Rosamond Gifford Zoo Review

Exciting to go to the zoo. This visit was a relaxing visit since many animals were not out and exhibits were not open. The inside zoo is just as entertaining.

I grew up going to this zoo and it's incredible! They have a wide variety of animals and you can tell that the staff really cares about them. If you have the opportunity to visit, make sure that you do!

Great people who seem to enjoy what they do and take good care of the animals!

The price of admission isnpretty amazingly low - for our family of 6 it was under $40. It is a smaller zoo - my daughter was disappointed because the lion was nowhere to be seen, but we had a good few hours there. It would be great for me and other moms if they added a few nursing pods on site because it is awkward to try to find a comfortable and shady place to breastfeed, but we had a good time otherwise. Oh - other slight disappointment - the gift shop didn t have sunscreen, necessitating a run out into town.

While I realize that zoos can not replicate animals in the wild, they hopefully provide people, especially children, an appreciation of animals and the need to help protect them from the damaged caused by mankind. This is a very nice facility. Small, but the animals all seem well cared for and the staff dedicated to them.

Great zoo with lots of animals.... Great for families

I took my son here for the first time during the summer and we loved it. He loves the dinosaurs throughout the park. We enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria. We will be back next summer.

We love the Rosamond Gifford Zoo! It's filled with beautiful animals and they keep it so clean and well maintained. It's definitely a must on the list, if you're visiting Syracuse NY.

I hadn't been there in about 20 years. My girlfriend made the suggestion that we should go. I am extremely glad we did. The place was nice and clean and neat. The staff was very welcoming and the animals were all awake and alert

Overall a nice zoo. Not as many animals as some other ones I've been to but it's understandable because of the crazy temperatures Syracuse can have. Animals were happy and lively. Sad to hear about their last lion passing away. Zoo was clean and very easy to navigate through and plenty of things to do for the little kiddos. Lots of information given along the way as well.

A membership is very worthwhile if you plan on going with any frequency. It also valid for other zoos around the country. The new Amur Leopard Cubs are adorable!

Expanded Asian elephant enclosure with newborn baby elephant was the highlight of the visit for us.

I've enjoyed visiting this zoo my whole life. It's nice to see the improvements they are able to make over time, like the elephant barn. I can't wait to go back again, with or without the kids!

The kids love it, it's small but fun for our preschool aged ones, and they have a wonderful military discount.

Nice! I've been going there every year with my family since I was a baby...I'm almost 13.

It is a nice clean zoo. I'll caveat by stating this zoo isn't too big.

This place is the best for the kids. Love the new dinosaur exhibits throughout the park

It was awesome!! Only other animal they need is a hippo!!

Fun place to spend a couple hours. Loved the dinosaur aspect of it, our whole family just thought that was awesome!!

A fun afternoon! Unfortunately due to COVID the indoor exhibits were mostly closed. Also, there weren't enough staff around the perimeters to effectively enforce proper mask wearing. Otherwise a nice little zoo!

Cleaned up really nicely in the past 5 years! Great exhibits and lovely people

We love this zoo! This year they have animatronic dinosaurs, which the kids LOVED

They re incredible people and really care for their animals. It s always amazing to go to the zoo. My favorite visit was on Valentine s weekend where they give valentines treats to all the animals to inbox and enjoy. It was amazing and sights I ll never forget.

Rosamond Gifford has done a wonderful job making a fun

We went to visit 5/26/18 and enjoyed it!! My son and his best friend enjoyed the visit and seeing all the dinosaurs. They had a good time and it was a beautiful for the visit.

Had a fun time with my family! Very hot day. Animals appeared lathargic and resting due to heat, but so did the people :). My daughter seemed to like the water feature rigjr when you walk in more than the animals (maybe a bit too young to appreciate the wildlife). She also gravitated towards the sand pit play area to socialize with other kids. There was a bouncy house! Would definitely reccomend bringing kids to see all the animals. Looks like they have a new area for the elephants which was nice. The rest place could use an update though!

We had a great time at the zoo! It was dinosaur time - they were awesome! Animals looked happy and healthy. Large habitats. Very pleased with overall cleanliness. Can't beat the price for a day of fun. Will definately go again. Missed the lions though - not out in viewing area.

Fairly small zoo. Felt pretty empty on the outside parts. The inside exhibits helped make up for some of what was lacking on the outside.

Already rated this place. Great place for a visit. Nice place for kids, plenty to do.

Loved it had a great time with my son and his friend

We love coming here and free for military! We come about once a month and my young kids love to "check in" on all the animals! Very clean and well kept zoo. Very good for walking and visiting with small children.

Great exhibits and terrific kids party service, well done!

Easy to access and get around. Good variety of animals. Small zoo but has elephants!!!!

The zoo is always improving it's grounds over the years it has be just getting better and better other than the construction of the deer and elk it's pretty much the same ole zoo!

Not happy they do not have evening hours and it gets hot for littles!

Took our girl scout troop and they had a great time!

Great zoo for kids, but little short for adults. Did the entire place in almost three hours and it was great, especially for the price. Awesome zoo to check off the list.

