Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

Such a great little zoo. I feel the size is perfect. The otters, spider monkeys and the red panda was super cool! $20 for adults and they have a carousel. You could do a picnic there. They do offer foods there too. We didn’t buy tickets ahead of time. No issues buying it there.

Giving heads up. Can’t get tickets at gate anymore. You got buy them on line.so much has change here. The Tiger is away seeing his girlfriend in st. Lois. There getting two new cubs from him. In the yr 2027. Looking forward to that.staff was good. Clean, the red pandas are new there

Ebt card is 10 a person at the window. Order tickets online if regular tickets. The animals were great to see. Variety and statue animals to take pictures with. Ice cream was hard to come by. The food was good. The gift shop was nice. No line to enter. Plenty of parking. Worth the visit and will be back again

It's a great zoo with an interesting bunch of animals and a wonderful atmosphere. The staff is dedicated to make the experience worthwhile for everyone especially kids. They have different programs throughout the week ; be sure to check their website before going. We started the day early so that we could explore all . Recommend doing that if possible. Enjoyed the birds of prey by Skyhunters (Teddy & Brian)and informative puppet show by Chris Rowland very much.

Super fun zoo! It was nice easy loop. The animals were all out and pretty active! It was a cold and semi rainy day but we had a great time seeing the animals. There wasn’t a petting zoo so you can only observe but it was a lot of fun. The bear was my favorite as they were super playful. All the animals were active of some sort. It was also around feeding time that we went. The gift shop was cute. Ended up buying a shirt and blanket because it was so cold.

I went in person to buy the tickets because they take EBT cards for discounts. But I believe you have to buy online before you show up if you don't need a discount entered. The parking lot is free, it's best to come early to find one easily. Another fun fact, they also take a library pass if you have one from the library to get in much cheaper. We didn't get to see all the animals because they were hiding in their caves or within the little houses, but we tried again a little later. I did not like the peacock pavilion to go get our food. The guys were so unprofessional yelling on the intercom, "Your food has been ready for a minute. Come get it if you want it." And they were talking about the customers right in front of us laughing about how people were acting in line and not really working too hard (I felt bad for the autism group they were laughing about, in a way happy they or their supervisor didn't hear them, so rude!). I like the little play area right outside, it gives the kids some more time to tire out. I wish there were more seats around in shaded areas for the parents of the area though. There was a bird show about to start I didn't know about, as we walked by it, one of the guys put his hands on me, one of the employees, and I'm not sure why. I shoved him off of me to finish getting my kids to come back to me because he startled me and the kids thought I was behind them. After I got the kids back I turned back to him and he told me to go into the bird show quietly past the red doors. We entered, it was nice of him telling us as we walked by, but maybe don't touch me, call me over instead or shout out??? It was entertaining and cool but for him to just grab me and startle me in the middle of me and the girls walking was inappropriate and unprofessional. Towards the end of the zoo trail we go into the little reptile caged area behind the greenhouse. The lady there was so nice. Let the kids color. I did not like that they had to close it down because they had another bird show to attend, so we had to rush the kids to finish coloring or looking around. I think the area should be open as long as the zoo, as some people can miss this, they are paying for it regardless if there's a show elsewhere or not. The greenhouse was pretty neat. They didn't have any food to feed the fish, the dispenser was empty and the office door was open but was empty so they couldn't even ask somebody for some food for them. I would come back here. One of the zookeepers was educating the kids about an invasive bug.

Nice small zoo in CT, it was $20 for an adult ticket but be sure to check with your local library as they may have a pass you ca borrow. They had a variety of animals and they all looked well cared for.

The animals are in environmentally friendly enclosures most similar to their habitat and are rescues that cannot be rehabilitated into the wild. Nice loop around the park, restrooms available, cafe, carousel, gift shop...

Good zoo, especially the stunning owl in the farm area barn. The wolf exhibit was solid, and the information about wolves was stellar. I was delighted by the greenhouse access. That was my favorite part of the zoo. It's easy to find parking, pay for tickets and walk around the grounds. The staff were friendly. We'll be back any time our granddaughter wants to go back.

