This small zoo, open since 1992, evolved from one that was part of the 1964 World's Fair, the grounds of which became Flushing Meadows Park. While locals flock to the area for a wide variety of activities, many are unaware that this outpost operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society - also responsible for the facilities in Central and Prospect Parks - even exists. It's home to more than four hundred animals of some seventy species, all indigenous to North and South America, living in wild habitats fashioned after the Great Plains, the California coast, a Northeast forest, and the like. Among those on view are bison, mountain lions, sea lions, bald eagles, elk, and spectacled bears, endangered natives of the Andes. One of the most popular residents is Otis, a coyote rescued from Central Park in 1999. Of special note is the aviary, a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller. Considerably smaller, but a lot less crowded, than the Bronx Zoo, this is definitely worth a visit, especially in the autumn or spring. read more

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Located in Flushing-Corona Park, this zoo provides an excellent escape from what surrounds it. It is conveniently located off the LIE and other major highways in Queens as well as the 7 train. read more

Went to the zoo's annual Easter egg hunt, which they call Eggstravaganza or whatever. First off... CRAZY long line. I'm talking close to two hours in line. And of course, signage is lacking so you don't even know where the line starts, because there are different lines. One line to purchase tickets (HINT: buy online to skip this), a second line for members to get into the zoo, and then a third line for the egg hunt. You need to have purchased your tickets BEFORE getting in the egg hunt line. Cool, awesome, so now you got your tickets, you're in the right line... and then you wait your two hours and finally get to the front of the egg hunt line. You see zoo staff throwing hundreds of plastic eggs and your kids start to get excited. Then a staff member walks by and informs you and your kids that all the plastic eggs are EMPTY! The gig is that the kids run around collecting empty eggs for less than 5 minutes, and when they're done they get in ANOTHER line, to get out of the egg hunt. On the way out, you exchange all your empty eggs for 2, that's right 2 eggs which a staff member said are filled with "toys". Oh, and adults get two toy eggs too. Yay. Awesome. So by "toys" they refer to one small eraser, or one cheap plastic bracelet, or one plastic coin. Yeah that's it. Oh, and did I mention that the egg hunt is in the petting zoo section? So the whole "hunt" is done with the wonderful aroma of manure wafting over everything. If you can avoid this, please do. You're better off spending the money on buying your own plastic eggs and stuff your kids might actually like, and doing this somewhere else. Our friends came along, and their son changed his mind about the hunt, so they went to zoo instead. They saw almost the entire zoo while we waited for the egg disaster. Oh. And parking was pure madness. There was no parking in front of the zoo, or on ANY of the nearby streets. You're better of just paying to park at the Hall of Science. So plan to add another $10 to the trip for parking. NOTE: We are zoo members. We like this zoo. It's a good size for kids, because it's not too big. You can do most of the zoo, calmly, taking breaks, in less than three hours. We recommend the zoo! Go to the zoo!!! Just avoid it on Easter weekend. Avoid it on Easter at all costs. read more

My husband and I visited this zoo for the first time this past Sunday. We attempted to visit it over the summer but it appeared very busy and there weren't any parking spots left in the parking lot, so we decided not to stay. Also, it can be a little tricky to find using GPS...we went around in circles for maybe 10 minutes until we finally found it off of the Grand Central Pkwy. We had our choice of parking spots this time around, and the whole place to ourselves! We very much enjoyed the hour-ish that it took to walk through the zoo, and especially loved the petting zoo (we are in our mid to late 30s, though petting zoos never seem to grow old!). Unfortunately some of the areas within the petting zoo were roped off for what looked like flooding from the snow, but we still enjoyed feeding the big and small lambs, as well as the sheep. The little piggies were also adorable. Highly recommend for people of all ages, and as a fun and unique "date" spot! :) read more

