Great little zoo, my son's favorite place. Nice exhibits where it is easy to see the animals, even for young children. Also has a great little train ride along the reservoir. We get annual memberships for the whole family and go often which is a great option. Parking is in a parking structure and usually is not a problem.
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.
Great family adventure, for every one, at every age. Lots of things to also do. Lots of walking.
It s a really pretty place! Though I wish they had cheetahs..
This is a great zoo for families. It's not too big but not too small.
The grounds are beautifully landscaped and there are added attractions like the Treetop Adventure and a lake with rentable peddle boats.
You can admire creatures from land and sea. You can feed the goats and touch sharks and rays in their touch pools.
There are water fountains, handwash stations, and vending machines throughout the zoo. A drink from a vending machine will run you $2.75 so probably better to wait till you get to a cafeteria.
Admission is very reasonable and theres a 10 minute lakeside train ride for no additional fee. It also did not appear to reject outside drinks as several people brought in water ahead of us. Parking was also free the day i went, not sure if that is an all the time thing.
My only gripe is it closes very early at 4:30 PM so get there early to not run out of time like we did.
We definitely plan to go back to see the rest.
The Children, the teachers and parents had so much fun and loved it as well. I recommend coming here and they have a mini train ride!
My three yr old loved it. Not too big not too small perfect adventure for younger kids. The carousel, playground, and mini train were fun extras. The bathrooms were gross though and had the thinnest toilet paper that I have ever seen. The giraffe and alligator exhibits were closed which was kind of a bummer but they were working on a few new exhibits that are supposed to be ready by summer so I would definitely visit again when its warmer plus the butterfly exhibit will be open by then too. All in all it was a fun trip.
I have been there since I was a child and I still go. It has expanded a lot in recent years to become the top zoo in New Jersey. I have also worked at the zoo's summer camp which was really amazing. There are a wide variety of animals such as lions, giraffes, penguins, bald eagles, jaguars, owls, condors, an alligator, wolves, bears, pair dogs, a komodo dragon, snakes, ostrich, kangaroos, and many many more animals. There are also interactive features such as feeding birds (costs money), touching stingrays and sharks (costs money to feed them), pony rides for young children (costs money), and petting goats (costs money to feed them). These interactive features are a lot of fun for children and adults alike. There is also a carasoul (costs money) and a train (free). Watching animal feedings (such as the sea lion feeding) are really exciting. The sea lions, for example, do tricks with their trainers.
In addition, there is also a mini golf course, tree top adventure course, restaurant, and boat rental. These all are separate from the zoo and cost additional money. The reservoir by the zoo (where the paddle boats go) is a great place to run and relax. There is also a pretty large playground by the reservoir.
A must place to visit during summer. Lots to see and do. Our favorite is the Aviary, there you can feed the birds. Although they charge $2 per seed stick to feed birds. There is pony ride, petting zoo (farm animals( you can feed but need to pay minimal amount 50 cents)), sting rays, butterflies tent, train ride, lots of interesting wild animals, etc. There is Treetop Adventure Course for older kids. We don t have experience of that but it does looks interesting. Cute and clean playgrounds for kids. I would definitely recommend this place!
Love it!!! Admission was fairly priced. Parking was free. Good amount of animals n mammals n dome entertainment. Couldn't ask for MORE.. Will definitely be back. Especially loved the penguin exhibition and the giraffes which are my favorite and of course the monkeys
Love this place, but not their cafe where food does not look fresh.
The zoo is small and as such Iess intimidating when visiting with a 15 month old. The walkways should be shaded better. For example, the trees lining the walkways could be placed such that they provide as much shade as possible to the walkway. We we're worried about the sun exposure for our 15 month old.
The petting zoo exhibit is really nice. The goats chomp the food right off of your hands. There is a sanitationstation right near the petting zoo where you can clean your hands off.
The zoo could use a lot more water coolers. We didn't see many. When we asked a zoo attendant, she mentioned that there was one right around the corner from where we we're but that it wasn't working.
I took my daughter to the zoo and she absolutely loved it. It's a great afternoon activity for the entire family.
Turtle Back Zoo has changed so much over the past few years. We loved the sea lion show and especially loved feeding the giraffes!
Fun place, kids enjoyed it. Even with covid19 restrictions was still a good day out.
We enjoyed a great day at the zoo. Felt very safe in both indoor and outdoor locations. Really enjoyed a charity drive event they held where you got free entry with a donation!
