We had such a fun time - definitely with the 3.5 hours drive from NYC. We fed giraffes and lots of…read moreother animals. We also did the drive through safari which was a blast as well! highly recommend!

Every animal in this place looks miserable. They were all sleeping the entire time, almost as if…read morethey were drugged. All the animals, especially the more exotic ones, were balding and extremely skinny. The tiger/lion enclosures were slightly larger than the average human bedroom. A lot of the animals showed physical signs of abuse and neglect. Never again.

We had a bus trip to visit in the morning during the week so it was not that busy. This was my…read morefirst time here but I'd heard good things about it. We walked through the gift shop to board a little train ride. The train ride was kinda lame in that you just went in a circle around a pond and didn't see anything other than some llamas. We were then free to roam around the grounds. I especially liked feeding the giraffes the carrots! I felt like the bigger animals should have had bigger spaces to roam around (it seemed cramped and big cats were pacing back and forth in an agitated mood). The bear cubs were very playful and cute rolling around with each other. It was fun to experience this but I think the Syracuse zoo is better with more space for the animals and more variety.

From what I heard they continue to play loud music right in front of the Lion exhibit. Sickening…read more These lions are stressed out. Disgusting. Why not let them have their peace. You sickos keep them locked away their entire life. It's the least you can do.

I really enjoy taking my daughter to this zoo. It's very clean and organized and there's always…read moreplenty of parking! My daughter absolutely loves seeing all the animals. They have multiple exhibits here such as the barn animals, aquatic life, elephants, tigers and seasonally, leopards too! This zoo is very stroller friendly and it's easy to spend about an hour or two walking around and taking the time to look at each animal. The gift shop is well organized and fun to browse. I do wish they would update the cafe and have more food options and allergen friendly options, that would be my main critique.

I realized that not many people leave reviews for zoos and I thought "why not?". Especially as…read moresomeone who adores her local zoo! The winter in upstate NY might be the last season you'd think of walking around the zoo, however if you bundle up it ends up being the perfect outing. Did I mention admission is half price in January & February? Check out their website for all of their fun events that happen almost monthly!

I cannot stress enough, how much me and my family enjoyed this zoo! We came here Saturday morning…read morevisiting my aunt who lives nearby. The entire zoo is immaculately clean. As soon as we went through the doors after the ticket counter we saw some happy Gibbons swinging around, and they even started talking. We then made our way over to the lions. The area where they have the three lions (who are all siblings) is large and has a walkway that you can walk almost 360° around to get a good glimpse of them no matter where they are. The zoo looks small, but as we made our way around, we felt like it was much bigger than it first appeared. We saw a bald eagle, zebras, ostriches, emus, alligators, and quite a few reptiles! Every time we thought we saw everything we saw there was more! We made our way back over to the lions and caught the end of one of the zookeeper talks. They have three talks per day and if you're around for one it's definitely worth catching one. We learned the names of the three lions and that they were all siblings. The zookeeper asked us if we had any questions which, of course we did. He told us about how they fed the lions safely, what their diet was, and a little bit about the personality of the lions. (No spoilers, you'll have to go yourself to find out!) Everyone that works there was extremely kind, friendly, and knowledgeable. This was such a great zoo. I would highly recommend it to anybody visiting the area or just passing through.

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.

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.

This is a cute little zoo. Agree with other reviewers that you should come in knowing what to…read moreexpect. It has a modest number of animals, but a lot of charm. We came in the morning on a weekday. Unfortunately, a lot of the animals were napping (lots of nocturnals) but we still have a nice time. This zoo is in a park and there are a lot of trees and shades -- it doubles as a walking path. I noticed that there were lots of benches throughout, which is nice. There was also cute decor like gnomes, fairy gardens, and animal statues. Standouts were the sand cats, penguins, lemurs, and red pandas. There were wolves, arctic foxes, and lots of other neat critters. At the front there's a petting zoo with sheep and goats, and you can feed them if you buy a cup of chow from the gift shop. In the gift shop, I noticed they sell art prints made by the animals, which is super cute! I noticed a bus stop across the street, so it seems accessible by public transit. The park its within has a lot of really neat play features too, so you could definitely make an afternoon of it. The price is right. It's only about $10 a ticket for admission, and like $2 - $3 for petting zoo food. Which, in this economy especially, is fantastic. Cute place. Worth checking out!

