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Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

3.8 (165 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo Zoos Photos

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Wei H.

Small zoo needs a lift up. Outdated cafe and pavement. Animals look being taken care of tho so that's good. You need maybe 2-2.5 hrs in there. Maybe stay longer if you wanna see the bird show (it's pretty good but I didn't stay for the whole show). It's just one time visit for me.

Nehal A.

It's a much smaller size zoo, bit of pricey for what they offer. Mostly small size animals, birds, farmland cattle, a green house and rainforest. A lot of them were not visible in their shack or the visibility was reduced for smaller kids because of long grass and bush. The cafe and gift store are good. Lots of space to sit and eat. We attended a bird show where they demonstrated three different owls. Parking lot is medium size, difficult to find parking during peak hours.

Leopard
Will D.

Fun spot to spend a couple hours. You can make your way around all exhibits in about an hour, but it's a fun time. When we went in May, the tiger exhibit and tropical rainforest were both closed, which was a huge bummer. Wish they gave us a heads up when we were buying tickets.

Entrance
Conrad J.

Come on down to Beardsley Zoo. This smaller zoo is perfect for all ages. Check out the variety of animals. We came to see the Red Pandas, because that's what we do! If you have a yearly pass at another Zoo they are part of the associate zoos and you get 50% off your ticket. Essentially we paid for one ticket. Not that the ticket prices are expensive, they are extremely affordable. If you have any handicapped family or you are, almost 100% of the zoo is paved and accessible!! It's a cute zoo, check them out.

Lexi M.

As a kid everything looks big and amazing... The Beardsley Zoo seems quieter than it was when I was small, but it's still home to some really amazing animals and events. My family recently attended the Glow Wild event and we cannot stop talking about it!! It was absolutely stunning and well done. The grounds are well kept for this event too! We had two workers come up to us after closing the cafe for the evening and offered us hot chocolate and cider (we didn't realize the cafe was closed and tried to go in but the doors were locked). It was nice to see these young girls have great customer service and go an extra mile on a cool fall night with my family.

active Koi in the Greenhouse
NicoleA. W.

Overcast and drizzles, the zoo only had a few people. So we could meandered through the exhibits. There is a good selection of animals, with explanations and fun facts which is great for scavenger hints. There are photo spots, activities and places to sit when you need a break. Or simply to enjoy the scenery. The grounds are beautiful, and easy to walk for all ages, so it would be a relaxing family day trip. It could also be a great spot for a date (they also do weddings 'Say I Do at the zoo!) Since the zoo is inside the park, you could make a whole day with plenty of space to picnic, frisbee and kite-flying. Looking forward to visiting again. FYI: Libraries have passes for museum and zoo discounts!

Dan R.

"Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo I do believe it I do believe it's true" (Simon and Garfunkel" If you think you can waltz right up to the ticket office and buy your tickets over the counter, you'll find out you can't. And believe me, we saw plenty of people who made that mistake when we visited on Monday. You see, you HAVE to buy your tickets in advance on their website -we knew that and we did, but many people were holding up the line by flailing away on their phones at the ticket office. The Beardsley Zoo is a moderately sized zoo that has many of the things you expect to see at a zoo - monkeys, tigers, leopards, bears, buffalos, and snakes. We even saw an anteater and quite a few prairie dogs in a very cool exhibit where children could crawl into a tunnel and pop up in an encased plastic tube in the middle of the prairie. That was awesome. It took us about 2 hours to walk through the zoo, and I'm pretty sure we saw everything including the Farmyard, greenhouse, birdhouse and Carousel. We were there on Juneteenth and since the schools were closed, we saw quite a few children and their families enjoying the zoo and nice weather.

Tiger
Kelly P.

They have some cute unique parts of the zoo, such as the prairie dog area where you can go in these tubes and see up close (my children's favorite) and a rainforest section, cool spider monkeys, playful otters, a tiger, leopard , but almost every bigger animals always naturally far away and in the back so it is hard to see unless you catch it roaming by or have a good zoom. Some cages like for one of the wolves/fox/ cats seemed to small for an animal like that, or at least they seemed lonely but even with that, overall it was a fun zoo for the kids! They were sad there was no giraffe but that's okay too! It has a little carousel spot, some food, and a gift shop.

Lantern lights Fall 2024
Kim S.

I love coming to the zoo especially when they have fun exhibits like this. I belive it's the 3rd year for the Lantern Lights and I'm glad I made it.

Patrick O.

