Central Park Zoo

Central Park Zoo was a really fun stop while walking through the park. It’s not huge, which makes it easy and enjoyable to walk through without feeling rushed. They had penguins, monkeys, birds, snow leopards, and even red pandas, which was really cool to see up close. Everything felt clean and well taken care of, and it was a nice break from the busy city. Definitely worth checking out if you’re already in Central Park.

An absolute gem in the heart of Manhattan! The Grizzly Bear exhibit (Treena’s Overlook) was a massive highlight,seeing such powerful animals with the city skyline in the background is surreal. They were so active, climbing the rocks and splashing around. The Snow Leopards are equally stunning; they have such a beautiful, rugged habitat that makes you forget you’re blocks away from Fifth Avenue. But the biggest surprise was the Tropic Zone. Walking from the crisp New York air into a humid, lush rainforest filled with free-flying birds, lemurs, and monkeys was an amazing transition. It feels like a total teleportation. Perfect for a 2-hour escape!

This charming and small zoo nestled within the park is a delightful place to visit. The diverse variety of animals is truly captivating, and my favorites include the Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Sea Lions, Grizzly Bears, and Penguins. The zoo also have a remarkable variety of birds. This time, we had the privilege of observing the animals up close, creating unforgettable moments. The Sea Lion feeding show is an absolute delight, as these playful creatures perform impressive tricks with their trainers. The zoo is impeccably maintained and spotlessly clean, making it an oasis amidst the bustling city of Manhattan. A gift shop is conveniently located, offering a wide selection of souvenirs. The friendly and welcoming staff adds to the overall experience, making it a highly recommended destination for animal lovers!

What I really loved about this zoo is that it isn’t overwhelming, and it genuinely feels like the people caring for the animals are passionate about what they do. The zoo isn’t massive, but that’s part of its charm. The animals were surprisingly active, especially the sea lions, who looked absolutely thrilled to interact with visitors. I’d highly recommend this for families with young children, and for anyone looking to enjoy a quieter, relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle of New York City.

The zoo is small, which makes it a great break for kids who have been sightseeing "adult" things for days in NY. The 4D movie experience is included with your admission and it is pretty cool. When you catch the seals feeding time, you get a cute little show and an educational moment.

You can feel that the people here care. The paths are clean, the penguins are happy celebrities behind glass, and the kids all press their faces to the windows like this is magic — and in some ways, it still is. But then you stop at the snow leopards. Or the sea lions circling in their small pool again and again. And suddenly, it’s not just a zoo anymore — it’s a quiet moral question with fur and feathers. You see the effort. You feel the limits. And you start to understand why the animals in the movie Madagascar wanted to escape. Not because the zoo is cruel — it isn’t — but because freedom doesn’t fit inside even the kindest walls. There’s beauty here: the skyline behind the trees, the laughter of kids feeding goats, the small oasis of calm in the middle of Manhattan chaos. But there’s also something bittersweet — like seeing a wild dream wearing a polite uniform. If you visit, come with curiosity, not judgment. Enjoy the care, acknowledge the cages, and maybe let the movie make a little more sense.

Had a brilliant time exploring the zoo, really enjoyed the tropical sanctuary full of birds up and personal. Enjoyed the snow leopard and cute red panda. Was lots of fun and not too expensive

I had such a fun day at the Central Park Zoo! Although it's a small zoo, I really enjoyed my visit. One of the perks of its size is that you don’t feel overwhelmed trying to see everything in one day. It’s a more relaxed experience. Some of the animals were a bit shy, like the snow leopard who only made a brief appearance. The red panda spent the whole time sleeping which was adorable in its own way. On the other hand, the grizzly bears and snow monkey were full of energy. Before leaving, I watched a 15-minute 4D movie that was very entertaining! It featured bubble effects, scents, and even a shaking floor, all wrapped around a sweet message about kindness.

If you are looking for a great distraction for the kids, look no farther than the Central Park Zoo. The exhibits are fairly condensed in a small location, but the wide variety of animals is entertaining for people of all ages. The place is clean, the exhibits are well maintained, and the animals seem to be doing well. If you go, take a look at the playful seals and the grizzly bears, those seem to be a big hit with the children. Additionally when you purchase tickets, you have access to the Bronx Zoo, the Prospect Park Zoo, and the Tisch Children Zoo.

