Turtleback Zoo Review

Great zoo. Big, lots to see. Very nicely set out and plenty to do. Enjoyed it very much.

Overall it was a nice day. Fairly clean. Nice exhibits...BUT...we were very upset with the condition of the Wolves. See pictures below. The ears on those poor wolves were bleeding and infested with biting flys. The gray one was just laying there trying to sleep with flys embedded in the tips of his ears. The white one I couldn't get a good PIC of, but his ears are bleeding from the same. YOU GUYS NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT! Completely unacceptable! Should be ashamed of yourselves.

One of the few attractions open to the public. There were any things and animals to see. My kids loved it. I will be going again. They also had free parking, which was a plus in my book.

My family enjoys this zoo. It's nothing extra special but the staff is always polite & helpful. the animals are kinda social and seem to make themselves avaialable for observation.

We had the best time at this zoo. Plenty to see and do. Worth the ride. Reasonably priced.

Turtle Back is a sweet zoo in the heart of Essex County. The animals are seeingly well cared for, and the habitats they're in are spacious enough and appropriate. The different areas (Africa, Asia, American Farm, etc.) are well organized. The Savannah Cafe was clean, and provided the usual kid friendly fare: chicken tenders, burgers, hot dogs, fries, pizza, etc. There are also plenty of picnic spaces. The Docents were knowledgable and friendly. Be aware that some of the paths to different areas are quite steep. Downsides were small: .we had to wait in a VERY long line for our tickets as they had in only 1 of 5 windows open for at least 20 minutes, and the ladies room we used was a mess, floor covered in toilet paper, but none on the roll in several stalls, and no paper towels either. Also a little disappointing that the seal/ sea lion exhibit was still closed, although the sign said reopening in the fall of 2019. We'd certainly go back.

I have a great time with my kids they really enjoy it special now with the Christmas spirit

I love animals but seeing them in cages like prison really makes me wanna cry ,everything else is good clean grounds nice staff n perfect parking.

Niece (age 2) loves it. They are constantly improving the place also. Looking forward to the new flamingo exhibit

Lovely place for kids and adults. The train is nice

Very clean, usually a new or refurbished exhibit every season, and great place to go to see animals.

Very fun and worthwhile. Lots of unique stuff to see and affordable.

Excellent zoo with plenty of activities. This is a great size Zoo for all day family fun.

Such a great zoo for those with small kids, you'll be able to visit all the exhibits in one day. The zoo is very kid friendly with pony rides, train rides, bird feedings and sometimes giraffe feedings. Definitely recommend for families with small kids.

Great Zoo lots to do. Very nice and clean. Would come back again!!

Went there for a birthday party a few weeks ago. Everything was great, animals looked healthy, everything was really clean, really nice work they did to the whole zoo! Coming back soon for sure!

The zoo was not crowded due to its policy on limited ticketing throughout the day. Everyone was very respectful of socially distancing while enjoying what the park had to offer which the kids still love, zoo life.

Nice workers alot of parking and alot of cool animals. It's a must go

Always fun and lively. Great staff and cute animal!

Great improvements and new exhibits, excellent staff and a wonderful animal collection make it a fantastic zoo.

This is a great place to bring young children. They have quite a bit of variety for such a small zoo, including a reptile house, aquarium, farm animals, and more. The layout can be a bit confusing, and much of the zoo is built up the side of a fairly steep hill, which can get tough with a stroller (and chasing a toddler downhill is pretty harrowing). There's just enough content for a half-day trip, perfect if you don't want to feel like you need to show up right when it opens but still want to be able to get out decently early in the afternoon.

Still a good value - crowded on weekends - they have been adding exhibits which is great

Clean, beautiful,Fun!!!
Don't get close to the peacocks.Little boy's forehead was pecked

Great zoo. Seemingly every year it expands and now it has a great revamped park as part of the county complex next to it.

at first i thought that it was going to be ok because they had a limited time and how many people can go in but there were too many people. there were big crowds everywhere!! and more then half of the people weren't wearing there masks correctly and no one was doing anything about it. yes there were too many bees to make me comfortable but my biggest concern was the fact that no one really cared about getting or giving the virus. i would not suggest going to this zoo during the coronavirus.

