Southwick's Zoo Reviews

great variety of animals and the shade provided by the canopy of trees make this zoo ideal on a warm sunny day with the kids...feed the deer is pretty cool too!

Hidden gem, been there two times so far and we don't live anywhere close by... the kids had a ball...highly recommend

A very family friendly zoo. Nicely laid out and the animals are always in view. Nice playground and rides (both mechanical and animal) are fun for the kids. A little pricey but as this is a private zoo I understand the cost. No signs on the road so follow you GPS and you should be fine. Free parking there and that is always a plus.

Tons of baby animals and animal encounters! Had a great time!!!

Not our favorite area zoo, but it was nice and something different. The petting zoo area was loved by our kids, and the seemingly new wildlife area with deer was fun. The lack of water fountains made a mid summer trip less fun than it could have been, though...

There are lots of different animals to view and tons of fun activities. I particularly enjoy the Deer Forest. However, it's mildly frustrating that there are almost no drinking fountains (there is one on the map but I couldn't find it in person), the vending machines seem to be mostly out of stock, and the restaurants around the zoo seem to be closed most of the time. It's a fun zoo to explore, but awfully inconvenient on a hot day

What a great time my family had at this zoo! Big display of exotic animals 'lions, tigers and bears oh my'! Plus Monkeys! My six year old son already wants to go back.

Loved to see the animals. giraffe's, deer forest is great.

Brought my two daughters (3 and 6), they enjoyed feeding the deer and the goats. There were a few rides for them, but check height requirements. There is plenty of shade and some misting tents to help stay cool. There are picnic tables so you can relax and eat. It may seem pricey but for a day of fun, I thought it was worth it.

Long standing family attraction right in our back yard. Animals are well cared for and the property is always clean. Plenty of parking across the street. Take a few hours and tour the grounds you'll be happy you did, and you'll probably see a red bat while you're at it!

There are well taken care of animals throughout the place from beginning to end easy exhibits to see love the Deer Park the zip line and The Sky Ride always makes me feel like a child again

We had a wonderful experience at Southwick! Check-in was speedy quick, lots of shady areas and tons of space for guests to spread out. My two-year-old loved the goat and deer petting/feeding experience!

I should have my money back, I purchased the tickets to use the ride with my family, seven of us due to the rain we couldn't use the rides that was ok we ask for a refund, instead they stamped the receipts and gave us until October 31 to comeback no mentioning that on week days the ride are not functioning, well I drove an hour and a half to find out that the rides are functioning mainly during the weekend seriously I need my money back.

If you are allergic to bees bring your epi pen!
The animals are great. But there were yellow jackets everywhere.
We stopped for lunch. And got an orange drink and sandwich with an orange for my 3 year old. We were swarmed by a dozen or more yellow jackets. They followed us wherever we went.
Turns out their bee control is putting out a cup of orange drink for the yellow jackets to drink. On the trash can which is between a bunch of picnic tables. The same orange drink my 3-year-old got. And guess who has an orange stroller? That's right. Me. For my 1 year old twins.
Even other people noticed there was a swarm of yellow jackets around us. It was horrible. If my sister got stung she could have died. Anaphylaxis is no joke. Yellow Jackets can kill. Not cool.

Always love the Southwick Zoo. Great variety of animals. The enclosures are large and accessible from multiple areas. Plenty of snack and souvineer stands. I highly recommend this zoo.

We always had a great time going to Southwick Zoo. Now that we have our daughter, we love it so much more. They are so family friendly! Make sure you plan to spend the full day here!

What a great Zoo! It's not too big, but also not too small. Perfect size to be able to see all animals, but don't get exhausted. It's in a wooded area which provides plenty of shade. There are a lot of rides. We did Skyfari Sky Ride. It is a cableway/lift you can go around the Zoo and see the animals from above. Really fun! They also have a maze, and many more attractions.

Enjoyable for Adults and Kids alike. There are some small rides for the Lil ones, and of course lots of animals.