I pre-purchased tickets for my family of 4 ($55) for our trip to NYC. The day's weather was horrible, pouring rain all day. We had 1:00 pm entrance tickets but due to the rain and delays in public transportation, we were behind in our day's plans. I checked the zoo's website at 1:50 to see if they were staying open because of the rain. We were still going to go until I read an alert that was now posted that the zoo was closing early for a private event and the last entrance was at 2:00. Being in midtown and using pub trans we weren't making it there by 2pm. I got home to check the refund availability on the zoo's website to find all kinds of NO REFUNDS for any reason statements in FAQ. Completely unacceptable. They don't even offer a raincheck. People coming to the city for vacation have to make plans ahead of time. A private event should have been listed 9 days before when I bought the tickets. It's not like that got sprung on them. And when it's pouring rain they should close the zoo and offer a refund. Let's be a little understanding. $55 in the garbage. WARNING: If planning a trip to the zoo, be aware of these: It is going to rain; can I get a refund or change my ticket date? All tickets are final sale. Due to capacity limits, we cannot provide refunds, cancellations or rain checks due to weather conditions or animal visibility. We understand weather may affect that day's experience; however, all exhibits and experiences are always subject to unforeseen conditions and not guaranteed. Please plan ahead for the weather, and enjoy your day. I cannot go on the date I selected, can I reschedule for another day or get a refund? All ticket sales are final. There are no refunds, cancellations or rescheduling. Due to capacity restrictions we must adhere to the ticketing policies which were stated prior to purchase. This includes the terms and conditions acknowledgment that all sales are final and there are no revisions for credit, refund, rescheduling, exchange or cancellation. If you purchased non-Member tickets and cannot make your scheduled time, we recommend sharing your tickets with a friend or family member to use.

Loved the zoo, central park was right by it. Beautiful place. My son and I went here and we had an amazing time. The people working here were nice, we had a few questions. I feel the prices were reasoanble. very happy with the visit.

What an unexpecting surprise in such a big city! We were able to walk up and buy our tickets on a kiosk for twenty dollars, which is not a horrible price. The zoo, of course, is not huge because it is in the middle of a huge city. However, I still think that it is worth going to. We did go in the winter. However, there are many buildings that you go inside, so it actually wasn't bad going around! There were a lot of great animals to look at the store for the zoo outside of the zoo. I would highly recommend going back in the summer. Just to see if there's any different experience.

This is a little zoo located on the east side of Central Park. I was able to make a same day reservation and the zoo wasn't too packaed. I was pleasantly surprised at the range of animals, particularly the tropical birds, red pandas and penguins. There's also a small petting farm area where you can feed sheep and goats. Its lovely for a casual stroll (perfect for young children) and an opportunity to see animals while being in the heart of NYC, but I wouldn't plan a trip around it. There are a few water stations so be sure to bring your bottle. P.S. I received complimentary tickets from our hotel. Ask your hotel or company if they have any corporate deals.

Central Park zoo is small but holds some beautiful animals including bears, red pandas, seals that had me captivated, a stork I wanted to take home and a snow leopard among other animals.

I thought this zoo was great for a two year old. It's not large, but there is plenty to see and do and it's a fun way to spend an hour or so. Everything feels extremely clean and brand new. The pool and fountain area is gorgeous, especially when it's sparkling on a bright and sunny day. You can check out the seals here, and they also do a feeding show which was super fun. Other notable exhibits are the grizzly bears (these things are HUGE), the penguins which had so many penguins and puffins swimming around, and the indoor tropical rainforest area with so many exotic birds and plants. Admission is $13 and you can add on a few extra dollars if you want to see a 3D show. There is a snack area with some overpriced eats (to be expected) like $9.00 dippin' dots, woah. Overall this is a fun and different activity to do, especially in Manhattan.