Still a great time even with all of the restrictions in place.

Every year this zoo gets better and bigger! They are growing so fast and doing such a great job handling the scale. You cannot have a bad time at this zoo, make sure to take a train ride before you leave.

It was a good day for my daughter. I guess I can say, sense I forgot her stroller and that's when I had to carrier her. But, it was peachy.

Same wonderful atmosphere as I remember from 30 years ago. Great to have it so close by.

The zoo has definitely blossomed over the years. Turtle Back Zoo is new improved and awesome!!!

I find it odd that masks are required out of doors but I get why they make that decision due to liability but as a vaccinated adult, it's a little frustrating. But hey, I played by the rules and it didn't affect my enjoyment too much... now when it gets to be 85 or 90 degrees... ?? I'm not so sure I would go... the park was clean and the lines weren't too bad. I was surprised that there was no temperature check at entry. I'd rather not wear a mask and have my temp screened... but that's just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

We have attended the zoo during the Summer, but this visit was for the Holiday Lights. Such a beautiful venue at night, and taking pictures with Santa and all of the dressed up statues around the zoo was a wonderful! It definitely put us in the Christmas spirit

They continuously improve or add to this zoo without raising the price drastically. Since I started coming here, they have added sea lions, touch tank, giraffes, lions, sea turtle rescue, and various other smaller animals and attractions.
The new cafe is top notch with healthier choices and plenty of seating.
Add'l parking recently added certainly helps and constant police presence makes the area feel safe.
Kids commented, "feels like we're at Disney."
Family membership pays for itself after 3 or 4 visits.
Rides are limited to pony rides, train ride (sometimes a line) and merry-go-round (latter has add'l charge).
Plenty of benches throughout the zoo to take a break. Restrooms never seemed too far away when we needed it.
A great way to spend an afternoon with the kids.

One of the best Zoo s in NJ. Been visiting with kid for 2 last years. A lot of thing to learn and explore for youth.

The zoo is good but what works is the combination of the lake with boating and children's play area both outside and adjacent to the zoo. Do not miss the train ride while at the zoo especially with kids

Although it was cold outside today, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Staff was friendly and inviting.

Great place for kids! Usually crowded in busy days!

We went in the winter time and a few of the exhibits were closed and they don't have a winter ticket price. I thought it was a little bit of a rip off to have to pay full price when a few of the big exhibits were closed. Besides that the zoo is very nice and clean and you could tell the animals were well cared for. it was intimate because we were like the only people there. I would like to revisit in the summer

It was fun, the food court was great with our students in wheel chairs who couldn't fit under the tables outside.

Had a great time. Very clean zoo and not too crowded. Everything is reasonably priced too

Really clean, lovely zoo. Going during the weekdays is really ideal. They have volunteers rotate throughout the exhibits who are really knowledgeable about each species and every single animals themselves. It really brought more magic to the experience by getting to learn more and ask questions. Not saying the signs at the exhibits aren't helpful it's just hard to replace the human touch.

Facilities were super clean and organized, masks required and hand sanitizer was abundant. Well spaced bathrooms too. Really, a beautiful zoo and a fantastic experience.

Good place. Walkable for kids & adults to cover all the exhibits. Kids enjoy them. In some places , felt that the directions to what comes next after a pathway could be placed especially in forks. Food in stalls are very expensive. Train ride, nearby paddle boating, farm animal feeding were rememberable attractions

We love the turtle back zoo! There are so many different animals to see. Its a great way to do something different for the day! The train ride is super fun. Lines arent too long. They have pony rides, carousel, and a petting zoo. You can also see the birds and feed them in the avairy, feed the giraffes, and visit the butterflies. These are all additional costs for $2. Pack your own lunch and bring water with you. There are plenty of areas for you to enjoy a picnic! We have a family membership and go at least once a week or every other week. We also enjoy the park over by the waterfront :0)

Great zoo but everything closes at 3 and when you are hungry after walking around the cafe is already closed.

Excellent. My family enjoyed the day out. They had a wide variety of animals to look at. The kids loved it.

