Lovely small zoo. I appreciate that it is appropriately-priced given its size. ($10 for adults and $6 children)...for reference the Bronx Zoo, which is MUCH bigger charges about $38 for adults and $28 for children. The main parking lot (free) is along Clove Road but there is also lots of free street parking along Broadway, if you are coming from that direction. There is also an entrance gate on Broadway for easy access. It was fairly empty on a Sunday late morning. There are a few animals to see along the outside area but the large indoor area is where most of the animals are. The zoo is well-maintained. There is a small cafe and gift shop. Again...both are reasonably priced...$3 for bottled drinks, $3 popcorn, $3 hot dogs, $6.50 hamburger...much cheaper than the average NYC venue/attraction prices. All staff we encountered (the gate, gift shop and cafe) were very nice. Although it was nice, due to its size, don't plan on spending more than an hour or two there...work in some other nearby attractions/eateries to complete the day. read more

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I dislike leaving vague reviews but when workers are not courteous toward a small child for a paid service despite there still being time before said service closes, it can leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth. Also, at one point the girl with the short hair was yelling at me telling me not to feed the ponies. Perhaps that why she acted the way she did toward me in the end. Let me set the record straight. I had no food, neither did my 2 year old. It was the family standing next to us, but she was looking directly as us while yelling. Make it make sense. :) read more

The staff was super helpful and knowledgeable, which was a bright spot. The rest of the visit was tough to watch. The leopard enclosure was small, offered no stimulation. The leopard was pacing back and forth constantly, in distress. A staff member said it's been doing this for over 8 years. The Sonoran Desert exhibit had the same issue: a roadrunner crammed in with armadillos, the bearded lizard and a tortoise, pacing endlessly. These animals deserve better living conditions. I hope the zoo can SERIOUSLY revisit enclosure sizes and enrichment programs. The staff clearly cares & I wouldn't mind paying 3-4x the price of admission to see that. read more

Staten Island Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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What a hidden gem! A quick hop over the bayonne bridge and we were there. Easy, free, abundant parking. Got there as soon as they opened and we were the only ones for a bit! Did not get crowded at all. My two year old son loved it. We spent 2 hours there and had a blast visiting all the animals and running around. Kids under 3 are free! Def. Recommend! read more

Staten Island Zoo - Getting up close to the frogs! - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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Reasonably priced and free parking. It has a surprisingly excellent reptile and amphibian exhibit and aquarium. Plus a rare capybara, many exotic animals, aviary, peacock and Amur leopard. Well worth visiting while in Staten Island. read more

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What a cute zoo! If youre looking for cool animals (including a capybara), you must visit!! The staff is super friendly and really nice exhibits! You can do the entire zoo in under 2 hours, but, its still great just to hang around and feed the animals! Must see read more

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This is a small zoo, meaning smaller spaces for the animals. Most of their animals are rescued and their staff members are super kind. It is very cheap and definitely a great use of space. Chuck the groundhog (the one used to supposedly predict an early or late spring) belongs to the zoo and is open for visitors to see! They have different buildings for different animals that live in different places with different climates. I was a little concerned when I noticed that their axolotl was more of a brown-ish tone which usually means that it is not being cared for correctly and is not receiving enough care or attention. The axolotl has a very small tank which is visibly dirty, creating an unsafe living environment for the amphibian, living spaces for other animal species that live underwater, in tanks also have these issues. During Halloween they offer a spooky experience which is AWESOME! I would definitely recommend it for kids! I would recommend visiting this zoo, while it is overall enjoyable, but it could definitely use some improvements. read more

Staten Island Zoo - Not my pic - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

Honestly I was happy to go to a zoo but after being here I left depressed and crying. I saw the leopard literally doing laps back and forth because it had no where to go and no one to hangout with. We as a society shouldn't be spending money to contribute to animals depression. These animals deserve so much better than this. If there were more leopards with it than it would be different but the closure was so small and they were all alone. Very sad to see and I'm I spent money on this company. Also toilet seats were gross? Had permanent stains on it. Sorry for the negative review but someone needs to say something. read more

Staten Island Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

This place was fun for a few hours on a Friday afternoon. Prices are decent and they do honor military discount and since there weren't that many people there we got to stroll and take our time. Kind of sad that I didn't get to see any otters, but the leopard was a nice touch. You can easily walk around this whole zoo in about two hours and reap it and stop under the pavilion and have lunch. I would definitely take my nephews here if we needed something to do. read more