I was pleasantly surprised with this zoo considering the small size! All the animals were out and about in their enclosures and I viewed two of the feedings- the sea lions (who did many cool tricks) and the penguins. Some of the enclosures like the penguin one was alittle small and sad to see. I hope they expand it more especially since there are so many penguins at this zoo. Overall I think the zoo was beautiful with a lot of greenery. Downside though was that I wanted ice cream but they ran out

Central Park Zoo is reminded me of animation Madagascar, but has sea lions instead of lion, lol. What are you expecting in City Zoo? Actually, I'm pretty amazing that they remain clean and good display even less animals than actual Zoo. Some animal is only one in the zoo, some of them has a pack. In the tropical dome is nice and birds are frying free. The biggest animal in this zoo is a pair of bears. Even they have kid zoo next too this zoo but I think this zoo fits with small children more than adult or teenager. DATING for a COUPLE is also an EXCELLENT IDEA! You don't need all day walk then you will have time to go to other place. Only reason I go to this zoo because my cousins came visited from another country. I took them to many spots in Central Park then they wanted to go to the zoo, so as a host, I have to take them.

Small but nice zoo. Enjoyed the indoor areas (penguins, parrots, etc). Price is right for what it is, but don't need to spend a lot of time here

It's an ok place. I purchased ticket to this place for my daughter and I which were a little over $50. The service here was good, I saw some pretty sad things to the animals though, was upset over that. I understand they have to be enclosed an such, but some of the living conditions were pretty bad. They had drinks and such here which was good.

We received free tickets through my husband's work so decided to pop into the Central Park zoo. It is conveniently located in the inner city, so it wasn't hard to get to. Unfortunately because of the heat, a lot of the animals were either put away or in hiding so sadly, we did not get to experience the full effect of the zoo. It was very short as well, it was about maybe 30 to 40 minutes to see the entire zoo. I was told that the Bronx zoo has more to see so maybe we will check that out next. As for the Central Park zoo, I can say I crossed it off my list and I don't think I will ever go again.

I came here with my family and we had a great time. We usually go to the Bronx zoo but was able to access Central Park zoo with a promotion my sister had. The zoo was perfect to walk around if you want an affordable attraction. I believe we took about 2-3 hours to finish the entire zoo. This is great if you do not want to spend an entire day in the zoo compare to the Bronx zoo. The animals here were so unique and very cute. The zoo was clean and staff was super friendly. They have a petting zoo but you have to go before a certain time I believe 2pm so check the times on the website. I would definitely recommend this place. I'm very sad to hear about the owl Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo. I actually saw him during our visit and hope he's okay!

I feel like if you are going to be in NYC then Central Park Zoo is a must. We stopped by about an 1.5 before closing time and we had enough time to see most of the animals. The zoo itself is pretty small but it has a decent amount of animals. My favorite exhibits were the monkeys and sea lions and I could literally watch them all day. They are so entertaining... The few employees we interacted with were friendly and the grounds were well kept and clean. Not sure if I would stop by again because I have already been but I'm so glad I crossed it off my NYC "must visit" list.

Update: Flaco has become an industry, a commodity! The law makers are re-naming laws, adding his name to them, VIP's are talking about a memorial somewhere in Central Park for Flaco, murals, art work & products are being created & sold left & right! It's ALL about marketing now! :( It seems to me, that after being in a restricted environment, at the Central Park Zoo for about 12 years, now after his death, he's being exploited for the financial gain of others! Flaco's once again restricted, isn't he? SO: I'm glad, that Flaco had at least ONE year, of complete Freedom! The experts say that he was about 13 years old, when he died. It's a Lovely NYC story, with a sad ending! May he: R.I.P!

Cute little zoo at 50th street in Central Park. Impressed with snow leopard, grizzly bears and sea lions. Come for three times a day feeding for sea lions. Nice tropical rain forest pavilion. Great fir adults or children. Zoo is part of Bronx Zoo.

The zoo is in the heart of Central Park. It is pretty small so you can go through the exhibit in 30 minutes to 1 hour. They have a sea lion show at 11:30 am. The price is $19.95 for adults, $14.95 for children between 3 to 12 and $16.95 for seniors. The ticket includes Central Park zoo, tischs children zoo and one visit to the 4-D theater. If you don't want the 4-D theater, they have a limited ticket which is $13.95 for adults, $8.95 for child and $10.95 for seniors. Overall a great visit but a little pricey. I would not eat at there food court, there are cheaper and better food options outside of the zoo.