Never-ending zoo! So many different animals to see. Very active. By far the best. Would definately come back again. Bonus: Triple A discount on tickets.

Took our grandson WHAT A GREAT TIME. Didn't feel crowded at all. He loved his 1st time pony ride. I loved the screaming eagle ride.

Such a great place, has everything you'd expect in a quality zoo. We cannot go here enough.

Awesome zoo. Excellent selection of animals. Staff is friendly and helpful. Plenty of attractions.

This post is a little unfair, because it's more about their Winter Wonderland event. The only animals we saw were in the reptile house, which is to be expected because of the cold. Also, the area with Christmas lights was pretty small. The one thing that the kids really liked were the singing penguins, and we probably spent more time watching them than anything else. Typically we really enjoy the zoo, and it would get a 4-5 star rating, but unfortunately I have to review our Winter Wonderland experience which was not worth the price of admission.

wonderful place! walk-in bird cages, walk in deer feeding, great for kids all ages.

Great private owned zoo!! Better than a majority of public zoo's! Feed goats in a pen & deer in the forest!!

This visit is one for the book. We went there on Labor day. It was crowded but everyone followed rules and had masks on. We found sanitizers' dispensers all throughout the park. We tried the zipline and the skyfari sky ride. Amazing experiences. My son did the pony ride as well, could not stop smiling. We then fed deers and amazingly found a spot to feed the giraffes. Top notch experience. We found help everywhere as employees were not reluctant to help. There are multiple places to eat. Clean bathrooms and portable ones throughout the entire park. Every employee we met was patient, kind and efficient. My son had a blast. We will surely come back.

Always a nice time! Can't wait until next year when my baby can enjoy it more. More than enough space to social distance!

Learn about the many animals at the zoo with informative signs and staff. Walk among deer, and goats. Easy walking paths. A little crowded on the weekends. Some baby animals, so cute (tiny lemurs and goats!). Many places to get snacks and drinks, and a couple of restaurants with indoor or outdoor seating.

Not a bad little zoo. Perfect size for small children. Staff was very nice and place was clean. The $5 burger didn't look great but tasted ok.

A fun zoo, with such a large variety of animals. Plenty of free parking, and a great selection of activities to do. The only reason I didnt give it a 5star is I went over April vaca and not all the food vendors were open. So there wasnt a big selection for food.

Beautiful zoo, but some faults. Firstly, there could be some more enrichment in the exhibits. Sometimes, the resident animals look bored, and pace around. Another thing is that the prices are way too high. From the ticket price, to what is in the shops, prices are too ridiculous. The staff can sometimes be rude, and rather clueless. Once, I overheard a STAFF MEMBER tell a visitor that "White tigers (who live in Asia) are at risk of attacks from lions and hyenas (that live in Africa, with the population of asiatic lions being too low to mess with tigers)". This is unbelievable coming from an employee. Finally, and this is a more personal thing, I am not a big fan of the renovations happening these days. Gift shops look unpleasantly different, and the new restaurant is a waste of space. The old cafe which served gluten free now serves ice cream, and there is no place to buy gluten free food anymore. Other than these complaints, I have been going to this place for many years and I do love it nonetheless. This zoo is a great place to visit.

A great zoo. Wonderful variety, animals well cared for, totally professional. Great variety and you can see the exhibits up close. Great for kids, fun rides. A little pricey but won't disappoint. Nice on site restaurant, special events. On site petting zoo, deer interaction, monkeys galore!

I love this zoo. I have been coming here since I was a kid. It's gotten more expensive (what hasn't?), but it's obvious that the money has gone into improving the animal habitats.

Great zoo. A lot of animals, and they have nice big habitats. A lot of choices for food in the park, a playground, and rides for all different ages. Also a deer and a goat petting area

I was amazed at the variety of animals. Perfect size for a day trip.

This is a great zoo. But beware the prices are high. Also if you want to do anything else in zoo it is extra. This is one of the better well kept zoo's around. They have many species.

