If you aren’t a member of the Bronx Zoo, you will benefit by going on pay-what-you-wish Wednesday and not having to fork over the full general admission fee ($15 for adults and $11 for children 3-12). If you do have a zoo membership, I would highly recommend going on any day except Wednesday. Although the people-watching may provide some entertainment value and lead one to wonder who really is looking at whom at the zoo, it is not enough to overcome the annoyingly long lines for everything from the restrooms to just hoping to catch a glimpse of the new lion cubs.
To avoid the crowds, we stuck mostly to the special rides and attractions, which still cost extra unless you are a member: The Bug Carousel, The Butterfly Garden, a new Dora & Diego 4D movie, the zoo shuttle, and the Children’s Zoo.
Each weekend through the end of June, the zoo is hosting Animal Tales Extravaganza, a series of readings, talks, and events designed to introduce young children to wildlife and children’s literature. The entire list of featured books can be found on the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers (NAIBA) website at http://www.naiba.com/files/zoo_flyer.pdf, but here are a few of our favorites:
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell
- Bugs! By David T. Greenberg
- Birds by Kevin Henkes
- Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans
- Wild About Books by Judith Sierra, Marc Brown (Illustrator)
- Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Instead of riding a traditional carousel horse, kids can take their pick from ladybugs, praying mantises, grasshoppers, and fireflies on The Bug Carousel
The Butterfly Garden
The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Wild About Books by Judith Sierra, Marc Brown (Illustrator)
Rocking the 3D glasses for Dora & Diego’s 4D Adventure, a high-definition 3D movie combined with special wind, water, and lighting effects
Relaxing in the life-sized bird’s nest at the Children’s Zoo
Exploring a hollow log at the Children’s Zoo
Bronx Zoo, The Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, www.bronxzoo.org; Open Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Weekends and Holidays 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM; General admission (does not include special rides and attractions): $15 for adults; $11 for children 3-12; Best value is a family membership for $124 a year, which includes free admission to not only the Bronx Zoo--including free passes to special rides and attractions and parking passes--but also to the New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo
That last pic of the kids on a log is just too cute! I love it.
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