Not my favorite zoo. But it was New York's first public zoo! The cost of admission for adults is $19.95. It's not the biggest zoo, so they have very few exhibits. I did visited during winter when there were fewer animals on display. I enjoyed the penguin enclosure and the free-flight area for birds. The first thing you'll notice when you enter the zoo is the sea lions playing in the glass pool. I arrived just as they were feeding them, so we got to see a fun show. The snow leopard was one of the most stunning animals I'd ever seen. Overall, 3 stars. It's a nice little zoo.

My daughter wanted to go to this zoo while visiting NYC. It's a very small zoo with limited animal exhibits. You must purchase tickets in advance. I was able to save a couple of bucks by using third party discount, ie AAA. It's normally $19.95. Ticket allows you to access a separate petting zoo. Our ticket did not allow us to get into the 4D movie. Young children will enjoy the zoo experience. I recommend the Bronx Zoo for a more broader experience.

Best going to Central Park Zoo in New York, I have not been to Bronx zoo place before, and perfect for kids and going to date in the afternoon, and we came around at 11am in the morning, and variety of animals, and it was very cute

As of now, you will need to reserve a time and date for your visit. I did mine online at their website. I recommend trying to get as close to opening as you can (Weekdays is at 10AM). This way you can enjoy about an hour of peace and quiet.... most school trips arrive at around 11AM. If you are expecting to see lions, hippos, giraffes or zebras, just like they had in the movie Madagascar, you will be disappointed... in real life there are sea lions, red pandas, snow monkeys, grizzly bears and a snow leopard. There is a rain forest walk thru enclosure that allows you to get up close to various birds. The must see especially in Winter is the rain forest exhibit... use it to warm up, but note if you are wearing glasses, beware of fogging. Spend time walking at the sea lion exhibits and to watch them swim around and around, but the downside is that you cannot really see the sea lions while they are swimming. Watching the grizzly lounge around and the snow monkeys preening are also good time killers. Overall this is really nice, relatively small zoo.

Specifically here to recommend the seal exhibit at the Central Park Zoo. The rest of the exhibits are pretty standard for a zoo, but the seals are worth the admission fee. I would recommend timing your visit around when the seals eat for the optimum seal watching experience. The only way this exhibit could be improved was if the singer Seal was singing as the seals were eating. if anyone could make this happen it'd be CPZ!

I'd always shunned this place, but this week I had to come for a project. Not all of the animals were out (red pandas) some of the exhibits were closed (the bat cave) but I spent three relaxed hours here and walked away thinking it was a nice get away from the city for $14 (if you don't see the movie) The highlight was the seal feeding and just hanging out with the seals for an hour. I went to the early show 1130am. Afterwards I got a fountain drink in the cafeteria. It was nice to see they had canned beers ($10) and wine ($15). The penguin house was fun too, I went for a feeding time but it didn't happen. The tropical rainforest was pretty impressive in its structure. The birds fly around freely so we saw peacocks on the loose and mini flamingoes. I saw a bear hiding in the shade but seemingly smiling and the snow leopard who also looked hot. One of the nicest things was just being able to relax in the gardens of the zoo - a sort of sanitized Central Park with no homeless or riff raff. I will go back. I'll go early again on a weekday with mild crowds and when it's cooler to catch more animals. I also brought a picnic from home which was aces. Even tho the zoo is small it's nicely done and a bargain for $14. Do it.

For the price this brings a lot of value.. 14-8 dollars and there are a fun few things to see and you're able to walk it in under an hour.. bad reviews are expecting a mega zoo.. keep perspective and it's a fun day with the kids

I told myself I wouldn't really come here again, but I visited here with some people who really wanted to go. I also got the opportunity to see them feed the sea lions which was pretty cool and they did a few tricks. The animals were cute, and they appeared to be well cared for because they have food and medical care available for them, but keeping the animals in such a small environment and training them to do things that don't come naturally to them is just unethical. It was also hard seeing some of the visitors yell at the animals which seemed very stressful to them. I had fun, and I thought the animals were cute but it was tough to see them living in those kinds of conditions. I also went to the petting zoo although I didn't spend too much time there. The goats and sheep were cute but the cow looked like it really had no space at all. It was just trapped in some sad little corner surrounded by screaming children. Some kids even tried feeding a dollar bill to one of the goats and the parents were just giving them random things to feed them which was also wrong but there was no one monitoring the situation.