I walked over to the Queens Zoo from Elmhurst on a hot day. Though the website states there is parking between 53rd and 54th Avenue, the parking lot was already full at 12:45 PM and the parking lot got crazier as I left the park at around 4:00 PM. so my advice to you is to get there early. Regardless of what time of the year it is, the zoo opens at 10:00 AM. On my way walking there, I can see the horses and some other animals at the petting zoo side so if you don't want to shell out the $7 adult price, children 3-12 $3 price, or the senior citizen 65+ $4 price, you can get a great partial view of the petting zoo behind the fence for free. When I went to buy tickets, the line was long. At first, I didn't understand why only one ticket booth was open, but they opened up another ticket booth a few minutes later, but that second booth was cash-only. There is an opportunity to buy a yearly adult membership for $25, but I figure since it was my first time, I'd pass and pay the regular price. It's only great if I go more than four times a year. Little did I know the souvenir shop was in the same house as the ticket booth, but it doesn't seem to be customer friendly, with no obvious way to go into the shop. I guess the door was at the side where we show our tickets, but I didn't go in because it looked cramped in there. On the other side was the location where party guests convene. Instead of tickets, I get one white and one yellow receipt on top of my regular credit card receipt (they accept all major credit cards.) The white one was for the main entrance to the zoo while the yellow one is for the petting zoo. They take the ticket permanently so be careful about reentering the zoo because you probably can't. After I go in, I see many people leave their scooters and bikes at the fence entrance to be picked up later since it wasn't allowed in the zoo. Just like Target or the Lefrak Queens library, the zoo is in a circular formation. It's all on the easily-identifiable map, which is included with a decoder card, which had a red, plastic window to look at secret signs located at various points in the zoo. There's a coupon at the back of the map for the Bronx zoo, $4 dollars off, in case you're interested. They have sea lion feedings at 11:15, 2:00, and 4:00pm. People crowd around at this time, even climbing rocks and such to get a view, so it's hard to find a good spot. The whole feeding lasts less than ten minutes where three zoo feeders command the three sea lions to do tricks such as waving, turning, jumping up to hit a scrub stick while they feed them. It wasn't as entertaining as the N.Y. aquarium show because the feeders don't talk at all. When I visited the discovery center, all the doors were closed so I don't know what that place is for besides the free nature walk that was happening at the time, which I missed because I thought I was suppose to meet at the main entrance. Also in the discovery center were vending machines, not food courts. Three out of the nine vending machines were out of order, especially the ice cream ones. Other items include soda, juice, which were $2.25 a bottle, coffee, and instant snacks, sandwiches, soups, etc. There is a microwave and basic plastic and paper plates for anyone who buys instant food. The majority of the zoo goers bring their own food because of all the kids they were bringing. To a kid, this place is amazing. Every kid, who wasn't big enough to see over the top rail, climbed the rails to get a better look or asked their parents to lift them up. I won't go too detailed on the exhibits, but I loved the aviary section, where I walked up a spiral to get to the top of the dome with a great view and then spiral back down. I saw parakeets which lived in pairs, which is so romantic. I even bought a parakeet souvenir penny, the one where you put 51 cents and turn the wheel to squash up the penny into a souvenir. I didn't see any alligators as it was a seasonal exhibit. I also loved the smallest deer exhibit. The rest of the zoo is pure enjoyment. Across the zoo was the petting zoo where it costs 50 cents to buy some animal feed from a dispenser and hand sanitizers at almost every corner. I'm sure parents spent a lot of money here for their kids. For free animal feed, I randomly picked some feed up that was dropped by others and fed the sheeps, goats, etc that way. I can't really feed the other animals such as the pigs, donkey, horses, and rabbits, who were closed off and at a distance. I was disappointed with the rabbits exhibit because I always assumed we can hold them and touch them, but we can't. The rabbits didn't do much but eat and sleep like cats. I like the fact that in this zoo, there are certain benches where we can sit and rest. I wouldn't have made it through the whole thing without sitting since I walked all the way there. So, for cheap entertainment, come see the Queens Zoo. read more

The queens zoo is average. It's small, but it's good if you need to kill time. You can probably walk through it in an hour.

