The Bronx Zoo, located in New York, is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States.
Spread across 265 acres, the zoo is home to around 4,000 animals from over 700 species.
The zoo attracts around 2.15 million visitors annually, making it a popular destination for both locals and tourists.
This article covers everything you must know before booking tickets for the Bronx Zoo.
Top Bronx Zoo Tickets
# Skip-the-line Bronx Zoo ticket
# Bronx Zoo + New York Botanical Garden
Table of contents
- What to expect at Bronx Zoo
- Where to book tickets
- How do online tickets work
- Bronx Zoo ticket prices
- New York Botanical Garden + Bronx Zoo ticket
- How to reach
- Opening hours
- How long does the Bronx Zoo take
- Best time to visit Bronx Zoo
- Bronx Zoo entrance
- Bronx Zoo animals
- Experiences at Bronx Zoo
- Bronx Zoo map
- Food at Bronx Zoo
- FAQs about the Bronx Zoo
What to expect at Bronx Zoo
Get a chance to see over 700 animal species from across the world, including Tanzanian toads, Russian big cats, American bisons, and Indian rhinos.
Immerse yourself in the enchanting Butterfly Garden, where colorful butterflies flutter around in a serene and magical setting.
Children can have fun up-close encounters with prairie dogs, North American porcupines, fennec foxes, and other animals at the Children’s Zoo.
Head on an exciting adventure in JungleWorld, a lush tropical rainforest where visitors can encounter exotic creatures.
Hop on the Zoo Shuttle and explore the vast grounds of the Bronx Zoo with utmost convenience.
Experience the thrill of riding the Bug Carousel, featuring beautifully crafted figures of insects that will take you on a whimsical adventure.
Embark on a thrilling Nature Trek, explore scenic trails, and observe diverse wildlife in their natural habitats.
Don’t miss the daily animal feedings, where you can watch sea lions, penguins, and other animals being fed.
Where to book tickets
Tickets for the Bronx Zoo are available to be purchased at the zoo or online in advance.
Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the attraction.
When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the attraction’s ticket counters.
Since these tickets are timed, booking online also helps you get your preferred time slots.
How do online tickets work
Go to the Bronx Zoo ticket booking page, select your preferred date, time slot and the number of tickets, and buy the tickets right away.
After the purchase, you will receive the tickets via email.
You don’t need to carry printouts.
You can show the e-ticket on your smartphone when you visit the attraction.
Bronx Zoo ticket prices
Bronx Zoo tickets for visitors aged 13 and above cost US$34 on weekdays and are available for US$42 on weekends.
Meanwhile, tickets for children between three to 12 years of age are available for US$24 on weekdays and US$32 on weekends.
Infants under three years of age can get in for free.
Bronx Zoo: Entry Ticket
Buy the Bronx Zoo tickets and see over 600 species from around the world at the largest urban zoo in America.
Get unlimited access to several exhibits, including the Butterfly Garden, Children’s Zoo, and JungleWorld, among others.
Enjoy access to all rides and attractions, including the Zoo Shuttle, Bug Carousel, and Nature Trek, subject to seasonality.
Visitors entering after 3 PM must have a Holiday Lights ticket, which grants access to the activities starting at 5 PM.
Please note that the zoo’s animal exhibits close at 4 PM daily, while some attractions have seasonal openings.
Ticket Prices:
Weekday Prices
Adult Ticket (13+ years): $34
Child Ticket (3 to 12 years): $24
Infant Ticket (up to 2 years): Free
Weekend Prices
Adult Ticket (13+ years): $42
Child Ticket (3 to 12 years): $32
Infant Ticket (up to 2 years): Free
With four world-class zoos filled with animals from all over the world, New York is a wildlife lover’s paradise. Read about the best zoos in New York.
Visual Story: 14 must-know tips before visiting Bronx Zoo
New York Botanical Garden + Bronx Zoo ticket
Distance: 0.8 miles approx (1.2 km)
Time Taken: 5 minute drive
After visiting the fascinating Bronx Zoo, head to the New York Botanical Garden for a refreshing experience when you buy this combo ticket.
Escape the chaos of Manhattan and visit the Bronx’s 250-acre Botanical Garden, considered one of the best in the world!
Enjoy seasonal displays, as well as roses, azaleas, cherry trees, magnolias, a 1930s rock garden, and more.
Swap the concrete jungle for some plant-based relaxation in the greenest corner of the Big Apple and wander through the floral wonderland of the New York Botanical Garden.
Discover 50 unique gardens and collections, including a stunning maple collection and a variety of plants and flowers in the Perennial Garden.
