New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, Watertown

Been coming to this place since I was very young. It may be on the smaller side, but its a great little zoo. Full of things to see and do. Early is the best time to come; the animals are more active. They have a small play area great for kids. The Wolverine was super active today. The staff is always friendly and helpful.

My family went to Zoo New York for the Earth Day event yesterday have been a couple times. It's a nice little Zoo and has some fan favorites like bears (black bears), bald eagle & otters. They're big on conservation which is awesome. We've only been in the Winter and now early Spring, so the animals weren't particularly active which is understandable. We can tell there will be more once the weather warms up, like the butterfly house. The pricing is very reasonable and we'll be frequent visitors.

So awesome! The exhibits are great, lots of good info, and the habitats are incredible. The zoo does lots of activities, nice gift shop. Their concessions are very limited, there’s hot dogs and nachos and that’s pretty much it for “real” food. I wish there were some educational books or coloring books about the animals, but the stuffed animals are ADORABLE.

If you are looking for a place to take your kids to see local critters then Zoo New York is the right place. If you plan your day to arrive around 1:30 pm then you’ll just be missing most school field trips as they are returning to their classrooms for dismissal. We arrived as the last bus drove out of the parking lot. As we entered, we were met by a dazed staff who had done well to survive the six school buses that had just pulled out full of kiddos. Walking through using the site map, we were able to see all the animals who looked exhausted and were lounging in their favourite shady spot. Well, almost all the animals. Just the Wolverine seemed to stay out of sight. I understand it’s too hot now and typically it is out all winter long as the park is also open throughout the winter months. There is a tiny snack court close to the restrooms, and there is even a cooler with Dippin Dots. Best ice cream ever! 😁 Right across the room is the Gift store which had quite the assortment of plush animals. Some are even puppet-like critters. Great for early development classes. Up front in the same building, you can schedule the space for birthday parties for kids if you want. Just talk to the staff and they will fill you in on the particulars. Enjoy!

There are only some animals. Though we did find the park to be a good workout. It was neat being able to check out the animals that they do have. There seems to be some construction happening in some areas. They didn't have the wolverines. The white snow owl seemed hungry? Upset? I'm not sure tho when we were there it sounded off to us even when I dbl backed after a little bit. Saw what seems to be some improvements. I wish, though, that the zoo was more like it used to be a few years ago. I mentioned to my daughter how it feels more like a farm now.