The Bronx Zoo, located in the New York neighborhood of the same name, is one of the largest zoos of the United States and one of the largest in the world, with an area of over 100 hectares. The Bronx Zoo, owned and operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (which also operates the New York Aquarium and Central Park Zoo), is one of New York's top attractions.
Opened in 1899 with 843 animals, today the zoo houses more than 6.000 animals of 800 species several (some of which extinct in nature) in a protected natural environment. More than 2 million people visit it every year. Both the zoo and the botanical gardens are located all'interno del Bronx Park, a large green area of New York crossed by the Bronx River.
The main zoo targets are to promote zoological studies, protect wildlife and educate visitors to respect nature and its inhabitants. The cost of the ticket is partly used to fund wildlife conservation projects.
Visit of the zoo
The zoo is divided into thematic areas designed to recreate the original natural habitats in which the various animals normally live and according to geographical criteria: North America, Asia, Africa and South America. The animals share the various habitats with many other species, however there are separations such as ditches or bars (not visible to the visitor for aesthetic reasons) designed to prevent predators and any prey from mixing.
I wildlife departments included in the basic ticket are very numerous and embrace all species: tigers, lions, giraffes, water birds, bears, reptiles, American bison, birds of prey, seals, Himalayan tigers, birds and more. For example, in the area dedicated to the African plains you will find African lions, elephants, zebras,…; while in the one dedicated to Madagascar: lemurs, crocodiles, sifacas, boas, ...
What Zoo has two types of exhibitions, some included in the basic ticket and others not, come la Congo Gorilla Forest, Jungle World, il Butterfly Garden, Children’s Zoo, Nature Trek, …
One of the main attractions of the park is Congo Gorilla Forest, an African rainforest (the largest artificial tropical forest in the world) of almost 3 hectares of surface with more than 400 animals of 60 different species and a group of 23 gorillas.
Some of the other main attractions of the zoo are: Wild Asia Tramway, a monorail from which spectators can see Asian animals up close; Himalayan Highlands, where you can see endangered species in their natural habitat, such as snow leopards, white tigers, red pandas, pheasants,…; And Jungleworld, an indoor exhibit of plants and 800 animals from 100 different rainforest species.
To visit this large wildlife park you can choose between walking, or using the means of transport in the park, all for a fee: the Zoo Shuttle; the Skyfari cable car which offers splendid aerial views of the park; or through the Bengali Express monorail that runs through the thematic area dedicated to Asia, Wild Asia.
Free exhibitions and attractions
- African Plains
- American Bison
- Aquatic Bird House and Sea Bird Aviary
- Astor Court and Sea Lion Pool
- Baboon Reserve
- Big Bears
- Birds of Prey
- Bison Range (bison enclosure)
- Carter Giraffe Building (giraffe)
- Himalayan Highlands (le terre dell'Alta Himalaya)
- Madagascar! (theme area in Madagascar)
- Mouse House
- Northern Ponds (naturalistic ponds)
- Pheasant Aviary
- Sea Lion Pool
- Tiger Mountain (mountain tigers)
- World of Birds (bird show)
- World of Reptiles (reptile exhibition)
- Zoo Center (the "heart" of the park)
Exhibitions and attractions for a fee
- Bug Carousel - carousel carousel
- Butterfly Garden - an indoor butterfly winter garden that allows visitors to walk through the gardens and lawns and see various species of butterflies up close.
- Children's Zoo - a children's zoo with an educational farm and playground.
- Congo Gorilla Forest - recreation of a rainforest with more than 20 gorillas
- Dinosaur Safari - Safari through a wooded area of 2 acres to discover various animatronic dinosaurs
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, The 4-D Experience - a 4-minute 14d film that briefly tells the story of the Ice Age
- Jungle World - an indoor tropical jungle exhibit featuring nearly 800 species of tropical plants and animals
- Nature Trek - adventure park
- Wild Asia Monorail - a 2,6 km monorail route where numerous species of animals can be seen from above
- Zoo Shuttle - the park's bus transport service
Entrance to these exhibits and attractions has a cost of 6 dollars for each attraction or exhibition.
Opening time
The park is open all the year, except during these holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and Martin Luther King Day.
Da early April to late October the park is open from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays until 17:30. While from early October to late March opening hours are from 10:00 to 16:30.
In any period thelast entry at the zoo is 45 minutes before the park closes.
Ticket prices
Basic ticket: (does not include some attractions and exhibitions)
- Adult ticket cost (ages 13 to 64) - $ 24,95
- Ticket cost per child (3 to 12 years) $ 16,95
- Children from 0 to 2 years enter for free
- Ticket cost for Senior (65 and over) - $ 22,95
Full ticket: (includes admission to all zoo exhibits and attractions)
- Adult ticket cost (ages 13 to 64) - $ 30,95
- Ticket cost per child (3 to 12 years) $ 23,95
- Children from 0 to 2 years enter for free
- Ticket cost for Senior (65 and over) - $ 28,95
As some attractions and exhibits cost $ 6 per person, if paid separately, definitely the best choice is to buy the full ticket.
for camel rides (seasonal and weather permitting) and the attraction Treetop Adventure Climb and Zipline an additional payment is always required, as they are not included in any type of park entrance ticket.
How to reach us
The Bronx Zoo is easy to reach from Manhattan and other New York neighborhoods. It is recommended to use public transport.
By bus
The BxM11 express bus is a very convenient way to get directly to the zoo from Manhattan. The bus stops along Madison Avenue, between 26th and 99th streets. The cost of the ticket is $ 6,75 per direction.
From the Bronx you can take the Bx9 or Bx19 buses that stop on 183rd Street and Southern Blvd, very close to the pedestrian entrance to the zoo. Or you can take the Bx12 or Bx22 buses that stop on Fordham Road and Southern Blvd, which are 5 blocks from the zoo entrance.
From Queens you can take the Q44 bus which stops on 180th Street and Boston Road, one block from the zoo entrance.
By subway
The most convenient subway lines to reach the Bronx Zoo are: lines 2 and 5, which stop at Bronx Park East, E 180 Street or Pelham Pkwy stations.
By train
If you want to arrive by train you can take the Harlem line on the Metro North to Fordham. From here you can take the Bx9 bus to 183rd Street and Southern Blvd, very close to the pedestrian entrance to the zoo.
By car
If arriving by car, the Bronx Zoo address is: 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx - New York. The car park fee is $ 17 for the whole day. During the summer, the parking lots may be full. In this case you can use alternative parking, available at nearby Fordham University.
Official website with updated prices and timetables: www.bronxzoo.com
