At 265 acres all told, the Bronx Zoo in New York City is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, a sprawling complex of state-of-the-art habitats, natural park grounds and clean guest facilities built on and around the Bronx River. Opened in 1899 at a fraction of the size, it is also one of our oldest zoological parks, and it’s been a hit pretty much from day one.
Of course, when choosing our Top American Zoos, size matters not. The Bronx Zoo gets in on the quality of its exhibits. One of the most awe-striking exhibits is Tiger Mountain. With a tireless fitness routine and fun guided activities with the zoo handlers, this large paddock of Siberian tigers is livelier than you’d expect. See some of the world’s most majestic, and sorry to say most critically endangered, big cats eat, exercise, play and even hunt.
One of the more exciting exhibits at the moment is Madagascar!, a fascinating collection of flora and fauna from the planet’s “eighth continent”. The 4th-largest island and distantly-separated from all true continents, Madagascar has developed an infinitely vast and remarkable ecology, and this one-of-its-kind exhibit puts it on full display. It’s an especially welcome attraction for younger children because they can see many of the creatures from that silly animated flick where the giraffe falls in love with the hippo. This includes obnoxious lemurs, but don’t be expecting a round of “Move it! Move it!”
For more information about the Bronx Zoo, visit the Web site here. Standard admissions fall in line with big city average, but they do offer a donate-as-you-wish option every Wednesday. Guided tours are also available in 90-minute intervals.
A lot of New York City visitors, especially those headed for Manhattan and the Bronx, stay just across the river in New Jersey, and we’re all for the strategy. So among Northern New Jersey hotels we like the Crowne Plaza Englewood Hotel. It’s only about 8 miles out from the zoo and provides easy bridge access.
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2 Comments
This post was a great read. Would be a great place to take the kids… Thanks!
Thanks for your comments, Randy. They are appreciated much-like.
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