After eventually finding the entrance to the zoo on a day when hours indicated it was open we found the zoo was actually closed. It was a waste of money to get an Uber there and back from where we were staying. We won't be back.
Turtle Back Zoo is the perfect Zoo for toddlers. I don't know any zoo that caters to toddlers better than Turtle Back Zoo. All of the zoo exhibits are very close to one another. and it is clear the zoo has children on their mind when it comes to their exhibits. For that reason we go there again and again.
Have a Wild Day at the amazing Zoo ! Kids will enjoy at the most.
Love this place. We had my daughter's first birthday party here.
I went to this zoo with my family and was amazed at the wide variety of animals that they keep here. We had a blast seeing the animals and the way they look at you is just breathtaking. Anyone working there would help you with any of your questions that you have about the animals and otherwise. We didn't get any of the food here, but I imagine that it tastes just as good as it smells. Overall, the entire zoo had a very welcoming atmosphere with much to do for children and adults alike.
Great zoo. Just keeps getting better and better every year.
Great place to go with kids but wouldn't recommend going in the winter.
What a wonderful ZOO. Very intimate and a lot of fun. Folks do a wonderful job of educating about their animals and conservation...
A great place to take the kids for a short trip. Train, great. Otters, great. Dragon, great. Enjoy!
Very nice to see the progress in The Zoo, cant wait to see the flamingos next time
This is a beautiful place for go with your kids or alone too it s so nice and clean and all animals are well cared for, the zoo has to many places in construction and that is great because it's going to be even better.
Definitely we will back for other amazing day
I visited the Turtle Back Zoo on a hot and humid Labor Day. My friend and I walked pretty much over the entire place. I found the exhibits to be clean. The animals were in good condition. Having visited many zoos over the years I still found interest in this place. The admission charge was reasonable. There were many families visiting the zoo that day and they all seem to be enjoying themselves. I recommend this place.
Overpriced, overrated. Good luck finding parking or even getting there. The zoo causes so much congestion you will be sitting in your car awhike if they are busy.
Family friendly for sure! It's a just right size zoo for small children. It never seems crowded.
A great place for everyone. A lot of animals . Staff is great with kids.
Great zoo A lot of fun things for kids (and adults..)
Wonderful accommodating place. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
Lots of animals very clean well taken care of animals. Great place to take your kids.
Nice place with lots of attractions (A zoo, skating rink, lake and restaurant). Reasnoble pricing too.
Awesome zoo! Really really good selection of animals and a decent amount of seating for people who need to rest. This zoo has been upgraded nicely over the past 20 years.
Fantastic zoo! Try to go on off hours thought. Less fun when it s crazy crowded.
Great for children of all ages, and adults too! Wonderful exhibits. Loved it!
U will be not disappointed. this is the vest place for family's
Place was very well kept and well maintained. Animals all looked healthy with a variety from reptiles to wolves, lions, mammals, sea lions and birds. My kids loved the Touch Tank. The train ride was a great addition too especially that it was inclusive on the admission ticket already. The Aviary and Butterly tent were memorable experiences for my little ones. Strongly recommended!
Nice zoo Very nice which i will definitely see when i go to america
We have been at Turtle Back Zoo in the past, and it is truly a wonderfully simple place. However, after going to the zoo today, I have two MAJOR complaints that people need to be aware of before they arrive at the zoo:
1. If you want to go from the zoo to the Treetop Adventure course (with zipline), you need to actually exit the zoo, and you will not be allowed back in without purchasing zoo tickets again. Because tickets must be purchased online for specific time slots during the day ahead of time for the zoo (and strongly suggested for the Treetop Adventure), you should space them apart and plan ahead. We did not, as we were not aware that we could not come back into the zoo after taking a break and experiencing the Treetop Adventure course; therefore, we had to skip the Treetop Adventure (which we already paid for ahead of time) so we could see the rest of the zoo. Lost a good amount of money there, and we wish that was more clear to us when we purchased the tickets online.
2. BEES!! There are hundreds and hundreds of bees all throughout the park, and it is getting really out of control. Many of them surround trash cans (see picture), but there are tons of them simply around the whole zoo, and it was constantly a scary experience for everyone at the park. In fact, my 9 year-old daughter did get stung by one of the bees, which made the remainder of our stay at the zoo very unpleasant. Luckily, she is not allergic to new stings, but for people who are allergic, BEWARE! The zoo really needs to find a way to control this, as our family does not feel comfortable coming back to the zoo until something is done about this.
