We have been 3 times and the experience is Almost entirely…read moredependent on the tour guide you get (and the number of people in the crowd). However we have always enjoyed ourselves and learned new things and have seen different animals each time (some repeats of course). I have to say Emily was fantastic, so enthusiastic and friendly. Super patient and didn't rush us at all. Most of the animals seem to be owner surrenders or rescues. It is really wonderful to get close to a variety of critters The tour takes about an hour, hour and 30 mins. It's not a huge place but really worth the visit if you have kids who love animals

My friend hired them for her daughters birthday and they were fantastic. The young girl who did the…read morepresentation was amazing and engaged all the kids. Animals were great, I will definitely recommend Rizzo's Wildlife!!!!

PROS: this place was amazing! Fresh food that's locally grown/made, petting zoo, staff is friendly,…read moreloads of parking, good prices, great hours CONS: on a Friday afternoon the petting zoo was closed despite all the animals out and no snow on the ground OVERALL: I will absolutely come back here with friends! As long as my friends and I aren't looking to play with the animals

A little bit of everything at this fun location…read more You're either coming here for the petting zoo and finding out there is also a farmer's market, or you're here for a farmer's market and finding out there is also a petting zoo. Either way, everyone's a winner. The petting zoo is much larger than others in the area, giving the pets and the customers a lot of space to roam around. You can buy your tickets online, or with the QR code on site, or with cash at the booth located at the zoo entrance at the top of the hill past the upper parking lot. The farmers market provides amazingly fresh produce, fruits, veggies, baked goods, and a pre-made food selection. You can order a fresh sandwich, sides and soup. A delicious bonus. Somethings look out for include sparce parking at the top of the hill where the farmers market is, but plenty further down and towards the greenhouse. Also seating to eat is located in the back past checkout in the playground area that is also lacking a number of tables, but make meeting new people an experience when sharing seating. A fun adventure rolled into one location.

I hadn't been to the Turtle Back Zoo in years, and I had such a wonderful time recently visiting…read moreagain. It was quite busy on Mother's Day (which is expected), but I still had a great time and we lucked out with beautiful weather. The zoo staff was friendly and helpful. There were plenty of food and drink options, but I didn't partake. Lots of informative signs about the animals and their rehab center, too. My favorite animal to watch were the prairie dogs - so cute!! A close second was the red panda. Kids could get closer to the prairie dogs by popping their heads out of plastic domes in the exhibit.

This is a review for Christmas experience at the Zoo…read more Wow... can't believe I didn't know about this despite living in NJ for 8 years! Turtle Back Zoo turns into a complete Christmas paradise after 5 PM, and it's absolutely magical. I recently found out about this and, after seeing the lights and activities, I was genuinely impressed. During the holiday season, entry is free after 5 PM through sponsorship, which is a huge plus. Timings are 5 PM - 9 PM. Parts of the zoo remain open, so you can still see animals and birds like bison, giraffes, toucans, and more, which makes it extra special for kids. The entire park is beautifully lit with festive decorations and multiple Christmas trees. The area near the carousel looks amazing. For Kids' Activities - There's no shortage of fun for children- Face painting, Meet & greet with Santa (on specific days/times), Carousel rides, Pony rides etc... Food and beverages are well taken care of, like Starbucks or Zoo's own food sections spread across the park. Perfect for grabbing a warm drink while walking around. They also have private igloos available: You can rent for 4 hours, which can accommodate up to 10 guests, and includes hot chocolate and snacks It's located in West Orange, Essex County Parking: Two multi-level parking garages--parking is hassle-free and well organized. Overall, it was an amazing 2-3-hour evening spent with friends. Festive, family-friendly, and surprisingly delightful. Highly recommended--especially if you have kids!

We've taken our toddler here a couple of times and he has a great deal of fun. Besides the farm…read morezoo, where you can buy cups of carrots to feed the many varieties of animals - I wouldn't say petting zoo as you are advised to feed the animals only with the plastic shovel and not stick your fingers into the pens - there are several little play houses with play activities (train set, corn cabin, kitchen, grocery store, etc), a playground with a sandpit, and tractor and train rides. The sandpit even has toys like dump trucks - my kid would be perfectly happy to just stay there and call it a day! The condition of everything in the main areas is a little grubby, however. I appreciate that they put out plenty of chairs and benches all around for parents to sit on (cos waiting for your child while they play is an unavoidable part of the game), as well as some picnic tables. Prices are fair and reasonable, and entry for kids under 2 is free.

This little farm is super cute and is perfect for families and small children. We have been here…read more a few times, most recently for a birthday party. They have a large variety of animals that the kids can feed (they get a bucket of carrots) and there are lots of small areas to play. But the big hit with our family is the playground and sand pit with diggers and toys. My kids could stay there all day. It's a good way to spend a local day.

