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Elmwood Park Zoo
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
4 reviews for Elmwood Park Zoo
The running joke in our house is that if you're going to visit the Elmwood Zoo, be prepared to see a lot of squirrels.
But, on Saturday, I was pleasantly surprise. No, you can't compare the zoo to the Philly Zoo, but it has a lot of nice exhibits and animals. It's a smaller zoo so I felt like everything was more accessible. It's definitely kid friendly with a petting zoo, a couple of play grounds, and tiny benches for the little ones to sit down on (soo cute).
One small warning...they have a lot of free-flying vultures which is kind of creepy.
Animals are pretty much my life. Well they're in my top five anyways. I also love anything that involves Star Trek (Star Wars Suck....totally unblievable and 'the force' is lame), chess, animals and comic books. Anyways...I went over to the Elmwood Park Zoo (for about the hundredth time) on Sunday. I'm a member...so I like to refer to it as the EPZ, haha. I know...I crack myself up everytime I say it!!! haha. They pretty much know me over there...I don't have to pay because I'm a member and I get to take a friend for free anytime I go. So far no one has ever gone over with me (my cousin said he would once but he never emailed me back when I contacted him)...so if anyone ever wants to go just let me know and I'll be up for it. Its a great place. You can see all the animals and get up close. they don't have as big of a selection as the philadelphia zoo but they do have some pretty cool ones. they also have a train that I like to sit in and watch the bison and stuff. they also have some slides and swings and stuff and a cool merchandise shop. I spend about 2-3 hours here a week. they also have a snack bar that is usually empty so if you're bored you can talk to the people who work there after you order your food. that's what I do during the spring and summer...but its closed now so there isn't anyone to talk to there anymore.
I love this zoo. I would visit anytime I could when I had work that would bring me to the Norristown area. I am disabled, and cannot walk very much, so this is a great zoo that is not very spread out. The staff is friendly, and the exhibits are clean and accessible.
First of all, to be honest, I have some real concerns about the welfare of the animals in this zoo. The enclosures seem awfully small. It's definitely a small-town, low-budget operation. That being said, however, it's a great scale for visiting with kids. The small enclosures mean that you can get pretty close to a lot of the animals. There's a real emphasis on stuff kids can enjoy, so there's a small petting zoo-like section with farm animals (sheep, goats, etc.), including fifty-cent feed dispensers, and a couple of ponies available for three-minute rides ($5 apiece). My two-year-old son rode on Chocolate, the tiniest pony I ever saw, and he loved it. There are a few colorful birds, raptors, bison, big cats, tiny marmosets. One of the big attractions is a small group of bald eagles, which really are a sight to see. The latest addition is a four-foot alligator, which was captured sunbathing on the bank of Pennypack Creek in Warminster just a few weeks ago.
Admission is fair -- $6.50 for adults -- but not exactly a cheap outing if you're broke like me and always end up buying the overpriced food at the "restaurant" (i.e. greasy hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and fries). I actually became a member. A family membership is $70 annually and gets you free admission and discounts on merchandise and food.