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Queens Zoo
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
9 reviews for Queens Zoo
I walked over to the Queens Zoo from Elmhurst on a hot day. Though the website states there is parking between 53rd and 54th Avenue, the parking lot was already full at 12:45 PM and the parking lot got crazier as I left the park at around 4:00 PM. so my advice to you is to get there early. Regardless of what time of the year it is, the zoo opens at 10:00 AM. On my way walking there, I can see the horses and some other animals at the petting zoo side so if you don't want to shell out the $7 adult price, children 3-12 $3 price, or the senior citizen 65+ $4 price, you can get a great partial view of the petting zoo behind the fence for free.
When I went to buy tickets, the line was long. At first, I didn't understand why only one ticket booth was open, but they opened up another ticket booth a few minutes later, but that second booth was cash-only. There is an opportunity to buy a yearly adult membership for $25, but I figure since it was my first time, I'd pass and pay the regular price. It's only great if I go more than four times a year.
Little did I know the souvenir shop was in the same house as the ticket booth, but it doesn't seem to be customer friendly, with no obvious way to go into the shop. I guess the door was at the side where we show our tickets, but I didn't go in because it looked cramped in there. On the other side was the location where party guests convene.
Instead of tickets, I get one white and one yellow receipt on top of my regular credit card receipt (they accept all major credit cards.) The white one was for the main entrance to the zoo while the yellow one is for the petting zoo. They take the ticket permanently so be careful about reentering the zoo because you probably can't. After I go in, I see many people leave their scooters and bikes at the fence entrance to be picked up later since it wasn't allowed in the zoo.
Just like Target or the Lefrak Queens library, the zoo is in a circular formation. It's all on the easily-identifiable map, which is included with a decoder card, which had a red, plastic window to look at secret signs located at various points in the zoo. There's a coupon at the back of the map for the Bronx zoo, $4 dollars off, in case you're interested.
They have sea lion feedings at 11:15, 2:00, and 4:00pm. People crowd around at this time, even climbing rocks and such to get a view, so it's hard to find a good spot. The whole feeding lasts less than ten minutes where three zoo feeders command the three sea lions to do tricks such as waving, turning, jumping up to hit a scrub stick while they feed them. It wasn't as entertaining as the N.Y. aquarium show because the feeders don't talk at all.
When I visited the discovery center, all the doors were closed so I don't know what that place is for besides the free nature walk that was happening at the time, which I missed because I thought I was suppose to meet at the main entrance. Also in the discovery center were vending machines, not food courts. Three out of the nine vending machines were out of order, especially the ice cream ones. Other items include soda, juice, which were $2.25 a bottle, coffee, and instant snacks, sandwiches, soups, etc. There is a microwave and basic plastic and paper plates for anyone who buys instant food. The majority of the zoo goers bring their own food because of all the kids they were bringing. To a kid, this place is amazing. Every kid, who wasn't big enough to see over the top rail, climbed the rails to get a better look or asked their parents to lift them up.
I won't go too detailed on the exhibits, but I loved the aviary section, where I walked up a spiral to get to the top of the dome with a great view and then spiral back down. I saw parakeets which lived in pairs, which is so romantic. I even bought a parakeet souvenir penny, the one where you put 51 cents and turn the wheel to squash up the penny into a souvenir. I didn't see any alligators as it was a seasonal exhibit. I also loved the smallest deer exhibit. The rest of the zoo is pure enjoyment.
Across the zoo was the petting zoo where it costs 50 cents to buy some animal feed from a dispenser and hand sanitizers at almost every corner. I'm sure parents spent a lot of money here for their kids. For free animal feed, I randomly picked some feed up that was dropped by others and fed the sheeps, goats, etc that way. I can't really feed the other animals such as the pigs, donkey, horses, and rabbits, who were closed off and at a distance. I was disappointed with the rabbits exhibit because I always assumed we can hold them and touch them, but we can't. The rabbits didn't do much but eat and sleep like cats.
I like the fact that in this zoo, there are certain benches where we can sit and rest. I wouldn't have made it through the whole thing without sitting since I walked all the way there. So, for cheap entertainment, come see the Queens Zoo.
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I arrived an hour before closing, and I was still able to make it through the entire park. Not bad for $7.
