Great local zoo! It's not the Bronx zoo variety but it's a nice local zoo with fun offerings in the summer and holidays with different light shows. Plus you can hang at the park after. A Bridgeport gem! read more

I visited the Beardsley Zoo twice, once for the zoo and a second time for the Glow Wild Lantern Festival (through December 14, 2025) in the evening. It is easy to purchase tickets online. The parking lot filled up on a Tuesday morning. We spent approximately 2 hours both visits. My favorite was the prairie dogs, there is a tunnel that the children can go in and pop their heads up through a dome. There is a rain forest and a play area. The Lantern Festival displayed bright lantern animals and sea creatures. There were interactive areas for the kids. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Lantern Festival - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

I was so upset about the bear that looked like he wanted out that I rated too poorly. This zoo is Connecticut's only accredited zoo, it showcases many species, including the cutesy red panda and endangered ones like the red and Mexican gray wolves. Over the years I've come here several times, especially when my kids were younger. I'd say the outside prairie dogs exhibit was always a big hit with them. It allows access to view alongside in a "bubble". The admission prices went up, but you're supporting animals, so it's a good cause. You have to buy online and choose a specific date. Hours fight now are 9am-3pm. I have packed my own food to eat on one of the picnic tables, and when I didn't there was always the cafe, where you can often see peacocks roaming around the area. Beardsley Zoo is a fun, easy trip with cool animals and a relaxed vibe. It's small enough to walk through without getting tired, but still has lots to see. This is a charming zoo perfect for the little ones. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

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Good zoo, especially the stunning owl in the farm area barn. The wolf exhibit was solid, and the information about wolves was stellar. I was delighted by the greenhouse access. That was my favorite part of the zoo. It's easy to find parking, pay for tickets and walk around the grounds. The staff were friendly. We'll be back any time our granddaughter wants to go back. read more

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 Outdated cafe and pavement.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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Entrance - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

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. read more

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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! read more

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"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. read more

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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. read more

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What a lovely place to go with children! I went for a corporate event. My toddler loved seeing all the animals and the plants, not to mention the lanterns. It was beautiful and the exhibitb was carefully crafted. I would suggest getting there earlier than normal because parking is limited, especially on weekends or peak hours. It's a relatively small zoo so temper your expectations, but it's great to spend a couple of hours in. I also loved that it is easy to navigate and so clean. If you live in Connecticut, check it out, especially if you have little ones who love to romp around. read more

Very good place to go with the children, it has some options to enter the place for free, stay updated to take advantage. The animals look very well cared for and calm, it was a very pleasant day, my favorite part was the farm that is almost at the end of the tour, I recommend you do not miss there. ||||||| Muy buen lugar para ir con los niños, tiene algunas opciones para entrar gratis al lugar, mantente actualizado para aprovechar. Los animales se ven muy bien cuidados y tranquilos, fue un día muy agradable, mi parte favorita fue la granja que está casi al final del recorrido, te recomiendo no faltar allí. read more

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. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Lantern lights Fall 2024 - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

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I highly recommend the Beardsley Zoo experience overall - it is an awesome local zoo for kids of all ages - but especially for a birthday party experience! We booked the zoo for a December toddler birthday party. From the start of the process, the event coordinator was patient and helpful, explaining different options and included benefits. We booked two party spaces to have enough wiggle room, and I recommend that to have enough seating and such. It is an open area, so it is not prohibitive and reasonably priced too. We chose the "critter craft" and "animal encounter" options, which was enough for our party group. The zoo does offer basics like tablecloths and plates, but I did purchase my own themed materials for decoration and supplies and that gave it a little boost. They also provide pizza and soda, and you can purchase extras if needed. I also bought snacks from Costco and that was more than enough. From the second we arrived at the zoo, the staff was very kind and helpful. The young woman who was assigned as a party coordinator was totally delightful. She helped with every part of setup and cleanup, kept everything running on time, and had a lovely spirit and demeanor. The party space was perfect - booking two worked out exactly right, and there was really no one else at the zoo that day so it felt like we had a fully private building! The carousel was the hit of the day - I think the kids could have just ridden that endlessly and been happy. The animal encounter was awesome - the young women who led that were knowledgeable, engaging, and patient with young kids. It was interesting for all ages! All-around, it was a perfect party experience. I got rave reviews from fellow parents and from older family members alike. I have already recommended the zoo experience to everyone we know! read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Bear display - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

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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. read more