I was so upset about the bear that looked like he wanted out that I rated too poorly. This zoo is Connecticut's only accredited zoo, it showcases many species, including the cutesy red panda and endangered ones like the red and Mexican gray wolves. Over the years I've come here several times, especially when my kids were younger. I'd say the outside prairie dogs exhibit was always a big hit with them. It allows access to view alongside in a "bubble". The admission prices went up, but you're supporting animals, so it's a good cause. You have to buy online and choose a specific date. Hours fight now are 9am-3pm. I have packed my own food to eat on one of the picnic tables, and when I didn't there was always the cafe, where you can often see peacocks roaming around the area. Beardsley Zoo is a fun, easy trip with cool animals and a relaxed vibe. It's small enough to walk through without getting tired, but still has lots to see. This is a charming zoo perfect for the little ones.

Fun spot to spend a couple hours. You can make your way around all exhibits in about an hour, but it's a fun time. When we went in May, the tiger exhibit and tropical rainforest were both closed, which was a huge bummer. Wish they gave us a heads up when we were buying tickets.

As a kid everything looks big and amazing... The Beardsley Zoo seems quieter than it was when I was small, but it's still home to some really amazing animals and events. My family recently attended the Glow Wild event and we cannot stop talking about it!! It was absolutely stunning and well done. The grounds are well kept for this event too! We had two workers come up to us after closing the cafe for the evening and offered us hot chocolate and cider (we didn't realize the cafe was closed and tried to go in but the doors were locked). It was nice to see these young girls have great customer service and go an extra mile on a cool fall night with my family.

Small zoo needs a lift up. Outdated cafe and pavement. Animals look being taken care of tho so that's good. You need maybe 2-2.5 hrs in there. Maybe stay longer if you wanna see the bird show (it's pretty good but I didn't stay for the whole show). It's just one time visit for me.

It's a much smaller size zoo, bit of pricey for what they offer. Mostly small size animals, birds, farmland cattle, a green house and rainforest. A lot of them were not visible in their shack or the visibility was reduced for smaller kids because of long grass and bush. The cafe and gift store are good. Lots of space to sit and eat. We attended a bird show where they demonstrated three different owls. Parking lot is medium size, difficult to find parking during peak hours.

Come on down to Beardsley Zoo. This smaller zoo is perfect for all ages. Check out the variety of animals. We came to see the Red Pandas, because that's what we do! If you have a yearly pass at another Zoo they are part of the associate zoos and you get 50% off your ticket. Essentially we paid for one ticket. Not that the ticket prices are expensive, they are extremely affordable. If you have any handicapped family or you are, almost 100% of the zoo is paved and accessible!! It's a cute zoo, check them out.

Overcast and drizzles, the zoo only had a few people. So we could meandered through the exhibits. There is a good selection of animals, with explanations and fun facts which is great for scavenger hints. There are photo spots, activities and places to sit when you need a break. Or simply to enjoy the scenery. The grounds are beautiful, and easy to walk for all ages, so it would be a relaxing family day trip. It could also be a great spot for a date (they also do weddings 'Say I Do at the zoo!) Since the zoo is inside the park, you could make a whole day with plenty of space to picnic, frisbee and kite-flying. Looking forward to visiting again. FYI: Libraries have passes for museum and zoo discounts!

What a lovely place to go with children! I went for a corporate event. My toddler loved seeing all the animals and the plants, not to mention the lanterns. It was beautiful and the exhibitb was carefully crafted. I would suggest getting there earlier than normal because parking is limited, especially on weekends or peak hours. It's a relatively small zoo so temper your expectations, but it's great to spend a couple of hours in. I also loved that it is easy to navigate and so clean. If you live in Connecticut, check it out, especially if you have little ones who love to romp around.

Very good place to go with the children, it has some options to enter the place for free, stay updated to take advantage. The animals look very well cared for and calm, it was a very pleasant day, my favorite part was the farm that is almost at the end of the tour, I recommend you do not miss there. ||||||| Muy buen lugar para ir con los niños, tiene algunas opciones para entrar gratis al lugar, mantente actualizado para aprovechar. Los animales se ven muy bien cuidados y tranquilos, fue un día muy agradable, mi parte favorita fue la granja que está casi al final del recorrido, te recomiendo no faltar allí.

