Sussex, NJ - this is the kind of kitschy, offbeat attraction with old-timey country charm that…read moreappeals to my sensibilities. It took me a year to finally write this review, but at least I didn't hold out for their 100th anniversary next year. Founded in 1927 by the Space family (currently owned by NJ senator Parker Space and still family-run), this privately held wildlife collection encompasses 500+ animals across 100 species, housed on a 100-acre property that also showcases collections of antique cars, motorbikes, vintage firearms, tools & machinery, minerals, Native American arrowheads & artifacts, a doll museum, and other eclectic Americana chronicling the area's rural heritage. It's less "zoo" than your eccentric great-uncle's farmhouse antique emporium, if he also owned lions and tigers and bears, oh my! The great hall makes a striking first impression, as you are greeted by Goliath, a massive Kodiak bear that was once one of the largest bears ever in captivity, and his other taxidermied friends. Although I'm in principle not a fan of zoos and am conflicted about them, I didn't feel the animals here fared much worse than at your average commercial zoo, though the enclosures are more basic, and some of the animals like the baboons and bears could use more room and things to play with. Some of the exhibits are more farm-style so you can get closer to the animals. (Sadly, I saw a dead newborn deer and flagged down a groundskeeper. Don't know if it died at birth or due to the heat or other reasons.) If it gets too hot out, you can duck into one of several barn museums and check out the displays and knick knacks. There are benches scattered around, and a shaded picnic shed by the pig pen. There are a couple of small playgrounds as well, and an ok pizza restaurant on premises. A 3.5% credit card fee applies everywhere including for tickets and gift shop merch, which is the first I've encountered for a non-restaurant. (The branded tiger hoodie sweatshirt I got for my child is hella cute though and great quality.) The backstory of how the founding farmer couple started this zoo - which began as a small general store, repair shop, and wild animal shelter - and kept their livelihood going through the Great Depression is a classic scrappy American bootstrap tale of achieving success through grit, hard work, and resourcefulness. And there's something to be said about an enterprise that has lasted a century in the same family. I think this place is pretty neat so 4 stars for the uniqueness, nostalgia factor, and non-conventional down-homeness in a world of glossy uniformity.

The care they provide to the animals is disgusting. It looks like an abandoned zoo. Be prepared to…read morecry and leave feeling guilty

Sterling Mine is a fun, informative, educational museum. Great for adults and children alike. The…read moregrounds outside the mine have many parts and pieces of technology and engineering to investigate. A sluice is also there for children to enjoy. We went there during the rainy Memorial weekend, but I bet the cool mine feels even better during a hot summer day.

714/24 (Visit): Sterling Hill Mining Museum had been a working zinc mine up until '86…read more On the outside of the museum, there's several impressive statues of miners and of the brothers Richard and Robert Hauck who opened the museum. The tour is approx. 2 hours. Gerrard was our guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the entire science behind the minerals. In the mine, you'll see a shaft and how it operates. -Just keep in mind, the mine gets slightly misty and the floor is wet. One large area was filled with different minerals. Gerrard spoke about how the minerals reflect different colors under fluorescent light. Zobel Exhibit Hall displayed beautiful colored minerals from all over the world and incredible fossils from NJ. The museum is probably best for children at least age 5 and up. I noticed some people with strollers having some minor difficulties maneuvering in the mine. Many thanks to the brothers Richard and Robert Hauck. They purchased the property at auction. The brothers opened the museum in 1990. In 1991, it was designated a National Historic Site and continues to house the most extensive collection of fluorescent minerals globally. Prices for Tours: -Adults: 13 years and older $15.00 -Seniors: 65 years and older $14.00 -Children: 4 to 12 years $13.00