I came here with my boyfriend and our nephew to enjoy a day together. We came on a Tuesday and the zoo was very crowded with school field trips. We still managed to find parking and the parking is free! Before you enter the zoo, there is the forest fantasy park with the carousel and few other rides for children. My nephew enjoyed the carousel and the car ride. The staff were so friendly and helpful. They made our experience a great one. We then enter the zoo which was quite economical. We paid $8 for adults and i believe $3 for children. We saw a variety of animals from birds, elk, bison, puma, coyotes, pudu, bears, sea lions and some animals that were similar to boars. It is not as big as bronx zoo but has the right amount of stuff to see for little kids. My nephew is 4 years old so it was perfect for him. We also went to the petting zoo which my nephew loved! They had goats, rabbits, llamas, sheep and cows. They also had food for the animals which $0.25 for a handful of food. The employee who worked there gave some of her feed she had to my nephew so he can feed the animals which made our day. He was so happy and so was I! The only thing I did not like was the cafe. I wish they had more options and fresh food. Other than that, it was a great experience. Thank you Queens Zoo staff! read more

I love this zoo; it's small but fun. The hot summer day I went there was a a group of Jewish summer campers so all day a ton of tiny Jews that ran around me and my girlfriends in circles. We took my friends niece and nephew, 10 and 5. They had a blast. We saw this goat that made a sound that literally sounded just like a man; it was comical. It's a cute spot whether your young or old especially if your animal lover like me. It's about a 5 minute walk from the 7 train so the travel is convenient as well. read more

This was my first time here since I was a kid! I loved it here! It was a perfect morning trip to do with my little toddler for a Sunday. You can pack a picnic and eat lunch here and when you're done feeding the goats and checking out the birds there is also a carousel and some cute carnival games you can play on your way out of the park! read more

Cute small zoo , there's space to do more which in the future I hope they spruce it up a bit and add more animals . Cafe could improve as well ... no hot food just pre packed sandwiches . They should add something simple and serve fries , chicken tenders and pizza . Not asking for much I feel that'll be a great improvement and generate money . read more

Great little zoo for fair price. Make sure you bring quarters for the petting zoo. Also the vending machine kiosks are being slowly replaced by a cafe with new better lunch options. read more

Great Zoo!! Its not very big, but it is well laid out, and the whole zoo is shaded. The structure with the birds is amazing.

This is the best zoo ever!!! I went here with my daughter, sister, brother in law, and nephew. It was small and you can see most of the animals within a day. It is a great zoo. Good Things - You can see the animals close up - There is a petting zoo - you can feed the animals - you can get through most of it In a day Bad Things - Bring your own lunch, if not you have to buy from vending machines - when we went souvenir shops were closed Animals - Andean Bear Super cool - American Bison nice - California Sea Lion best animal they talked to us - Pronghorn didn't see - Puma didn't see - Thick Billed Parrots You saw from a window inside a hut pretty colors - American Alligator Seasonal Didn't See -Bald Eagle didn't see -Goats were hungry we fed them - rabbits were not there - cows BIG - pigs heard them did not see them - sheep were hungry too This is a great zoo!!!!! I recommend for everyone!!! read more

Fantastic little zoo. Clean and easy to navigate. The habitats are lovely and there's even a small playground. Can't wait to go back and check out the petting zoo next time. read more

I love this zoo because it was the first zoo I came to as a kid with my father, Brother and sister and while it may not be as big as the Bronx and Central Park zoo, it still has plenty of room to explore the trails to different animals and seeing how their habitat is like there and I like it. First zoo I've ever stumbled in the world and in New York! It's family-friendly and I highly recommend that you could even bring a stranger whether family or not to the zoo and I guarantee y'all will love it! read more

The Queens Zoo is awesome, go there, the end. Just kidding, not really the end, but it is seriously a great little zoo. Not having a car and living in Queens, we take the 7 train to Mets Stadium and have a nice little jaunt across the "boardwalk" through Flushing Meadow Corona Park (also a lovely park), past the globe and the Art Museum, to get there. I believe there is parking nearby, but won't swear to it. The zoo itself is small, it usually takes my boyfriend and I an hour or so to walk through in its entirety, and it is a lovely walk. Not generally crowded and with some nice animals and a particularly nice Aviary (and a petting zoo too!), I highly recommend a visit. I believe tickets are in the $8 range. Moreover, if you live in the city and love the zoos (and aquarium), I very strongly recommend getting a membership. Being a non-NYC-native and a true lover of zoos (it's a park, but with animals!), I have the Family Premium Pass. This gets myself and my boyfriend into any of the zoos in the city (and the aquarium). For. Free. Along with one adult guest and any number of children (we have a lot of visitors). For. Free. It cost less than $200 and has truly more than paid for itself every year that we have bought it. If you go to the Bronx Zoo once in a year it pays for itself. The pass gives us the freedom to wander through the Queens Zoo (which happens to be the closest to us) any weekend that we desire, and trust me, we do. And it's at least partially tax deductible, what else is there?! I promise, I don't work for the Wildlife Conservation Society, I just love a bargain and I truly love the zoo. read more

