can watch them for hours. Monkeys red panda snow leopard we enjoyed it all.
Had a beautiful sunny day walk around with a hot chocolate it’s kept us warm. The park clean and nice it’s fun even the cold winter days to visit plus I got ticket from Groupon $15 with the code you can schedule your time when you would like to visit…don’t forget to watch the 4D movie after the zoo.
We didn’t buy anything from the gift shop, but the store have 2 rooms with many plush animals. A cute little zoo . I love the Madagascar movie so this zoo even more close to me 😊

Great experience! It is a small zoo, but it is interesting for the whole family. You can see penguins, bears, sea lions, monkeys, and more there. Also, I recommend visiting the 4D theater. I spent $20 per 1 ticket for adults. The child's ticket was cheaper.

Great. Small, manageable with little kids. Got through everything in about 2 hours taking our time. Very much appreciate military discount. Most affordable thing we did on our trip and was my son’s favorite thing.

Nice little zoo in the heart of Central Park. Ticket includes a 4D short film experience, Tisch Children’s Zoo, and the Central Park zoo. For the children’s zoo, the goats and sheep’s might walk up to the fence and you can pet them (fun for all ages). In the main Central Park zoo, the animals are fairly close so you’ll be able to see them (some aren’t very active), you must go see the red panda! The tropic area might include some very close encounters with the birds. The ant colonies are very interesting too and the penguin and sea lion feedings are fun to watch.

Overall, very fun experience for all ages.

I flipping loved this zoo! It was a highlight of my trip to New York and so cheap to get into. It was an easy walk and lots of fun.

I saw an annoyed grizzly bear that was pacing back and forwards. They are big.

A seriously adorable red panda who played to eat her food. She was so fluffy you just wanted to pet her.

We even saw the snow leopard catch a squirrel right in front of us. There were a lot of gasps and a scream from 1 lady.

Plus piranhas and so many different beautiful exotic birds. Definitely worth the $13.95 and more.

Excellent zoo for an afternoon. The sea lion and penguin feedings are cool. The sea lions do a whole show. The bears are majestic. Nice tropical exhibit with the birds and warmth. Food court and shop provides all the zoo foods for kids to munch.

Quite a nice zoo-not as large as some, but every animal appears happy and well cared for, and all exhibits are enjoyable. The layout of the zoo makes it easy to navigate, easy to walk to from our hotel on the Upper East Side, not overcrowded. Meals served at the cafe on site.

Great zoo to visit. While there isn't as much to see compared to other zoos, it is also comparatively cheaper to enter. My wife and I really enjoyed watching the penguins get fed. They also have an aviary with a lot of cool birds that was fun to walk through.

It’s a terrific little zoo. It’s very well maintained and the animals are quite entertaining during feeding times. You can see the sea lions from Central Park but it’s worth the $15-20 admission price to go in and check everything out.

I took a chance on a rainy day visit to the Central Park Zoo with my kids and it paid off! No crowds at all, and lots of places to get out of the rain when needed. Best of all literally every animal was out and about for us too see, even the bears, who are usually very solitary. Great viewing of the snow leopards who were casually preening each other’s, too cute. Next rainy weekend, avoid the crowds at the Natural History Museum and check out the Central Park Zoo!

A great outing for me and my seven-year-old. He had a wonderful time seeing the animals that the zoo has. it’s a small zoo. You should not be there more than an hour and a half.

I love it . It is a nice place to visit when you don’t really have much plans to do , you’ll have fun walking around and specially watching the shows that they have set up for feeding times . It is very easy to get there if you take the subway and the rates are pretty accessible to everyone

Nice family friendly zoo. If you go after 2pm you can purchase limited tickets for cheaper and still see all the animals! Red pandas were the highlight!

Great place for kids, there is a children's zoo where the kids can feed goats and sheep. Lots of animals to see. The kids loved the penguins exhibit the most. Free entry with Cool Culture Pass.

Small but really cool zoo. The seals and bears sole the show! Just don't purchase any balloon from the Ballon man BEFORE you go in. No balloons allowed. He does have great balloons though 😊

Really enjoyed this little Zoo. Very pretty, easy to navigate. Was a perfect way to get out of the rain on our walk through Central Park.

It's not the biggest zoo I have ever been to and unfortunately Alex the lion from the Madagascar movies is not there, but it's a great place to kick back and chill from the busy New York streets.
There are lots of animals to see including; Sea lions, Penguins, three Grizzly Bears, a real cool snow leopard, amphibians and fish and tropical birds. They have a small cafe too.
There is also an option of a movie on the more expensive tickets.
It's small but perfect for a couple of hours with the kids.

The Central Park Zoo, located at the southeast corner of Central Park in New York City, covers an area of 6.5 acres. It is an integral part of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), an organization that manages a system of four zoos and one aquarium in New York City. The zoo is home to over 130 species, including grizzly bears, leaf cutter ants, 23 species of waterfowl, and 74 penguins (such as chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni, and king penguins). Visitors can see more than 1,400 animals in diverse habitats ranging from a tropical rainforest to an icy Antarctic environment​​​​​​​​.

The history of the Central Park Zoo dates back to 1864 when its precursor, a menagerie, was founded, making it the first public zoo in New York. The current facility opened in 1934 and underwent a major reconstruction in 1983. This five-year, $35 million renovation replaced old cages with naturalistic environments. The zoo reopened in 1988 and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). It also includes the Children's Zoo, which opened in 1960, funded by a donation from Senator Herbert Lehman and his wife Edith​​.

The zoo draws over a million visitors annually and features more than 1,487 animals representing 163 species. Its major exhibit areas, linked by trellised, vine-clad, glass-roofed pergolas, are categorized into tropic, temperate, and polar regions. Some of the key exhibits include the Tropic Zone: The Rainforest, Polar Circle, Temperate Territory, The Children's Zoo, and the Sea Lion Pool​​.

In the Tropic Zone, visitors can find a two-story representation of a rainforest, housing diverse species like Rodrigues flying foxes, Seba's short-tailed bats, emerald tree boas, pythons, and a variety of birds. The Temperate Territory hosts animals such as red pandas, white-naped cranes, snow monkeys, and snow leopards. The "Penguins and Sea Birds" section features a variety of penguins, tufted puffins, harbor seals, and a grizzly bear exhibit​​.

Notably, the zoo also includes a 4D theater and features several works of public art, including original animal-themed limestone friezes from 1934 and the Lehman Gates, donated by Herbert and Edith Lehman in 1960. The Children's Zoo offers a petting zoo with animals like mini Nubian goats, sheep, pigs, alpacas, and the only cow in Manhattan. It also houses the Acorn Theatre, a performing arts theater​​​​​​.

The Central Park Zoo plays a vital role in wildlife conservation, coordinating breeding programs for endangered species as part of the Species Survival Plan. It has achieved notable successes, such as being the first North American zoo to hatch ducklings of the critically endangered scaly-sided mergansers. Additionally, it offers various educational venues and programs, including a volunteer program that engages community members​​.

Beautiful animals! It’s a small zoo, but you’re sure to see lots of interesting and cute animals. This place is great with children and for a quick day trip.

Small but very good zoo. Well set out and great selection of animals. Seeing the Grizzly Bears were my favourite 😍