My first time going to the Cloisters. I went with family last week- they went at their pace then…read moresat in the courtyards which had some seating, while I went around at my pace. Good thing I didn't take my boys when they were younger, wouldn't have been for them. A smaller museum compared to the Met but there were still many items to look at. What caught my attention were the details - in the paintings, written books, carved pieces/sculptures (esp the really small ones), tapestries, etc. There were groups having an activity in some areas which blocked us from seeing some of the works of art up close though, like the Unicorn tapestry. I think visits in the spring and summer are better so can enjoy the outdoors. The open courtyards/gardens were lush with greenery and it's nice to spend time out there. The museum has 2 floors. Be ready for going up/down via stairs. It is wheelchair-accessible though I read it is limited. There are a few wheelchairs - free to use, first come-first served. Best to contact them re: the accessible entrance, a shuttle, etc. I learned from another visitor that a staff member has to accompany when taking the elevator. Restrooms are in the lower level, with a wheelchair-accessible one. Took the A train - Dyckman St. station. Entered Fort Tryon Park, then walked uphill a bit then took the stairs (towards the left from the path, steep in some areas). If you have difficulty with stairs, continue on the path or ask about the shuttle.

4/24/26: The Met Cloisters is a must see when in NYC!…read more It's been ages since my last visit. The Cloisters overlooks the Hudson River. It officially opened in 1938. The museum is dedicated to medieval art and architecture. The Cloisters itself is a stunning building. Our first Tour Guide took us around the wonderful medieval statues and gardens. She explained thoroughly about all the herbs and plants that are culinary and for their medicinal purposes. Our second tour guide Valerie was excellent for the "Highlights of the Met Cloisters. A major museum highlight is the Unicorn Tapestry Room (Permanent Display). These 7 tapestries were created approximately 500 years ago. (The Narrative: The Unicorn series tells a story ranging from the hunt's start and the unicorn at a fountain to its defense, capture, and, finally, the famous "Unicorn in Captivity" image). The museum does have a café (The Trie Cafe) on the premises. It's very good for a quick bite along with garden view seating. Museum times as follows: Sunday through Tuesday 10 AM - 5 PM Wednesday- Closed Thursday-Saturday 10 AM- 5 AM. It's best to arrive at the Cloisters upon opening. During the first tour, it wasn't too crowded, but the second tour was extremely crowded. The Met Cloisters is located at 99 Margaret Corbin Drive Fort Tryon Park, New York City, NY 10040. Highly recommend visiting the stunning Met Cloisters.

Prospect Park is a beautiful park. It gets overshadowed by Central Park, but I think we like it…read morethat way. We're okay with gatekeeping it even though it's not really even hidden. It's gorgeous, it's spacious - no tourists, no horse rides.

'An urban oasis' first comes to mind when I think about our first visit to Prospect Park. The…read moreoverall experience was certainly positive, with some fine points. As a visitor to the city, finding parking on a weekday afternoon was near impossible, until it became possible after what felt like 25 minutes of searching for a spot. The park is truly sprawling and there are many places to explore, including pavilions, bridges, falls, a pond, a creek, and endless paved trails. We also couldn't help but notice that the park overall may not have been maintained consistently, based on the extensive weeds in fountains, for instance. We saw at least two cafes that had pastries, sandwiches, and beverages on their menu that looked good enough to make us think we'd definitely go there if we lived locally. All in all, I'm grateful for this space being available for locals and visitors to enjoy, and hope it is maintained and stays open for many more years.

I forgot how huge this museum is. Wonderfully designed…read moreexhibits spaced out enough so that you can actually appreciate each piece Very helpful staff

I used to love it here for years, but it's gotten too popular and lost the charm it had for me…read more The popularity is great for the museum itself. It's experienced an undeniable glow up. People I could never get to step a toe in a museum now beg me to come with them to see some trendy exhibit they heard about. Marketing has improved immensely. They've expanded their reach beyond geeks and schoolchildren to a wide variety of people, and that's good. It keeps the museum alive. It's just no longer one of my favorite places personally. What I miss the most are the old First Saturdays that no one knew about. I'd look forward to them all month like a child looks forward to Christmas. It felt like Brooklyn's best kept secret. Now you have to preregister to get sardined. I'm not much of a noisy crowd person, so I end up leaving early the rare occasion I attempt to go. I do enjoy the salsa parties. Those are fun. Staff can be rude as all else. I've never personally had an issue, but I've seen some uncalled for behavior towards other patrons, especially if they give touristy vibes. The littlest thing can set someone off. It's completely uncalled for.