Love this business! They came to my son's school once. The kids had so much fun. Everyone was super…read morefriendly. Can't wait to visit them again!

Jack and his petting zoo came to my building it was the 3 rd year and I really enjoyed petting all…read moreof the animals Sadie the alpaca seems to be everyone's favorite. I look forward to seeing them again

My family has visited the Country Ark Farm a couple of times over the past 2 years when they opened…read morethe entire farm to the public for "Open Farm Days". These were fantastic opportunities to interact with all of their animals, have a picnic, and basically enjoy the day with my children. So, not surprisingly, my daughter volunteered to help at some of their events (the farm is used to help those with developmental disabilities) and ultimately decided to have her 14th Birthday Party there on 8/2/15. This was, in my daughter's words, the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!! First, they have over 100 animals there ranging from camels to baby porcupines to monkeys. I don't know if it's because of their summer camp or the constant attention but the animals were all super sweet with the children. The kids fed them, picked them up, and I even fed a cracker to a camel with my mouth and got a kiss (highly recommend that). All this activity occurred around a central covered patio where the food and cake was served. They had storage for my party supplies, a fridge for the cake, and even supplied extra plates and extension cords that I had forgotten. But the absolutely best part our party at Country Ark Farm was the family that runs it. The owners themselves basically gave us free rein of the farm and provided two extremely sweet and knowledgeable young women to run the party, take care of our every need, and take us on a tour of the farm. These 2 ladies were incredible. They kept the party moving and anytime there was a lull, such as when some kids were done eating but others were still going at it, they would pull out some activity (face painting, bracelet making, water balloon fight) to keep the kids occupied. This was literally a stress free party. I would like to especially thank Rebecca for making the day such a success. She demonstrated both poise and grace in the face of over 20 kids, a family that came 45 minutes early, and an uninvited german shepherd one guest brought. You're the best!!!

From the owner: Nestled in the beautiful Delaware Valley, about 90 minutes from New York City you'll find Country…read moreArk Farm. The Ciancitto family first opened the Farm to the Special Needs community in 1989. In 2000 Country Ark Farm began offering Summer Camp as a way to provide a safe and fun environment for children to have unique interactions with animals they might see at a farm or a zoo. Each year in the late Spring, Open Farm Day provides all families an opportunity to visit and interact with our animals, enjoy music and relax.

So fun for strawberry picking! Lots of berries to pick. Very cute farm and we love to visit if we…read morecan on weekdays since it's not crowded

I visit this farm on the fall season. We enjoy our visit with family specially pick up pumpkins. It…read morewas fun but quick. We took some fruit and vegetables as we were here, and honey. You need to try a pack of six or just one of those apple cider donuts, this was my first time trying them, and I loved it something different from the traditional ones, I do recommend grabbing one. The staff was friendly, they have donkeys some chickens, some coats and a horse that we enjoy very much watching them. It's a great experience and if you want to outdoor decor this fall I believe you could find everything here for some good holiday decoration.

I recently visited this lovely little farm in Monsey NY after stumbling upon them on Google! It…read moredid not disappoint! It was clean, fun and just the perfect size! We look forward to returning!

Food and service was so cool,highly recommend for Avery one, ill visit you next time when ill be…read morethere

This was my second time visiting this farm, and once again, it did not disappoint! The farm is…read morebeautiful and offers so many activities for all ages. There's a small area with animals you can feed, and they offer a hayride throughout the entire farm--which is fantastic because you get to see everything. I enjoyed visiting the pumpkin field, where they have so many options and sizes to choose from. Afterward, I stopped by the market and picked up chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, and--most importantly--cider donuts. The market is also great for fresh produce, as well as a variety of sauces and jams. The staff is super nice and helps guide guests when the lines get long. There's a seating area outside where you can relax and eat your food. I will definitely be coming back here!

Came here around golden hour for what I was looking for: fall photos with my elderly dog and hot…read moreapple cider. Loved that it was pet friendly, didn't love that it was super muddy by the parking spaces they directed us to. If you're coming here with a group with little kids, there is a corn maze that you'll have to pay extra for. Though I didn't participate, there are also other activities like hay rides and pumpkin throws for older kids. Hot cider was $2 which was decent. We also wanted autumn pastries but all they had were cider donuts. There was a pumpkin patch, but it was filled with only small pumpkins which was a little disappointing-- all the big pumpkins were for sale by the storefront. Probably won't be back myself, but I'd recommend this spot to those near by with small children. For older children, maybe not so much. Wouldn't recommend traveling here from afar. There are better farms to see and visit.

I've been buying my plants here for years. Always been happy with the selection, the hardiness of…read morethe plants, the price and extra bonus is valuable guidance as to which plants will do better in what location, etc. Much better than going to Home Depot or other high priced nurseries. Wish they had more in the line of pots and containers, but you can't have everything. Nice people too.