Get an exclusive 5% discount on booking this combo ticket.
Ticket Cost: US$65.50
How to reach
The Bronx Zoo is located in Bronx Park on Southern Boulevard in New York.
Address: 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10460, USA. Get Directions!
You can reach Bronx Zoo by both public and private transportation.
By Bus
The nearest bus stop to the Bronx Zoo is Southern Blvd/E 183 St, which can be reached by the Bx9 and Bx19 buses.
By Subway
Take subway lines 2 or 5 to reach East 180 Street station near the zoo.
By Car
If you are driving by car, turn on Google Maps and get started!
You can park at either of the two parking lots at the Bronx Zoo, one near Southern Boulevard and the other off the Bronx River Parkway.
The parking fee for cars is $20.
Opening hours
The Bronx Zoo is open between 10 am and 4.30 pm on all days of the week.
Please note that the last entry to the zoo is possible up to 45 minutes prior to the park’s closing time and animal exhibits at the zoo close 30 minutes prior to closing.
The zoo remains closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Martin Luther King Jr.
How long does the Bronx Zoo take
On average, visitors spend 2 to 2.5 hours at the Bronx Zoo.
However, if you wish to explore the entire zoo and all of its experiences at a leisurely pace, it can take around 4 to 5 hours.
Best time to visit Bronx Zoo
For a more enjoyable visit, it is best to book your tour on a weekday when the zoo is less busy.
If you want to avoid the crowds, we recommend arriving at the zoo right when it opens at 10 am.
Moreover, the animals are more visible during the early morning and may recede to shaded areas as the day gets hotter.
The Bronx Zoo tends to be more crowded on weekends and public holidays.
Bronx Zoo entrance
The Bronx Zoo has three main entrances:
Asia Gate: located at Boston Road & Bronx Park South. This gate is for pedestrian access only.
Bronx River Gate: You can take Exit 6 off Bronx River Parkway to reach it. It has both pedestrian and vehicle entry.
Southern Boulevard Gate: People can enter at S. Blvd and 185th Street, and vehicles can access through S. Blvd & 183rd Street. This gate is close to the main exhibits, Electric Convenience Vehicle rentals, and the zoo shuttle stop.
Bronx Zoo animals
Bronx Zoo and its animals regularly feature on ‘The Zoo’ show on Animal Planet.’
Discover the fascinating animals of this renowned zoo, living in exhibits that replicate their natural habitats.
All these exhibits are included in the regular Bronx Zoo ticket.
African Plains
African Plains exhibit is one of the oldest in the Bronx Zoo, and as the name suggests, it houses animal species from Africa.
Certainly! Here is the rewritten version:
Witness the majesty of the big cats, the grace of the African wild dog, and the beauty of the zebras and nyalas.
On hot afternoons, you may catch the Bronx Zoo Lions drinking water together, sleeping, or playfully interacting with each other.
The Carter Giraffe Building, located in the African Plains section of the Bronx Zoo, features both indoor and outdoor enclosures for giraffes.
Congo Gorilla Forest
Congo Gorilla Forest is one of the four most popular zones in the Bronx Zoo because of the 20 Western Lowland Gorillas that live here.
Come and meet Ernie – the incredible silver-backed gorilla who is the star of the exhibit.
Other species in this exhibit are Mandrill, Okapi, Red-river hogs, WoWolf’suenon, and Pygmy Marmosets.
Visitors can view animals from a walk-through area or treetop lookouts at Congo Gorilla Forest.
Baboon Reserve
Baboon Reserve, created like the Ethiopian highlands, spans over a two-acre area.
It resembles the native habitat of Nubian Ibex, Rock Hyrax, Waterfowl, and two harems of Gelada Baboons.
The exhibit has a significant slope created by excavating the earth, which provides visitors with a panoramic view of the wildlife on display.
This part of the Bronx Zoo also has a quaint African village-themed café overlooking the animal exhibit.
Tiger Mountain
Tiger Mountain is spread over three acres and has two main tiger viewing areas –
Tiger Valley: It is an open viewing shelter that gives you a chance to get up close to these magnificent beasts.
Tiger Ridge: You can see the tigers enjoying in and around the private Tiger Pool from the Tiger Ridge.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
You can see the Bronx Zoo Tigers, mostly Amur ones and occasionally Malayan ones, at this exhibit.
The Malayan tigers are usually off-exhibit.
Bison Range
In its early days, the zoo established the Bison Range to conserve and breed Plains Bison, which were on the brink of extinction in the US.
This Bronx Zoo exhibit boasts of holding one of the few large herds of bison in American zoos.