Brought my nephew and he had a great time. Will definitely return again sometime

Great place to spend the day out with family. So much to see and I honestly like this zoo better than the Roger Williams Zoo hands down!

Had a wonderful time at the zoo
Many different exhibits, friendly staff , Covid19 safe.

Excellent zoo with lots of animals. Sky ride is a must but kids need to be atleats 42". The train ride is also fun for kids.

Wow! Has this zoo come a long way! Awesome destination!

First time I've ever been, it's a really nice zoo!

I think this is such an underrated zoo! Absolutely fantastic, but get the membership for a much better value!

The zoo has many animals I didn't see in other places. The zoo is well maintained and clean. Loved it. Didn't take any ride though.

Southwick's Zoo is a great place for the whole family. Our four and five year olds love it there. There is so much to do between the animals and the kiddie rides. Plenty of spots to grab a drink or a snack too. The zoo has resturant attached to it so you can sit and have a full meal. There is a gift shop too.

Huge zoo. Be ready for some walking. Also has an area where you can feed and interact with wild deer. The deer can be aggressive so use caution especially with little ones. Kids had a blast on all the rides too

$$$ be prepared to break the bank if you don't bring your own drinks and snacks. Great variety of animals, great exhibits, animals look well taken care of. The rides are hit and miss. Be careful of the bees around the park. Overall positive experience though.

Excellent place. Magnificent animal displays, very well taken care.

Nice place to spend the day with family and friends

Always a favorite. Make sure you get the ride pass at the gate, it'll save you later.

Southwick's Zoo is by far our favorite New England Zoo and we have visited a lot of zoos.

It's got a wide selection of animals with ample enclosure space. They spend a lot of time adding enrichment activities into the enclosures to keep the animals active and using their natural skills.

We recently attended their evening Earth Bash fundraiser and being the reptile fan, I was checking the reptile room out one last time for the evening. The zoo typically closes much earlier but apparently I was in there past the reptiles bed time so all the lights went out while I was looking around.

I caught the Iguana telling me it was time to leave and showing me which way to the door :)

You have a very good time at the southwick's zoo. There are a lot of wonderful animals and a petting area with the deer which my son enjoyed thoroughly. They had a nice little playscape and some very decent food options. However, I really don't feel that they had very many rides for the kids there were maybe a half a dozen and they weren't in the best shape. When I was at the entryway and asking about whether I should get the upgraded pass for $36 I was led to believe that there was much more of a ride area than there was. word to the wise, unless your kids are going to ride them for hours don't buy the upgraded pass just buy tickets inside the park for each ride.

This was the saddest experience I have ever had. Coming from Colorado, I am used to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and their high standards of care. The enclosures in the park were way to small! Most of the animals looked stressed or had given up. I saw no enrichment for the animals. Also the fact that you guys let people drive through and stress out those poor animals are ridiculous. The tigers were pacing, the lions were pacing, and the monkeys seemed so sad. This is WRONG! DO SOMETHING!

I am impressed with the obvious care the animals receive. Much bigger than you would expect, there is a lot to see and do there. Perfect opportunity for young kids and adults alike to have lots of fun while learning about our precious and endangered co-inhabitants on this earth. Highly recommend

Lion, Tiger, Monkey, Deer, Elk.......lots of fun activities and beautiful animal here! And, in the post-COVID era, the drive-through zoo is the best zoo experience for family with kids in all ages!

Always an amazing time. Animals always seem well taken care of and happy.

Despite the usual Corona precautions (at this time at least), as having to wear your mask at all times, it was a great family trip/outing! These precautions are 100% necessary and we were happy to do it. Of course wearing a mask outdoors in the summer can prove slightly uncomfortable, but the kids did not even notice they had them on and my 2 year did not have to wear one (2 and under are exempt). They had water cooling stations (just a mist), and I'd say 90% of the grounds are covered in shade. We were comfortable, and most importantly, the animals were amazing! The few staff members we encountered were pleasant and helpful. This was the biggest, most diverse zoo I have ever visited. The wide variety of animals, along with the close proximity, made this an awesome trip. I have never seen a white tiger, white rhino, African leopard, or African hyena before. I loved watching my son and his amazement of these creatures. If we had access to the chimpanzee enclosure, and if the giraffes weren't hiding in the barn, I would have given this review five stars. However, it certainly deserves the four stars I gave it! I would definitely plan another family trip to the Southwick Zoo! It was worth the 70-mile, hour and 20-minute drive.

