Visited for the festival of lights. My son loved walking around, seeing the light sculptures. The smores area was cute, but not user friendly with having a spot to assemble the smores. We were surprised that the train was running in the dark, but it was still a fun ride.
Great experience. Took the kids for Halloween this year.
Took my daughter for her birthday to the zoo and I must say it's a very nice zoo. Its clean and the staff are actually pretty cool. The food place they have there actually sells pretty good food. The animals are awesome and you can't go wrong with a zoo like this. You actually enjoy yourself and they are not pricey good place for family but most importantly the kids.
Very nice and decent Zoo. Visited more than couple of times,every time they introduce new animals. This time to our surprise they added African lion and Flamingos. Colorful birds, sea lions, reptile center, Giraffe feeding, African adventure are some of the main exhibits. For kids they have train ride, carousel and a playground. Had a great time with family and friends.
Lots to see, lots of shade, reasonably priced. They allow you to bring your own drinks and picnic which is where you really save.
A great experience for the children, must go back, didn't have a chance to see everything in one visit.
It's bigger on the inside very surprising did not expect to see all the exotic animals had a great time with my children
This place continues to get better and better. The funding provided has moved this from "on the verge of closing" to "spectacular!"
Everyone with a 18 month ~ 3 year old child should visit this zoo. Extremely child friendly. Most exhibitions have a opening/glass pane 3 feet high for kids to look through.
The animals seem to have a lot more room to roam than other zoos. Also, each area seems to have been put together with a lot of thought behind them to best provide a native environment for each animal.
For first timers, I recommend entering through the side/back entrance, which will start with smaller exhibitions, and eventually end at the other side of the zoo where the giraffes are.
Not a huge zoo but it was a very nice and affordable spot. I will definitely be going there again.
Great price and lots to see. They have some features that cost additional $$ (carousel, feeding giraffes, bird feeding) but the fee is low, $2. Train ride is super cute. Staff is friendly. It's a clean zoo. Plenty of restrooms. A great place to spend the day!
Great place!!! Our kids love going here every summer.
Always a fun trip! They are constantly improving the park.
Quant local zoo with possibilities. Few animals. Go to Bronx Zoo instead
The closest ull get to a few of nature's wild animal's
A phenominally beautifuli experience. Clean and very accommodating. 10am-4:30 and $15.00 M-F
Beautiful zoo, lots of animals. Lots of sitting areas to rest.
Great for younger children. My preschool class loved it!!
This zoo is fantastic. It's got just enough to keep everyone happy but it's just small enough to make bringing your kids there easy. The variety of animals surprised me, my favorites are the big cats and the monkeys. They have a petting zoo and pony rides, a cool little train, stingrays you can punch in the mouth (RIP Steve Irwin you still got shooters out here BET). The food is expensive and low quality but that's to be expected. One thing for the parents out there, the prices listed on items at the gift shop are for MEMBERS if you aren't a member they jack up the price at the register which is deceptive and super shady but other than that it's a nice zoo
Terrific. What a wonder place to go visit on a nice day. They have so many different types of animals it s quite impressive. Lions, giraffes, penguins, monkeys, birds, insects, fish, etc.
There s also shows you can attend too, which is nice because it makes for good planning during the trip. I recommend going early to avoid the crowds.
Side note, they do brew at the zoo, which is awesome. Let s you try craft beer and see animals at the same time. Who knew? Not me!
The new renovations of the zoo are amazing!!!!! Beautiful zoo
Went there recently and I was amazed at all it had to offer. A lot of animals and a lot of experiences. The location was extremely clean and staff was very helpful. It was a great experience.
Had a wonderful experience in this zoo. We had fun with my nephew and cousins. The zoo is well-maintained and very clean.
Great zoo, always upgrading and improving their exhibits.
Well spread out, well sign-posted, plenty of parking, big picnic area, cafeteria, bathrooms everywhere, a variety of animals and access to a big playground across the lake - great day out for the kids.
My grandkids didn't want to leave. Beautiful day an awesome zoo.
Perfect size to visit with young kids. Train ride is the highlight.
This zoo gets 1000 percent it's got a free train ride
And many fantastic out door exhibits, the staff is very helpful and knowledgeable thanks to you all
Also a free Halloween and Christmas event that is so festive and the animals seem happy and that's the best thing.
Great for kids, The train ride is included with admission. Can get crouded on weekends.
Great Place to visit. Even during covid19 time
Park has made fantastic arrangements with reservations and well trained staff.
Great experience!
The workers are very friendly it is a great place for kids and family
Simply Outstanding, great place to go with kids or without them...
They have done a phenomenal job making the zoo an inviting place for both animals and families.
Very nice place to visit. Kids may enjoy more. Great lightings for Christmas. All for free just for this holiday season. Free entry and free parking. I appreciate Essex County for this initiative.
