Turtleback Zoo Reviews

Great place to bring a toddler just right size that s it s not overwhelming but with enough animals to keep them entertained. Plus offer a great train ride

It was an awesome experience. Totally recommend it!

I actually got in for free for one of their night events. I loved it, its a really nice place to walk around. Mind you at night the only animal that was actually visible was the buffalo but I bet this place is spectacular in the day. All i can review is the ambiance and the cleanliness of the park. Top notch. Definitely would like to check out in the day for my next trip.

Wonderful place to go with our 18 month old. They have giraffe feeding ($3), bird feeding ($2) and a butterfly exhibit ($2). The zoo entry includes all the exhibits plus a quick little train ride. Prairie dog exhibit has pop up tunnels to climb in, penguin exhibit, lots of giraffe and babies, Lions, hyenas, numerous bird exhibits. Only 1 restaurant/cafe serves burgers and hot dogs- pack a picnic lunch, pavilion available. Not alot if shade - bring su screen & hats. Cloudy says are better for the animal activity.

Well maintained. Enough parking space. One can easily spend half a day. Enjoyed our visit to zoo.

Very nice and well taken care of. Good for a day out with the family.

Great place not to experience. My daughter loves the zoo

The zoo was great it bigger and better then ever. Frost time I been there since seven years ago with my children. I love the zoo I recommend to any one. Great difference there since my childhood.

Extremely beautiful park fir kids. Even in winters it s good walk, takes around 2 hours to completely see it.

This is a Christmas tradition for us. The holiday lights are beautiful. They added more this year like fire pits n marshmallows n the Polar Express train ride is fun. Great for kids n adults. I want to go in the day time in the warm weather to see all the animals outside.

Great place with a wonderful approach to animal viewing. Animals look happy and content in a natural simulated habitat. Looking forward to going back.

The touch tank is my favorite the stingrays are very cute. Theres a pretty big selection of animals there. I also got to feed a giraffe.

Decent size zoo in NJ, I visited for the Christmas lights show. I was there after 5pm and couldn't see any animals. Probably the summer time would be the perfect time to visit.

Have a sneaker on for the experience you are about to get

They handled social distancing regulations really well. I love this place and the upgrades are only making it better.

Very large zoo. So many new exhibit. Reduced admission and discounts if one has membership from other zoos.
Handicap parking, ramps and carts for children.

Amazing zoo. Free parking and good priced admission if you buy it from groupon

The zoo has had a makeover recently and all the animal exhibits that were closed last year around this time are back open. The new attraction now is the giraffes. This zoo is smaller, but it has plenty of animals to keep your interest for a couple hours. I'm a big kid at heart, so this place is perfect; for family and adults alike.

A fairly small zoo, but great for small kids. I love the fact that they are expanding and introducing new animals.

Very kid friendly, clean, friendly staff. A beautiful zoo!

Went there with my 4 year old daughter. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of animals they had. My daughter had a blast feeding the birds and the giraffes. The train ride was relaxing but would have been better if it went by some animal enclosures. They have performances by the train ride through the day in an amphitheater which was quite interesting and relaxing.

Very good place to take the kids to disstress after all this covid19.. just becareful and keep distance

Very impressed how it has changed and grown over the years... The kids were absolutely entertained!

Nice walkable zoo, with sprinklers to refresh yourself on a hot day. Giraffes were so cute and came up close.

Frankly I dont like this zoo. No signs and no help on the go. If you want to enjoy you need to spend atleast 20 to 25 bucks apart from ticket price. Except parking free rest all bad. My kids didn't enjoyed at all. Funny part is giraffe feeding, 2 leafs 2 dollars. Grow up guys..... I will never back here...

Zoo is gorgeous, but not small ( like we thought first time)!!! Very organized ! Big section with wallaby, there are many of them. Interesting place for prairie dogs ( behind the glass, they standing there and don't run away) e.t.c.

Nice zoo. All the exhibits are near by each other and does not require a lot of walking

Nice & clean. Not too crowded! I was just a little disappointed that some of the animals were not out

Great zoo especially for kids. Truly amazing...wonderful staff...love it...

Fun, lots of exhibits, and the train is included with admission.

Beautiful place ! ....Lots of parking. Free Entry. Kids love it!

Beautiful zoo with great exhibits and healthy animals.

Great place to visit with family. The staff are. Very nice & professional. The animals are all very beautiful. Especially the LION.

It's a great big, and beautiful zoo in West Orange with lots of things to do for the whole family. An Essex County staple.

Fabulous family friendly zoo. Clean, great staff, and wonderful well cared for animals. They also let you bring in your own food and water bottles etc. The train is great and also free. I highly recommend!

A little pricy but amazing exhibits. Perfect for kids. Great trip the whole family can enjoy.

Looks small , but you are surprised at all the animals they have, Grandkids had a blast.....

This is a great place to visit. Kids will simply love it. Mostly during sunny days the big cats would be resting but not the wolves.

Wolves will make your day !

Haven't been there in years, what a beautiful renovation

I don't like zoo every time I go i get more disappointed small cages for animals. They pave back and forth in front of the doors like their waiting for food. And I was not expecting the hills. If your not in shape good luck. The staff is really nice and professional

We recently visited the winter light show. It was wonderful especially for the kids. I love this place and the fact that I live so close. Buying the season pass is so totally worth it.

