These Petting Zoos Are Great NYC Day Trips for Families
New York City is one of the best cities in the world for tourists, with plenty of renowned attractions, including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Broadway, and Central Park. While these and other venues draw millions of out-of-state visitors each year, they aren’t always great options for families living in or around New York City. New York’s most iconic attractions and tourist sites are usually crowded during peak seasons and often don’t have the same appeal for residents as they would for tourists.
There are more than a dozen small farms and petting zoos within driving distance of the Big Apple. Some of these facilities offer free admission for children; others have affordable family rates.
Bronx Children’s Zoo
Believe it or not, families don’t have to leave New York City to come face-to-face with farmyard animals. The Bronx Children’s Zoo, open weather permitting from April to October, features specially designed exhibits that allows children to get up close with animals, including chickens, squirrel monkeys, anteaters, and sloths. Select exhibits include Jungleworld, Tiger Mountain, Big Bears, and Madagascar!
In addition to viewing these and other animals up close, the Bronx Children’s Zoo offers plenty of interactive experiences for children, including a nature trek through the park that includes various obstacles, a bug carousel, wildlife-themed quests, an aerial ropes course, and penguin and sea lion feedings.
The Art Farm
Manhattan’s Upper East Side might not seem like a place where you can expect to get up close with turtles, hamsters, birds, and rabbits. Fortunately, it’s home to The Art Farm, a children’s educational center and the only indoor petting zoo in New York City. Founded in 2002, The Art Farm organizes programming that aims to connect children with the natural world and give them a break from city life.
The Art Farm hosts drop-in sessions for young children throughout the year. Open Play Time, available Monday through Thursday afternoons, offers children between the ages of 6 months and 8 years the opportunity to interact with animals and take part in arts and crafts activities. The Art Farm also hosts a drop-in baby music class and children’s cooking class.
The learning center has an afterschool club and organizes after-school programming for select New York City schools. The Art Farm NYC Afterschool Program, available for children between the ages of 4 and 10, includes petting zoo visits, indoor games, outdoor play, and snack and homework time.
Bushwick City Farm
Bushwick City Farm in Brooklyn has a very modest petting zoo consisting of an enclosed area in which children can feed chickens. However, it is an excellent and accessible urban farm day trip for local families. Admission is free to the volunteer-run farm, which provides fresh produce to local public schools and service groups. Open to the public only on weekends from 12:30 pm until sundown, Bushwick City Farm is a fun weekend outing for parents and children to learn about agriculture and sustainability.
Prospect Park Zoo Barn & Garden
Prospect Park Zoo Barn & Garden in the Bronx is an outdoor educational center that is home to many “typical” barnyard animals as well as alpacas, baboons, and red pandas. Other exotic animals on site include Vietnamese mossy frog, wreathed hornbill, dwarf mongoose, and golden lion tamarin. Visitors can also participate in interactive quests or watch sea lion training sessions.
The Wildlife Conservation Society operates Prospect Park Zoo Barn & Garden and animal conservation is at the core of its agenda. The Prospect Park Zoo was the first AZA-accredited institution to propagate the Chinese big-headed turtle, an endangered species, and members of its animal care and veterinary program are supporting efforts to save freshwater tortoise and turtle species in Myanmar.
Alley Pond Environmental Center
The Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC) in Alley Park Pond has been in operation for more than five decades. During that time, it has worked to preserve land in Alley Pond Park and surrounding areas and educate the public about nature-related topics. Located in Queens, the APEC has more than 635 acres of forests, ponds, meadows, and marshes as well as being home to more than 300 bird species and other animals. On the weekends, the APEC hosts various educational programming, including story time for young children, nature walks, and bird tours.
Queens County Farm Museum
The Queens County Farm Museum is situated on a 47-acre plot of land in Floral Park and features typical farm animals like chickens, cows, sheep, and pigs. There’s also an apiary full of honeybees. Visitors can even purchase feed for the farm’s resident goats. The property also includes an historic farmhouse constructed in the 17th century, a greenhouse complex, an herb garden, and a vineyard.
Queens County Farm Museum is open throughout the year and hosts a variety of family-friendly seasonal events, including a corn maze and pumpkin patch in the fall and a children’s carnival and egg hunt in the spring. The Sheep Shearing Fest in May is another popular event.
