Rosamond Gifford Zoo Reviews

Great experience with the animals. Trainers do a great job and my family had so much fun

Great time with family and the military discount was a great bonus thank you very much

My family really enjoyed this zoo. It s the perfect size for a half day trip and still see it all. We especially loved the sleepy owl, the raven that said hello , and the guinea hens that escaped their area to harass the wolves. The different exhibits throughout the zoo were all well cared for and fun to visit. The cafe had a good assortment of healthy options as well.

Small zoo. Well kept. Dinosaur exhibit that opened that day was nice.

I attended the Boo Zoo with family and it was a fun time.

Great place for kids. 50% off entrance fee with zoo memberships at other accredited zoos.

Go every year, just wish more of the animals were out and about

Great time. You can tell the animals are really cared for there. We will be coming back

I love this zoo!!! They have such a wide variety of animals to see. The winter photo contest is also very fun to partake in.

Very cool little zoo. Clean, organized and always changing things up.

It wasn't very big and the baby elephant wasn't on display.

They are doing the best they can with all the Covid-19 restrictions. The end of October wasn't an ideal time to visit but I will go back in warmer weather.

Beautiful zoo. We even go during the winter because there are so many indoor exhibits.

Going to the zoo during Winter hours is absolutely amazing! Most of the animals were up front and welcoming us.

Amazing zoo at an amazingly cheap price! It's the perfect size for families with kids or people with a short patience. The zoo is walkable in under 2hrs, but each exhibit is a great size and really well done. The animals looks well taken care of, unlike some other zoos. The elephant area is awesome! For little ones, I recommend the sand play area. The only thing that was disappointing was the cafeteria -- skip it and go to Dyno BBQ less than 10 mins away.

This small town zoo is very clean and well kept. The employees were very polite and the curious stations were entertaining and informative

Great selection of animals, intuitive layout, and cheaper, BY FAR, than any other form of family friendly entertainment in the region. A terrific establishment.

Had such a great day at this zoo! It's not enormous but it's really good and it's a great layout - the zoo has some really great animals here and I would definitely return when I come to Syracuse! This zoo has really improved since I was a kid. The elephants are the highlight of the zoo for me. Last time I was there, the zookeepers did a wonderful demonstration -- super informative. I also really like the indoor exhibits.

My family and I came here on a warm day in March and had a great time. The animals were all out and we were able to take a leisurely stroll through the zoo and enjoy ourselves

Perfect place to take the kids! Great staff, wonderful zoo

Lovely zoo. Lots of room for every animal. Easy to get to.

There is so much new going on at this zoo! Several new babies of various species to view, a brand new outdoor walkway and elegant overlook, and continuous improvements being made!

For my daughters birthday, she requested to go to the Syracuse zoo. Such a fun and educational place. We spent 4 hours touring the grounds. With so much to see and do. The animals were well cared for and fun to watch. They have multiple areas to buy snacks, food and refreshments. Ample free parking and easy to walk. Price of admission was also easy on the wallet. We will return again

We have a family of 9. Paid there family package deal and we're able to access the zoo for a year. It was fairly cheap.

Nice animals. This zoo itself makes for a really nice walk. Don't eat here. The food was skimpy & tasted- eh. The restaurant was disgusting!!!

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is a great place to bring curious kids. All three of my kids spent a lot of time at the zoo.

Family loved it we always do, hope the dinosaurs come back in the future!

Beautiful zoo, had a great time, and had a nice time talking to the caretakers.

Beautiful landscaping and adding the dinosaurs gave the zoo a definite boost! Although a little hard to navigate it is worth taking the kiddos if your in the area. Most animals are viewable and the place clean! Easy stroller access and friendly staff also!!

So many different animals. Definately affordable! Best prices Ive seen for entrance. And love how the animals are placed

What a wonderful zoo. The kids enjoyed our trip very much. It is a must do when you are in Syracuse!

Great little Zoo! Some very nice exhibits. There are a few places that show a need for updating, but overall a great place to take kids. Love the elephants.

Love this place. We drive 2+ hours several times a year to go here

Lots of great animals, birds, and sea life. Not fancy, but clean and family friendly.

We get a season pass for the year. Lots of activities for the kids and the exhibits are always changing. Great place to walk off some of that summer vacation energy and learn something in the process.

Good little zoo. Animals are healthy and well taken care of.

Well cared for animals running the gamut of global environments, well run conservation efforts, very knowledgeable staff, nicely set up trails. Always an enjoyable time for this zoo member...