So upset, went here today and had an awful time first off why are so many people allowed in with timed tickets. Second BEES everywhere it s awful. I m allergic and I m not sure if my son is or not. Third I work in healthcare and it s a slap in the face to see people 1. Not socially distance, but two the park be super crowded and three people not wearing masks. This was my first time here and it will be my last. Lastly the poor animals looked like they had heat exhaustion.

MAJOR BEE INFESTATION!!! IT WAS VERY HARD TO EVEN EAT A SNACK HERE!! IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO BEES PLEASE BEWARE!!!

My kid loved the zoo..and the train ride was awesome..my toddler enjoyed it alot...!!

We have a season pass to the zoo and have been 2x already. There is a lot to do but make sure you plan for a wait for the indoor animals, train ride etc. It was also a little crowded for my liking the last time we went but they do mandate masks which is helpful with the close proximity. The staff is so nice and their customer service is fantastic!

Great family fun !! I got to feed a giraffe it was the most amazing experience

Visited during winter Christmas lights at night and it was a great family night activity. Don t forget your hats & gloves!

I took my two sons and my granddaughter there over the summer for her birthday and a nice family dayI must say we were a little bit disappointed because we paid full price and some of the exhibits were closed or not thereand then there were two or three exhibits that we went to to see animals outside and there were no animals in theirother than that a good time was had by all only thing their food is very expensive in their cafeteria ridiculously overpricedI paid 1299 for a dried-up sandwich that was so skinny nothing on it hardly and old my son got a burger dried-up oldwas just a skinny little Frozen hamburger patty not even real meat and should not have costed enough for what a regular burger would cost in a good burger place I mean if you want a cheap lunch there for four people you better bring $100 pack your own lunchand then save your money and go to a nice restaurant on the way home because you're going to pay what you would pay in a good restaurant for good if you eat there

Kids enjoyed themselves very much, alot of animals to see, very friendly staff, had to make reservations online and took my temperature when coming in due to covid 19. Definitely recommend going

Went in the end of March not a lot of animals were out

Always love going to the place. Never disappoints.

Beautiful and clean. Great exercise for family. Loved new lion and giraffe exhibit. Food in restaurant was overpriced for the quality.

Great place for the grandkids. Kept good covid protocols

Overall nice zoo, fun for kids, they're aren't renting strollers so you can either bring your stroller, a pushcar, buggy, or even a beach wagon.

The layout is a little confusing and they aren't giving out paper maps so here is the map at the entrance for reference.

Excellent place , family fun at its finest!! affordable and you can't miss the peacocks walking by you!!

Great for kids... The train ride is cool. Don't miss the sea lion show and kids love the pony ride. There is a place where you can touch the stingrays with your own hand.

Okay...let me just say from my point of view the animals look hot and depressed...it was great for my 5 year old son but for me not so great. I hate seeing animals caged out of their natural habitat but i don't know each animal story neither. My son was overjoyed to see the wolves who were howling at that moment. I can say be prepared to do some walking and if you're on a budget bring your own snacks and beverages...beside icecream or icy cups. Or at least have a budget set aside for buying food outside the home.

Granddaughter loves it here.not too big and plenty to see and learn.

The zoo is so clean and the exhibits and amenities are constantly changing and improving. We buy a membership every year and will keep doing so for years to come. We love Turtleback Zoo!!!

A very cool free zoo, they survive on donations. Great fun day.

Other than walking the hills there, it was a great time for both my 3yr old and 9mo old. They have a large variety of animals in lovely exhibits. They paid close attention to detail for each animal's needs in its habitat. We could not even get through it all in 3.5hrs. A little word of advice. When going there for the first time head toward the cafe to get to the main entrance. You can see the cafe/restaurant that is inside the zoo from outside the zoo. The main entrance is over in that area.

Had a great time bringing the family to this awesome zoo. Not sure what other people think is "small" about it but most of the attractions are linear around the zoo and don't require you to get lost in a maze of attractions. Plenty of opportunities for the kids (and adults!) to get up close with several animals. Staff was friendly( -ish), got coflicting information about the giraffe feeding, but also the staff at the cafe ( which is pretty nice, and a place to cool off for a bit) that were cooking seemed to be bothered by the fact that me and my wife wanted to wait for a fresh burger to be made rather than grab one that was sitting there for x amount of time. Thought it was really cool that most of their animals were rescues! So they are doing their part for conservation for sure. Last thing I'll say is and hate to end it off this way but stay clear of the "popcorn foodtruck" dude was open for about half a day but had a serious attitude problem. Tried to be a smart a** when we attempted to order ( not sure if this was an attempt at tryin to be funny or he's upset cause he makes popcorn all day) but his demeanor lost him business and is actually a blemish on the zoo.

Great little zoo. We are members and visit at least once a week. It s the perfect size for younger kids as you can walk the entire thing in under 2 hours. All of the animals can easily be seen and there s even a fun playground.

Awesome place to go and my daughter got to see the turtle I adopted for her so it was a cool experience.

It was ok and the animals looked healthy but I fell it needs more space to eat everyone is eating really close together but otherwise is was good

The zoo is great. The enforcement of masks is severely lacking. We've been multiple times since spring and besides the train ride employees no one was enforcing masks being worn.