Huge local park in the neighborhood. It has a playground, water pad, carousel, pony rides and train and the zoo. It has multiple parking lots BUT it gets filled up quickly. Great place for kids to run around and release their energy. Ice cream truck and shaved ice truck on site. Good for the summer. The park playground is well maintained. It's spread out to different sections. It has for bigger kids and smaller toddlers. Many staff at the Carousel and train. Well organized. Tix required. It could be a long wait during weekends. Overall a great place for kids. Easily spend a day here. read more

Van Saun County Park - Parks Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

One of the very, very BEST parks in NJ - if not the best. Bordering Paramus and River Edge, Van Saun County Park is definitely one of the most popular parks I've ever been to ... and there's very good reason for it. First, the park probably has the LARGEST playground I've everrrrrr seen at a public park with multiple playgrounds WITHIN the playground itself. As you can imagine, it gets quite busy on nice weekend days. Surrounding the playground are many pavilions and picnic tables for those that want to have BBQs or large gatherings, which can be had with a permit. In addition to one of the best park playgrounds, the Bergen County Zoo resides inside of the park, which is free to EVERYONE during the colder months of the year. During the warmer months, there's a small fee for Bergen County residents and non-residents. If that's not enough, there is a miniature train ride that takes people around the entire park for a small fee. And, let me tell you first hand that the train ride is actually quite long at 5-7 minutes. Nearby, there is also a carousel that you can ride on for a fee. And, guess what?? There's even more! There is a barn with ponies that let's people ride the ponies for a fee as well. There are also jogging, walking and biking paths too along with a few tennis courts. Besides all of the permanent amenities, there are also events during different times of the year including the Winter Wonderland, which ... surprise, surprise ... takes place during the winter months. If you're worried about parking, no sweat, there are multiple large lots inside of the park, so once you arrive you can start your day asap. Like I said, DEFINITELY one of the best public parks in all of NJ. read more

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I checked out Van Saun County Park on Friday. The park is huge! I walked some of the paths but in no way came close to covering it all. Unfortunately I got there when the zoo was closed for the day, but I plan to return and check out the ocelots :) read more

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My Kid cut his hand on glass that was broken in the playground. Be careful.. my kid is now scared of all parks because of this...

I have been coming to this zoo since I was a child and it was a great experience being able to bring my Godson to it finally. Overall it's a nice place for children to come, very clean and a decent amount of animals to see. I particularly enjoy it around Halloween time when they have the scary train/friendly train rides. My Godson had such a fun time trick or treating here at every station. Plenty of cute places to take photos and inexpensive. It is also very nostalgic with some of their shows and decorations still the same from when I was a kid. read more

OK so, I usually love Van Saun park. And so do my kiddos. We love the open layout playground, the carousel, the train ride. But lately, I've been disappointed in the park and that's because of the splash pad. The splash pad was such an important part of the Van Saun playground. It was a great little area where my kids could cool down. They would have so much fun running from the splash pad to the playground and back and forth and back and forth. It was a great way to kill some time during the dog days of summer. Since last year the park claims that the splash pad has been "under construction." It's blocked off and the water isn't on any more. I would totally embrace a new, updated splash pad. Only problem is, it hasn't even been touched! They have been claiming that the splash pad is under construction for over a year - last summer, and now this summer, and NOTHING has been done to it. It looks EXACTLY the same. Do they have any plans on updating it? Or do they just not want to deal with it? It's really obnoxious and we go less and less to the park because of it. I hope it does get updated at some point, but my kids will probably have kids of their own before that happens. read more

Van Saun County Park - The untouched "under construction" splash pad that mocks me every time I am there. - Parks Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Van Saun is the largest park in Bergen county. They have so many sections and activities here. Firstly huge playground for kids. Then there's a Merry go round. There's a zoo. There's train. In winter they open ski and glow in the night special event for kids. There's memberships available that allow members to join special events hosted by the park. The park has lots of open space. Lots of people come here to celebrate birthday parties, play volleyball, or just bask in the sun. There are 3 parking lots but sometimes even that's not enough, due to high volume of crowd. But the county does an excellent job of maintaining the park and keeping it safe for all the guests. read more

