Central Park Zoo
add photosThe Central Park Zoo is a fun little zoo in the middle on Manhattan for kids to connect with exotic animals in the densest city in the US. They can see Snow Leopards, snow monkeys in their pool, sea lions, penguins and harbor seals and more.
12 Reviews for Central Park Zoo
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"Another great zoo in NY!"
There's so much to see in the Central Park Zoo! From Polar Bears, to Seals, to Penguins! What makes the trip even better? The admission fees are not expensive: Children 3-12 $5.00; Children under 3, Free! There's even a rain forest with tropical birds, the kids will love it if they're animal lovers! It's easy to spend the whole day here with your family & not want to leave, don't forget to check out the sea lions!
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"A nice place to get away"
When you think of New York City you tend not to think "kid friendly", but this little zoo proves you wrong. All of central park is really a nice way to spend time with family away from the city but the zoo in particular is great. Though the amount of animals to see are limited, it is the mere fact that there are polar bears and other exotic animals in the heart of one of the biggest cities in the world. Not only is the park kid friendly, it's friendly for all ages. This is a can't miss when visiting the city! Oh, and it doesnt hurt you pocket too much either!
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"kind of small"
This zoo was very small, maybe I was expecting something different or bigger but I was a little let down by that. There weren't any tigers which is my daughters favorite. I also thought that the price was a little high- 12 dollars for adults. I don't think I would go back here, although I do love the city this just wasn't my favorite activity.
1 family found this helpful
"Small, but Perfect"
When I took my son to NYC for the first time this summer, I gave him the choice of visiting the Central Park Zoo or the Bronx Zoo. He chose the CPZ because it's the setting for one of his favorite cartoons, the Penguins of Madagascar.
He did get to meet the penguins and see some of the architectural landmarks that are often seen in movies. He loved it.
This is not a big zoo, with big animals, or a lot of variety. It is a good place for younger kids and anyone looking for a nice break from the big city for an hour or so. I was glad we got to go to a zoo, but didn't have to spend most of the day exploring it. There's too much else to do in NYC.
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"a great place for Kindergarten field trips"
In the spring of the school year, our son's Kindergarten class (along with parents and younger siblings) visited the Central Park Zoo. We loved the small-scale exhibits for their accessibility and easy viewing by all of us. Walking through the entire zoo was totally manageable, and the class especially loved the part of the zoo where they could feed the animals. The penguin exhibit with it's large glass walls provided a great vantage point for seeing the birds dive and swim up close and personal. The kids enjoyed having their bagged lunches on the plentiful benches at the perimeter of the zoo. A great day was had by all!
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"Expectations were too high"
I was surprised that this zoo is so small. Dunno. Guess I was expecting something worthy of King Kong. I mean, the Central Park Zoo has its own legacy! It has been romanticized in such cerebral films as Madagascar and Muppets Take Manhattan!
After recovering from my disappointment ( No Tigers?), I was able to enjoy the zoo for what it is: a quiet little slice of nature in the middle of a bustling city.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the Tisch children's zoo the most. It is clean and well maintained. Fun for kids to get hands on with the animals.
$12 per adult is pretty steep considering how small the zoo is though.
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"Perfect zoo for the younger set"
My kids were almost 3 and 1 at the time that we went to this zoo and I felt it was the perfect size for them. Not too overwhelming and enough different types of animals to keep their interest. We particularly liked the rain forest exhibit with the exotic birds flying freely around. Don't forget to stop by the Tisch Children's Zoo too (which is included in the Central Park Zoo admission). It has a petting zoo, various photo ops with animal cut-outs and a giant spider web play area. For our family, going to this zoo was a nice break from the busy city hustle and bustle.
2 families found this helpful
"Endless Fun at The Park"
Central Park Zoo located on the East side of the park. It is small (though not as small as the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn), but perfect for smaller kids especially. The surroundings are beautiful, and the main clock clock located right outside is great entertainment for them as well.
There aren't any lions or tigers at this zoo. But don't that deter you. My little ones have always enjoyed it, and unlike that Bronx Zoo, it is the perfect enough size to see everything before the little ones get too tired.
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"What a perfect find in NYC!"
I absolutely love the Central Park Zoo. It's definitely smaller than other zoos in NYC, but it's a perfect balance of different types of animals, along with the outdoor feel of being smack in the middle of the park, right beneath the Manhattan buildings. It's a fantastic place, and often pretty quiet. The coolest exhibits (literally) are the polar bears, the sea lions and the penguins. Fun stuff!
1 family found this helpful
"Cute Zoo"
Don't expect too much from this zoo. It has limited amount of animals and it's really great for small kids. There are penguins, polar bears, sea lions, snow leopard (although we didn't see it during our visit), other arctic birds and farm animals. My daughter enjoyed looking at the turtles that escaped from their little pond.
1 family found this helpful
"Don't go if you expect Madagascar"
Central Park really is beautiful and a must see if you are a tourist. If you expect to see a lot of animals, you will be disappointed with the Central Park Zoo. It is not very large, so it does not have many of the animals that you see at the regular zoo. The exhibits they do have are very nice though. You can get up close and personal with the animals. The birds were a little too up close and personal for me, they were all flying around and I ducked a lot and just hoped the bats I saw hanging from the ceiling would not wake up. I don't know that I would ever pay to go to it again. There are much better zoos in general and much better things to do in Central Park for free. If you live in New York, I would definitely check it out though.
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"The perfect zoo for under 10 years old"
Central Park zoo is the best zoo for the younger age groups!
It has a good variety of wonderful animals and the best part is that even little ones can see the animals up close! There are monkeys and seals, birds and amphibians! There is even a great petting zoo where kids can feed goats and sheep and see camels etc! Its alot of fun and a must do if you're looking for a fun nature activity in the city!
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