Sea-bird Aviary
The Bronx Zoo’s Sea-Bird Aviary resembles the Patagonian coast.
Visitors can walk through it while viewing the 100+ birds, most of which are Inca Terns.
The aviary is 18 meters (60 feet) high, which is a lot of room for the birds to fly around.
Butterfly Garden
The Bronx Zoo Butterfly Garden has over 40 species of butterflies in a greenhouse and meadow-like ambiance.
Visitors can walk through the indoor conservatory and watch 1000 butterflies up close.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
The Monarch Butterfly is the highlight of this exhibit.
Big Bears
The Bronx Zoo’s Brown bear exhibit, better known as Big Bears, has four bears – one male grizzly bear and three rescued ABC Islands bears.
This exhibit previously housed Tundra, a male polar bear that was put down in 2017 due to old age.
The Dholes or Asiatic Wild Dogs now occupy his enclosure.
Big Bears is a crowd favorite as visitors enjoy seeing the bears splashing around in the shallow water.
Birds of Prey
As the name suggests, these birds use their keen eyesight, muscular legs, and curved beaks to prey on vertebrates.
Cages in this exhibit are home to birds like Bald Eagles, Rüppell’s griffon vultures, Lappet-Faced Vultures, Burrowing Owls, etc.
Children’s Zoo
At Bronx Zoo’s Children’s Zoo, kids can pet and play with farm animals like goats, sheep, and donkeys.
Some animals like otters, anteaters, sloth flamingos, and turtles are on exhibit only in summer.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
Himalayan Highlands
Himalayan Highlands is similar to the Asian-Himalayan region.
The elusive Snow Leopards and Western Red Pandas are the highlights of this exhibit.
Madagascar!
Madagascar! gives you a feel for various habitats that are typical to Madagascar.
It has several species native to the island, like Lemurs, Lesser Hedgehog Tenrecs, Fossas, Nile Crocodiles, Radiated Tortoises, and the highly endangered Cichlids.
Bronx Zoo’s Madagascar is the only place in the United States that houses two Ring-tailed Vontsiras.
The exhibit also has over 100000 hissing Cockroaches, a commonly found species in Madagascar.
Jungle World
Bronx Zoo’s Jungle World is the largest exhibit, with 800 different species of animals.
It has a 210-meter walk-through wooden path.
You can see Otters, Lutungs, Gibbon, MaMatschie’sree-kangaroos, Gharials, Amur leopards, Pygmy Slow Loris, Greater Mouse Deer, and Malayan Tapirs in this zone.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
This indoor tropical jungle-like area is a combination of habitats like volcanic shrub forest, a mangrove swamp, a lowland evergreen rainforest, and a mountain rainforest.
Mouse House
With its day area and nocturnal night area, the Mouse House is home to various species of small mammals, particularly rodents.
Be as quiet as possible to catch the maximum action in this area.
Sea Lion Pool
The Sea Lion Pool in Astor Court is one of the oldest areas of the zoo and has been home to California Sea Lions since its opening in 1899.
It is fun to watch these playful animals basking in the sun, barking, and swimming in their pool.
Aquatic Bird House
The Aquatic Bird House has species such as scarlet ibis, roseate spoonbills, Madagascar crested ibis, giant wood rail, etc.
You can view these birds from many open-fronted enclosures resembling their coastal and wetland habitats.
The massive aviary also houses Greater and Lesser Adjutant Storks.
World of Reptiles
The long hall with terrariums on both sides in World of Reptiles houses several species – Cuban Crocs, Green Tree Monitors, Poison Dart Frogs, and Tiny Turtles.
You can also view the newborn reptiles in the nursery area of this section.
Zoo Center
The Zoo Center in the Astor Court is a one-story Beaux-Arts building that holds Monitors, Komodo Dragons, Aldabra Giant Tortoises, and Southern White Rhinoceros.
It is near the Children’s Zoo.
Experiences at Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo has many unique and exciting experiences.
Read on to learn about all the fun you can have during your visit.
Wild Asia Monorail
The 2.6 km Wild Asia Monorail ride is a guided tour through the Asian wilderness to view animals, including tigers, red pandas, elephants, rhinos, sambars, deers, etc.
The Bronx Zoo monorail ride covers a 40-acre area with recreated habitats like mud wallows and pastures, forests, and riverbanks of Asia.
Image: Wcsarchivesblog.org
The monorail is open only from May to October and unavailable during winter from November to April.
Bug Carousel
The Bronx Zoo Bug Carousel is perhaps the only place in the world where you can ride insects.