A great way to spend about an hour and a half. It's obviously smaller than the Bronx Zoo, but that means there's less walking, and parking is easier (and free!). Petting zoo is nice, too. It's definitely a worthwhile stop if you're in the area. The staff was incredibly friendly and enthusiastic. read more

This is a small zoo that everyone should check out if you're in the area. While it is smaller than other zoos, it still offers quite a lot of attractions. It's very noisy most of the time, so it's a great place to bring a kid. read more

This is the sweetest zoo I've ever been too. It was spacious and clean and the animals were gorgeous and seemed well looked after. There was a nice area with seating where people can stop and eat. They are great about allowing schools to come for trips. There was a lot of parking available and, of course there was a gift shop (a little on the pricey side). The bird house was simply beautiful with the birds flying free. I was lucky enough to go on a beautiful day so all the animals were out sunbathing and I got some great photos of them, which I will be sharing here! Take a trip to the Queens zoo! You will not be disappointed! read more

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We brought our daughter here on Saturday to check out the Queens Zoo since it is pretty close to us and not as expensive as the Bronx Zoo. For $8/adult ticket price, it's not bad but this zoo is much smaller in comparison to Central Park and Bronx for sure. It was a nice day out and our first time here as a family so I didn't know what to expect from here. The zoo trail is a circular shape so you'll be able to see a few kinds of animals from leopards, buffaloes, pigs and birds. Not nearly as many exhibits but I think it was just enough for our daughter since she wouldn't be able to handle a whole day trip. We also saw the water exhibit that included the sea otters. I think it was probably my daughter's favorite part of the zoo since the sea otters were very loud and attention grabbing as other kids flocked over to see as well. They have a small resting area by the sea otter exhibit with snacks, drinks and ice cream vending machines but a bit overpriced. You can bring your own lunch here so that's the better option since the only hot food I saw being served was hot dogs. The good thing about this zoo is that it's connected to Flushing Meadow Park and we also saw a carousel kids can enjoy as well. I think we'll try to come back again and take advantage of the park and maybe the carousel. It's a simple yet fun day for us to enjoy a few hours before heading on with your other day activities. read more

Bathrooms are way in the back, so make sure you use them when you pass them because its one and done.

This zoo is definitely really cute and accessible and worth going to. In the middle of the park with fields and greens all around, and the tennis and baseball stadiums nearby, the Zoo is in a nice location, with plenty of parking and affordable admission rates. And while it's clearly no Bronx Zoo, there are tons of great animals to see and you don't feel like it's a second rate experience at all. Tons of kiddies around, running and screaming and having fun. There's time to check out the whole thing in a few hours. read more

Beautiful quaint zoo with a unique setting and relaxing atmosphere and some exotic animals. Have been there several times before and will go again soon! read more

It's about a 10 minute walk from the Q23 bus stop, which was totally doable. It's a great zoo, easy to get around (it's not the Bronx zoo by any means!), also has a petting zoo. It's located in Flushing Meadows Park, so you can basically plan a great couple of hours there with a picnic in the park as well. There's a little amusement park right by the zoo, with a carousel (!!), a little roller coaster, a choo choo train ride, and one or two other rides as well. Fantastic for a family day out in Queens. read more

Free Parking! Family friendly. Significantly less crowded than Central Park Zoo. Well maintained petting zoo. Hand gel stations missing product - had to use BR. Zoo itself is small with not the greatest selection of animals, but for it's location and adjacent park and carousel/kids rides, it's worth the trip. Adjacent, but not related to the Zoo is a small overpriced kids amusement park. Carousel ride for a 5 year old is $6!!!, as an accompanying adult has to pay. Managements rationale for this ripoff: "we have a lot of young people that come for 'date night'". Ok, charge them $3 each and give families a break. This is price gouging, plain and simple. read more