I love coming to the zoo especially when they have fun exhibits like this. I belive it's the 3rd year for the Lantern Lights and I'm glad I made it.

I highly recommend the Beardsley Zoo experience overall - it is an awesome local zoo for kids of all ages - but especially for a birthday party experience! We booked the zoo for a December toddler birthday party. From the start of the process, the event coordinator was patient and helpful, explaining different options and included benefits. We booked two party spaces to have enough wiggle room, and I recommend that to have enough seating and such. It is an open area, so it is not prohibitive and reasonably priced too. We chose the "critter craft" and "animal encounter" options, which was enough for our party group. The zoo does offer basics like tablecloths and plates, but I did purchase my own themed materials for decoration and supplies and that gave it a little boost. They also provide pizza and soda, and you can purchase extras if needed. I also bought snacks from Costco and that was more than enough. From the second we arrived at the zoo, the staff was very kind and helpful. The young woman who was assigned as a party coordinator was totally delightful. She helped with every part of setup and cleanup, kept everything running on time, and had a lovely spirit and demeanor. The party space was perfect - booking two worked out exactly right, and there was really no one else at the zoo that day so it felt like we had a fully private building! The carousel was the hit of the day - I think the kids could have just ridden that endlessly and been happy. The animal encounter was awesome - the young women who led that were knowledgeable, engaging, and patient with young kids. It was interesting for all ages! All-around, it was a perfect party experience. I got rave reviews from fellow parents and from older family members alike. I have already recommended the zoo experience to everyone we know!

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is quite a good one in all of New England. As a resident of Rhode Island, I typically tend to think that if I'm trekking all the way out of my little state, I usually go all the way to the Bronx Zoo, but Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is one that I think truly deserves a lot more love. As an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facility, I think baseline they're already very good, but there are a few highlights from there to boot! For instance, I especially love the displays for their canines, they're a facility that has a number of interesting ones as well, from Maned Wolves, a much rarer species to find in this part of the states, to Red Wolves, to Mexican Grey Wolves, it's very good for that! Not to mention they have just recently renovated their Andean Bear habitat to be even more massive, something I have not yet had the chance to check out, but would love to eventually. In addition to this, they also have a few aviaries around, and a lovely tropical house. It's not an all-day affair, but any animal afficiano would greatly benefit from a trip here bundled with the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, or alternatively a trip to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, a bit more of a hidden gem. Overall this facility is very good, and though I have not been in a bit, I would absolutely love the chance to visit once more! [Edit]: Also important to note: This facility is where they filmed Tony Soprano and Gloria Trillo's date in the hit TV-Show "The Sopranos". About me... I am a passionate zoo and aquarium enthusiast, dedicated to exploring facilities both near and far. From local treasures in New England to renowned locations around the world, I've visited over 60 animal facilities in my quest to discover the very best. My goal is to promote those that stand out for their quality, value, and commitment to animal care and conservation. All opinions are entirely my own. I personally pay for admission to these facilities to ensure my reviews are authentic and reflect what I genuinely believe to offer the best value.

"Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo I do believe it I do believe it's true" (Simon and Garfunkel" If you think you can waltz right up to the ticket office and buy your tickets over the counter, you'll find out you can't. And believe me, we saw plenty of people who made that mistake when we visited on Monday. You see, you HAVE to buy your tickets in advance on their website -we knew that and we did, but many people were holding up the line by flailing away on their phones at the ticket office. The Beardsley Zoo is a moderately sized zoo that has many of the things you expect to see at a zoo - monkeys, tigers, leopards, bears, buffalos, and snakes. We even saw an anteater and quite a few prairie dogs in a very cool exhibit where children could crawl into a tunnel and pop up in an encased plastic tube in the middle of the prairie. That was awesome. It took us about 2 hours to walk through the zoo, and I'm pretty sure we saw everything including the Farmyard, greenhouse, birdhouse and Carousel. We were there on Juneteenth and since the schools were closed, we saw quite a few children and their families enjoying the zoo and nice weather.