I visited the zoo over the holiday with my sister and nephew who is almost 3 years old. I knew that the zoo was small, and considering it was only $20 for adults I didn't expect too much but I was pleasantly surprised! My nephew had a blast looking at the penguins, seal lions who were putting on quite the show, and the red panda. We did not see the snow leopards though. I was more surprised by the friendly staff and that the café was open for us pretty early to enjoy some treats. They had a variety of drinks as well, including beers. Food looked more like burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc. We went to the gift shop after eating which was nicely stocked as well. Overall, this is a great activity to do with younger kids if you are in the area. You can definitely combine this visit with going through central park or the many museums close by. The zoo was small but well worth it to see the excitement on my nephews face from all the animals.

Before coming here, you should lower your expectations. This is not some large massive zoo. New York City already has one and it's the Bronx Zoo. The Central Park Zoo is just a small zoo that is in the middle of Central Park. Admission price is not too bad - $20 for adults and $15 for kids. The zoo itself is so small that it took me less than an hour to walk around. The most impressive animals that you will see here are the penguins and the sea lions. There are no large animals like the elephants or giraffes in the Bronx. For what it is, it is a passable place to pass the time. However, it would be better to set a whole day aside and make the trek up to the Bronx.

What a beautiful day to enjoy a nice walk at the Central Park Zoo! We purchased our tickets quite fast and we didn't wait to get in at all as there were no lines. We visited on a weekday though. The place was very clear and all employees were nice and knowledgeable. We spent an hour walking around and we saw snow monkeys, leopards, bears, penguins and a lot of other beautiful animals. It's the right place to take your family and see something different in the heart of Manhattan. Kids will love this place. The park is not that big.

Honestly one of the best zoos I have been to. It is very small and a quick walk thru but almost every animal was active. It was a very gloomy and just a bit rainy. Still a good time. The sea lions were so cute and seemed excited to have visitors.

you can do the zoo and the 4D theatre show in an hour. i actually did this right before my flight to kill some time. here are the pros and cons: pros: * the layout is like a square/rectangle so you can follow through without feeling like you skipped something. * red panda is super cute and is active so easy to spot it. * the rainforest exhibit is really cool. birds of all kinds freely flying. * first time seeing king penguins, their huge. cons: * zoo is small so $20 may be pricey to some, but dont forget to catch the 4D outside the exit.

Usually when I want to watch some animals in their habitat I just head to Murray Hill or really anything on Hudson st. Today though Riley and I wanted to see some Penguins. Just something to tug at my heart and make me believe I still have a motherly instinct beyond holding back Riley's hair at Bar Belly at 2am. This place is cute - small and crowded but I'll go again

The zoo is great for kids. I took my little sister to the zoo when she was angry at me and the animals there cheered her up instantly. There weren't much people there which made it easier to walk around and to visit all of the animals. The sea lions and bears were very entertaining to her but didn't cheer her up completely. We found a carousel in the park that had the challenge of trying to grab a gold ring. The challenge of the carousel left my little sister laughing and feeling like her old self again.

Cute but small. There were not that many exhibits but the ones they did have were cute. The sea lions were the best, highly recommend going when they do a feeding. They do plenty of tricks and it's awesome! The red panda was so cute too. He was sleeping but did pick his head up and look around a couple of times. The tropic room was pretty cool. All the birds were free roaming and were pretty close, some even walking around with us. There were also a pair of flying foxes (fruit bats?) handing in there which was awesome to see. The grizzly bear exhibit was closed, which was a bummer. The whole zoo took maybe 45 minutes, then add an extra 10 because we walked through the children's zoo too. Cute and quick if you're just looking to kill some time in the city.

Came during a gloomy day. However, this time we got to see the red panda, snow leopard and a Cayman alligator! That was a nice surprise! Shout out to the awesome park worker who gave me the tip of how to find that five foot Cayman alligator. We managed to see the bear VERY up close, swimming next to the observation glass. What a scary yet majestic experience that was. Always puts a smile on my face to see the school trips arrive, oohhing and aahhing with excitement. I remember how exciting that feeling was to go to the zoo as a kid. My favorite part of the exhibit will always be the penguins. They are delightful. Amazing to see how up close they get and how fast they swim. This is a great touristy spot as you are in the heart of it all.

