Reviews of Utica Zoo (Zoo)

Rebecca Cronce

Took my little sister for International Red Panda day, and loved it. I like how its a small zoo, but there's still enough to do and see to spend a few hours. The animals have large enclosures (except for the sea lions...), the northern animals trail is a nice little hike, and theres little activities for little ones to do. A few animals were displaced for the construction, and the driveway was rough getting in because of it - but I definitely cant wait to see how it looks when they finish!

Patricia Lopes

Enjoyable and clean and fun, enclosures a little small and cage like.

George Leitze

This is a small zoo that is great for young children. It is clean and we'll maintained.

adam schultz

Very cool. Nice place to walk around very family friendly

Jason Wood

Big not enough to look at if you have young kids though there's lots to do

Robert Bielawa

Decent zoo, easy to get to, very friendly Will be back

Scharlena Zenisek

Animals always look so sad

Elizabeth Rager

Brought grandchildren to UZ, they had a great time!! Nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Glad to support local!!

Heather Jones

I love what they're doing with the zoo! The enclosures are getting bigger and every time I go I learn something new. Going early in the day is the best time as the animals are more active.

shawn gregory

Great little zoo with lots to do

Samantha Crawford

Quaint and beautiful little zoo

Heather Wright

Great family day, friendly clean and a true joy to look and learn about the animals.

Steven Parzych

Lots of new stuff , kids loved it

Terrie Voorhees

We had a nice time at the Zoo with our 2 granddaughters. Next yr will have are grandson with us. My husband Denis enjoyed seeing the red panda bear.it sure was beautiful. The free add mission was vary nice.

Jacqueline Place

A lovely zoo tucked away in Utica. The staff have always been very kind and welcoming to me. Plenty to do and see, especially as the weather warms up!

Dave Cady

The Zoo was nice but not accessible to all. We took my Mother in her wheelchair and some if the animals we on a trail not recommended for wheelchair access. They do have have handicap parking. All in all it was a nice day

Tracy Lanphere

Nice place to take kids

Kelly Adams

My daughter and I love this zoo. We visited while zoo was under construction. There was a still alot to see. Love seeing the upgrades.

Joey Vargas

Great place. Lots of wildlife.

ppdangler

Had nice time at a birthday party. Voss owns all

Mike Ashton

1st time I have been in a while and it was nicer than I remember. Also saw lots of construction so hopefully improving more soon.

Gina Currie

Nice zoo. Expanding.

Cheyla Bevins

Inexpensive summer fun! The zoo is well maintained, there are pkay areas for kids, a snack bar and low cost admission!

Brian E. Flynn

The Utica Zoo is a great place to spend a few hours. Its t not a huge place so you are able to see everything. They are in the middle of improving and updating several of the exhibits. The staff is very helpful and attentive to the visitors and displays. You cant beat the prices either very affordable.

Gena Guy

Great time, so cheap to go!!!

Shane Carter

Not a bad day for the kids. Could be cleaner and more fun, but they need to invest a bit more into a better experience.

Lanson Cosh

Amazing value friendly staff

K S

Lovely small City zoo! The staff are incredibly helpful and friendly. The zoo has come so far in the past few years as far as the quality of their exhibits go. If you haven't been in a while, I'd definitely suggest a return trip to check out the new exhibits. My family likes their primate exhibit the best.

Sara Martineau

My children and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Utiva Zoo. Very beautiful place, well cared for animals an excellent entrance prices!!

AnonAMom

Cute little zoo! $8 for adults and well worth it! Nice and clean, the nature path isnt a hard walk. The whole zoo can be done in roughly an hour

Michael Laboy

Great place to bring your kids! Diverse animals and the staff is super helpful and friendly. Well worth the trip.

Shelly Fenlon

Small zoo, so easily done in a couple hours. Quite a few animals were off exhibit, so would recommend going closer to summer time. Very clean.

Lyle Cornish

Love the Utica Zoo. Very fun day for young and old alike.

Dawanda Gregory

Nice variety of animals to see.

Bruce Stanley

My granddaughter Maci and I had an amazing time. The zoo never looked so good.

Mona Moore Waffle

Absolutely love the Utica Zoo! Very clean, well organized and staff helpful and friendly. The animals are a delight! So active and seem as happy as all the visitors! Children enjoy all the play and learning activities on the trails. Beautiful views. Love the picnic areas; bring food in or purchase there. Clean and convenient bathroom facilities. Highly recommend!

