Zoos and aquariums for kids around New York
New York has five zoos and an aquarium, all run by the same organization (WCS), ranging from a small zoo done in two hours to the Bronx Zoo, which can't be done in a day. Pick by your kid's stamina.
With a 2-year-old, go small: the sea lion feeding and penguins at Central Park Zoo plus goat-feeding at the Tisch Children's Zoo, or the hour-and-a-bit Prospect Park and Queens zoos. Big kids get the Bronx Zoo, riding the monorail over the tigers and sitting a pane of glass from the gorillas, pay-what-you-wish on Wednesdays; the aquarium at Coney Island has a shark tunnel overhead, with the beach outside. Or drive to Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey, where tickets are half the price and there's a little train.
- 6 places
- 6 stroller-friendly
- closest is 10 min away
6 places
Travel times from Midtown, by subway or car
Central Park Zoo and Tisch Children's Zoo
5.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway N/R/W to 5 Av–59 St, then a 5-minute walk
Prospect Park Zoo
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway B/Q/S to Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
Queens Zoo
5.0Queens · 35 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 7 to 111 St, then a 10-minute walk; paid park lot if you drive
Bronx Zoo
5.0Bronx · 45 min away
5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway 2/5 to West Farms Sq–E Tremont Av, then a 10-minute walk to Asia Gate; parking $20 if you drive
New York Aquarium
5.0Brooklyn · 50 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway F/Q to W 8 St–NY Aquarium; cross the footbridge from the station
Turtle Back Zoo
5.0West Orange · 50 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: About 40 minutes by car, free lot (transit is inconvenient)
💡 Good to know
- A WCS membership covers all five zoos and the aquarium, and pays for itself in two or three visits with kids.
- Wednesday pay-what-you-wish at the Bronx Zoo needs an online reservation; on other days some attractions cost extra, so the all-inclusive ticket is simpler.