This Zoo was amazing. You can't begin to compare it to "Stone Zoo" or "Franklin Park Zoo". This Zoo is next level. So many animals and the place is huge and Clean. The rides were closed due to COVID-19, but there was still plenty to do. We spent 4 hours here and we still didn't DO everything. My tip to you having gone here with 6 kids. Have quarters and cash on you! You need CASH at the animal rides and quarters to feed the petting zoo animals.

First time and definitely not my last! Looking for safe places after quarantine, and we came here, and loved how responsible and clean they were. Everywhere u looked there were friendly and kind staff/workers constantly desinfecting. Kids had a great time, they have alot to entertain us with. All animals were well cared for. Truly had a great time and most importantly I felt that me and my family were safer then other places when it comes to dealing with this pandemic.

The best zoo I've ever been to, and definitely the cleanest! Deer Forest is an incredible experience!

First I would like to say that all of the staff were very friendly and knowledgable. However, I was not too happy with my experience at this zoo because alot of the animals were not in there cage or they were hidden deep in their cage. Thus, I really didn't get to see the animals as much as I would have liked. I drove 1 hour to get to the zoo for a 4:30 reservation and payed $60 for the safari drive experience. Maybe the animals are more active around noon rather than the evening. Just something to consider.

I love this place! Prices were high. But I asked the admission's person why. She said it's privately funded. No government assistance, at all. And when I saw all of the beautiful animals, and how well they were cared for. I understood, why the prices were high. And they seem to be expanding the zoo. I can't wait until next time!

This is a great zoo. The deer forest alone makes it worth the drive for my daughter. It is a little on the expensive side, but if you keep an eye out, they do run sales.

This was the cleanest and most entertaining zoo that I have been to .we all loved it and are excited to go again soon :)

It was really fun and really great, just a little bit expensive.

Quiet, friendly, pleasant zoo. A bit off the beaten path, but always a nice place to spend the day. And the kitties are great.

Th zoo was a disappointment. MMuch of the wildlife looked mangy and drugged up.

Its a great zoo! The Winter Wonderland is AMAZING!!! When you go on the train you get to see roaming free on 35 acres!

Had a good time.

Only complaint was that the map didn't have the correct directions for the one way travel and that the entrance and exit are the same.

Always a good time at the zoo. It's not an inexpensive excursion though. It cost our group of four, $100 to get in. There was the large crowd at the gate but the facility is big enough that we never felt crowded. We're able to roam around the various exhibits and enjoy the animals, many of whom put on a show. There are so many breeds of monkey on display, and we spent much of the day interacting with a few of them. It's great that they allow you to bring your own food but the one thing I noticed this time around is that there are several places to grab a quick bite. So despite the cost of admission this zoo is a great place to bring the family. Please visit the parakeets at the end of the day, it's such a great way to end the day at the zoo.

Amazing place. Lots of animals. Sky ride is one of the unique attraction. Kids will enjoy woodland express.

Loved it. Must go place for kids and adults. They have many rides inside, but you have to pay for them separately.

The rino was hiding and almost all the animals were adleep. The most active animals were the sloths. No joke , but good experience

This is an awesome zoo. They make a awesome effort in keeping there animals happy and with enough room to move around. Good place for young kids to see animals they would only see in books.

A very healthy variety of animals that touches upon almost every continent. The Zoo is open 10-5 and that's almost how long it takes to get through all the exhibits + lunch and shows. Perfect all day animal adventure! Dont forget to try the Zipline!