An incredible zoo experience for all! An extensive variety of exotic species, each within close…read moreproximity of the viewer. Super antique and cutesy feel to the entire property. There are high quality informational plaques as well. For those with limited mobility- the exhibits are along a relatively steep hill. Come prepared for a bit of an incline. Overall a wonderful experience!! Would rate higher than any large zoo I've been to.

Amberations is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting mental health through…read moreinteraction with the natural environment. With almost 50 acres, they are located on the western edge of Onondaga county in Marietta, New York. At their barn site they offer opportunities to mingle with their goats, donkey, birds and barn cats. There is easy access to a small stream, teaming with frogs, minnows, and salamanders. A lovely deck adorns one end of their barn. It's a nice place to enjoy the sounds of nature and occasionally be visited by a Great Blue Heron. This is a wheelchair friendly area. The entrance to this area is a driveway shared with 2231 Amber Road, next to the Otisco Lake Community Center. Look for the small silhouette of Big Joe the donkey! In their upper fields they have built wheelchair paths surrounding a gazebo and are always working on developing gardens. There are also very nice trails through woods as well as through their songbird habitat. This is the best area for taking dogs and walking trails. The entrance to this area is at 2345 Amber Road, up a long gravel driveway. Go left at the top to find the small parking area in the fields. There is also a large pasture with two beautiful horses to visit. Their goal is to nurture relationships with the community they seek to serve. Opportunities abound for getting involved in many capacities. If you like nature, the outdoors, gardening, animals, or helping others, please consider giving them a call and volunteering. I'm a volunteer for Amberations so I can tell you, it's an amazing organization. It was started by two families who wanted to be able to bring nature to people of all abilities. It has grown so much in its 10 years of existence. They've hosted weddings, hold two big fundraisers during the year - their Otisco Lake Bike Race and Mothers Day Brunch in the spring and Fall Festival in autumn - as well as offering glamping, a new pond full of frogs, and their wonderful animals to visit. Definitely a place for everyone to check out, whether you like animals, nature, hiking - whatever you're into, Amberations has something for you.

Such a quaint spot. The Yelp event was very interactive and welcoming. But, the founder and…read morevolunteers at Amberations and the stories they shared really set the tone. The barn animals were adorable. Big Joe even tried to nibble on my big hair. They had beautiful horses and a hiking trail to die for. This place is certainly a diamond in the rough with so much love and history. If you have Thea chance definitely visit.

Great safari. Very expensive for the experience you get though. Also watch out for the camel, bro…read moretried to eat our cars side mirror. Like literally biting on it and trying to eat it.

This was so fun and so very worth going to! I think that most of the issues mentioned in some of…read morethe older reviews have been addressed. The signage is very clear about which area you're about to enter, and you're given a guidebook when you buy the tickets. The guidebook details the order you'll go through each area and even describes which animals are present for each area. Being able to drive through each area at your own pace and interact with the different animals is something memorable for both adults and children. I had my two small nieces in the back seat with their mom in between, and there was no fear for their safety at any point. Sure, some of the animals are a little bit aggressive in how vigorously they eat from the plastic pail, but they're not dangerous; they want the food, they aren't really interested in the human giving it to them. I think most of us can think back to a time in our early adulthood where we have figuratively been in this same spot, on a couch with a bag of Doritos. The animals will drool on your car, but they're not going to damage anything.

Went there today with a gay family member and was treated with nothing but respect from the owner…read more We had a great time. So many animals to visit with. Just because people have a different political belief then some doesn't mean that we can accuse them of racism or homophobia. Great family friendly place to visit for ALL people!

This was such a fantastic experience! $8 a person and you can pet the wild animals, baby goats and…read morekitty. Horses and cows. Ride the zip line. Play with toys and animals. Explore the grounds. Cute little paddle oars. Ride the tractor. Such a great experience. My kids absolutely loved it. Super friendly people. Clean. Would totally go here again!