As someone from the pacific northwest, I always find it very silly to see water fowl - mallards, wood ducks, Canadian geese - inside a zoo. I was about the write off the entire zoo till I turned around and saw two alligators chillin nearby.
The aviary is definitely worth checking out, but I would recommend you stay far away if you're not a fan of feathers in your hair. The macaws are very cute and playful.
The sea lions are feed three times a day, which is much more exciting than the Central Park zoo.
Unfortunately, the zoo is located by the highway, so you can hear traffic at times. Also, there are no monkeys. That was truly sad.
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While this place isn't very big, I loved it!
But, check this... they have a petting zoo! And you can the feed goats! Of course, they're very slobbery, but still... too awesome.
I also enjoyed the aviary. I mean, c'mon... I'm a native New Yorker and I get tired of looking at pigeons all day.
Great for kids... and kids at heart.
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Out of the four zoos in New York City, the Queens Zoo, in my opinion, is the second best in terms of outdoor exhibits, meaning of course the animals. I enjoy how the winding path throughout is surrounded by trees and how each specie has a vast enclosure that blends naturally into the surrounding area. Highlights include the coyotes, bears, moose, wild cats, owls, mini red deer, bald eagle, and more...
It's not a large zoo, so an hour or so is all you'll need to see everything. It also has a decent petting zoo for the youngsters.
To make the best of the time, you can also visit the Hall of Science, which is right down the street.
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This small zoo, open since 1992, evolved from one that was part of the 1964 World's Fair, the grounds of which became Flushing Meadows Park. While locals flock to the area for a wide variety of activities, many are unaware that this outpost operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society - also responsible for the facilities in Central and Prospect Parks - even exists. It's home to more than four hundred animals of some seventy species, all indigenous to North and South America, living in wild habitats fashioned after the Great Plains, the California coast, a Northeast forest, and the like. Among those on view are bison, mountain lions, sea lions, bald eagles, elk, and spectacled bears, endangered natives of the Andes. One of the most popular residents is Otis, a coyote rescued from Central Park in 1999. Of special note is the aviary, a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller. Considerably smaller, but a lot less crowded, than the Bronx Zoo, this is definitely worth a visit, especially in the autumn or spring.
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One of Queens' hidden gems! I've been going to this zoo since I was a tot, and I must say, the petting zoo section is just as fun now as it was when I was six. Walking through the zoo itself is a very relaxing, meditative experience, so long as it's not too crowded, which it usually isn't. If you're looking for a mellow, cheaper alternative to the Bronx Zoo, haul your ass to queens for a few hours and check out the cool animals.
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This is a small zoo that everyone should check out if you're in the area. While it is smaller than other zoos, it still offers quite a lot of attractions. It's very noisy most of the time, so it's a great place to bring a kid.
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This zoo is definitely really cute and accessible and worth going to. In the middle of the park with fields and greens all around, and the tennis and baseball stadiums nearby, the Zoo is in a nice location, with plenty of parking and affordable admission rates. And while it's clearly no Bronx Zoo, there are tons of great animals to see and you don't feel like it's a second rate experience at all. Tons of kiddies around, running and screaming and having fun. There's time to check out the whole thing in a few hours.
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This is a medium to small sized zoo that is just perfect for spending an hour or two in. The animals are very diverse and they don't even try to sell you merchandise or any garbage like that. It's a straight zoo, which is rare nowadays. The zoo includes animals all outside, from bison to bald eagles to kodiak bears. I especially enjoy the aviary just because they put a porcupine exhibit in there, which is just funny to me. Aren't porcupines just like birds? The big cats are great here because they usually don't stray far from where you can see them while the deer are cool to look at. The alligators and flamingos/cranes are the first animals that you see which is interesting as they're pretty different. The parrots are kinda annoying but still great to look at while the animal cemetery teaches you how many species humans have actually killed off. You'll feel alittle sad but also very interested in saving endangered animals today, which is a good thing. The coyotes here are cool while the california sea lions are the cutest animals here, in my opinion. Thy're just great to watch. And there's a carrousel right outside the zoo and a mr. softy truck usually nearby. There are also farm animals right across from the zoo in a smaller area that is very good for little kids, as you can feed most of the animals, which range from your cows and pigs to rarer animals like llamas and yaks. Have a good time here and enjoy how a zoo is supposed to be, w/o the fluff.
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