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Customer service The zoo was pretty much closed. They were having an event Egg Stravaganza $7 But that's all the sign said. They charged me, my husband, and my 80 year old Dad visiting from Florida $21. As we were walking through - almost every animal exhibit was closed. Photos attached. The egg stravaganza event was for children. I asked to speak with a Manager and the guy wouldn't give me his name but it was close to Jared. He was so rude - and said we still walked through the zoo. We kept going thinking and hoping that the next exhibit would be open but nope! The nasty man said that the sign said the zoo is closed for this event! WHERE? No where on the signage is this posted! What a shame! read more

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I can't say enough fantastic things about Van Saun County Park! There is so much to do here. Many people use the park area for picnics and family gatherings. There's a nice park for playing and tennis courts. Past the open space area, you will find a zoo. There's a train ride and many different animal exhibits to explore. It's perfect for a weekend activity and to enjoy the great outdoors! read more

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Nice park with several activities for small children. A decent size zoo, although many exhibits were closed due to repairs/ construction. Took my 18 month old grandchild. She loved the train, carousel and the animals. read more

I love to see your picnic at vanstone Park they did a great job for the senior citizen dance on party a great job with our picnic for seniors I'm glad the county cares about our seniors read more

Super great for toddler especially to learn about animals! Amazing how many animals you see on this smaller size zoo. If you're not wanting to walk and walk and walk at bigger zoos this is perfect. There's a carousel and a small train you can ride (usually have to do it 2-3 times for the kids. LOL!) Bergen county residents are discounted. Large playground. Ice cream trucks, hot dogs, etc. Kids can run around and have a great time. We've gone here for many many years and still do as adults. Great afternoon someplace close. Prices are very reasonable! (Only thing we're not crazy about is their 4 p.m. closing time bc we have such a fun time!) read more

It's been a while since I have been at this park, good place to jog and all that, but my problem is that the river is not flowing, I know that it's winter time but this is an environmental issue, hope it is corrected, I think the water pumps need to properly flowing when the Spring comes: EDIT: I also think they should add the "Carry In/Carry Out program, because sometimes people leave garbage around and they don't pick up after themselves when they are BBQing... NEW UPDATE: They need to add the soap in the restroom, they usually forget to add this... read more

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My grandkids have good times in this park. However, we always encountered long wait for choo choo train.

Great place to bring the grandkids. Because they have a train ride , a carousel and a zoo. Admission is reasonable. Pack a picnic lunch and have fun. read more

I recently found out about this park driving by it and happened to be invited to a 1 year old birthday party a few months after. The party was next the the playground, which was huge. There are picnic tables and there's also an area with tables under an awning, so even if it rains, your party won't get rained out. Not sure if you have to reserve or if it's first come first serve. There are several free parking lots but it gets pretty packed. But it seemed like most parents bring their kids to the playground early so they could leave in time for lunch, so if you wait, there's always someone leaving. There's also a zoo. It was free until April but now, you just pay a small fee and it's discounted if you're a Bergen County resident. There are also some walking trails, so this park has something for everyone. read more

Everything Wonderful family day We all had such a special day Great memories for all read more

Great county park. Plenty of activities. Has zoo , carousel and train. Zoo is great for adults and children. Children enjoy the train ride, $2 per ticket. read more

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Many things to do here. Playground, zoo, train, grilling area, walking paths, and a dog park. Several parking lots and this place holds events. Admission to the zoo and train are also cheap read more

Van Saun lost a point for not having a basketball court but got a bonus point for having a zoo. There's a few different entrances and lots of parking. There's a nice paved trail for you to take a walk, jog or run. There's a stream that goes through the park that you can fish in, but they do not want for you to feed the ducks. There are a lot of different areas for you to picnic. You can get a permit if you would like to have a large gathering and use a pavilion. There's a few basketball fields and tennis courts. There's public bathrooms and plenty of trees. The kids park had a lot to do for the kids. I didn't get great pictures. I have no idea why but people seemed to get uncomfortable with my hanging out watching the kids play and taking pictures. There was a fenced in area for small dogs and an area for large dogs. The dogs were all barking at me so I didn't get a picture and nobody let me pet their dog. I don't know what your supposed to do if you have a medium sized dog. There's a trail in the woods around the park. It seemed like a great place to go mountain biking! I didn't see anybody bike-riding or skateboarding, but I also didn't see any signs that said you couldn't. I saw a sign for pony rides but assume that they aren't being offered because of Covid. read more