They have some cute unique parts of the zoo, such as the prairie dog area where you can go in these tubes and see up close (my children's favorite) and a rainforest section, cool spider monkeys, playful otters, a tiger, leopard , but almost every bigger animals always naturally far away and in the back so it is hard to see unless you catch it roaming by or have a good zoom. Some cages like for one of the wolves/fox/ cats seemed to small for an animal like that, or at least they seemed lonely but even with that, overall it was a fun zoo for the kids! They were sad there was no giraffe but that's okay too! It has a little carousel spot, some food, and a gift shop.

It's nice just to walk around and see some animals with your family.. it's not huge but good enough. My complaints is the café needs more gluten-free meals, and the lady cooking in the cafe should be educated on gluten-free, dairy free meals. When I asked for gluten-free meal, she offered to make me a grilled cheese sandwich 'on regular bread " I Said no thank you..she said how about a tomato sandwich... She continued to say "I feel so bad for you...girl , You can't eat anything OMGGG"!!!

We went for the lantern festival. If you choose to go try to get your tickets around sunset! It's less crowded and makes for Greta photo ops. An excellent activity with babies. Don't skip the monkey display in the parking lot! Tickets are available for timed pre-purchase online. It makes check in 1000x easier. The animals won't be out. The wolves are available for viewing as is one bald eagle but the lanterns themselves shouldn't be missed. Our favorite displays were the crab (back left side) it had dry ice filled bubbles that the wee ones chased. Also the turtle display and the bears were amazing. There is a faux wisteria tunnel. Lots of tik-Tokers take over that spot. Remember everyone is there for the photos so be patient and respectful. It is a beautiful display but be ready to wait your turn. Took about 90 minutes to view the entire thing.

I love tigers, so I was so happy to spend a prolonged period of time observing one of those amazing creatures at the zoo. He was probably a bit vexed, but it was a rainy weekday and the zoo was really quiet. I ordered tickets online per the website instructions, but an FYI - you can't use a library pass online. I would call for instructions if you plan on using one. The zoo itself is pretty small and easy to navigate. The animals seem tolerant of their human guests. The tiger was absolutely adorable, but the wolves, fox, jaguar, monkeys, and all the other animals deserve their recognition as well. There is a small gift shop with souvenirs, although alas - no postcards.

I haven't been to the Beardsley Zoo in years. I went for the glow night, and it didn't disappoint. Plenty of photo ops, and spots to stop and rest if needed. Great for kids as it's long enough for them to get bored. Highly recommend for families.

This is a nice small zoo. My family has a membership and we renew it every year bc the kids love seeing the animals and is a nice little day trip. The zoo has been doing a lot of upgrades and make the zoo better. The light up event at night is also very nice. They did a good job with that.

The animals were certainly not "paired up" as the woman stated when we paid to get in. What I think were the leopards?? one black and the other spotted, were separate from each other , and so obviously very very stressed out. pacing back and forth, back and forth constantly ! I was so sad and also angry to see this. why is it that they can't make it better for these animals? Where were their mates? Their area pretty bare. I wish I had never went! I don't know what I was thinking . The bathroom was disgusting! smelled of strong urine yet my male friend said the male bathrooms were fine . which.. yes I walked into and there was no smell at all yet the ladies bathroom I almost gagged and had to hold my breath . never again. these poor animals! disgusted

Full disclosure, my rating may be a bit skewed on the experience vs cost ratio given that we went for free during a period when the state was covering admission. That said, the ticket prices aren't outrageous, though they are creeping up near the limit for what I'd probably be willing to pay for the amount of time spent there. All in all, the Beardsley Zoo is not big, but was bigger and had more types of animals than I had anticipated seeing given that I'd never heard of it. It doesn't consume all that much time, however, so it made for an excellent combination with going to grab some tasty New Haven pizza while in the area. Like others have said, it may not hold the attention of older children, but there's plenty to see for younger kids or other humans outside of the always disappointed, never impressed age range we all know, love and remember. Some of the indoor exhibits that we almost skipped also ended up being some of the best ones, though seeing a tiger up close outside was also a highlight. He was hanging out pretty close to the glass. Also saw leopards, bison, prairie dogs, many different owls and other birds, several types of primates, aardvarks, foxes, wolves, tortoises, crocodiles, fluorescent poison dart frogs, domesticated animals of course, and some others. The carousel was a nice indoor break from the heat as well.

