The Cape May Zoo
New Jersey has some standout county zoos. I have been visiting The Bergen County since I was in diapers, and we have had a family membership to The Turtleback Zoo (Essex County) since my youngest was born. However, The Cape May Zoo is just as impressive as either of those and it’s FREE! The zoo is nestled in a county park just off the southern end of The Parkway. They do accept donations at the ticket gate, so I recommend having some cash on hand when you enter. As you wind your way to the back of the park where the zoo is located, you pass picnic pavilions and a very nice playground. I am not sure when it was redone, but it is clean and modern with some great play structures. This is a wonderful stop before or after the zoo, or even a place to burn off some energy during a midday break from the zoo.
There is no outside food allowed in the zoo, but we were able to bring in our refillable water bottles. They do offer food inside the park, but the zoo and parking lot are small enough that you can easily leave a picnic in your car and come out to enjoy it at one of the many nearby picnic tables. We loved that the picnic tables were located under pavilions or in groves of trees for optimal shade. The playground and most of the zoo offer little cover, so pack that sunscreen in the summer months. There is an antique carousel just outside the entrance. Tickets can be purchased inside the gift shop. There are some animal feed machines near the barnyard animals, be sure to bring some quarters for those. The Cape May Zoo is AZA accredited, so if you have reciprocal membership at another AZA Zoo, be sure to have your membership card ready for discounts in the gift shop.
The zoo is small and easy to navigate. Unlike some zoos (Turtleback and Bronx Zoo, I’m looking at you) it’s very flat and if you have a child who is on the fence when it comes to strollers, this is a great zoo to leave it in the car. Be sure to check the board at the front for zookeeper talks and special events on the day of your visit. I’m not sure that it was even considered a special event, but one of the zookeepers was stationed near the bison exhibit providing kids with information about the bison and had a bison pelt and skull for some hands-on learning. My oldest could have listened to her all day.
Another favorite for us was the reptile house. Reptile houses are always dark and cool, which is especially nice on a hot summer day. This one houses plenty of snakes, turtles, alligators, and more! There were many smaller tank-style exhibits built into the walls, as well as larger habitats for the turtles and alligators. I was stunned to read how many rescue calls they get each year from people who purchased alligators thinking they would make great pets, and then realizing they don’t. Cape May Zoo works with an organization in Florida to get the animals moved back down south where they belong. While they await transport, they are housed at the zoo. At the time we visited, only one was on display but I would assume that number fluctuates regularly.
We spent just under 2 hours in the park, but my oldest was in rare form that day, so we rushed through a few spots where we normally would have spent some more time. I would say roughly 3 hours is probably the ideal amount of time to cover the park, ride the carousel, and be done for the day. This makes it a nice half-day activity that can easily be paired with a trip to the playground, an afternoon at the beach, or a visit to The Nature Center of Cape May.
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