About Elmwood Park Zoo
A beautifully maintained, family-geared local zoo featuring active, rehabilitated animals and highly interactive experiences like giraffe feeding and a unique educational center with live veterinary viewing.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families seeking an educational, clean, and highly interactive zoo dayParents looking for a smaller, easily walkable zoo with active animalsToddlers and young children who enjoy interactive animal feedings and holiday light events
Why families love it
- Active and well-cared-for rehabilitated animals, including a jaguar and eagles
- Interactive giraffe feeding experience
- Newly built educational center where kids can watch animal health exams, surgeries, and food preparation
- Knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive staff
- Educational center with live vet exam viewing
- Giraffe feeding station
Insider tips
- Visit on a weekday to enjoy a less crowded experience
- Prepare for a steep hill inside the park if pushing a stroller or wheelchair
- Set expectations or a budget before entering the gift shop to avoid expensive stuffed animal purchases
- Bring kids to the Christmas lights event, but skip it if you are planning an adult-only date night
Good to know before you go
- Adult-only date nights for the Christmas lights event
- Crowded weekend visits if you prefer a quieter experience
- A steep grade hill on the interior of the park that can be difficult to navigate
- Pricey gift shop items, especially stuffed animals
- The Christmas lights event has empty spaces and blinding spotlights, making it poor value for an adult-only outing
- Crowds
- Not too crowded on weekdays
- Value
- Great value for a family day out, though the holiday lights event may feel overpriced for adults. Gift shop items are on the expensive side.
- Accessibility
- Handicap accessible overall, but features one steep grade hill on the interior of the park that may be challenging for wheelchairs and strollers
What parents say
"Some really incredible animals. It seems like they are treated well. From what we understood many of, if not most of the animals have been rehabilitated which is awesome. The jaguar was really cool. The eagles were also stand out. It wasn’t too crowded when we went, but we went on a weekday. Staff was really nice and knowledgeable."
2 weeks ago
"I'm really surprised that in such a small local zoo, all the animals are active and being taken care well. The newly built educational center is fantastic where you have a chance to see animal health exam and surgery as well as food preparation. The giraffe feeding experience is lots of fun. Gift shop is also high quality with reasonable price."
2 weeks ago
"What a fantastic family geared Zoo!!!... beautifully kept, newer structures, all animals were awake and joyfully. Staff was all amazing, attentive and knowledgeable. All HCP accessible (1 steep grade hill on interior of the park though). Highly recommend"
2 weeks ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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