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I love Staten Island zoo Spooktacular I'll go every year for Halloween I love the shows and dance party. Games. read more

Staten Island Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

This is an amazing zoo for little kids. It's not overwhelming in size and has great "rest stop" areas. We come here often and had family gift us the membership. Great program for world oceans day! We met a penguin! read more

Staten Island Zoo - Resident friendly peacocks. - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

The Staten Island Zoo is a small zoo, and I think the key to having a good experience is setting the right expectations. We visited over spring break, and thankfully the crowds weren't terrible since we arrived before noon. I hadn't been there in decades, but it didn't look like much had changed. You're not going to find some of the bigger animals there, like elephants or lions, but there is some variety and both indoor and outdoor exhibits. It's a nice way to spend a couple of hours, and it's probably better for younger children (who have shorter attention spans anyway) than a group of adults. I do wish there were an option to buy tickets for the Kids Korral (the petting zoo area) somewhere other than the ticket booth at the entrance though. Little kids change their minds all the time, and mine was adamant that he did not want to pet any animals when we got there. When we finally made our way over to the Korral area, he did want to go in, but the line at the entrance was at least 20 people deep so we couldn't go get the entrance ticket then, plus I'm not sure how we'd even prove that was all we wanted since there were no physical tickets or receipts when we paid our original entrance fee. The carousel lets you pay when you get there, so I'm not sure why the Korral is different. Last thing - make sure to bring cash and some change! The carousel was $3 cash per ride, and you need coins to get food to feed the animals. The front ticket booth takes credit cards, but bring cash for the rest. read more

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Who would have thought this zoo was so great? No offense didn't think it would be as great as it was being in Staten Island. I actually liked it more than prospect park zoo. There was a little bit of everything. Plenty of animals and all the animals were visible. I like how affordable it was. The Bronx zoo is more expensive and bigger but you still don't get to see as many animals as you do here. read more

Really nice zoo! Never expected Staten to have such a great zoo and only for $10. The staffs are super attentive and always there to answer your questions. The animals look very happy and the staff gives them good care. Definitely recommend! They have sloths and capybaras!!! read more

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It was a good thing that my family and I came to the zoo on Wednesday when it was free. I don't think it was worth the 10$ for when you do have to pay for admission. I nearly walked out the whole zoo within 20 minutes or so . I thought they were going to be more animals to see there. I would try and go on a Wednesday and leave a donation. Other than that, there are other zoos that probably offer way more things to do. read more

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Recently visited the zoo and had a great time. Small but nice time. Not many animals outside. Several buildings inside showing insects, reptiles, monkeys, snakes, bats. There is an animal carousel . Gift shop is small and fairly over priced. $18 for small stuffed animal. Nice day out. Took about an hour n half to see everything. Free parking across the street was nice. read more

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I haven't been to the Staten Island Zoo since small kid time but had the chance to visit again this past April with my niece and parents while she was on spring break. Though small, this zoo packs a pretty good punch offering reasonably priced admission and concessions, play areas, a carousel, a petting zoo and well-done exhibits and lots of cute animals. Although this zoo may lack the "ooohs and ahhhs" of larger zoos, it's a perfect place to spend a day. read more

Our son's very first public outing was to the Staten Island Zoo this past weekend! For those that are still being very COVID conscience, there are hand sanitizing stations all over, picnic tables are properly spaced apart, and there are signs and even PA announcements every few minutes reminding everyone to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. I would say about maybe 50% of the patrons that visited actually even had a mask, whereas some didn't even bother carrying one, despite the apparent visual reminders everywhere. Overlooking that notion, I can say that yes, we did feel the Zoo made their very best effort to make this as safe an experience as possible, and we as parents felt pretty safe as well. My son, who is now 13 months, loved the peacocks that followed us around as we walked, and he loved the crocodile exhibit, which I found to be pretty interesting. We loved how we were able to see most of the animals being fed, since we arrived at 11AM for the day. The exhibits had plenty of information to read aloud to our son, and the animals themselves were pretty visible in their habitats. For two hours, there was a good deal of visual stimulation from watching the bats fly, to the fish swimming all about, to the lemurs cuddling with their friends. This zoo is a wonderful introduction to the wide world of animals, and gives you lots of great photo opportunities as well! Next time, we hope to opt into the carousel, since this time a children's birthday party was going on, and we didn't want to risk anything. We will have many more visits back here in the future, I am sure! read more

Affordable and always worth the trip , both with family or alone . My favorite are always the flightless birds .