Took advantage of the free admission promotion over the summer and came with our kids. It was very busy - obviously the promo worked. Not a place to come every summer, but certainly every few years it makes a great staycation activity.

I am a huge zoo fan and have visited zoos throughout the world. Those include the San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo, ZooAmerica, ZooMiami, Central Park Zoo, Philadelphia Zoo, Jerusalem Zoo, Tel Aviv Zoo and many more! I had business to handle in Middletown, Connecticut, but wanted to stop off at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo on my way back to Philadelphia. Particularly I wanted to do such because the Beardsley Zoo recently acquired Princess, an Andean condor, from the Philadelphia Zoo. I visited Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the zoo has taken steps to ensure safety such as requiring mask to be worn, social distancing enforced and all indoor exhibits temporarily closed. Coming in, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo has a nice plaza including plaza featuring a statue of the earth, American flags and a nearby garden! There is a main pathway that I took to explore the zoo, which proceeds past the Andean condor exhibit giving me a chance to see Princess. Other animals that I saw along the way included a leopard, a tiger, a giant anteater, prairie dogs, a barred owl, gray foxes, a variety of wolves and much more! The zookeepers were helpful and the woman at the zoo she was very nice! Altogether, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is a really nice, cute zoo with a nice amount of animals, friendly staff and in a quaint environment.

It was a nice way to spend the afternoon with a three year old. Bring a stroller since some of the path that walks you through the zoo is uphill. It's a small zoo, but good to bring kids.

This zoo is so tiny. At least it's free if you reserve online and in the area during the summer. That's the only reason why I decided to go because it is by reservation and free. They don't have a lot to see so don't expect to see what you'll see in the San Diego or Bronx Zoo as it isn't even half the size. If you enjoy bird watching they have tons of those. Some birds walk and fly around freely in the zoo too. The highlight of the zoo is the carousel and the little snack area with this ice cream that has multiple flavors.

So glad I made it back here. I had read that they were going through some rough times as COVID stopped most of their visitors and, as a non-profit, they rely on tourism to stay afloat. I hadn't been here in YEARS, and it was an awesome experience. The prairie dogs are definitely my favorite and while you can't use the observation windows right now, you can still get plenty close to them. I also appreciate how their enclosure are large enough for their animals to explore their habitat. As the animals are there because they wouldn't survive in the wild (usually because of injury or other reasons), I appreciate what they do to try to make the animals as adaptive to their environment as possible. It's wild to think there's a neighborhood literally steps from the entrance gate! Bring your family and help support this local attraction.

In Bridgeport, order tickets online even if you are a CT resident. Make sure to see the spider monkeys, prairie dogs and otters. We spent about 3 hours seeing the park, getting lunch and riding the carousel. Parking is a free-for-all, you may end up walking quite a while. We almost got smashed while someone tried to park.

Great for toddlers! It is a small zoo, but my 1.5 year old and I spent about 2 hours here. It was enough to keep him occupied and running around to the different animals. The animals they do have look very well taken care of. The carousel is a big plus and only $2 per ride. We've been both in the summer with free admission and then just recently took a trip there as well. Both times a good amount of the habitats were closed/ had no animals in them. That being said, once my child reaches over the free admission age then we will probably only come here in the summer when it's free for all because the prices are a little steep

It's a decent small zoo but the staff here is absolutely amazing. Every person who works here is super friendly and helpful with genuine enthusiasm for making this a spectacular experience for families. I can't say enough good things about this place.