While this zoo is not huge (it is in the middle of Manhattan, after all), I find it to be a great experience for what it is. I have taken friends and family here over the years when they visited NYC, and they have all enjoyed it. Many parts of the zoo are open to the air and outdoors, which lends itself to the current COVID situation. However, the indoor bird sanctuary is one of my favorite parts of the zoo. All sorts of fascinating birds fly loose within the building, doing their own beautiful thing. If you have kids, there is a children's zoo and the added bonus of being the place that the movie Madagascar was based on. Lots of fun things for younger guests to enjoy. Pro tip: Even if you are not buying tickets for the zoo, you can walk by and watch the seals for a few moments for free. They are lively and tend to put a smile on your face. Try it sometime when you are passing by! Similarly, the musical Delacorte Clock can be enjoyed without admission. It has moving animal figures that "dance" to the music on the hour and half hour.

Small zoo so easy to get around. Lots of animals to see. Very cool to see trio of grizzly bears, the tropical room was neat with all the birds. Penguin room was fun as well as seeing snow leopard. Highly recommend.

This zoo is overpriced ($20) for the number of exhibits that are available. The most interesting exhibits are: 1) Birds 2) Penguins 3) Sealion 4) Snow Leopard This is a very small zoo and you can see all the exhibits in less than 2 hours.

Ok so it's been a few years since we visited this zoo but have to get around to leaving my review. I mean what better way to spend Covid lockdown than catch up on Yelp reviews :) We were in the area visiting Central Park and decided to come to the Central Park zoo!! The park is so beautiful and being at the zoo with the city's buildings at the background was just amazing to me. I absolutely love NYC and could never get enough with visiting. This zoo was so much fun and offered some of the play areas and animals we have not seen at local zoos, only the bigger theme parks. My daughter had a blast.

Nice small zoo perfect for toddlers & plus you can go to the petting zoo and feed some animals

Cool zoo to check out in the city, another fun activity for families with kids :) it's at a super convenient spot, right in Central Park! You'll get to see a good variety of animals even with the limited space! Surprised I haven't checked it out until recently even after being in New York for so long! If you don't want to make it all the way to Bronx zoo, this is a good option!

I feel this zoo is the middle whereas it's not too big , packed with people and crazy like Bronx Zoo and not too quiet like Queens Zoo. Comfortable to walk around and see the exhibits here. The map is very easy to find the next one to see and right connected. My favorite section was the Penguins and the Red Panda. Even if I took my time and walked slower , still finished the whole zoo in less than two hours. After you are done you should go visit the children zoo which is like a mini farm , they have ducks and farm animals the fee was included in the first payment so I didn't pay extra. Then after that Central Park is right there , so essentially you can visit three wonderful locations back to back to back. Great time management.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Central Park zoo. It's a great date idea if you're like us and enjoy animals/nature. I've included photos of a few of the animals we were able to see. Some of the animals at the exhibits like the bears or tigers were asleep or hidden where it was hard to see so I'd say be cautious of the possibility that you may not see all the animals when you'd like to. There's also a children's zoo up ahead that features more animal exhibits and cute little places to take photos, but due to covid I'd say to be cautious about your child sticking their faces into certain props (some of them looked dirty and I wouldn't try taking photos in them nonetheless). There's food options available (which we did not partake in since I'm vegan), as well as a souvenir shop with plushies and little knickknacks. Overall I would probably not visit more than once but it was a great experience. You can visit the park afterwards to see some cute ducks nearby which I went to go see!

This is a review of the park and the zoo. The zoo itself is quite small, but nevertheless a cool destination due to the fact that it's a great tourist spot. Very cool to be at the heart of the Madagascar movie as well as such a historical park. There aren't many exhibits here and you can finish up the zoo in just about an hour, but you can spend the entire day at the park easily. The park itself is honestly massive and there are a lot things to do that can easily kill the entire day. Overall, it was a great time visiting the zoo and park as a whole.