This small, cute little zoo is the perfect activity!!! It's so cute and adorable, and on Wednesdays it is free for admission (although the petting zoo, etc., will obviously still cost $) I had an amazing time with my family-- we went to the petting zoo and the sheep and goats are SUCH CUTE ANGELS and really enjoyed being petted and brushed. So so cute. This zoo is so perfect for a nice day out! read more

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I feel bad about the low rating because the staff seemed alright. It's just that this zoo was depressing, even for zoos. The worst part was the very small enclosure for the leopard, which was pacing back and forth in a sign of poor mental health. Visitors were leaning over railings and hitting the glass of enclosures to try to get a reaction out of the animals. I generally would not recommend. read more

This is an average zoo. Not a ton of different animals but enough to keep you busy for a few hours. You are not allowed to feed animals. The parking lot is outside the zoo across the street, kind of odd, but it's free. There is a petting section for an extra fee - few bucks. There really isn't much in the area walkable from the zoo for food or something, probably need to drive. read more

I have been coming to this Zoo since I was a kid & have such great memories of coming here with my Family. In recent years I visit at least once a year with my 88 year old Grandmother, she loves animals and to just get her out of the house this is a great escape. We visited this past Monday (normally love to take advantage of the free admission on Wednesdays but for schedule convenience a Wednesday did not work out), however I did not mind paying the ticket fees! ($10 for adults, $7 for seniors), especially to know it goes towards keeping up with the Zoo and animals. When arriving I noticed the Broadway entrance is temporarily closed for the public, only open for delivery's. This was an inconvenience in my case because I usually start off the walk with my Grandmother through the back entrance and end towards Broadway, then I can get my car to pick her up (it's harder for her to walk and get around), other then this inconvenience we had a great time! We viewed the outdoor animals (loved the kangaroos), & some of the indoor animals as well, especially the aquarium. The animal areas seemed a bit sparse but maybe it is because of the season. Hoping this Zoo stays consistent with upkeep or animals, it really is a great place to visit on the Island. Thank you Staten Island Zoo for providing a great outlet to many, especially children & seniors. Viewings of animals goes a long way to make someone's day :) read more

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Came here to see the newborn sloth which was a nice experience, but a lot of the animals were in cages that were too small or didn't get ample natural light. With the sprawling space they have here, you'd think they would make better accommodations for the animals. read more

If you are looking for a large scale zoo go to the Bronx Zoo. This is very small and can easily be walked in 2 hours. My kids love the children's zoo and kiddie corral (where they can go into a fenced area and pet/feed the goats and alpaca...for a small fee and only in the warmer weather). This is a great zoo especially on very cold or very hot days because there are a lot of indoor exhibits. Parking is free either in the lot across from the Clove Rd entrance or on the street near the Broadway Ave entrance. The cafe isn't the best...go to McDonalds down Broadway or any of the restaurants on Forest Ave. This zoo has had some really great upgrades throughout the years and the animal enclosures have been greatly improved. Can't wait until they open the new aquarium. Many of the zookeepers have been there for years and you can tell are very attached to their animals. Take the time to talk to them and you can really learn a lot. I may be a little biased being from SI but this is my favorite zoo in the NY area. If you live close by the summer camp is a lot of fun for younger kids and very reasonably priced. The family membership is worth the price. This zoo is AZA accredited so you get into other AZA zoos for free or discounted admission. There are a few zoos nearby that accept their membership card, like the TurtleBack Zoo. You also get discounts and early ticket buying access to their special events. read more

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Chaperoned my daughter's class trip today, I'm so glad the rain came pouring in last night to cut through the humidity. It was pretty quiet, we were the only school visiting the zoo today. Not a whole lot to see, but enough for these preschoolers to go crazy for a couple of hours. We were able to see a bunch of peacocks roaming around freely throughout the zoo, some farm animals, small exhibits including monkeys, a leopard, and a variety of reptiles, surprisingly the snakes were the kids' favorite? There were adorable props and sculptures for photos along the way, which we stayed forever and ever trying to get a perfect shot of all the classmates looking (almost had it...). Nice picnic area for lunch or a break, restrooms were conveniently there wherever we went. The zoo itself looked very clean, too bad we didn't really see any staff walking around/inside exhibits, the kids had lots of questions us parents did not know how to answer. read more

