Arts & Entertainment
Make The Most Of Your Queens Zoo Visit This Summer
Andean bears, giant rabbits, Canada lynx and other highlights sure to delight your family!
We’re all looking forward to shutting off our browsers and getting outdoors for a very special summer this year. Many of us might be sticking a little closer to home, and the Queens Zoo is a great place for a staycation getaway with your loved ones, where you can visit animals from across the Western Hemisphere right in the heart of Flushing Meadows.
1. Take A Walk On The Wild Side
Queens Zoo focuses on animals native to the Americas, including southern pudu (a tiny deer species from Chile and Argentina), the iconic bison from the Great Plains, Andean bears and many others. Shaded pathways will lead you on a tour through the zoo’s all-outdoor exhibits, and along the way you’ll encounter animals from the northern reaches of Alaska to the southern tip of Patagonia.
2. Meet Gentle Animals
Meeting the zoo’s domestic animals is a great treat for kids (or kids at heart). The farmyard area is home to Flemish giant rabbits that can weigh more than 20 pounds, Texas longhorns whose horns span 6 feet in length, Belted Galloway cows whose oreo coloring may leave you craving a cookie, and many other gentle animals to pet and feed.
Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
3. Historic Aviary
No trip to the Queens Zoo is complete without a visit to the Aviary. Step inside and you’ll be walking amongst cattle egrets, scarlet macaws, sun conures, bobwhite quails, sandhill cranes, black-crowned night herons and many other amazing birds. The Aviary was originally a Buckminister Fuller inspired geodesic dome which served as the Winston Churchill Pavilion during the 1964 World’s Fair. It was subsequently transformed into the colorful habitat that we know today.
4. Make A Splash
Be sure to stop by the California sea lion pool, where you can watch these playful marine mammals enjoy themselves in an exhibit that features a waterfall, demonstrating their graceful swimming abilities and irrepressible barks. Three times daily, you can watch our keepers training and interacting with our bachelor sea lion group. The nearby Sea Lion Store and Cafe offers gifts and snacks.
Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
5. A Greater Purpose
When you visit Queens Zoo, you are supporting the Wildlife Conservation Society’s mission to protect wildlife and wild places around the world. Queens Zoo conservationists and their partners have bred and introduced endangered New England cottontail rabbits for release in suitable habitat areas in several New England states. The Queens Zoo has also played a crucial role in the reintroduction of Puerto Rican crested toads, as part of a head-starting program that has bred and released more than 4,000 tadpoles over the past five years. During your visit to the park, you’ll learn a lot more about the work WCS has done to help endangered species.
According to new research from Cornell, as little as 10 minutes in a natural setting can help people feel happier and lessen the effects of both mental and physical stress. After such a stressful year, now's the perfect time to refresh your senses and your outlook by spending time with amazing animals in an iconic park.
There’s no better local staycation this summer than spending time with incredible wildlife right around the corner. From owls to alligators, coyotes, Roosevelt elk, bald eagles and many other species, there’s so much to discover at Queens Zoo
Reserve your date-specific tickets now — we can’t wait to see you at Queens Zoo.
Queens Zoo provides families with a safe recreational space. Check our Know Before You Go page for the latest safety guidelines.