Every year, more than half a million children take a spin on the insect-shaped seats on the bug carousel in the middle of the park.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
It works as a refreshing stop even in winter, as the sliding glass doors enclose the carousel to keep out the cold.
Bug Carousel costs $6 per person, over and above the regular Bronx Zoo ticket.
Treetop Adventure
The Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure (TTA) is a separate park area on the zoo grounds consisting of aerial adventure climbing elements and a dual zipline experience.
It is managed and operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The obstacle course comprises rope bridges, wobbly bridges, tightrope walks, ladders, and rolling and swinging elements. It has varying difficulty levels to engage all adventurers.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
Besides, there is the Bronx Zoo zip line that races over and back across the Bronx River.
The Bronx Zoo Tree Top adventure is not included in the general admission ticket to the zoo.
Nature Trek
Nature Trek is one of the latest experiences at the Bronx Zoo that allows both children and adults to climb and crawl to new heights.
Visitors to the village in the trees can enjoy the view from a human-sized bird nest along with crossing wavy bridges, crawling through elevated tunnels, and balancing wiggly surfaces.
The bridges, walkways, and towers are covered in net and safe to navigate with accessible routes.
Only children aged three and above are allowed inside the Nature Trek.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
This Bronx Zoo experience costs an additional $6 per person.
A chaperone of 14 years and up must accompany children aged 3 to 8 years throughout the climbing structure.
Wild Encounters
The Wild Encounters at the Bronx Zoo need to be booked over and above the regular zoo admission ticket.
A family or group of up to six visitors can choose an animal from a giraffe, Cheetah, Penguin, Fennec, Sloth, or Rhino and privately visit the animal.
Alternatively, visitors can opt for encounters tailored by keepers with a set of animals.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
Each of these encounters costs between $300-$350 and lasts for 30-45 minutes.
Zoo Shuttle
The Bronx Zoo spans 265 acres, and navigating it on foot can sometimes be time-consuming and tiring.
The Zoo Shuttle comes in handy as it takes visitors from Wild Asia at one end of the park to the Zoo Center at the other.
Image: Bronxzoo.com
On the route, the shuttle also stops by Tiger Mountain.
The Zoo entry ticket includes access to the shuttle.
The Zoo Shuttle is available during summer from April to October and remains closed from November to March.
Bronx Zoo map
There is a lot to see and do at the zoo, which is why it makes sense to have the map of the Bronx Zoo handy at the time of your visit.
The map helps locate facilities such as restrooms, parking, restaurants, and first aid centers and navigate the various zones, enclosures, and activities efficiently.
With access to the zoo map, you can create an itinerary prioritizing your favorite animal enclosures, encounters, attractions, and experiences.
Food at Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo Dancing Crane Cafe is open throughout the year, from 10 am to 5 pm.
Their menu has hot and cold dishes as well as snacks and beverages.
The massive restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating options overlooking a natural marsh.
If you are carrying your lunch or boxed meal, you can eat at the picnic areas or tables provided near the café.
There are other locations throughout the park where you can enjoy a picnic.
There are other food and drink kiosks throughout the park that are open subject to weather/seasonally and serve quick bites and beverages.
FAQs about the Bronx Zoo
Here are some questions visitors usually ask before visiting the Bronx Zoo.
The Bronx Zoo houses over 6,000 animals from various parts of the world. The animals include tigers, lions, gorillas, bears, elephants, and many more. Some of the exhibits are dedicated to specific regions, such as the Congo Gorilla Forest and the Himalayan Highlands.
Visitors will need to select an arrival time slot when buying tickets but are allowed to stay for as long as they want.
While there is no strict dress code, shirts and shoes must be worn at all times.
Photography is allowed for personal use, but tripod use is prohibited in certain exhibits and at the discretion of zoo staff.
The Bronx Zoo frequently hosts various events and exhibitions throughout the year, such as Boo at the Zoo during Halloween and the Holiday Lights display in winter. Additionally, there are a number of permanent exhibits that you can visit, such as the Butterfly Garden and the Children’s Zoo.
No, pets are not allowed at the Bronx Zoo except for service animals.
Yes, visitors can carry their own food to the Bronx Zoo. Picnic areas and tables for boxed lunches are available at the park. However, visitors are advised to follow the posted signs to avoid bringing food and drink into restricted exhibits.
Yes, there are several restaurants and food stands located throughout the zoo if you prefer to purchase food on-site.
Sources
# Nytimes.com
# Wikipedia.org
# Britannica.com
# Tripadvisor.com
The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy.
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Very useful and well articulated information