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Family Fun in New York City: The Bronx Zoo

My family and I love exploring zoos together. During our first trip to New York last week, my husband and I took our daughter and son to the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo is located in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, within Bronx Park through which the Bronx River flows. Home to some 6,000 animals representing about 650 species from around the world, the zoo is among the largest metropolitan zoos in the world and is one of the largest in North America.

Bronx Zoo Gates Flamingos and Ducks at the Bronx Zoo

Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 1 Giraffes at the Bronx Zoo Wild Horses at the Bronx Zoo Elephant at the Bronx Zoo

Wanting to make the most of our day and avoid some of the crowds, my family and I arrived at the Bronx Zoo at ten o’clock in the morning right at opening and stayed for six and a half hours. Despite spending most of the day at the zoo, we still did not see all the animals! Luckily, we decided to purchase a family premium membership — which gives us unlimited access to the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and Prospect Park Zoo for one year — so I can take the kids back as many times as we want through next August.

Wild Goat at the Bronx Zoo Otter at the Bronx Zoo

Otters at the Bronx Zoo Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 2

For a big city zoo, admission prices to the Bronx Zoo are fairly reasonable. Babies under age 2 are free, children ages 3 to 12 are $23.95, adults 12 and older are $33.95, and seniors 65 and older are $28.95. Admission prices are cheaper if you make the purchase online. However, parking is an additional $16, and many of the activities such as the bug carousel, zoo shuttle, Wild Asia Monorail, and children’s zoo cost extra. Buying a family premium membership for $195 was totally worth the cost, especially because my family plans to go to the other zoos and aquarium in New York City over the next year.

Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 3 Leopard at the Bronx Zoo

Tapirs at the Bronx Zoo Deer at the Bronx Zoo

I was incredibly impressed with the wide variety of animals at the Bronx Zoo. I especially loved the leopards because I really enjoy seeing big cats. My son was enthralled by the flamingos in the children’s zoo. My daughter has a hard time deciding which animal is her favorite, but she keeps going back to all the monkeys, which she especially likes watching. She also loved the zebras because “zebras as my favorite,” as she says. Because we ran out of time, we missed a lot of the bird exhibits, butterfly garden, and baboon reserve, so we definitely have something to look forward to on future visits.

Sea Lions at the Bronx Zoo Lemur at the Bronx Zoo

Prairie Dogs at the Bronx Zoo Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 4

In addition to all the amazing animals, I also like the layout of the Bronx Zoo. Because the zoo is located in Bronx Park, tall trees shade most of the paths around the zoo. I slathered sun screen on my kids and myself, but we mostly stayed out of the sun because of all the wonderful trees. The weather was pretty hot and a bit humid the day that we went, but all the shade helped keep the experience pretty pleasant. Do know that, unless you plan on standing in line to take the zoo shuttle, you will end up walking a lot. Bring a stroller or carrier if you have young children. Even my exuberant preschooler needed to ride in the stroller and on my back in the Boba for a bit because she got tired. By the end of the day, my husband and I were absolutely exhausted from all the walking and excitement! And, as we walked back through the parking lot, my daughter had already started asking when we could go back to the zoo again. The Bronx Zoo is definitely a great place for some family fun in New York City!

Tree Slide at the Bronx Zoo Fennec Fox at the Bronx Zoo

Bears at the Bronx Zoo Lions at the Bronx Zoo

Rodent at the Bronx Zoo 1 Rodent at the Bronx Zoo 2

For more information, visit the Bronx Zoo website.

Image Credits

Bronx Zoo Gates © 2015 Heather Johnson
Flamingos and Ducks at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 1 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Giraffes at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Wild Horses at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Elephant at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Wild Goat at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Otter at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Otters at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 2 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 3 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Leopard at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Tapirs at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Deer at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Sea Lions at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Lemur at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Prairie Dogs at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo 4 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Tree Slide at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Fennec Fox at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Bears at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Lions at the Bronx Zoo © 2015 Heather Johnson
Rodent at the Bronx Zoo 1 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Rodent at the Bronx Zoo 2 © 2015 Heather Johnson

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