Laura Latora

Bathrooms were gross and there are few animals. You can tell they are trying to make improvements...but Im not sure its worth the drive. Animal enclosures are small so you feel bad. They do have nice food options and a big shaded pavillion.

Holly Prugar

Having visited here frequently as a child, we were happy to see many upgrades and improvements. This zoo is an extremely well maintained zoo! The amazing piece of art that is now the zoo sign is stunning! The zoo is an easily manageable size. The animal variety is impressive! We saw a baby wallaby in it's mother's pouch. We enjoyed the small boardwalk with the stunning view of Utica. We also enjoyed the nature trail. The roaming peacocks were beautiful. The gift shop has a wonderful selection of stuffed animals. The bathrooms were clean and easy to access. The small eating area had good food and nice cold bottled water. Overall, this was a very enjoyable, relaxing experience.

Rich Reny

Very nice small zoo in Utica. All the animals looked happy and healthy. Took about 2 hours to walk the whole thing, the kids really enjoyed it!

Brenna Murphy

Great little zoo! Well laid out and engaging.

Judy Rivenburgh

Great place to take the grandchildren! We had awesome day! Definitely will be back!!

Roger Frank

The best way to spend a day!

Chino

Not to bad for being under construction.

Ben Roberts

They are currently under a bunch of construction, but there is still a good amount of things to see here. Everyone was super friendly and there is a nice playground for kids. If you are able, apparently there are red panda encounters.

Kyle T

Not a bad zoo. Not entirely big. Can walk through everything in about an hour or so. But it's only $8.00 for adults during the summer and $4.50 for adults during winter

Ashley Rubacha

The Utica Zoo was a fun day trip, especially considering the half-price admission in the winter. It's small, and there were a decent number of animals not on display due to the cold, but the animals that were around were worth the trip (driving from Syracuse). We managed to catch a sea lion show and got to see their cutest exhibit, the red panda!

Wendy Grullon

I enjoy the beautiful day at the zoo, They need to have more Animals but other than that the staff member are great and very welcoming. Keep up the good work

Jennifer Lattimer

I've always loved the Utica Zoo, but the last couple of time's we were there, it has gotten even better. The improvements overall are making it more appealing & more functional. There is a wide variety of animal's to see & learn about & they always look so well taken care of.

normel toney

Very great place to go

michael pietschker

A nice little zoo that is easy to get around and look at the animal's. The displays are easy to view the animals and not alot of unnecessary stuff to block your views.

Jacqueline Gamble

New food vendor was great! Staff was helpful, accommodating, & knowledgeable! A great day!

Shaylee Allen

I loved this zoo a ton. The entrance is slightly terrifying and my weak little car could barely make it, but it was worth it. The display here is amazing.

Caitlin and Mike

Very humble park, great for family outings

Colleen Emond

Would have been 5 stars but you need more exotic animals

Rand H

It's a nice and clean place but I could barely see the animals.

Cody Jacobs

My favorite zoo! Staff is great, and the animals are even better!

Gregory Bergene

Had a great time. It's fun to see what the staff has accomplished over the winter everything looks great. Going strong.

James Parker

Small on size, big on heart. I came here as a kid and ran by it dozens of times running (and training for) the Boilermaker. But it wasn't until I brought my own children here that I gained a true appreciation for what it means to me and what it means to our community. Keep up the great work!

Cheryl Tarbania

Not many animals! People walking around smoking weed! Not a great place to take kids. Food is way over price for the taste! Will never take my kids and grandchildren again!

Brandy Snell

Nice place!

Drew Viola

Every time I go the place looks better and is an improvement from the last awesome job. One thing is make the lion exhibit more appealing it's always a must see. More interactive like rochester school bus idea.

Gary Merritt

It is a nice little zoo. My 3 & 5yr old enjoyed it. It's small. Probably only takes 2-3hrs to get through if you're taking your time.

andre hindoyan

Very Beautiful so gorgeous family can enjoy a have gorgeous time

Amy Backman

A great place to visit and the it the kids

Courtney Kines

Very clean, animals were all out. The seal was doing tricks while being fed...that was quite comical!

G P

Nice small zoo. Not too big that it wears you out. Some animals were not out yet due to time of year. Reasonably priced.

Lindsey Battiste

Nice little zoo for my preschool aged kids. Only took about two hours.

