What a great park! We were driving through the area and I wanted our toddler to be able to get out…read moreand run around so we came here. It is a bit off the beaten path (unless you live in the area) but well worth searching for. There is plenty of parking. Upon walking in, you see many pavilions offering shade and areas to sit down and eat a picnic lunch. There are multiple playground areas on spongy rubber ground, with one for 2-5 year old kids and another for older kids. Of course, they can mix and match (with parental assistance). Swings, slides, jungle gyms, monkey bars, round-a-bouts.... nearly everything imaginable to keep them busy and safe. Everything seemed newish, as in built within the past couple of years. It all was in good condition. There were bathrooms nearby, but they were locked. Not sure when they are unlocked. I saw no drinking fountains available. Note: the address listed in Yelp was taken from their website and it is very near the park, but I would recommend going to the end of Lansing Street to find it easier.

This was my first time at Fort Rickey, and it was a perfect day! All of the animals were active,…read moreand it was so cool to see them up close. Our capybara-loving kid was over-the-moon to get to feed the capybaras, and I think a piece of me was healed after snuggling with baby goats. The admission prices were very reasonable, especially with so much to do. We could not have had a better experience, from the friendly bird who played with us when we checked in, to all of the animal presentations and encounters. You can tell the animals are well-taken care of and happy, and the employees are, too. We were really impressed with how knowledgeable the employees were, and how great they are with the kids and families. They explained all of the safety rules clearly, and they had great enthusiasm and patience. To top it off, our kids loved getting to play on the playground, in the play place, and on the massive trampoline. Pro tip: bring a little extra cash and quarters to get some extra food for some of the animals. Core memories were created for sure, and we hope to come back on our next visit.

The Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo is fucking AWESOME…read more We needed a place for a stopover with the kids to break up a long drive. We looked into activities in Utica and area, and someone suggested this place. We had no idea what to expect and pulling into the parking lot, were prepared to be underwhelmed. We were so wrong. Think your typical, big city zoo, and take away all the stuff you don't like, and add in more of the stuff that you do like. For example, make the size of the zoo manageable for kids to walk around. Instead of having 11,000 species of animals that most people don't care that much about, have a smaller place where you really get to be up close. Then add in more interaction - literally every 30 minutes there is something on the schedule for kids to go play with goats, or touch a porcupine. And then throw in a kids play area, and clean bathrooms! Skip the Utica Zoo and come here. 10/10 would recommend for families looking for a fun way to spend 3 or more hours of their day.

Absolutely great stop at Chittenango Falls State Park. Beautiful Scenery, Huge Waterfall and a nice…read moreshort hike around the falls. There is a $5 parking charge. Highly Recommend stopping if your in the area. Several other beautiful waterfalls and parks nearby as well. Love Beautiful Upstate New York !!

Cute NY State park with a beautiful and accessible falls overlook without strenuous hiking…read morerequired. However, I recommend a partial climb downward to a mid- overlook to view the entire falls without obstruction. Bathrooms, picnic tables, playgrounds are provided and relatively clean. Bring your own food/drink as their are no concessions.

This little gem of a county park has recently updated it's parking lot and trails, adding more…read moreparking, better access for wheelchair bound visitors, additional restrooms, as well as more outdoor seating. There is also a hall available for rent which seats about 50. The rental cost is lower for residents of Madison County. The entire park is designated as non-smoking. The distance from the main parking area to the falls is approximately 200 yards.

We were at a disadvantages as it looked like the main part of the park was undergoing construction…read more- we parked at what appears to be a new parking area, and hiked up a new or newly renovated trail (gravel with lots of steps) but were not really able to see much (we could hear it!) until we arrived at an observation area near the top of the falls - what we saw was gorgeous! I'm sure the 'money shot' of the falls is at the bottom tho' ;) Looks like the facilities will be great when they are completed - Will have to make our way back to check it out!

Was out for celebration 250 events including a craft fair. Love coming to Sylvan Beach was is a…read morequaint lakeside tourist town which tends to be more of a season based local. This is a lakeside beach community located on the Eastern shore of Lake Oneida. They have an amusement park and always seem to have lots of outdoor events. Walkable downtown area and a number of great restaurants.