Good-sized zoo that can be finished in about two hours or less. I liked the snowy owl exhibit, aviary, and the petting zoo... cute sea lion feeding show as well. For $8 each to get in, this is a great place to take your family to see some nice animals. I would recommend bringing some food in case you want to sit down and eat. There is a food court type area but it's full of vending machine food. I got hot and thirsty there and was craving something else besides dipping dots or microwaveable pizza. Overall though, cute and accessible zoo in Queens. Admission gets you a discount for the bigger Bronx zoo as well... score! read more

This Zoo is only a step above Central Park Zoo, but not as good as Bronx Zoo. It has maybe 10 animals. It's in a nice area and has a petting Zoo. It's cheaper than the Central Park Zoo too. If you're out with your family catching a game at Citifield then hop on over and check out where the Worlds Fair was, the Planetary Fountain and the Zoo. If this is your whole reason for coming to Queens...skip it. read more

It's a great place to go for a date and definitely must be nice to take the kids. It's small and you can't lose track of them! Try to go on a weekday, you can roam peacefully and see everything! read more

A small but surprisingly fun zoo in Queens. The aviary is amazingly fun, and filled with loud parrots!

Came here several times. There are two parts for this zoo. One of them is in a loop where you can only walk in one direction. Another part is similar to a farm. read more

Little is good. This neat little museum has a small enough amount of stuff so that you don't get overwhelmed and exhausted in seeing everything. They have a aviary you can walk into. They have a petting zoo. And it's right next to Flushing Meadows Park, you can play in the park afterward. A great place. read more

For 8 bucks an adult it's an inexpensive great way to spend the day. Great zoo! Catch the sea lion feeding.

If you live in the area and looking for a quick outing, this is a small zoo with a petting zoo located adjacent to it. Its cute for small children, but I wouldn't go ou of my way to get here read more

Even tho I am a local, this was my first time at the Queens zoo. I loved it! I went early in the morning. A little after opening so there wasn't many people there. It was better than expected. They have tons of fun animals, a little cafe area where you can eat, an Aviary trial with all kinds of birds. We got to watch the sea lions being fed. But The petting zoo was my absolute fav. Next time I'll bring more quarters for the little feeding machines. My daughter & me took a carousel ride after. So awesome. read more

Thank you for keeping it open for us, my kid came to NYC for the first time last year & had a small gift to show him " a zoo " ! He loved it , as a animal lover myself always wanted to get here and do something & we enjoyed the last few hours.Bears , tigers , birds & seal feeding very nice to watch. They also have a small cafeteria & vending machines if it's close.Was fun , fun , fun day ! A go go place for kiddo and feel the urban difference. Xoxo read more

It isn't as big as other zoos but it's still a great zoo. They have some unique animals for a zoo in Queens. If you are looking for a small quick getaway and you live in or around Queens, give this a shot. Besides, it's only 8$ to get in. read more

This zoo is small but turned out great for us with our our toddler granddaughter. The admission fee of $8 per adult is reasonable, the total walking distance of about a mile is very manageable, and there are just enough animal exhibits to keep things interesting. The aviary was very good to see some birds including storks and colorful parrots from up close in a natural setting. The petting zoo (interactive section) was the best way to end our visit, which took an hour and a half in all. Not much to eat inside the zoo except from somewhat pricey vending machines though seating was ample. But right next sharing the same parking area is a good park for play and picnics. And also adjoining the zoo is a small amusement park with pay rides that bigger children and even adults may enjoy. For first time visitors the signs at park entrance directing you to the zoo could be better, though there's a map and plenty of people around to ask. The free parking is tight so you may need to wait on weekends or use paid street parking close by. read more

I love the fact that you can get through this place within an hour! The petting zoo was too cute. Great price if you are looking for something to do but not willing to go broke! read more

Don't let it's size fool you, it's a wonderful zoo in the middle of Flushing Meadow Park, abundant in animals for its size and there's also a neat little petting zoo next to it. A group of Buffalos and a Bald Eagle in the Middle of New York City is very interesting read more

This place is part of the entertainment area of queens. Great small zoo. The best part is the petting zoo. Our kids love it. Also high on our list the aviary and so is the jungle gym area. We prefer it to the Bronx zoo, as it is more walkable, less expensive and less crowded. Its a BYOF kinda place with nothing but ice-cream vending machines and one cafeteria with few offerings behind the petting zoo. Our favorite time to go is fall, still pleasant and lovely folliage, less crowds and plenty of holiday events -- like the Boo at the Zoo. read more