JIM P

Nice small zoo

Neil Simmons

Great time need more animals and to much construction going on but was alot of fun :)

Cassi Kail

When we lived in Utica we were members. For a small fee the kids were able to visit anytime they wanted, playing on the playground, going on the nature trek, seeing the sea lion show and visiting the petting zoo. It's a small zoo. You can see everything in about 2 hours. The kids loved their information zoo camps as well. Right now they are in the midst of renovation, so the nature trek is closed as are a few exhibits. The improvements they have made look awesome. I look forward to seeing the zoo when the projects are complete.

Scorch

Food is a little pricey. Nice clean exibits.

Jeremy Hayes

This place is great for me and my son to go and spend the day here and I like how they are putting money into buildings. However, I wish there would be more than one food station and more drinking fountains around the place. Overall, I think this zoo is very well kept and is a great place.

Pamela Latt

It's a great place to spend the day with kids and grandkids

Yop Whalen

Very nice day today! Animals were pretty cool too. You guys need to see for yourself!

Dillon Brown

It’s a great zoo, perfect size for a couple of small kids to walk around in and so much cheaper then most zoos. We had a great time seeing all the animals.

shan kao

best family friendly zoo in NY state

Drum Covers and classes

Wonderful place, interesting animals!!

brian parent

Great inexpensive place to view animals from around the world. They don't have the variety of the Burnett park zoo or Buffalo zoo but a great place to walk especially with your kids or grand kids. The food a Voss' s is delicious and all the staff we met were friendly and accommodating.

Jason Reilly

Amazing price, animals, picnic area & exhibits!

Cora Ritzel

Ive gone there sense i was little even though im 13 i still love it

Tyler Tracey

Nice coming along..

John Tunney

Good. To have day out with Family an friends .. Had fun feeding animals in. Petting area,friendly staff answer all questions an very informative shows

Nancy Steele

Always come to this place with my mother n law & we always have such a good time. I have noticed they have added a new handwash station after u feed the animals and that found that to be absolutely a plus. It was very helpful to fight germs keeping the community & animals safe.

Kenny Lagasse

had a great time, staff very knowledgeable, ever expanding

Robert Shaver

I've lived in Utica for 15 years now. Been a zoo member for 5 or 6. Well worth the price of a family membership. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Impressed that every year the zoo gets a little better. Oh, and if the real animals ever get boring, that place is a Pokemon go hotspot!

Moriah G-N

It's a small zoo, but it's usually a good one. Doesn't take too long to get through. My only major issue is that the Northern Trail you take through to woods to see more animals is completely inaccessible for disabled visitors and others with mobility issues such as the elderly and people with small children.

Teri Baker

Free admission this Monday at 4-7pm great fun

John Locklear

Feel like it could use some work..I did have a really good time tho..but there was no fish exhibit or aquatic.. they are doing construction so maybe they're adding it..I live in Syracuse an the Rosamond zoo is awesome.

Andrew Cieplinski

Who knew there's s zoo in this city? I'm glad we went.

Amber Arbes

IT WAS GREAT

Susan Hall

Reasonably priced, clean, moderate amount of walking. The upper trail that leads past Lion enclosure to wolves is quite a hike. It's all gravel, is difficult to navigate with an umbrella stroller. They're making some improvements. I think a little more signage, marking walking areas & animals, would be beneficial.

EMIL MAMEDOV

The Place is open but under constructions so it will definitely get only better. Entrance is cheap and there is a very nice gift shop.

Coty Hughes

Cute zoo with some unique animals I haven't seen at other zoos in the area. My only major issue is the large hill going up from the lions to the wolves was not salted and extremely icy and dangerous. Alot of animals not on exhibit which can be expected in the winter months. I imagine its much more enjoyable in the nicer months. It is hilly so keep in mind if you are not capable of moderately strenuous activity.

Susan Pacillo

Its an awesome place, great for the whole family. We will be back

jake horth

Cool place. Was there for the zoo brew

Andrew S. C

Cool zoo; lots of animals. Kid friendly. Easy walking

Deborah Murphy

It was so nice. A lot of walking though. We had a great time

Bonnie West

Great place to go and cheap

Sara Abell Gayfield

We always have a good time at the Utica Zoo

Abbie M-A

Great little zoo, the animals are so close!

Eric Muller

Very nice small zoo. Kids and adults both enjoyed very much. Very reasonable entrance fee makes it even better. I highly recommend.

Roger Rebisz

Great place to go and bring the kids! They keep on improving, and their plan is impressive.

Mark Storrs

Nice place to visit

Joe Swift

They do a great job for a small city zoo. Above expectations.

