About Snow Leopards, Bronx zoo
The Bronx Zoo is a great destination for families with kids in NYC, offering a diverse array of well-maintained animal exhibits, including an immersive, close-up gorilla encounter and an architecturally stunning snow leopard exhibit designed to feel like the Himalayas, often featuring cubs. It also boasts an interactive children's zoo to actively engage younger visitors and provides valuable green space for recreation.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Saturday activities for families with kids.Visitors to New York City looking for family-friendly attractions.Frequent visits with kids (especially for pass/membership holders) due to its green space and varied attractions.Suitable for a broad range of 'kids', with 'strollers' mentioned, indicating accommodation for younger children and toddlers.The interactive children's zoo is specifically designed to engage 'kids'.
Why families love it
- Wide variety of animals including lions, gorillas, elephants, giraffes, and red pandas.
- Well-maintained cages and animals appear happy.
- A unique gorilla exhibit allows for very close, safe viewing through glass enclosures.
- Marvelous snow leopard exhibit with architectural design/landscaping featuring huge boulders and tall bamboo forests, creating a 'Himalayan mountain' experience.
- Often has spectacular leopard cubs.
- Interactive children's zoo that effectively engages kids and gets them moving.
Insider tips
- Visit early on weekends to avoid large crowds.
- Consider visiting on a weekday for a less packed experience.
- Be prepared for potential parking issues, especially at Lot B.
Good to know before you go
- Packed weekend afternoons (unless arriving very early).
- Potential issues with parking at Lot B due to staff blocking access.
- Can get very packed with lots of people, families, and strollers on weekends.
- Horrible parking situation, specifically involving parking staff at Lot B who reportedly block access to other parking lots for no reason, claiming they are closed when other zoo staff confirm they are open.
- Crowds
- Very crowded on weekends with lots of families and strollers.
- Value
- Described as 'well worth the pass' for those who wish to 'pop by anytime with the kids', suggesting good value for a membership or season pass for frequent visits.
- Accessibility
- Strollers are common, suggesting general accessibility for families with young children, but no specific accommodations for special needs are mentioned.
- Safety
- Gorilla exhibit features 'safe enclosed in glass' viewing, indicating clear barriers between visitors and animals.
What parents say
"If you are in New York City visiting or looking for a Saturday activity and you have kids this zoo is a great place to go! The have a so many animals: lions, gorillas, elephants, giraffes and red pandas to name a few. The cages are well maintained and animals seem happy. They have a really cool gorilla cage where you are very close to them and their habitat, your safe enclosed in glass it’s really a cool sight to see. Lots of people on weekends, lots of families, strollers and can get packed so come early on maybe on a weekday if you can."
2 years ago
"This exhibit of the snow leopards, is absolutely marvelous. The way it was architecturally designed/landscaped, with the huge boulders and tall bamboo forests. Truly is awe inspiring, by giving you the feeling of climbing the Himalayan mountains. And quite often, they do have leopard cubs, which are spectacular to behold with the exuberance of youth. Do Love Nature 💜💙💜 Absolutely Like 🤙👍👍👍✌🤙"
6 years ago
"The parking situation is horrible. Parking staff at lot B keep blocking access to other parking lot for no reason, on numerous occasions, and claim it's close. After speaking to other staff at the zoo, they all said every lot is open until 4:30pm, and rarely ever closed. They all verified all lots opened on those days. Bronx Zoo management needs to find out what's going on with workers in parking lot B, and why they're picking at choosing who has access. It seems they're discriminating who get access to certain lots, when the lots are clearly not full."
9 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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