Other than these two unpleasant experiences, the zoo can be a fun place to visit. There were several animals not present, and overall it was a bit too crowded (the zoo could have controlled this a little better), but when it comes down to it, Turtle Back Zoo can be a very family-friendly place.
Fun for the whole family, especially the train ride.
Great zoo! Perfect size for kids and great animal exhibits
Kid friendly and fun place to visit! Its actually huge! Many animals and it can take your entire day to explore this place.
there are no animals, very few.. actually the most overrated zoo i ever seen. even if it's free I won't go there, parking crowded for what!?.. save yourself sometimes and go to bronx zoo if you want real zoo!
Great zoo in a compact area that makes for a perfect trip for children who don't have the stamina or attention span for larger zoos. They may not have larger zoo blockbusters like elephants and giraffes, but they have plenty to keep you entertained for several hours. With a 3 year old who rode the carousel, ate lunch, went through the aviary, saw all the exhibits, and rode the slide 3 times, we made it through in about 3 hours. It's amazing how they are able to fit as many exhibits as they have in such a relatively small walking space, without having smaller enclosures. Unlike other zoos, you aren't constantly walking between exhibits, you always seem to have one on one side or the other. This helps eliminate the in between enclosure entertaining you normally need to do.
The wolf, bear, and multiple large cat habitats were particularly nice, while the petting zoo and aviary impressed our small guest. I also really likied the prairie dog exhibit where they have domed tunnels under the exhibit where you can view the animals up close.
After you are in, with a moderately priced entrance fee ($27 for 2 adults and one child), they don't continue to nickel and dime you like other zoos. The aviary and petting zoos are free (though you can buy some food for $2). The butterfly tunnel is a mere $2 as well as the carousel.
Food was of course expensive as it is in any closed economy entertainment facility. They are very accommodating with you bringing your own food for a picnic though and have tables all over the place.
This is a fantastic zoo for younger children (though it seems everyone in the tri-state area has discovered this, so expect large family crowds) due to the density of attractions and easy walking footprint.
Love, love, love. Very family friendly. A little hectic on the weekends. Watch for strollers.
A wonderfull , nice place to bring the family to spend quality time for
All day a long .
We love the Turtleback Zoo we come a couple of times per year
Beautiful place to visit,brought my grandkids here they had a wonderful time. Also I would like to minchin that my grand daughter lost here phone there and some wonderful person turned it in to security. The phone was very important to my grand daughter because she had just recently lost her dad that had his pictures in the phone. Thank you again.
My family and I walked around here a number of times and always loved the wide variety of animals we've seen. The place is fairly clean and we had a great time.
Very easy to navigate. Great exhibits. Crowd size is under control thanks to limited timed tickets. 99% of visitors wore their masks the whole time. Great for the family just bring shade or fans for the little ones.
This zoo gets better and better every year! Such diversity of animals!
The Brew at the Zoo and the upcoming "Clue at the Zoo" for families and other events at the Turtle Back Zoo run by the Zoological Society of NJ are awesome!!!
Great place to take the kids! Lots of fun stuff to do. Go on a train ride or ride a pony.
Nice small zoo. Great for little kids and young adults...
Perfect for kiddies exploring the world of nature! It is well kept, safe and plenty parking space
I wish people would follow the rules more. People were not social distancing and some weren't wearing masks. The zoo should have people looking out for this.
this is honestly one of the worst zoos i have ever been to. the animals spaces were so small and they were pacing back and forth. a sign of stress anxiety and boredom. the bears had no interest in us or the people, it was so sad. the animals looked depressed. plus the farm animals were all aggressive . which is so weird dude. ive never seen animals behave in that way. even the llamas, the sheep, and the goats all had warning signs. really has me questioning the treatment and amount of interaction they get. animals are not supposed to be that aggressive.
I love this place I spent a quality time with my family
My daughter and nephew enjoy this place, especially the train rides. Penguins and giraffes are new attractions.
Omg my three old son loved coming here, especially looking at the diff animals and the best part was riding the train.
Although it was cold outside today, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Staff was friendly and inviting.
What a great little zoo. Everyone had a great time visiting the Christmas Lights. Definitely would go back.
turtlebackzoo.com