Josh Travers

Brought my wife and two kids down to the zoo earlier this week and was pleasantly surprised. My kids throughly enjoyed the animals and I am happy to see the concession stand is finally offering real food. Glad to see the zoo is headed in the right direction.

jonnie holley

The best! Perfect place to see wild animals well-cared for.... families...fun... lovely area

Stephanie Crain

Great zoo, even in all seasons. Enclosures are very nice with lots of enrichment. Love that they have Sea Lions and Camels!

Ashley Hanlon

This place was amazing! I loved coming here with my family and would recommend it highly to people I know. We definitely will be coming back!

Jonathan & Teresa McInroy

Not a lot of animals at all :(

Benjamin Scheppmann

Fun place to bring family, but food can be a little expensive.

Sherleen Rodriguez

Very Nice Place

Alicia Hill

Nice place to visit, a lot of walking! But that's ok. I really enjoyed myself taking a trip there with my husband

Debra Eisemann

A lot of renovation's are going on, which is a good thing. Friendly and helpful staff. Beautiful animals.

JFloydJr_315

Such a great atmosphere..an asset to Utica NY

Nicholas DiGaudio

The animals were much more active and fun than I've seen at other zoos. The lions actually played together and walked right along the path on the opposite side of the fence while I watched.

Ryan Ball

Awesome place to bring the kids.

Scott Sumell

I went in late March so it was cold but it was still was worth the trip.. although they dont have all the normal animals they have during the regular season there was still plenty to see and it's nice walking around the zoo like you own the place, sea lion show was informative and entertaining besides myself and my son there was only another small party at the show so it was a very personal show.. this is a small zoo but it really is a fantastic little zoo even in the off season.. My son and I will be returning again this summer to catch the few animals that are currently at their winter habitats and probably come again next March to have run of the place again.. great experience

Renee Hanna

Went to Blues/ Bourbon fest! Best time ever! Recommend the Band! Ron Spencer Band! Fantastic! Food/ Boubon/ Cigar Bar top notch! All must go next yr.! Proceeds go to all the animals & their care!

Crystal Snyder

This is, as far as my inexperienced opinion can tell, a really nice zoo. They have a nice selection of animals to see. The animals look healthy, content and have plenty of space to roam and play. The staff are nice and knowledgeable. Bring your walking shoes!

Bill Morris

Much improved from my last visit years ago. They made a small zoo seem much bigger. You can easily spend 2+ hours here with kids.

S. Garnes

Great family place. A nice variety of animals. There's a cute little trail you walk through and there are animal exhibits along the way. There's a small little cafe to grab a quick bite. There is also a playground for kids. There is opportunity for your child to feed the goats, its a quarter (.25 cent) to purchase.

MELISSA STONE

A lot of animals where not in thier habitats because of the time of year. Not the zoos fault. What was there was fun. We enjoyed our selves. The staff was friendly and informative.

Tubal McLeod

Small and manageable in a couple hours.

Sue Bills

Such a nice zoo. Staff were nice. Clean enclosures. Animals easy to view. For the price it was a very pleasant couple hours.

Cassie Brackett

The zoo has made a lot of wonderful changes since I was a child. My family now has a zoo membership. We bought the Extended Family pass so that I can bring along my niece and nephew and my sister and her husband are able to take my children. We bring my mom with us and she is able to be on our membership too and take the grandkids...all under the same membership. It is a great option! The new primate exhibit is beautiful and really has expanded their habitat to triple the former size. My children love the obstacles along the nature path and wish there were more rocks with tracks to guess along the way. They really like to see the camels now that they moved to a spot easier for children to observe them. Their new home is open and makes for a lot of fun to watch them. We really appreciate the zoo talks with the animals and the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the different animals while visiting. We hope to see more of these "feeding" times offered in the future for other animals--serval, porcupine, owls, fox, lamas, goats, tortoise, etc. My kids just love to hear about the animals and see the feeding times. It adds something fun to do rather than just walk around the grounds. The garden beds look really nice! Hopefully plants can grow this year with the new fence around it. This was also my first year to attend the Wine in the Wilderness. The music was great and the opportunity to sample a variety of wines from local vineyards was wonderful. There were certainly some wines I was glad to sample before I purchased because I would have wasted money on a bottle of something I didn't like. At the same time, the featured wine was AMAZING! The light snacks offered was wonderful and I really look forward to attending next year. It was neat to see the animals after hours. I have only been to the zoo during the day, so the night time provided a different view of the animals. Many were more active than I had expected. What else can I say? I think that the zoo would attract more visitors if they had baby animals. Kids like that kind of stuff a lot. Also, the building with the new viewing windows is a wonderful idea but I had to pick up all my kids to see in the windows and that gets to be heavy. If the windows were lower, more kids would be able to see inside! Not all adults going to the zoo can pick up kids to see inside. We REALLY LOVE the new camera inside the Tamarin/Iguana exhibit! What a great idea. They are really fun to watch. The gift shop offers something for everyone and every budget to take home a special memorabilia from their trip to the zoo. We are excited to go back soon!