We visited friends in CT this weekend and when my axolotl obsessed daughter discovered this zoo had 2. Since it was just 30 minutes from her friends house she insisted we take a trip! The axolotls took about 5 minutes to see, but were the highlight among our 8-10 year olds. Besides that our kids enjoyed walking around this tiny zoo to take pics of other animals, but definitely a lot smaller than some others we've frequented in Chicago, San Diego and beyond. Other highlights included carousel rides, which I thought our kids were too old for, but apparently not. And playing hide n seek and tag throughout the zoo. Unfortunately, this game resulted in a few scrapes and losing my 8 year old, but fortunately we found him pretty quickly due to the small size of this zoo. Phew. And the zoo staff was super helpful when it came to finding him. We left with lots of animal pics, 4 stuffed animals and the joy of seeing real live axolotls. While our kids are on the older side and still liked it, I think it would be a great spot to bring little ones to kill some time and enjoy the animals.

While visiting the area I was surprised to find a zoo, even better it's a small zoo. Our son is 4 and this zoo was just big enough for him. Before he started getting restless and just over it. I wish we checked out the carousel but it was a hot day and our son was just done. If you want a bigger zoo go over to the Bronx zoo, but with a toddler this was perfect.

On our way up the coast of CT, we stopped here. It's only about about hour from NYC amd very cute. Parking is free and exhibits kept us engaged. The prairie dog exhibit was one of the best -they are so cute and so many of them!! Sadly we never got to see a red panda, but all the other animals were out. Highly suggest going around 11am, as it was clear from the animals movements that it was almost ready for feeding time (pacing back and forth, etc). Also when we went, only the main cafe was open and the line was horrendously long, so be warned and pack snacks!!! They are building a new exhibit for a bear, so we may come again to see the new cub ;)

I thought this zoo was okay. It was on the smaller side and I don't remember exactly how much I paid but I believe it was less than $20 per ticket so it was an okay price as well. It was pretty clean, they had a decent amount of animals and exhibits but nothing wowed me. What I did really like is the fact that the magnets they sold had their own animals on them. A lot of times at zoos if you buy a magnet, it's a stock photo of whatever the animal is but these are actually their own animals which I liked! I wouldn't be back but if your in the area and enjoy zoos, I would give it a try.

This zoo was extremely depressing to visit even just for the small amount of time that I was there for the reason that the animals were clearly in distress. The habits of the animals were very small. In addition, I had noticed the actions of the animals which included the pacing back and fourth along the side of the fence or cage they were kept in.

This zoo badly needs to modernize. The chain link cages are small. The animals like the leopard and bears are pacing back and forth repetitively. Clearly, they're in distress. My entire party left the zoo feeling bad.

Great Zoo and are always improving and the new Anden Bear Exhibit is great and I have been visiting this Zoo since 2005 and it is the only AZA Accredited Zoo in the State of Connecticut.I look forward to see their expanded Tiger Exhibit called Tiger Forest for when they complete it in 2025.

Small zoo which houses a variety of animals who have been rescued due to injuries or mistreatment and cannot be returned to the wild. Great for children, families, adults. A wonderful way to spend an hour or two without being overwhelmed or exhausted. Head over to the adjacent Beardsley park afterwards for a picnic.

After being to many many zoos this one was very underwhelming. First of all the parking is brutal. Just navigating through the parking lot with cars everywhere is frustrating and parking is very limited. I had to park my car up a hill on the grass. Then the zoo itself is just ok. It's not overly large and the selection of animals is not the greatest. If you're local it's a decent zoo but a short drive to the Bronx zoo is so worth the time and effort.

We drove out of state early Easter morning . It was pretty empty. We were impressed how active and up close the animals were. It was a decent size zoo with a carousel . We roamed around for about 2 hours and picked up lunch at their peacock cafe. That's where they lost a star. Paid $11 for a chicken tender combo. Open the box to find 4 small chicken strips and a tiny handful of fries.

For a small zoo, I was pretty impressed with the variety of animals they had here especially the baby jaguars! The zoo is laid out really well with long, wide walkways wrapping in and out of beautiful scenery. I couldn't help but notice how peaceful the entire zoo was. I found myself getting lost in the surroundings, listening to the natural sounds of animals and forests. The entire zoo was extremely clean, not a single piece of trash / waste in sight. There was plenty of families with small children coming here for a nice daytime adventure who all seemed that they were very entertained from start to finish. All in all, I was glad I stopped by. If I lived in the area, I would absolutely buy a membership and frequent this zoo. It was a nice break from the everyday hustle and bustle.