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My review is based on the Winter Wonderland and Glow in the park. I have taken my son to the Winter wonderland for the past few years. This year it was really disappointing. We specifically didn't go on a weekend and went during the week. We waited online for 20 mins for rental skates only to find out they were out of my son's size. There were 3 food trucks there with lines very very long. On the plus side the zoo was free and empty so we got to walk around there. We got tickets on Friday night for Let it Glow. The zoo was soooo packed that it took us 30 mins to find parking. What's the point of selling tickets at a specific time if not to help with crowd control? We could barely walk around in the zoo or get a spot to make s'mores by a fire pit. Then there was the train.....the line was enormous and it took us 40 mins to get on a train. On a positive note the lights were amazing ! Overall it was a waste of time and money. read more

Still open during the winter months from 10a-3p and without admission. Not all the animals are out -- we saw a cow, sheep, horse, lions, a porcupine, bison, and the condors - but it's a nice walk around, especially with kids. During covid, the walk ways are clearly marked with direction arrows and spacing. read more

Van Saun County Park - Parks Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Beautiful park! My company held a picnic for us today for two hours and it was wonderful! There is plenty of room for people to sit with about 10 different tables. There are plenty of trees for numerous spots with shade Incase the sun is too strong. Parking was not an issue there was more then enough spots for all of us to park. The only reason why I've decided to give this park a four star is because of how inconveniently far away the bathrooms are. Luckily, if you are here for a short time it shouldn't be an issue but if you're hanging out, eating and drinking - you may need to use the bathroom. Overall, great park AND there is a dog park!!!!! Can't wait to try it out soon. read more

Van Saun County Park - Pavilion - Parks Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

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The staff is always working to keep this place looking its best. The zoo within the park is a real gem. There's always some cool event going on either in the zoo or the park. Def a great place to bring younger children for an inexpensive experience. read more

Lovely park with greenery, seating, playground, tennis courts, zoo, merry go round, etc! It was my first time coming to this park - the entrance was a bit hard to find and unassuming, but the park is quite large. It's a great place to come for dates and with children - there are many benches and BBQ areas if you wish to hold small gatherings or little parties. The afternoon that we went, there was actually a bridal shower or small wedding (?) taking place!! read more

Van Saun County Park - Parks Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Love the zoo and the park I used to take my son when he was younger, I used to take him on the train. He love the train. I would have to take him around and around a couple of times. overall, we had a great time. read more

We came here as a family to see the animals and go on the playgrounds. The day we chose was really hot so the playgrounds were a no go and they even had a classic metal slide that was definitely off limits on this heat. The zoo however was super cute. There were many animals and they seemed well taken care of. The splash pad was closed due to construction, which was a bummer. Overall it was a good experience and we would definitely come back when it's cooler. read more

Grew up around the area and enjoyed coming here when I was younger. Now I'm enjoying it as an adult bringing my little ones here. Prices are super reasonable. We always enjoy the carousel and train ride. I do wish they would oil up the train or something though because the screeching sounds can be a bit unpleasant. Overall a great place to take your kids! read more

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As a toddler, I LOVED this place. It was peaceful with a playground and carousel. The zoological park is a good area for different animals to see, with a miniature railway. It might be a nice idea for my baby nephew to visit there. read more

We had an amazing time at the zoo at Van Saun County Park. We went early in the season so it was free! We only had to pay for the carousel ride. I could say more but I'll let my daughter tell you what she thinks! Check out her YouTube review: https://youtu.be/_SlNaa7UytI read more

Van Saun Park has been hosting a Winter Wonderland for the past five years. This year, an outdoor ice skating rink has been step-up instead. The rink will be set-up from Dec. 18 - Feb. 21. It is full regulation ice rink which will have a limited capacity and comply with social distancing and mask wearing guidelines. In order to maintain capacity limits there will be sessions. Mon.-Fri. sessions are limited to four hours while Sat.-Sun. sessions are two hours long. There are morning and evening session with the evening session beginning at 7 pm. I chose the morning session. Tickets can be purchased online and cost $10 per/person. The web address is bergencountywwinterwonderland.com. I you go on Mon, Tues or Wed it is buy one ticket and get one free. On Fri, Sat or Sun, your ticket includes unlimited access to the carousel and Bergen County Zoo's train ride which is located in Van Saun Park. read more