Was very disappointed, had not been to the Zoo since last year. We love to go to see The Elephants but love all we can see. It was so sad to see the lion entrapment that those 2 poor Lions had to live in day in, day out. When the male died, no one heard where the female went, We truly pray if they get more Lions, they destroy what is there and give them as much land to run & mate as they too are becoming extinct. The bird 'room' was sad, not alot of birds, dirty, stinky. The bear enclosure again just a rock enclosure, not much room for them to do anything but climb up it and lay there. We headed over, excited to see the Elephants, again the new 'exhibit' was dirty, trying to look in the windows was hard. They were for some reason making all the Elephants go back inside so we only seen one. We specifically came too, to see the elephant babies, nope. I was so upset. So we walked around a bit, this really got me upset when we seen a small carousel which cost money & a blow up big octopus little kids could slide down, again more money. A zoo is a zoo to learn about the Animals, not have kiddie rides that are meant for a Fair. We wanted to see the Octopus, he or she was squished in this rock so you could just see it's leg, we came back after all the walking around we stopped back, same, it could of been dead as it had not moved at all. We loved our Zoo, now, not so much and doubt we will be back. We wanted to also eat but remembered the 'Jungle Cafe' from last year, if the Zoo put in a real food court, good food- we would not find spending $ but to get yuck food, treated rudely & the employees not caring if anything was wiped down-
It is not a Zoo.

Winter is an OK time here but lots of animals are elsewhere. Some have died or been sent to other zoos: python, lions, crocodiles. But lots to see. The habitats created for the animals are amazing. Plus, rates are lower in January and February.

Very surprised to see so few animals especially when the web page says over 700 animals. Many empty cages and empty pens. Place is in need of some serious remodeling. Not worth the trip for sure as our Utica Zoo is far better.

Nice zoo. Military and veterans get in free and can take 2 other family members with them for free as well.

While a little smaller then other zoos I have been through the family loved it and had a lot of fun.

They need better parking for handicapped people...only 5 spots...

Love going to this zoo. Just a heads up if you are going to go, right now you have to have reservations. They limit attendance to 750 people a day. Search for the zoo and follow the links for the reservations. They go fast so log on early and at least a day or two before you want to go. A tip: if you are going with more than one person, you have to create a "family group" and list everyone that is going. I did not realize that and almost didn't get the three reservations I needed. None of the outdoor food stands are open during the week, only the weekend. The cafe is not open at all. You can pack snacks or a small picnic. Alcohol is not allowed.

Not all the exhibits are open and only one of the indoor buildings is open. There are still plenty of animals to see so it's still worth going. The penguins and the elephants were my favorite animals to see. There are several new exhibits under construction, not sure what animals will be in them; but some new animals are coming!

Masks and social distancing are mandatory. Hardly saw anyone not wearing their mask. Did not see many employees out walking around and the few I did see, they didn't seem to be enforcing the rules. There is plenty of room throughout the zoo to keep social distance, you may come upon small groups of people around some of the exhibits. There are hand sanitizer displays all around but the two I tried either were out or weren't working.

If you are looking for a nice family getaway, you can't beat this zoo.

Lions are hidden. I missed them on my walk through. Cool animals and great for kids and adults alike. Huge squid

LOVE THIS ZOO! Well, we love all the Zoos around. But they each bring something beautiful and unique to their own Zoo. Gift shops are all different and so are the Animals. Fun for the whole family!! Lots of walking for those who need wheelchairs. Everything is wheelchair ready for all to enjoy the exhibits! My family always has a BLAST at this Gorgeous Zoo!!! CAN'T WAIT to return when the weather is more predictable :)

Great variety especially if you like sea creatures! Nocturnal animals exhibit is great too! Not too spread out so you can see most everything in a few hours if you want to!

It's a great zoo to visit, lots of variety between species, and very awesome habitats. I've been here several times and it's always a good trip :) I do however wish there was more help for disabled and elderly, not much room to maneuver a wheelchair between exhibits and kids running all over, so it makes it difficult to bring anyone with special needs who doesn't like bigger crowds. Otherwise, a great place to go when you have a day off with the family or friends.

I don't usually like zoos, but this one keenly integrates environmental messages and lessons about biology into the display. They have all the key species that are fun and unique without many of the "boring" animals. Definitely check it out

Alot of wasted and empty space. Not as good as it once was.

Smaller than expected with a few good sights. Overall, it's something to do.

Nice little zoo. Quite a few exhibits were closed due to renovation but it seems they are doing a great job sprucing up the place.

Drove an hour to go to the zoo with my children and now we need reservations very unhappy kids because we couldn't get in

Great experience but a pain to get there with all the road work

This was my most disappointing zoo experience ever. I realize that during the COVID-19 pandemic they were going to be some restrictions but Upon entering we discovered that the majority of the exhibits were not open and were closed off. The place looks run down. However they had quite an impressive elephant preserve that I could tell was recently installed. Overall, there were a lot of empty cages and a lot of animals so far away you couldn t even take a picture. My highlight was the ducks.

It was a wonderful zoo and extremely inexpensive! Take my daughter back every year

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo has opened up but they are only accepting entry by RESERVATIONS due to Covid-19. The Zoo has a path that you can travel to see the animals that are available for exhibition and I can't fault the Zoo for following regulations I just wish they went about it in a better way!

It was very enjoyable. Very clean. Had a good time. Wish the bear was there.

Alot of stuff wasn't in there exhibits but other than that it was a good time.

Not too many animals to see. The elephants were definitely the highlight.

Even though all animals weren't out for the full season because we went "off season" my 3 kids loved it and we already are planning another trip in the summer!