Nice place to visit but you might regret buying a home there. You buy your home and land, you pay…read morethe taxes and you do the upkeep but you don't own it. THEY DO! If the "politicians" want something from you which is usually more money and you don't comply they simply refuse to give any permits to improve your property and home no matter how reasonable and exceptable. Everything you worked for will go to crap and they don't care if they don't get what they want (MONEY). Visiting Sylvan Beach NY might be fun for a vacation but buying a home there well.......you might seriously end up regretting that decision. If you do buy a home there, good luck.

This is not your large city zoo, it is small and 90% outdoors, so a snowy winter day not the best…read moreidea, haha. That being said for small children it's perfect, a nice walk, easy to see the exhibits. Personally I think the areas are too small for the animals and wouldn't visit again. Price point and membership options do make it affordable for families.

What a cute zoo! We were in town for the Boilermaker race and looking for other things to do. I'm…read moreglad we went because the animals at this zoo are obviously happy to see visitors. I had a Moment (big M) with the ostrich ladies who came right up to their fence and shared all their gossip. They even followed in parallel as my husband and I walked on the path. Well worth the visit, lots of parking, it can be sunny and hot in the summer so bring your water and wear your coral-safe sunscreen.

Conveniently located downtown Oneida, walking distance to everything. Dog and child friendly…read more Gazebo for use in the park.Size is small but enough room to take a stroll. Christmas decorations are adorable tree hanging Lollipops.

Looking for a time warp back to the 1960's? Sylvan Beach amusement park is for you. Looking for a…read moremodern, high-tech, well-kept spot? Move along as this isn't it. Thankfully for me and many others, the retro vibes are what we want and this place has it in spades! The roller coaster looks old and ready to buckle, but hey what's life without a little risk? The main arcade has skee-ball that is so old, there are no 100 pockets in the corners! I love it! Several games in the arcade are not working correctly, the staff knows it, but they are super friendly in spite of that. But the real reason to come to this amusement park is.... FASCINATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sylvan Beach is one of only five or six amusement parks left in the United States that still offer this PERFECT game which combines bingo, roll-a-ball derby, and skee-ball. Go watch a Youtube video or two on Fascination Bingo and you'll be as hooked as I am. Be the first to light up five slots in a row on your grid and win redemption tickets and bragging rights! They offer bonus tickets if you light a harder line (like the center row or the back row), or if you get a double or even triple bingo. There's room for 40 players, but half of the lanes don't work as these were constructed back in the early 1900s and are close to 100 years old - so if you don't snag a lane, watch a few rounds and jump onto one when someone gets up! 50 cents per game, can you beat the price? No, you can't. The two young ladies who operate the Fascination parlor are sassy and sweet, engaging to all guests young and old, roast you beautifully if your ball gets stuck, and genuinely love their job. Bring hydration to the Fascination Parlor - there is no air conditioning and you'll be jumping and celebrating your wins - it's a hot-yoga-esque workout! Sylvan Beach has a cute snack bar with reasonably priced food and ice cream, old-school midway games, an air-gun target shooting gallery, three arcades in total, bumper cars, bumper boats, and other fun things, but Fascination is why you want to go there, so enjoy it - I'll cry when this place closes and maybe I'll buy the lanes and open up my own parlor!

Our Vrbo is right across the street from this amusement park. And luckily it opened the weekend we…read moreare staying here. Opening night was Saturday. We rounded up our adult children and made them come with us to check out the park. To be honest, this amusement park is far from it's prime. I'm sure back in the day when it first opened, it probably was so much more exciting and fun. The amusement park looks really run down. Some of the game stands were looking pretty sad. There were a lot of arcade type spots, some were nice and some needed some tlc. There were a few of the rides that were open and operating. Some were still down. The roller-coaster gives you some butterflies while riding it but it's still very tiny. It's about 8 bucks for a very fast ride. So, you're really paying for the core memory of the ride and not the ride itself. I can see this joint being fun for kids and teens. They don't know any better. The bright lights and arcade games is exciting for them. For my older kids who are in their early 20's, we were able to distract them with a few games for some tickets but the interest didn't last long. For a smaller amusement park, it does it's job. It would be a fun date night just to walk the beach, share a fry bread and ride the roller coaster. I'm happy I got to check it out with my little family tonight. It wasn't the most exciting but we got to share time and create some memories together hanging out at the amusement park tonight.