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Wow!!! I wish I lived in NJ so I could come here more often with my little one. We were visiting family and they took us here and we absolutely loved it! The price is so reasonable and affordable especially for what you get. The place is huge!! SO many animals to see, petting zoo area, carousel rides/train rides and our favorite was the bird sanctuary green house. You pay a little extra ( believe like $2 or something) and you can go inside this green house filled with parakeets. They give you some food on a stick in order to feed the birds. The place inside was so much fun and the kids loved getting to be surrounded by the beautiful songs of the parakeets. Definitely coming back to this place! read more

Love love love this park Abby zoo. We have been coming here since I was a little girl and now I have carried on the tradition by brining my daughter and now grandchildren. The train ride is so exciting fir the little one. It goes all the way around the zoo, thru a tunnel and back to the station. It's so clean and in good condition. The employees are friendly too. The carousel is another great ride. Again they really keep their rides clean and well maintained. The park has a pond do you can feed the ducks and walk around. They have about 5 or 6 different play sets for all different ages. A splash pad too !! The zoo is my favorite ! They have a lot of animals that are very close so you really get to see them All. You will not be disappointed I promise I love VSP and will continue to visit when I'm in the area. read more

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Great park especially for the little ones. Took my granddaughter to the boo zoo last night and she loved it! They have been improving the park and the way they present it to the people using the amenities. Two things that could use improvement, enlarge the splash pad. For such a huge park, the splash pad is smaller than the ones in individual towns. It took two years to reopen it, and I was hoping for a larger venue. The other thing, would be a small/large cafetería. There is no food available with the exception of food trucks. To my knowledge, they are not open in the winter. Children will be sledding or other winter sports with no place to warm up. read more

Had fun filled train ride, visited zoo, and enjoyed carousel also. All staff were great specially train ride was fun even though it was hot summer weather. My niece and her family with her little son had nice time read more

Such an amazing park for kids of all ages! They have a lot of play area and parking. I recommend bringing a bathing suit on hot days so kids can enjoy the spritzer water area. They have play area of all shapes and sizes for ages ranges 2 thru 10. On a warm/hot day there isn't much shaded area. Park area is free. Zoo is $4 for Bergen county residents and $8 for non-residents. You must show ID to get the resident rate. Train ride is $1.50 and carousel is $1.50 also; 1 parent rides for free. read more

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Great place for toddlers and up! The Zoo is perfect size to keep your kids attention. The animals are well cared for and obviously loved by the staff. And nothing can beat the train and Carousel for your little ones! Little extra is the huge playground. Great during the week but on weekends you will need to keep close eye on your kids/ grandkids! read more

Well today I wanted to keep my two year old daughter busy and instead I became exhausted from the two hour stay at the park. First we visited (9:30 a.m.) the park area where she rock climbed, ran around in circles, and explored the jungle gyms. At 10:00 am the sprinklers automatically turned on and she began to run into the water sprayers (small area but cute for young children). Afterwards, we went to the ticket booth to purchase tickets for the train ride and Carousel ride(free for children under 3) but you have to pay for adults ($1.50 each). Hey I'm not complaining.... I ended up purchasing two extra tickets for the near future so I don't have to wait in line. While waiting for the next train (10 minutes, we took a potty break in the museum area. After walking into the stall, I realized there wasn't any tissue so thankfully the person next to me gave us some from their stall (it happens). While exiting I noticed a group of folks standing around and when asked "What's going on", a bystander replied "Oh there's a party". I thought to myself "What a great idea to have a birthday party at the zoo". Well we hopped on the train and my daughter's smile was permanently indented on her face. The short train ride was just what we needed and of course she wanted to ride again. Afterwards, we couldn't resist the infamous carousel ride. Again we hopped on the carousel and of course now her cheeks have dimples from all of the smiling and grinning. My daughter had a great time and she didn't want to leave (of course not). By the way, I was exhausted at the end of our excursion. Of course we will return to Van Saun Park. read more

Van Saun County Park - Train ride - Parks Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

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If anyone is heading here for splash park it's currently closed Just a heads up. We plan a full day here and unfortunately it's closed for construction probably be closed the rest of the summer read more

Van Saun County Park - Splash pad - Parks Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

I took my son to the zoo here in early April. The zoo is not very big but its free in the winter/early spring. Not every animal was on display yet but we still saw bald eagles, plenty of other birds, bonobos, bison, and sheep. We did not spend much time in the playground but it looks very new. It also has lots of space! I saw people having BBQs in the park as well. Honestly if you live in Bergen County I don't know why you wouldn't bring your kids here! read more