I have been to the Whitney twice already…read more Here are the things I love about the Whitney Museum of American Art. - Start on the 7th floor and go through each floor. No two floors are alike. You will definitely tempt all five senses. -Gorgeous Terraces where you can go out grab a drink and take photos of the Skyline of West Side. -Contemporary Art/Artist each work of art is in a league of it's own -Tour guides available to answer your questions and provide tours on highlighted artist and artwork. You definitely need to take the time to absorb the artwork and look for the silver lining. What does this piece mean to you? How do you feel? -Frenchette Bakery at The Whitney- located on the ground floor. Good food and drinks.

The Whitney Museum had a free admission week or something. The picture i posted in this review,…read morethis artwork is Cross Bearers by the self-taught African American artist Bessie Harvey (1929-1994), it looks self taught. The Museum was packed, angry elevator lady and not many people of the culture that reflects the artwork. Weird. This whole place was pretty crazy, i did nit think the art was that interesting. I mean, everybody acts like this is a big famous art museum that can change your cultural life or something, but half the people walking around in there are just phonies trying to look like they're deeply moved by a bunch of twisted old tree branches. It depresses the hell out of me. ​Its not that iteresting so don't overthink it, with all those gnarly roots and painted wood sticking out everywhere like some wild creature.That part was pretty cool, I guess. But then you've got all these fake foreign snobs in cheap coatd standing around stroking their chins, nodding like they're having a damn spiritual epiphany, when you know they're just going to go buy a ten-dollar cup of tea downstairs and brag about how cultured they are. That stuff just drives me nuts. ​The room itself was alright, clean and quiet enough, and that colorful quilt hanging on the wall behind it wasn't half bad either. But after about twenty minutes of staring at roots and watching people pretend to be brilliant art critics, I just wanted to get the hell out of there and go home. ​Three stars. It's fine if you're in the neighborhood and feeling lonely, but don't let anybody sell you a bill of goods about it.

This place has been on our list for years! Finally was able to visit…read more Plan to spend a few hours to a whole day exploring because you can get lost in all the amazing things to see and learn! There other extra things you can add to your day pass (we added the - Encounters of the Milky Way) you get to choose. That was kool. From dinosaurs to insects - it was a lot to take in! It was pretty crowded the day we went. So plan accordingly and plan to spend the whole day here! Def worth it!!!

From meteors and dinosaurs to modern animals - this museum has it all!!! I spent about 3+ hours in…read morethis museum and was totally blown away. I could have spent two days here. Showing exotic taxidermy animals in their natural habitat is not new as I have seen it elsewhere, but it is certainly well done. Dinosaurs exhibit is exhaustive. Again I have seen it elsewhere - but not this well done. Although I am not into rocks, the exhibit of minerals and rocks was the best I have seen. Showing elements in their natural state or variety of compounds with chemical formulas was amazing!!!! Frankly this place is now always on the list when visiting NYC !!!

When visiting New York, the Statue of Liberty, 9/11, and the Empire State Building are just a few…read morethings that come to mind when touring the city. I had no idea there was a completely different Island known as Ellis Island. Which tells the story of American immigration through exhibits, artifacts, and records from its time as the nation's largest immigration station (1892-1954). Visitors can walk through the original processing areas like the Registry Room and Baggage Room, while exploring three floors of exhibits, and searching for ancestors in the American Family Immigration History Center. Our ferry stopped at Ellis Island on the way to the Statue of Liberty. It was such an awesome experience! the museum is a powerful landmark symbolizing the "American Dream" for the over 12 million immigrants who passed through its doors. In the end, I found my great-grandfathers name on the list of registry dating back to the early 1900's from Pamplona, Spain. It is a self-guided tour, no entrance fee for the museum, but a ferry ticket is required. You can catch the ferry from Battery Park in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