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Great zoo!! Came here with our toddler and greatly enjoyed it! Free parking with entrance to the zoo on Clove Road (if you put in the zoo on the GPS it takes you to the back entrance that is only for deliveries, you can then walk around to the main entrance in 3 minutes) and only $10/ticket! We also bought the $3 add-on to pet and brush the sheep and goats and the $3 carousel ride, which we went on twice! The carousel is very beautiful with bright colored animals and well- kept. There is no option to really feed animals (out of your hand). You can purchase some animal food at the quarter machines and toss it down a tube to feed the pig. There are many animals to see as well as birds and fish. It took us almost 2 hours to see everything and not rush. Unfortunately the gift shop and cafe were closed today. read more

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I recently visited the Staten Island Zoo for an awareness day for 22Q. I arrived at the zoo at about 11:30 AM, and the parking lot was full. I ended up parking in the neighborhood across the street from the zoo. Entrance to the zoo was very cheap- only $8 for adults, kids receive a discounted price. There was a big map located at the entrance. Sadly, this zoo does not have any map brochures for you to take, luckily the zoo is small and easy to navigate. Even though the parking lot was full, the zoo was not very crowded, which made for a good experience. There is a central building that has a variety of animals, birds, monkeys, snakes, fish, and so on. It surprised me how many reptiles they had. When I was there some of the zoo keepers were walking around with animals you could pet. This building is where the bathrooms are as well. A few peacocks wonder the grounds, and you can get pretty close to them. They also have a small petting zoo for children. You can pet lamas, sheep, goats, and cows. You can buy animal feed for $0.50 a handful. The leopard exhibit was really cool, the highlight of my trip. You are able to walk all around the exhibit and get pretty close to the animals. I would suggest bringing your own food. They do have a small food place here- but it didn't seem super clean. They have a few good seating areas that would be perfect for a picnic lunch. The zoo wasn't huge, but there was plenty to look at. It took me about 2 hours to see everything, I did take my time. Great for half a day trip if you are in the area. read more

Staten Island Zoo - Best exhibit- able to get very close - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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An unexpected good time here! Lots of really cool exhibits including bats! We had a great time exploring and it took about 2 hours. Social distancing, sanitizing enforced and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Will be back soon!! read more

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Used to come here as a kid. My sister attended summer camp here as a kid and she had so much fun. When my niece was born we started coming back here again and it's been amazing to have a place to go during covid where you can spend time outdoors w/o crowds. It's a humble zoo w/ some indoor and outdoor exhibits. Lots to see actually. Nice walkable grounds. A lot of room for kids to run around and some play areas. A cafe that's open during covid - you can eat at outdoor picnic tables. And a cute gift shop. The employees are always so nice. I want to really give a shout out to Laurie and Jess in the education dept who helped me plan a birthday party for my niece who has food allergies. They were really generous, kind, and understanding about making exceptions for us. The zoo is not greedy and understands it's about making kids happy. During covid, you buy timed tickets so it's not crowded. Huge parking lot across the st. If you are going to uber or put directions into maps, put in the address for the SI Zoo parking lot because the entrance to the zoo address isn't open. read more

This was my first time here having missed going with my friends because I was doing a race at the time. This is a small one that can probably be done in a hour. The petting zoo for kids was closed due to coved. The Mimi store that also has the food was open but only to order food. You order on one side and pick up on other side. Bathrooms were clean. Now you have to have a reservation to get in even if you go on the free day. Some animals were outside. Bring bug spray cause their was something biting me near the reptile. When I got home I had eight marks on me. read more

Pretty cute zoo that has what the zoo requires and very educational for kids. I thought it was decent for a local zoo. Animals were very cute! The zoo was maintained pretty well but I wish they had better cafe/food station and souvenir shop. Not much options there. This place makes a good weekend activity. read more