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It's nice just to walk around and see some animals with your family.. it's not huge but good enough. My complaints is the café needs more gluten-free meals, and the lady cooking in the cafe should be educated on gluten-free, dairy free meals. When I asked for gluten-free meal, she offered to make me a grilled cheese sandwich 'on regular bread " I Said no thank you..she said how about a tomato sandwich... She continued to say "I feel so bad for you...girl , You can't eat anything OMGGG"!!! read more

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. read more

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Full disclosure, my rating may be a bit skewed on the experience vs cost ratio given that we went for free during a period when the state was covering admission. That said, the ticket prices aren't outrageous, though they are creeping up near the limit for what I'd probably be willing to pay for the amount of time spent there. All in all, the Beardsley Zoo is not big, but was bigger and had more types of animals than I had anticipated seeing given that I'd never heard of it. It doesn't consume all that much time, however, so it made for an excellent combination with going to grab some tasty New Haven pizza while in the area. Like others have said, it may not hold the attention of older children, but there's plenty to see for younger kids or other humans outside of the always disappointed, never impressed age range we all know, love and remember. Some of the indoor exhibits that we almost skipped also ended up being some of the best ones, though seeing a tiger up close outside was also a highlight. He was hanging out pretty close to the glass. Also saw leopards, bison, prairie dogs, many different owls and other birds, several types of primates, aardvarks, foxes, wolves, tortoises, crocodiles, fluorescent poison dart frogs, domesticated animals of course, and some others. The carousel was a nice indoor break from the heat as well. read more

So glad I made it back here. I had read that they were going through some rough times as COVID stopped most of their visitors and, as a non-profit, they rely on tourism to stay afloat. I hadn't been here in YEARS, and it was an awesome experience. The prairie dogs are definitely my favorite and while you can't use the observation windows right now, you can still get plenty close to them. I also appreciate how their enclosure are large enough for their animals to explore their habitat. As the animals are there because they wouldn't survive in the wild (usually because of injury or other reasons), I appreciate what they do to try to make the animals as adaptive to their environment as possible. It's wild to think there's a neighborhood literally steps from the entrance gate! Bring your family and help support this local attraction. read more

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This zoo is so tiny. At least it's free if you reserve online and in the area during the summer. That's the only reason why I decided to go because it is by reservation and free. They don't have a lot to see so don't expect to see what you'll see in the San Diego or Bronx Zoo as it isn't even half the size. If you enjoy bird watching they have tons of those. Some birds walk and fly around freely in the zoo too. The highlight of the zoo is the carousel and the little snack area with this ice cream that has multiple flavors. read more

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This is a nice small zoo. My family has a membership and we renew it every year bc the kids love seeing the animals and is a nice little day trip. The zoo has been doing a lot of upgrades and make the zoo better. The light up event at night is also very nice. They did a good job with that. read more

It was a nice way to spend the afternoon with a three year old. Bring a stroller since some of the path that walks you through the zoo is uphill. It's a small zoo, but good to bring kids. read more

Took advantage of the free admission promotion over the summer and came with our kids. It was very busy - obviously the promo worked. Not a place to come every summer, but certainly every few years it makes a great staycation activity. read more

The animals were certainly not "paired up" as the woman stated when we paid to get in. What I think were the leopards?? one black and the other spotted, were separate from each other , and so obviously very very stressed out. pacing back and forth, back and forth constantly ! I was so sad and also angry to see this. why is it that they can't make it better for these animals? Where were their mates? Their area pretty bare. I wish I had never went! I don't know what I was thinking . The bathroom was disgusting! smelled of strong urine yet my male friend said the male bathrooms were fine . which.. yes I walked into and there was no smell at all yet the ladies bathroom I almost gagged and had to hold my breath . never again. these poor animals! disgusted read more

I haven't been to the Beardsley Zoo in years. I went for the glow night, and it didn't disappoint. Plenty of photo ops, and spots to stop and rest if needed. Great for kids as it's long enough for them to get bored. Highly recommend for families. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Glow Night!! - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

Nice little zoo in CT. We took the kids here on a summer Friday. Hot August day. We bought tickets online and were checked in at the main gate. Due to Covid some of the exhibits are closed. Anything inside is off limits. Zoo is closed from 1230 to 1 every day for cleaning. Mask wearing is enforced. They do a good job in this respect. As for the animas the stars are the wolves and the cats. Have some amazing tigers. Sleek and powerful animals. They were quite active in the summer heat. It's not the biggest zoo so the selection is a bit small. But it is nice and manageable very accessible and totally walkable over largely flat terrain. You can get through everything in about two hours. They have an outdoor cafe with a variety of ice creams. This was a nice way to cap off the visit. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Picnic area to eat your ice cream - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