Get the family seasonal pass. Totally worth it. The zoo keepers and docents are very helpful and kind.
The zoo is on a hill so get ready for walking with comfortable walking shoes. The zoo is kids friendly with plenty of activities.
Very good zoo for young kids, lots of new exhibits. It can get crowded at times, but still a very good place to go.
This is such a great local zoo. Although yes, it is somewhat small, the exhibits it does have are absolutely amazing. Loved the penguin exhibit and the area for the giraffes the most. They've also got a petting zoo for farm animals and a touch aquarium
Great day trip with the kids. A little pricey, but worth it!
Great zoo. Nice assortment of animals. Very clean. Train ride is a good time. Great way to spend the day. Getting there early as possible is recommended as the area is congested.
Awesome zoo. Really had a great time with my family. The setup was very kid friendly. Highly recommend a visit.
The place offers great learning experience, especially for young children, the excitement on the children's faces as they move from one area to the other, is really satisfying. getting to see different animals, both farm and wild and their habitat and how they interact, it's not only rich for kids but for all ages, I will visit whenever possible as the entrance fees are also reasonable,,
My daughter loves it too much.Tickets are not too expensive.
Awesome place to spend a day. Kids will enjoy the outing for sure. Its mostly outdoors make sure you check weather before you plan a trip.
Small and cute zoo. They have a great diversity in animals that were there. It s well kept and we loved the theme area. Our favorite was the African Penguins project and the aviaries. When we went, they were construction but it wasn t intrusive. sefienetly do the train ride. It s very cute and has a beautiful scenic water view.
My 1 years old daughter saw the animals here for the first time.
Their Christmas display is spectacular. Santa was jolly and the pictures were beautiful.
Haven't been here since I was a kid! Loved bringing my son here with my parents for day! Keep up the great work!
I love turtle back soon! It s clean, the staff is friendly, it s easy to navigate. The kids love the train. The animals seem well taken care of and we thoroughly enjoy a day out at the zoo!
I love taking my son here and we are so excited about the new and incoming animals!
A nice zoo esp for kids 3-12. You might have to walk a lot but its worth it. Please apply lot of sunscreen if visiting during summer and carry your own food as options inside zoo are not worth it. Still 5 stars it is!
It is a small zoo but has a lot to offer. Easy access to every part of the zoo is certainly a plus for a family with a two year old. Some kids activities too. My daughter liked the train ride most. She also enjoyed the pony ride, but the line was too long and it doesn t worth waiting for 30 minutes to get on the pony for less than 1 minute.
A great place to bring family and friends with many animals, attractions such as a ropes course, and food!
Great for kids. Lots of animals. Train ride. Pony ride. Petting zoo. Lions, giraffes, bears, wolves.
It's a very large zoo and easy to get to. The property has an abundant amount of police presence. There are plenty of animal exhibits but denouement the day or season animals are not available for viewing. There should be some kind of note made on the website since tickets tend to be pricey on any given day. The zoo is clean and common areas are greatly maintained.
Could use a few more shady areas, around the grounds, but it is a cute zoo.
This is a traditional local children's zoo, with plenty of activities geared for younger ones (including a touch tank, playground and carousel). It's also a nice walk on a sunny day, including the nearby lake, which has swan boats in warm weather. The enclosures seem a bit small for the animals, but that's not surprising for a zoo of this size.
My daughter always love the train ride and seeing the animals.
Love how much they improved the zoo. Great day! Sea lion show was my favorite
Myself and my boys love this zoo!! Very huge and adventurous with lot of things to do and see.
We just discovered this gem. Great family friendly zoo.
Christmas lights are fun. My daughter loves it. Food is a bit of a disappointment.
The zoo was great, so many things to do and very affordable. Even more important the staff was great except for this one guy at the stingray touch tank. Nonetheless is was still fun. Look forward to returning.
Awesome zoo lots of animals helpful, friendly and KNOWLEDGEABLE staff! They also have a carousel and pony rides for the younger kids. Make sure to come here.
Perfectly sized zoo for toddlers. Bird house is awesome. Currently at 6 and 8 years old, my kids still love Turtle Back. We also love the display of xmas lights during holiday season, as it is also free to enter.
Great place to visit and see lots of animals. Giraffes, Lions, Penguins, and more animals. Definitely a place to spend a good 4-6 hours with the family soaking in the sun and enjoying watching your favorite animals roam. They also have a playground area as well for the kiddos to play as well.
Some of the attractions are closed (pony ride) but hopefully they open up in the summer.
A great zoo to visit, I highly recommend.
The kids had a great time at Turtle Back Zoo. We purchased our tickets ahead of time. The process was very smooth. They check your temperature before entering the zoo and there are many sanitizer stations throughout.
This is our favorite zoo! They continue to impress with their additions. It is very family friendly. We go many times a year. I suggest a visit. You'll be pleased.
Unbelievable is the only word I can write about the transformation of this complex
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