Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park Review

Very nice staff, very clean and the animals were great!

I've had staff act extremely rude to me in front of my family more than one occasion. Syracuse zoo is a lot better and they have kinder staff.

Not much to see. Not worth the money. Check out the discovery center instead!

Could definitely use some more innovation in the programs they run. People were very nice and knowledgeable.

Very nice zoo, with a friendly staff. about a mile walk all around it with some really cool animals and you're able to feed some of them right by the entrance. There's also a playground where kids can burn off some energy about half way around. My kids and I had a blast

You get to see animals which are not inanimate common zoo

They have cleaned up. Not as many animals and the environments seem too small. Miss the happy otters they used to have...but I see a lot of improvements since the last time I was there.

We had a good time. The path for the exhibits is 3/4 of a mile long & the entire loop a little over a mile. Not a huge selection of animals but this isn't the San Diego Zoo & isn't trying to be. Parking was simple, and admission cheap.

We're definitely coming again. Park is well maintained.

Only gripe is a that the multi-level viewing areas are NOT wheelchair or stroller friendly. No elevators, only stairs for them.

Depressingly small cages. Unfit habitats for the animals. The enclosures were literally just plopped down in the woods and stuffed with an animal with no distinction of their natural habitat. Plus side, if you're into seeing unhappy animals it's pretty cheap to get in.

Very nice place to spend the day. I walked one mile and didn't even notice it lol. Great day trip for all ages.

Has not been updated in the past 15 years. Not many animals.

It is a decent enough zoo. Probably wouldn't make the hour and a half drive each way again though.

Really nice zoo. Animals seemed content & well-cared for. Many interesting exhibits. The red wolves are very cool & were most active animals. We visited mid afternoon & it was hot & humid. The zoo was cleverly built into the terrain & the scenery was amazing. It's a little over a mile to walk through when the nice asphalt walking paths. Built into the woods, there were lots of places to get in out of the sun.
I just had a knee injury so I found walking up the hill to see all the displays personally a bit challenging. By the time I walked down the hill coming from the exhibits I was uncomfortable - but that is on me! I should have wrapped my knee first. Just mentioning because it would be considerably harder for elderly or infirmed folks to visit. I saw little golf carts there, so maybe they rent or use those to help people get around. Anyway, it was an enjoyable afternoon adventure. We ate ice cream at the concession stand and even bought a couple items in the gift shop.

There were very few animals and the ones you could see were sleeping. What a dissapointing place! Not worth admission at all.

We love the zoo! We hadn't been in a few years and I am glad we revisited. Both my toddler and teenager had a great time! We will make sure to visit more than once a year to support our local zoo and have a great time!

We loved the zoo! Very kid friendly and staff was great! We will go again. We really enjoyed feeding the animals.

This was a sweet little place. Small but I could sense the history. My boys loved the carousel.

Went there for a wildlife experience with a sloth and a Porcupine. It was fun and informative. They do have this one on one with a couple of the other animals. You do have to book this in advance but it was worth the money.

Did a wild encounter today with Patience, the 2 toed sloth, as well as the porcupines. Was great! Tara, the zookeeper was knowledgeable, firendly, and so nice! Jackie got some great pictures for us, too! Thanks for a great experience!

Went there today. Very disappointed. Seems run down and no great animals to speak of. Pictures are deceiving. No tigers, no penguins no carrousel ride. Waste of time and money.

What a nice place. While getting some exercise you get to peek in on some really cool animals. The prices were right, even had a nice gift shop for the kids. I have been to the big huge zoo's but this one is not so overwhelming. Will absolutely bring my family back. Maybe next time they will have some ice-cream! =)

Awesome local resource for kids and adults to learn about zoology and endangered species. Exhibits are cool, assortment of animals is interesting. Interactive & educational displays. Fun things for kids to see and do. Nice forested walk with clear, paved, and easy to navigate paths.

You would think that with the heritage of being the 5th oldest zoo in the nation, that the exhibits and state of the park would be on par or better than most. This is not the case. Most animals are confined to small, uninspired exhibits where pacing is VERY evident. The majority of exhibits are undersized and unsuited for the size of the animals they house. But atleast they had those new nice zippy carts when I visited a few years back while the zoo is literally crumbling around them. They need to bring in a designer in the know to redesign this zoo. I can't believe it would be a funding problem, as the zoo was relatively packed whenever I visit. It either needs an overhaul or to be shut down in my opinion. It would be a shame to shut down as I have gone several times since being a kid and interacting with animals in this setting heightens awareness towards conservation, but the zoo needs to hold itself to much higher standards than are currently on display.

