Animal Adventure Park
Do you remember April the Giraffe, who captured our hearts on Facebook Live as we all anxiously waited for her to give birth during the height of the pandemic? April was from Animal Adventure Park! Located in Harpursville, New York, this is a perfect stop if you are coming from the south headed toward the Fingers Lakes or a great day trip if you are in the greater Binghamton, New York area. We stop every year on our road trip from New Jersey to Michigan.
They are open daily April through October and compared to other similar attractions, I find their entrance fee to be extremely reasonable. Adults are $17.99, Kids 3-11 are $14.99 and Kids Under 3 are free. I highly suggest purchasing either a feed cup or bucket at the entrance. There are other spots to grab animal feed inside and the park is small enough that you could come back up front, but if your kids are anything like mine, they’re going to want to be prepared to feed the first animal they see. We like to share the bucket, because I know we will never remember to bring the cups back, but you can get a cup for each child for $5 and refills that day, or on subsequent visits, are $3. There are additional feeding opportunities throughout the park, as well as more intimate animal encounters which you can add on to your day. We usually purchase extra carrots once we are inside the park, as most of our favorites, including the giraffes eat those. We did the Acacia Branch feed with the giraffe, which is an additional $10 fee. It was fun to do once, but we feel we get more “bang for our buck” but purchasing food that can be enjoyed by several of our favorite animals.
Check their website or ask at the entrance about Keeper Talks. They are included with admission and usually run 3 times per day. It’s a great way to learn a little more about the over 100 species of animals at the park. Despite being a relatively small facility, there is so much to see and I find we spend a lot of time at each enclosure because we are often petting or feeding the animals. My oldest would be happy if we would just leave him with the giant tortoises for the day. He loves to sit down next to their fence, talk with them, pet them, and feed them. It is so sweet to watch and it’s a unique experience you don’t get with most zoos. They are located in the center of the park, so we tend to stop there several times each visit.
There are concessions available in the park, however, we usually eat on the car ride there, explore the park, and then enjoy a picnic on the tables just outside the park entrance before heading to our next destination. They do allow re-entry with a hand stamp, so if you wanted to leave for a meal or have a little one that won’t nap in the stroller you are able to leave and come back.
We usually spend about 2-3 hours for each visit, but this will vary depending on how your family likes to tour and if you add on any of the extra programs they offer. We have always visited on weekdays and found crowds to be extremely manageable. While the parking lot has seemed full, we never felt crowded or cramped inside the park.
New in the summer of 2022, they added The Preserve at Animal Adventure. It is located just across the road from the original park, where you are able to drive your own vehicle through their 100 acre experience, to see and feed more than 250 animals. We cannot wait to try this new experience for ourselves!
If you are looking to do more than just a day trip, check out how we incorporate our stop at Animal Adventure Park into our New Jersey to Michigan Road Trip. Be sure to tag us on social media next time you visit Animal Adventure Park, we would love to hear what you think!