Cool zoo in Bridgeport; very well maintained with a variety of animals that you won't see elsewhere (hello, tigers and prairie dogs!). Visited for free as part of the 2021 CT Museums - Kids Are Free Summer grant program (which runs through Labor Day). On a hot Friday in August they were doing a brisk business with social distancing enforced and limited admission. You're allowed to bring in your own food, saving you a ton of money, and their re-entry policy means you can leave your heavy bags and coolers in the car instead of lugging them around. Most of the exhibits were open with masks required inside buildings.

I agree with Loretta M. I think they did a great job putting measures in place for reopening. There are arrows to direct the flow of people throughout the zoo. Everyone is required to wear a mask and when we were there people were respectful, considerate, and understanding. Purchasing tickets online was pretty easy and the timing is more than enough to allow you to walk through. Unfortunately, some of the exhibits within enclosed buildings were closed. My nephew was still excited to see what he could though. It was the perfect amount of time and the right distance for a two and a half year old's legs and attention span. He had a lot of fun. The staff were absolutely fantastic. They were informative, patient, and helpful. The gift shop is closed, but they do have many of their items on display outside. Due to Covid they request that no one touch the items. You point or ask and they retrieve and bag it for you. You can imagine how hard an ask that is for kids. The two members at the stand were getting to everyone as fast as they could though and they did it with calmness and ease. The line was humongous, but they paid attention to every child in line when it was finally their turn.

I'd have to say it's definitely something to do if you have kiddos under 5. I'm not sure if older kids would have much to see or do here as it is really tiny and there isn't much to see. Either way it is something to do if you want to have some family bonding time.

Nice little zoo in CT. We took the kids here on a summer Friday. Hot August day. We bought tickets online and were checked in at the main gate. Due to Covid some of the exhibits are closed. Anything inside is off limits. Zoo is closed from 1230 to 1 every day for cleaning. Mask wearing is enforced. They do a good job in this respect. As for the animas the stars are the wolves and the cats. Have some amazing tigers. Sleek and powerful animals. They were quite active in the summer heat. It's not the biggest zoo so the selection is a bit small. But it is nice and manageable very accessible and totally walkable over largely flat terrain. You can get through everything in about two hours. They have an outdoor cafe with a variety of ice creams. This was a nice way to cap off the visit.

So it's open folks and it's something to do at a reasonable price. I was informed by the staff is actually open all year and the animals in the winter tend to come out more bc they have their own fur coats. The zoo could use the patronage due for covid19 to keep it running. Please be aware you need to buy tickets on line and they ask for your mane for the reservation at the entrance.

The zoo did an amazing job altering the way one visits during COVID. Visitors are forced one way and not allowed to touch glass. Only negative is a lot of exhibits were empty.

Ehhh. Very small zoo and with COVID it was even smaller. Best for small children. It was nice that it was not packed at all when we went-on a Thursday around 10am and was done and gone by 1pm. For less than $20 a ticket, it was worth it. Food was average, the zoo was clean and parking was easy and plentiful.

Fun day with the family at the zoo. It was clean and parking is really convenient and free. Best part was seeing the tiger and big cats up close. Kids loved the playground area and the really beautiful classic animal carousel. Photo booth in the merry-go-round area is a cool souvenir to take home. $7 and you get 3 photo strips with an animal theme of your choice. Arcade games as well in there plus the AC was a nice break from the heat outside. All staff was super friendly and helpful. Especially Clarissa in the food court. When me and my wife clearly had our hands full with the kids, she was so sweet and nicely brought us over our food and drinks to the table with napkins, utensils etc. told us lots of great info about the park and zoo. Animal enclosures were well maintained and it's really easy to see the animals up close. Koi pond was beautiful and the greenhouse and garden was a nice and unexpected bonus to zoo. It was so interesting to see all the different plants and flowers they grow. Lots of great photo ops for families. Totally manageable in one day if you get there early enough you can see everything. Very kid friendly and stroller access all around. Highly recommend this zoo for anyone with kids looking to have a nice day outdoors.