Love this zoo...the staff are amazing...very respectful and polite.

clean, a little something for everybody, impressive animals, some exhibits SHOULD be bigger to accommodate the size of the animal better, but its obvious the smaller exhibits are the older ones, especially seeing how big the newer exhibits are. the more newer recent africa exhibit is awesome. this place is a hidden gem.

Great place for the family, nice place to see the animals.

To make sure you enjoy yourself...and you will! Go with a less a 2 hour window. So many things to see and do. It's a great place to go with your kids or first date.

Clean and well kept. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Great membership rates. Love it!

Go here, see animals. Parking is a little crazy but it is what it is. Best zoo in NJ

This is a great place to visit, even in the midst of covid. Kids will love it (and it's not boring for adults either)

It was a super cute place! Great place for family outings and field trips! If you go on a hot day, I recommend bringing plenty of water and a fan.

Great size zoo for small children. Also love the christmas lights too!!!

Well maintained facility for a good variety of animals. It was a very enjoyable experience!

Visiting a friend in New Jersey, led us to this wonderful zoo. I thought the exhibits were very good and lots of room for the animals. There is lots of animals that you dont always see in a zoo. Although, there is so much to see, it is very manageable even if you cant walk alot. Plenty of places to sit and rest. The landscaping is breathtakingly beautiful. I would definitely return. Although, i live in New York. I would certainly return and bring a friend to enjoy this wonderful zoo.

LOVE the lion family and my favorite the wolf's. And never seen a hyena before in person ..
WOOOW. Beautiful!!!

It was amazing so much to do and they have puddle boats

This small BIG zoo. We visited Fall 2018 (nov ) , Very affordable ..free parking . Easy to accessible.
The major animals i see are Kangaroo ,American Bison,Emu, Lion ,Jaguar, Black Bear , Giraffes , RedPanda, Seal, Wolf , Penguins, Flamingos,marmoset (Tiny monkeys from Brazil ..they are crowd friendly ) and etc. Very well organised .Animals look healthy . African /Asian/Australian/American exhibits. Petting zoo/Aquarium..much more.
it is one day trip . Mc donalds across the street. Thanks to zoo organizers. Instead of ripping people ..they kept zoo very economical . Beautiful ..Family friendly . Plenty of places to sit and enough bathrooms.
Must visit. They expanding further for 2019.

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All my kids visited this place as part of class trips. Wonderful!

It was very nice and the West Orange Police was on point directing traffic and making sure that there was sufficient parking.

Great zoo! Definitely much nicer than it was when I was growing up. I love all the updates. Can't wait to go back!

This is such a wonderful place to see many animals that you wouldn't ever get this close to anywhere else.
I do have a hard time seeing the small spaces that several animals are alotted; esp the cats. I hope that an expansion is planned for them as there seems to be plenty of acreage for it.
It's still a nice place to spend a couple of hours wandering around.

Excellent exhibits and such exotic animals. Great times with kids too.

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.

Great zoo with playground and train ride. Pony rides, butterfly exhibit, bird exhibit, and stingray exhibit are extra $. The stingray exhibit was what my son really wanted to do and it was closed when we visited. Otherwise a good time.

This zoo is great place my kids loved I recommend to anyone

I loved the place. It's bigger than I expected but you can manage to explore it from end to end in one visit. Amazing price for such amazing experience. Their group rates are incredibly low! It's definetely worth your money. Staff walk around and give you interesting facts about certain animals. Amazing overall! Staff is amazing! Animal residents are the best!!

Very nice zoo for young children...nice collection of animals, and feeding them is just icing on cake, even for me as an adult!

Great time, except the train area was under construction.

One of the best zoo's I've ever been to. Loved it!

I love this zoo, I was sad to see that it was closed right now for the month. But best believe I ll be here once it opens in feb, it s a gem and I only live 10 min away. I bring here every month my Siblings to enjoy and support the zoo. The staff is amazing great for gatherings

Attended brew at the zoo. Great time, animals were out zoo employees were explaining the exhibit money was for a great cause the zoo

It's a smaller zoo that can be pretty much be done in half a day. It's fairly clean and well maintained, and there's no sign that any of the animals are mistreated are malnourished. Although it's hilly, much of the area is shaded, so it's manageable even on hotter summer days.