Staten Island Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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This is such a cute small zoo. I was surprised with the amount of animals that were there. There was a lot of exotic animals. I like that there was animals outside and inside. We came here on a chilly day so it was nice to go inside and get some warmth. There were plenty of areas to sit and eat outside. There was also a good amount of bathrooms. I like that I saw plenty of workers around if we needed them. I loved the kangaroo and leapard exhibits as well as the reptiles. I like that the kids were able to touch some of the reptiles with the people who work there. In the aquarium area we were able to touch shells and seahorses. I loved it and the kids loved it. read more

We've been to the BX Zoo, Queens Zoo, & Prospect Park Zoo on numerous occasions. This was our first time at Staten Island Zoo & I must say that we loved it. Might go as far to say that it's our favorite zoo in New York. The fact that it has a mini aquarium in the Africa section of the zoo really adds to the icing on the cake. There's a fun little carousel. Animals that you can feed & interact with. The staff was very friendly. The bathrooms are clean. The prices are fair. Would definitely recommend this for a family outing. read more

This zoo is kinda interesting, depending what you want to see, evaluation of this zoo will change. If you go to see animal, it will be 2 stars, however, if you are expecting to see snakes, it will be 5 starS. I have never visited zoo which has so plentiful of snakes and where they let you touch it. I don't think such zoo exist anywhere else than here. Bad thing is.... this zoo is the dirtiest... there are many poops and left over food... I hope, they can maintain well for the living things. It has more potential, I kinda lIke it if they improve more because of its uniqueness. read more

"The Biggest Little Zoo." - Staten Island Zoo's motto and I couldn't have described it any better myself. A bus from the Ferry landing took us almost directly to the doorstep of the zoo. (A short walk of 0.3 miles from the bus stop). The inexpensive admission ($8 for an adult) and the relaxed, non-crowded atmosphere makes it a super cute and wonderful stop for a few hours in an relaxing afternoon on the island. This zoo is small and many of the animals are common farm animals - sheepies, goose, duckies, rabbits, llamas, horses, and alpacas. There is a petting zoo with an admission cost of $1, where you get to interact with much of the furry animals for as long as you like. They are rather friendly and let you hug or pet them without much complaint. There are also some less common animals like playful otters, foxes, red pandas, family of meerkats, peacocks and jaguars. The reptile collection and small aquarium has many species of rattle snakes and pouty pufferfish. The animals here also adopted a casual routine, seemingly unstressed by the presence of less people. The relaxing atmosphere also lets you wander around and hang in each area for as long as your heart desires, without being rushed or pressured away by people behind you. The staff is also super friendly and helpful. What a sweet little zoo! read more

Staten Island Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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I always enjoyed taking my young son to this zoo. It is a nice size for a young child (1-4). I would take him for a morning outing and be able to see all the exhibits (he wouldn't linger at any exhibit) by lunch time. I would pack a lunch and blanket and find a grassy area to sit and eat. The Halloween event is fun as well. Well worth spending the money on the tock The only complaint I would have is that a few of the indoor exhibits have a very pungent smell to them. It was difficult to stay in those areas for too long. I wish they had more ventilation. read more

Staten Island Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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I adored the animals Perfect size place for my 6 year old who isn't ready to walk that much . The petting zoo was adorable , a goat munched on my shirt leaving me a permanent souvenir! However the interaction with staff is 2 thumbs down . ( if that matters to you ) you will not be greeted , you will not be informed of the exhibits , you will not be told to have a great day , you will not hear " thank you ! Come again ! " I wish there was more of a selection of food in cafe . Parking is off street & in front of the neighboring communities homes ... Not too fun I paid 42$ for a family of 4 Should def invest in the year round membership! If your here just for the animals ? They are great ! Healthy & very interactive w human visitors :) read more

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Love animals and love zoos. Just not this one. It is small, and they put (Too) many animals on such a small area. And the facilities must be improved. If it is a busy day that means the bathrooms will be busy as well. So know to have someone making sure they will be useable. I wouldn't expect too much, I think a better description would be mini-zoo. I should have search more before coming here. With that being said, the animals looks good, and I can tell they know how to keep them clean and in good conditions. Little less than OK. read more

This zoo can and should do much better. The animal enclosures are dirty and some were too small or improper for the animals they housed. I went during the Fall and there were massive swarms of mosquitos around the outdoor enclosures and I was bitten many times. There was a puddle of urine which smelled awful inside the room which housed the Meerkats and the staff just kept walking around it like it was no big deal. More should be done in the way of recruiting more volunteers and reaching out more broadly for donations. read more

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