This is one of the largest zoo I ve ever had the c...

This is one of the largest zoo I ve ever had the chance to visit. Essex county turtle back zoo is huge and during these uncertain times, is well prepared to handle people while abiding the guidelines in regards to social distancing and masks. There were signs all over to not touch the glass walls and maintain appropriate distance. Even before you enter, there was this large tent to check your body temperature.

You have to buy tickets online and the price for an adult is around $17 while for kids it s $14 for general admission. They also have a membership which would have different pricing (please do check online because prices may vary). You also have to pick your time of arrival and can t be late than 30 minutes of your posted time of arrival on your ticket. The online ticket process was a little broken when we tried but we still managed to get a few when everything was working. Also, they close at 3pm so you might want to plan a day trip accordingly.

Let s talk about the zoo itself. It s huge and has lots of places to explore. There were flamingoes, lions, bisons, sea lions, chickens, horses and everything else that you d expect from a zoo. They have a reptile only place as well as underwater viewing of sea lions which were fantastic. There were also a lot of places that weren t open for the public due to the ongoing pandemic but rest assured, you won t be disappointed to explore tons of other places and animals within this zoo.

The food options were limited (as expected) and to be honest, weren t at all good. We went to this Savana cafe to try something out. To begin with, we didn t have a lot of options since by the time we went at around 2pm, the staff told us that they were closed and the food that was on display was the only thing they could offer and so we got what was left there - chicken tenders, fries, grilled chicken burger and hot cocoa. The food was soggy due to the pre packaging and wasn t that good. The only good thing out of this was the hot cocoa. If you re planning to have a dine in experience (which you shouldn t given the current circumstances), you will be disappointed.

Overall, this is great place to enjoy with family and kids and will entertain you for hours. If you ve never been to a zoo and want to experience one, this place should be on your bucket list