Took the children to the zoo. Its a very nice, small zoo. Its a nice place to spend the day with rambunctious children.

Was expecting to see wild animals like Tiger, Lion etc. Unfortunately they were not there!

Still the best zoo. Loved the sloth and baby porcupine.

A small zoo but it's kept up well and has a variety of animals.

This is a smaller zoo, but it is well kept and has a lot of nice animal exhibits. My favorite is the penguins. We like this zoo because it is inexpensive, has a lot of shade and nicely paved walking trails, and a picnic area. They sell a decent variety of food near the picnic area, or you can bring your own. My kids also love the carousel that is near the entrance.

Small but clean zoo. Not usually crowded and the Discovery Center is right next door.

It's a great little zoo with different animals. I love how close you can get to the animals as well. For example, the leopard and you could be very close with just the plexiglass between. The leopard was very playful. I got quite a few good pictures there.

What an amazing experience! I went with a kindergarten class in a field trip. So often as a child your told not to touch and to restrain yourself. The Discovery center allows kids to explore, touch and experience everything. I was just as enthusiastic as the kids. The story garden, the zoo and the Discovery center were all amazing. I highly recommend!!!

The animals seem lethargic and unhappy. The last part of the zoo is at a steep incline. Not recommended for older ppl with mobility issues.

Very nice zoo. Lots of walking, some up hill. Staff is friendly and informative

This is a hidden gem of a zoo where the animals are free to range around in a natural habitat space. The red pandas are adorable as are the screech monkeys and the snowy owls. Only drawback is the cyclone fence makes it hard to take the best photos but still worth the trip. You ll probably walk about a mile around the exhibits. And there s a little gift shop with zooveniers . Mostly stuffed animals.

As one of the oldest zoos in the area, maybe even country if I m not mistaken, it s a shame that it seems to be going downhill. It s a cute place and I know the staff try their best with what they have. Though there are very few animals any more and the exhibits need some repair. I did notice a few upgrades upon our last visit. I d love to see this place restored to its former glory!

So disappointing. Not the zoo I remember from being a kid. Empty enclosures, no staff in sight to ask questions, dirty. It's gone downhill significantly.

Not alot of animals most of them where asleep and some exhibits were closed due to covid social distancing rules

I had a great time with my sister, brother and nephews

Exclent. Not like a big zoo but they get the most out of what they have

Such a great Zoo I love it so much make this is so awesome best zoo ever

How can you go wrong with being in the woods while checking out cute animals in a beautiful zoo. I hope Ross Park continues its great reemergence as a perfect place to bring the family, or even a date with your loved one.

So nice to have one of the oldest zoos right in our backyard.

The zoo has some great potential. It's located in a nice wooded area within the city limits. It is very spread out and has a decent variety of animals. However, I was not pleased with the exhibits. They were very confined and unnatural. Most if not all of the animals were pacing around their enclosures. With so much space within the park you'd imagine much larger enclosures for the wildlife. The cougar and bear stood out most to me. The bear was enclosed in a concrete arena. With not much for it to do but pace back and forth. The same can be said for the cougar. An under sized cage with very little natural coverage. Leaving it with the only option of paying around the cage. This was a similar scene throughout the park. It appears some changes should be made to make this a really great zoo. I know it might not be ideal for those involved but I'd rather these animals be somewhere more habitable than left to spend their lives confined for our viewing. I can only hope somebody has already recognized these issues and are working to make life for these animals better.

This was a wonderful place, we had such a great time.

Outstanding zoo and discovery center. Visited with my grandson's class. We were impressed by the beauty of the zoo, its cleanliness, and its educational aspects. A wonderful visit and learning experience.

Great Zoo, It's just really confusing because there are 2 zoos in Binghamton. I actually ended up accidentaly going to this one instead of the other one. It was still great.

Small, but still has a great variety of animals. Staff are friendly and approachable - if you catch them during feeding time, they can tell you all sorts of info about the animals in their care! Lots of birds, a few unique reptiles in an indoor exhibit, some penguins and otters, and other small mammals. Big guys include some cougars, huge African vultures, and a couple of wolf packs that were easy to see during the day and really fun to watch in their big, wooded enclosure. Area was clean and had plenty of shady spots. An ice cream spot and restrooms halfway through was a great feature!

Nice little trip. Takes about 1hr half to walk. Little ones liked it.

Great place to take the Kids! Loved it The zoo is small and very friendly. Very knowledgeable staff. Kids loved feeding the goats!

Cute little zoo, nice way to spend a bit of time. We saw some critters we don't see at other zoos. Kids enjoyed it!

I love nature, so this is a good place to get in touch with it