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is quite a good one in all of New England. As a resident of Rhode Island, I typically tend to think that if I'm trekking all the way out of my little state, I usually go all the way to the Bronx Zoo, but Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is one that I think truly deserves a lot more love. As an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facility, I think baseline they're already very good, but there are a few highlights from there to boot! For instance, I especially love the displays for their canines, they're a facility that has a number of interesting ones as well, from Maned Wolves, a much rarer species to find in this part of the states, to Red Wolves, to Mexican Grey Wolves, it's very good for that! Not to mention they have just recently renovated their Andean Bear habitat to be even more massive, something I have not yet had the chance to check out, but would love to eventually. In addition to this, they also have a few aviaries around, and a lovely tropical house. It's not an all-day affair, but any animal afficiano would greatly benefit from a trip here bundled with the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, or alternatively a trip to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, a bit more of a hidden gem. Overall this facility is very good, and though I have not been in a bit, I would absolutely love the chance to visit once more! [Edit]: Also important to note: This facility is where they filmed Tony Soprano and Gloria Trillo's date in the hit TV-Show "The Sopranos". About me... I am a passionate zoo and aquarium enthusiast, dedicated to exploring facilities both near and far. From local treasures in New England to renowned locations around the world, I've visited over 60 animal facilities in my quest to discover the very best. My goal is to promote those that stand out for their quality, value, and commitment to animal care and conservation. All opinions are entirely my own. I personally pay for admission to these facilities to ensure my reviews are authentic and reflect what I genuinely believe to offer the best value.

Bear display
Rachel E.

We went for the lantern festival. If you choose to go try to get your tickets around sunset! It's less crowded and makes for Greta photo ops. An excellent activity with babies. Don't skip the monkey display in the parking lot! Tickets are available for timed pre-purchase online. It makes check in 1000x easier. The animals won't be out. The wolves are available for viewing as is one bald eagle but the lanterns themselves shouldn't be missed. Our favorite displays were the crab (back left side) it had dry ice filled bubbles that the wee ones chased. Also the turtle display and the bears were amazing. There is a faux wisteria tunnel. Lots of tik-Tokers take over that spot. Remember everyone is there for the photos so be patient and respectful. It is a beautiful display but be ready to wait your turn. Took about 90 minutes to view the entire thing.

Tricia B.

I love tigers, so I was so happy to spend a prolonged period of time observing one of those amazing creatures at the zoo. He was probably a bit vexed, but it was a rainy weekday and the zoo was really quiet. I ordered tickets online per the website instructions, but an FYI - you can't use a library pass online. I would call for instructions if you plan on using one. The zoo itself is pretty small and easy to navigate. The animals seem tolerant of their human guests. The tiger was absolutely adorable, but the wolves, fox, jaguar, monkeys, and all the other animals deserve their recognition as well. There is a small gift shop with souvenirs, although alas - no postcards.

Blake F.

I am a huge zoo fan and have visited zoos throughout the world. Those include the San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo, ZooAmerica, ZooMiami, Central Park Zoo, Philadelphia Zoo, Jerusalem Zoo, Tel Aviv Zoo and many more! I had business to handle in Middletown, Connecticut, but wanted to stop off at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo on my way back to Philadelphia. Particularly I wanted to do such because the Beardsley Zoo recently acquired Princess, an Andean condor, from the Philadelphia Zoo. I visited Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the zoo has taken steps to ensure safety such as requiring mask to be worn, social distancing enforced and all indoor exhibits temporarily closed. Coming in, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo has a nice plaza including plaza featuring a statue of the earth, American flags and a nearby garden! There is a main pathway that I took to explore the zoo, which proceeds past the Andean condor exhibit giving me a chance to see Princess. Other animals that I saw along the way included a leopard, a tiger, a giant anteater, prairie dogs, a barred owl, gray foxes, a variety of wolves and much more! The zookeepers were helpful and the woman at the zoo she was very nice! Altogether, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is a really nice, cute zoo with a nice amount of animals, friendly staff and in a quaint environment.

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Ask the Community - Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

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Review Highlights - Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

The carousel was the hit of the day - I think the kids could have just ridden that endlessly and been happy.

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Highwire Deer and Animal Farm

Highwire Deer and Animal Farm

4.1(14 reviews)
22.5 mi

This farm is so much fun! The animals are happy and friendly. The goats ran to greet us when we…read morearrived. We brushed them and petted them. All of the animals were well cared for happy to have visitors. It was a magical day. We will definitely visit again.