Love taking my son, just wish there was more interactive things

While the zoo is now open, there are many covid 19 restrictions in place that take away from the experience of the zoo. The biggest one is that there are many parts of the zoo blocked off from foot traffic and extra gates have been installed to keep people further away from the animals. Because of that, we were hardly able to see many of the animals that they have.

This Zoo is amazing, beautiful, and so clean! We had a blast! The staff was awesome with questions.

Always an enjoyable time! We go every summer. Just went this winter too and it was so amazing to see the animals during the opposite season.

Amazing exhibits, beautiful animals!! Loved the area with the exotic birds that flew right over your head! So many amazing animals and lots of fun for the kids, and adults too!! The penguins are adorable and we learned a lot from the information painted on the walls, much we didn't know about penguins its very interesting!! The elephants were a sight for sure!! The information is displayed in a manner that catches the eyes of everyone, kids and adults alike!! Very bold and clear understanding!! We appreciated the educational activities mixed in that engaged the kids and gave them a better understanding of each exhibit!! The dinosaur exhibit was beyond amazing!!! What an impressive set with extremely lifelike scenes!! This was a true unbelievable experiance for us, which we have shared with many people!! GREAT JOB ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO, GREAT JOB!!! THANK YOU so much for the adventures you provided to our families!!

Really great attractions and informative presentations. The only downside is that you can't swim with the penguins.

Good place to take my kids..lots of animals to see..

Although smaller than others like Granby or Toronto Zoos this is very good value for your money at under $30 for the entire family. Everything is clean and very well laid out.

Don t go during covid. Barely any animals are out, half of the viewing areas are blocked off for no reason, even when animals are there, while others remain open. This definitely shouldn t still be full price. We asked someone about why no animals we out and they just said no refunds, I didn t even ask for one?

This is a great place where one can see every from a Penguin to an Asiatic elephant. Although it may be troubling to see animals in captivity, they all seem very healthy and fit.

What a wonderful zoo! We can't wait to see visit again soon and see all of the new areas that are currently under construction!

It was pretty fun and just the right amount to do in the heat! Loved seeing the animals... Free the animals!

We take the kids here often. It's usually very clean, nice selection of different animals, and is good value for the money. It usually takes us a few hours to get through everything.

The first time I went to this zoo with family I loved it although many.of the animals just seemed so depressed,lifeless and looks like they don't need to be at this zoo the lion especially , as we toured down the path these animals didn't look.right at all.. the elephants were too far away, and the monkeys locked behind these glass walls with no ventilation and also seemed lifeless like they just wanted to be rescued and to be out.

Right now alot of stuff is not open and alot of animals were not out or sleeping. We did have a nice time though. I loved they gave the kids flags. My 18month old loved it

I'll caveat by stating this zoo isn't too big. This is a great zoo in that its not like the San Diego and Cincinnati Zoos, but that also might be a negative consideration as well. You won't find the same size collection of animals as the larger zoos; however, they still have interesting exhibits and you won't find yourself racing through exhibits to see it all before closing. The family really enjoyed the leisurely stroll as we saw all of the available attractions. Perhaps, due to the Rona you will have to schedule your visit time. I enjoyed this as it prevented too many people from entering at the same time. I'm curious and eager to see what the zoo looks like in full capacity. We will definitely visit this zoo regularly.

Kids had a great time...was inexpensive, clean and had a lot of animals!!!

A wide variety of animals and many different exhibits to explore! The Roamond Gifford zoo is a must visit in the Syracuse area. One of my favorite parts is the lead up to the tiger exhibit. There is an off trail where you can find tiger tracks in the concrete as theming. Another secret is in the rainforest exhibits near the primates. In the room where you find golden lion tamarins there is a large tree you can go into and see spiders in a glass box. Now it's hard to see being dark in there, but turn on the flash and there is a hidden bat statue hanging inside the tree! After all the years I've been there I discovered it last year. It all reminds me a bit of Disney's animal kingdom with their theming. I wish they did more of that. Little things and secrets to look out for on your visit.

Superpowers clean zoo. MUCH enlarged
Some animals not in residence because of cleaning their habitat which was disappointing

This is the only Zoo located in the Syracuse area other than the wild located in Chittenango. They serve food here as well and they hold different conventions and events. When you walk around and view the animals we definitely tell that they are well-loved and taking care of.

Such a great place! We have a membership and come for the morning and bring a picnic lunch. My son loves all the different animals.

Beautiful grounds, friendly staff, seemingly well cared-for animals. Love to visit with children.

I have lived in Syracuse, NY all my life and from the first time I went to today when I am taking my granddaughter for her first zoo experience it is and will always be my favorite place.

Wonderful zoo for families! This lovely zoo is known for its breeding program and having many animals successfully born into captivity. There is a large Asian elephant preserve, a great penguin exhibit featuring Humboldt Penguins, Amur tigers, red and gray wolves, a domesticated animal barn, several types of primates (no gorillas or orangutans for anyone seeking those), and much more. There is also a gift shop (rather pricey) and a fast-food style restaurant.

Despite the heat we had so much fun. Wish more animals were up but you can't control wild animals.

We went to early in season want go back in summer. Had great time with kids