Zootopia? Perhaps. Maybe more reminiscent of Madagascar. Since my friend and I had planned to visit Central Park, we thought it made perfect sense to visit the Central Park Zoo. Also, we didn't feel like making the trek all the way out to the more larger Bronx Zoo. For information regarding hours, admission, etc., please visit: https://centralparkzoo.com/ NOTE: You're able to purchase tickets online....but only for the "Total Experience", which includes admission to the main zoo, children's zoo, and the 1 entry to the 4D theatre. Otherwise, step right up to the ticket window to purchase a general admission ticket. The zoo isn't large, but exhibits a decent number of species to make the visit worthwhile (especially if you were planning on visit Central Park as we were). Ticket booths and gift shop are located in a building across from the main entrance. I'd recommend to pick up a zoo map. In any case, at least you'll know which areas you'd like to visit first OR have an idea of what animal/species inhabits the zone you're observing (unfortunately, some of the animals were taking naps the day we visited so it was difficult to observe them in their habitats). My absolute favorite areas were the seals, and the penguins and sea birds! The penguins were entertaining and playful within their habitat. Some chose to swim along the length of the glass enclosure, while some stood stationary on the "rocks" observing the onlookers/visitors for the day. We also were fortunate to observe "feeding time" for the seals, which hold center stage (literally) at the zoo (their habitat is located in the central garden). Three staff members assisted with the feeding, while a fourth served as a host/narrator for the 10-15 minute session providing information such as names of the seals, ages, etc. Overall, I'd say we spent nearly 1 hour at the zoo. BOTTOM LINE: Kids and adults will enjoy a visit to the Central Park Zoo. I'd recommend doing research online for hours, prices, and exhibits. Don't set your expectations too high as the zoo is not large.

Central Park is not only iconic but it is truly an oasis in the most populated city in the United States. The zoo is a beautiful and mesmerizing area of the park where families and children can enjoy the amazing animals. The trees and skyscrapers in the distance make for a special view in this amazing city.

I'm not sure who else decides to go to the zoo on a rainy cold day but we did. And you know what? It was awesome! No lines, almost no people, we had the entire place to ourselves. I think it was about $13 dollars to go in, including the petting zoo area, and they have discounts for students and military (active and retired). Got our tickets and in we went. The several staff members we talked to suggested we started in the Caribbean area to warm up a bit. Here you will find different species of birds, and I even got to see some lemurs play. From there we went to the Asia part where I got to see the cutest Red Pandas ever! While you walk to the other animals there's plants and information on the animals for you to read. They have Grizzly Bears, seals, bats, reptiles, penguins, puffins, monkeys and more. Oh, and a beautiful and intimidating looking snow leopard. On the petting area there was an alpaca, sheep, goats and I got the feed them all. Compared to other zoos it's smaller but very well kept and entertaining for the entire family.

I would call myself a zoo aficionado. So when I casually strolled past Central Park Zoo, I knew I had to stop in and check it out. As you would expect for a zoo smack in the middle of Manhattan, this is a small zoo. The main attractions are the sea lions, snow leopards, penguins, and bears. My personal favorite was the "tropic zone," a rainforest-inspired house filled with tropical birds, reptiles, and small mammals. The sea lion area is a great place to hang out, people watch, and enjoy the beautiful skyline views. Like everything in New York, this zoo can get extremely packed. If the animals are visible from a certain vantage point, you can expect ~40 people to be standing around throwing elbows. The ticket process is pretty frustrating. They have self-service kiosks where you can purchase tickets easily and quickly. You can also buy tickets online. However, you can only buy "total experience" tickets ($20 for adults, $15 for kids) this way. This includes admission to the 4D movie theater. What if you're not interested in the 4D movie? If you want to buy the cheaper tickets ($14 for adults, $9 for kids), you have to wait in line to purchase in person. This whole system just seems like an obvious money grab. Overall I'm glad I visited, but it's not a place I would go again and again.

A small zoo that is good for what it is. We spent about an hour here and that was enough time to circle around at see all the animals. My personal favorite was the snow leopard.

This was my first time at the Central Park zoo. I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be a really fun spot. For being in Central Park it is a pretty good size zoo. The exhibits were fun and most of the animals were visible. I really enjoyed the tropical zone and all the birds. I will definitely be back with family to enjoy it again.