Thinking of taking your kids to the Bronx Zoo? Here’s what you need to know.
1. It’s a HUGE Zoo, so don’t be too surprised if you don’t get to see all of it. If you have little kids, don’t even attempt to see everything. Find out what animals they want to see and what’s on the top of their list. Then look at the Bronx Zoo’s website and plan out the exhibits and animals you want to see. You could even make this a game with kids age 3 and up – ask them to draw what animals they have to see. 
2. Take a small cooler of snacks & drinks. While I was pleasantly surprised to see that the snack and food prizes weren’t as much as I’ve seen lately in other similar places, but a pretzel was still $3.50 and a drink was around $2.99 for a bottle of Nestea Iced Tea.
3. If you are debating whether or not to take a stroller (maybe your child is more of a walker these days), take one. The zoo is large and if your child doesn’t actually sit in it – you can still carry your cooler and personal items. Make it a lighter weight stroller that you can fold up (if you plan on taking the train or bus inside the zoo). You aren’t allowed to take the stroller into certain places like Congo (Gorilla Forest) or the Dora and Diego 4D Show – both of which were amazing. But they do have stroller parking. If you have a non-walker, you may want to keep a baby carrier on you.
4.Give some downtime to your kids – it’s not worth it to run from exhibit to animal area. Sit down for a snack, see a show, let the kids run around the Animal Tales area.
5. Check out their special offers section — you may find a discount.
6. Consider a family premium membership. If you live close to the Zoo or the NYC area, a membership is a bargain. You can use it at the Bronx Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and NY Aquarium (in Brooklyn). It gets you free parking and free admission to special exhibits (except Camel Ride and Clydesdale Carriage Ride). You also get to take extra visitors with you (great for when Grandma comes to visit). We have the family premium membership and we got to park closer (at the Asia Gate).
There are two family memberships, I recommend the family premium membership at $164 – you get more perks and $92 of it is tax deductible. It pays for itself even if you go two times. For a family of 4 (with kids over 3) even if you get the discount tickets, it’s $104, not including parking (which is $15).
Did I miss any tips? Please share in the comment section below!
Our blog is participating in a sponsored ambassador program from the Bronx Zoo/NY Aquarium. As a part of this program we have received paid advertising compensation, a premium family membership and merchandise for placement of digital advertisements and specific postings related to programming. I was not asked to write this post, but since I had recently been to the Zoo, I chose to write it.
We have one 4 year old child and got the family plus. It comes with four kid tickets. Are we allowed to use them on our child’s friends. I know I can bring one adult guest with us, but can I bring other children under my membership?
You should be able to.
The Bronx Zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s flagship park, opened on November 8, 1899. Since then, the zoo has created a unique window into the natural world for city dwellers in the heart of the Bronx – and serves as a springboard and hub for conservation efforts across the entire planet.
Well liked for: The amazing wildlife, super-fun interactive activities, lively seasonal events
Nancy, excellent tips! I received an offer by mail a couple weeks ago and will definitely sign up for premium membership. It offers more bang for the bucks *so to speak* 🙂 by far. I love the additional benefits to other zoos and aquarium too. Thanks for sharing.