We visited friends in CT this weekend and when my axolotl obsessed daughter discovered this zoo had 2. Since it was just 30 minutes from her friends house she insisted we take a trip! The axolotls took about 5 minutes to see, but were the highlight among our 8-10 year olds. Besides that our kids enjoyed walking around this tiny zoo to take pics of other animals, but definitely a lot smaller than some others we've frequented in Chicago, San Diego and beyond. Other highlights included carousel rides, which I thought our kids were too old for, but apparently not. And playing hide n seek and tag throughout the zoo. Unfortunately, this game resulted in a few scrapes and losing my 8 year old, but fortunately we found him pretty quickly due to the small size of this zoo. Phew. And the zoo staff was super helpful when it came to finding him. We left with lots of animal pics, 4 stuffed animals and the joy of seeing real live axolotls. While our kids are on the older side and still liked it, I think it would be a great spot to bring little ones to kill some time and enjoy the animals. read more

In Bridgeport, order tickets online even if you are a CT resident. Make sure to see the spider monkeys, prairie dogs and otters. We spent about 3 hours seeing the park, getting lunch and riding the carousel. Parking is a free-for-all, you may end up walking quite a while. We almost got smashed while someone tried to park. read more

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Great for toddlers! It is a small zoo, but my 1.5 year old and I spent about 2 hours here. It was enough to keep him occupied and running around to the different animals. The animals they do have look very well taken care of. The carousel is a big plus and only $2 per ride. We've been both in the summer with free admission and then just recently took a trip there as well. Both times a good amount of the habitats were closed/ had no animals in them. That being said, once my child reaches over the free admission age then we will probably only come here in the summer when it's free for all because the prices are a little steep read more

It's a decent small zoo but the staff here is absolutely amazing. Every person who works here is super friendly and helpful with genuine enthusiasm for making this a spectacular experience for families. I can't say enough good things about this place. read more

I thought this zoo was okay. It was on the smaller side and I don't remember exactly how much I paid but I believe it was less than $20 per ticket so it was an okay price as well. It was pretty clean, they had a decent amount of animals and exhibits but nothing wowed me. What I did really like is the fact that the magnets they sold had their own animals on them. A lot of times at zoos if you buy a magnet, it's a stock photo of whatever the animal is but these are actually their own animals which I liked! I wouldn't be back but if your in the area and enjoy zoos, I would give it a try. read more

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While visiting the area I was surprised to find a zoo, even better it's a small zoo. Our son is 4 and this zoo was just big enough for him. Before he started getting restless and just over it. I wish we checked out the carousel but it was a hot day and our son was just done. If you want a bigger zoo go over to the Bronx zoo, but with a toddler this was perfect. read more

For a small zoo, I was pretty impressed with the variety of animals they had here especially the baby jaguars! The zoo is laid out really well with long, wide walkways wrapping in and out of beautiful scenery. I couldn't help but notice how peaceful the entire zoo was. I found myself getting lost in the surroundings, listening to the natural sounds of animals and forests. The entire zoo was extremely clean, not a single piece of trash / waste in sight. There was plenty of families with small children coming here for a nice daytime adventure who all seemed that they were very entertained from start to finish. All in all, I was glad I stopped by. If I lived in the area, I would absolutely buy a membership and frequent this zoo. It was a nice break from the everyday hustle and bustle. read more

On our way up the coast of CT, we stopped here. It's only about about hour from NYC amd very cute. Parking is free and exhibits kept us engaged. The prairie dog exhibit was one of the best -they are so cute and so many of them!! Sadly we never got to see a red panda, but all the other animals were out. Highly suggest going around 11am, as it was clear from the animals movements that it was almost ready for feeding time (pacing back and forth, etc). Also when we went, only the main cafe was open and the line was horrendously long, so be warned and pack snacks!!! They are building a new exhibit for a bear, so we may come again to see the new cub ;) read more

Cool zoo in Bridgeport; very well maintained with a variety of animals that you won't see elsewhere (hello, tigers and prairie dogs!). Visited for free as part of the 2021 CT Museums - Kids Are Free Summer grant program (which runs through Labor Day). On a hot Friday in August they were doing a brisk business with social distancing enforced and limited admission. You're allowed to bring in your own food, saving you a ton of money, and their re-entry policy means you can leave your heavy bags and coolers in the car instead of lugging them around. Most of the exhibits were open with masks required inside buildings. read more

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - Paw prints - Zoos Near Me - Bridgeport, Connecticut

Small zoo which houses a variety of animals who have been rescued due to injuries or mistreatment and cannot be returned to the wild. Great for children, families, adults. A wonderful way to spend an hour or two without being overwhelmed or exhausted. Head over to the adjacent Beardsley park afterwards for a picnic. read more