Took the ferry from Battery Park to Ellis Island this morning and took the 90-minute Hard Hat tour…read moreof the hospital. Both the museum and the 90-minute tour are worth the time. The Hard Hat tour - led by Melissa - was a fascinating introduction into the history of the Ellis Island facilities and hospital, progressing from its inception to very busy facility for evaluation and care of incoming immigrants, to a coast guard hospital to present day preservation efforts. A portion of your ticket price goes to the preservation efforts. Melissa was very knowledgeable, invited questions and told interesting stories about the site's uses and history and some of the people involved. Ticketing: One thing I was confused about was the timing of the tour in relation to the time I purchased the ticket for. When I purchased the ticket online, I "assumed" an 11:30 am tour ticket was for an 11:30 am tour. Nope. The 11:30 am is the time you need to be at Battery Park or Liberty Park to get on the ferry to Ellis Island. The tour can be up to 2-1/2 hours later. And we were told that we shouldn't arrive before 11:30 am, because we would not be allowed on an earlier ferry, even if we wanted to go to Liberty Island beforehand. (I got that express direction from the tour group as a response to my specific email question.). Anyway, we arrived at 11:00 am and got the 11:30 am ferry. At Ellis island a little after 12:15 pm, we were told our tour would be at 2:30 pm. We asked if we could be added to the 12:30 pm tour, and they agreed. So we were able to do that. I think the ticketing is confusing and the rules about taking an early ferry are awkward. Maybe it's during very heavy tourist season? But today I didn't see why we were told we couldn't take an earlier ferry. The 30 minute video in the museum is worth seeing. We grabbed something to eat at the museum after our Hard Hat tour My partner got a grilled chicken sandwich, which was quite good on a fresh bun. I ordered a side salad ($5) as an entree and it was quite large, fresh and tasty.

Kevin was an outstanding tour guide. Being an artist and a professor, what else could you ask for…read morein a guide at the Metropolitan Museum? He tailored the tour, answered all questions, and was so insightful. I will be touring with Kevin again, and I would definitely send my friends and family here to have them take KEVIN's tour. He is a great person and a great tour guide. My mother and I had a fabulous time.

Such an amazing museum, a must visit if you're in NYC. Would highly recommend the 1 hour highlight…read moretours, the docents are knowledge and passionate, and because there are many docents and many works of art, you get different information even if you do multiple tours in one day. During my recent trip, I also enjoyed the costume art exhibition (which goes until Jan 2027), and joined a collection tour for the infinite artistry of Japanese ceramics collection.

I have visited the Strand many times over the decades. I was really disappointed on my last visit…read moreto see that they have gotten rid of the reviewer copies of books which used to take up the entire basement; that was a great source of recent books at half price. Strand seems to focus more and more on new books at new prices...and the staff seems to go out of their way to be snippy, dismissive and rude. Still worth a look when in NYC to see what i might find.

I can't believe I've never reviewed the Strand. I guess I haven't visited in years?! Well, I…read morecorrected that oversight last Sunday, and I still love it as much as I did when I was in college. I love bookstores, and NYC has lots of great ones. But the Strand Bookstore might be the best? It's a classic. It's the largest independent bookstore in the city, carrying 2.5 million used, new, and rare books (their tag line - "18 Miles of Books" refers to the fact that the shelf space in the store supposedly stretches over 18 miles)! Plenty of people just shop front their discount racks outside the sidewalk (where all books are $3-7) and then pop in just to pay. But the inside is incredible. More books than almost any bookstore I've ever been to. Still family-owned, over 100 years old, and with an emphasis on bookseller recommendations, it's just an excellent bookstore. When I stopped by on Sunday, I made it past about four tables and end displays - new fiction, signed books, and employee recommendations - about 50 feet into the store. I already had six books in my hands and decided I better leave quickly before I had a problem! Despite the size of the store and the number of shoppers, the line to check out was short and quick. With friendly customer service to boot. It's simply one of the best bookstores in the city. Maybe in the country, too?! Definitely check it out.