I've been to Highwire Deer & Animal Farm several times now and it never gets old! Here's what it's…read moreall about: I would describe it as a small farm/petting zoo/animal sanctuary. The entrance fee is $12 per person (cash only) and animal food is available for purchase ($1 per cup). Once you go inside, the large fenced-in area, you'll find smaller pens, each with different animals inside. Some of the animals you'll find here are rabbits, deer, pygmy goats, kangaroos, a miniature horse, zebra, camel, emus, capybara, peacocks, and several others. Some of these animals you can feed/pet (deer, goats, horse) while others you can only look at (emus, camel, zebra, kangaroos). There are signs that tell you which animals are safe to feed/pet and which are not. The goats are actually free-roaming and so you can sit on the ground or a bench and pet/feed them, play with them, etc. There is also a picnic area where you can sit and eat lunch, etc. No public restrooms on the property, but there is one porta-potty. Overall this is a really cool spot to bond with some really cute animals, and a great place to bring the kids!

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Highwire Deer and Animal Farm - BABY RED KANGAROO BORN TO LILY & WOODY

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Highwire Deer and Animal Farm
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Van Saun County Park

Van Saun County Park

4.3(184 reviews)
49.1 mi

Huge local park in the neighborhood. It has a playground, water pad, carousel, pony rides and train…read moreand the zoo. It has multiple parking lots BUT it gets filled up quickly. Great place for kids to run around and release their energy. Ice cream truck and shaved ice truck on site. Good for the summer. The park playground is well maintained. It's spread out to different sections. It has for bigger kids and smaller toddlers. Many staff at the Carousel and train. Well organized. Tix required. It could be a long wait during weekends. Overall a great place for kids. Easily spend a day here.

One of the very, very BEST parks in NJ - if not the best…read more Bordering Paramus and River Edge, Van Saun County Park is definitely one of the most popular parks I've ever been to ... and there's very good reason for it. First, the park probably has the LARGEST playground I've everrrrrr seen at a public park with multiple playgrounds WITHIN the playground itself. As you can imagine, it gets quite busy on nice weekend days. Surrounding the playground are many pavilions and picnic tables for those that want to have BBQs or large gatherings, which can be had with a permit. In addition to one of the best park playgrounds, the Bergen County Zoo resides inside of the park, which is free to EVERYONE during the colder months of the year. During the warmer months, there's a small fee for Bergen County residents and non-residents. If that's not enough, there is a miniature train ride that takes people around the entire park for a small fee. And, let me tell you first hand that the train ride is actually quite long at 5-7 minutes. Nearby, there is also a carousel that you can ride on for a fee. And, guess what?? There's even more! There is a barn with ponies that let's people ride the ponies for a fee as well. There are also jogging, walking and biking paths too along with a few tennis courts. Besides all of the permanent amenities, there are also events during different times of the year including the Winter Wonderland, which ... surprise, surprise ... takes place during the winter months. If you're worried about parking, no sweat, there are multiple large lots inside of the park, so once you arrive you can start your day asap. Like I said, DEFINITELY one of the best public parks in all of NJ.

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Van Saun County Park
Van Saun County Park
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The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk

3.9(279 reviews)
14.3 mi

This was our second visit to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, and we really enjoy coming back…read more It's on the smaller side, but there's still plenty to see and do. For its size, they have a great variety of touch tanks -- from jellyfish to sturgeon to stingrays -- and my son felt brave enough to touch almost everything this time and loved it. I also appreciate that there are hand-washing stations everywhere. We love the jellyfish exhibits, and the shark tank is very cool -- this visit we even got to see a diver inside answering questions. They offer short 4D movies for $8, though it may be better for older kids (my 2-year-old got a little scared). Paid parking is across the street, and overall it's an easy, fun outing for families. We've heard they offer overnight experiences too and might try that next time!

This place is not too large but there is so much to see and learn! We were able to touch the…read morestingrays, jellyfish and the sturgeon. Spectacular. The jellyfish were memorizing to watch and we were estatic to see sea horses! They have sharks, seals, turtles and all kinds of fish to look at. There is also some land animals on the second floor and we had a good laugh watching the meerkats in action. The staff was very knowledgeable and passionate about their work and the mission of the aquarium and they are happy to answer any questions. It makes for a nice day for families with children or even adults only. Not too much walking, but enough to get some energy out. There is an elevator. There is a cafe with snacks and sandwiches, a gift shop, and water refilling stations so bring your reusable water bottle. Restrooms too and they were clean. The Imax theater is an extra cost and parking is across the street in a pay to park garage for the aquarium.

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The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk - Jellies

Jellies

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk

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Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - zoos - Updated May 2026

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