Eva V

Small but nice zoo

ashley

Its an okay zoo. Wish the cages were bigger. Some of the animals were so stressed out they were running around in their cages. Like they have started the updates on the monkey exhibit. With they would update the seal pool. It is way to small.

Brittany Keller

I absolutely love the Utica Zoo! I go here as often as I can. Great prices, extremely knowledgeable care takers, fun gift shop! I highly recommend!

Alex Ross

Great time with the kids.

The Real Claire O

Very small but also exotic

John Angwin

Zoo visit was ok, the people who visit is another story. whole row of parked cars including mine were blocked in and couldn't leave until one of the cars left in front or behind me. . wrong animals were in the cages.

Elizabeth Young

A wonderful little zoo! Has many different animals, an interactive trail, and a animal themed playground. You can also feed some of the animals which makes the experience that much more enjoyable. You cannot beat the price either! A fun trip for anyone!

Lynn Ceraldi

Cute and we'll put together zoo. Enjoyed even in the rain! Love the nature trail!

Sheila Shea

It's a great little zoo! Good for a quick afternoon or morning adventure. It's especially perfect for little kids, with a little activity course and areas to feed goats and alpacas.

Renee Mullenax

Small but really cute. Went late last fall & looking forward to going again with all the foliage grown back & to see their renovated habitats. Edit: Visited again recently & its so pretty with all the foliage grown back! The new outdoor primate habitats are such an improvement & I’ll definitely be going back again once the indoor spaces are finished!

jpottruck

My favorite part of utica. They seem to be making some nice upgrades to an already pretty solid zoo. The keepers notes when an animal is unavailable is oddly enough something to look out for. They are cute and funny many times.

Derrick Mosher

Great day spent with the family.

Bob Jim

Terrible treatment of animals, keeping them in tiny cages, this zoo should be shut down, lions should not be in New York, end of story. This place is not humane one bit

Samantha Rain

Really nice zoo with great exhibits and staff and volunteers who care about the animals.

Cici Love

4 stars because I'm torn on zoos' in general, but for zoos, this one, it's great for a city of this size. Offers some free days. It's an asset to the city, for sure. Recommended

Maria Chytla

Great zoo, I came during April on a coldish dat so not many people were there. Multiple displays, great price.

Katie Miller

Very adorable zoo with a variety of animals, it was earlier in the season so some animals were still in their winter homes. Very reasonable priced gift shop.

Amanda Ciani

Great zoo. Not overly expensive and they have a wonderful walking path area. We always enjoy going.

Monika Benada

My kids love this place! Not too big, not too small. The animals are well cared for and there is a decent variety

Greg B

The staff are doing a great job. Love the exhibits. Despite the cool day (54) and rain, the animals were very active.

Linda Gessling

Great place to visit

Brymer Humphreys

Great place to see.

Emmalee Poore

Pretty good, I miss the real petting zoo and with there were more reptiles

Diane Fetterolf

Very impressed with recent improvements. We enjoyed our visit.

Zack Gordon

This place is absolutely awesome!!

Malachi D

A nice little Zoo, if your interviews. We stop by in the wintertime enjoyed the discount rate and saw the animals that could take our New York Winters. It must be something in season with all of the animals are there. Nice place.

Marlee DeJesus

Great place for a couple hours of fun!

Joslyn Mitchell

We had a great time with our family ❤️

Richard Tompson

Great zoo for the area. A must see for the family.

william almon

Park is clean and the staff is super informative! Four stars because while the food options were good they were expensive. $45 for 2 adults and a child to eat

Wayne Key

A great place to bring your friends and family

elaina vadala

This was really fun! I went with my family and the animals were so cute

Dawn Schell

A Wonderful small zoo. Perfect for a day trip and perfect for children under 10. Small playground. Paved and easily accessible for adults, wheel chairs, strollers and those on their feet. A variety of areas and animals. Able to bring in your own food or purchase food from the vendor in the park. Lots of benches to rest, covered pavilions and shade on a hot day. Reasonable admission rates and a fun place to visit. Staff was helpful and friendly. Thanks.