John Baldwin

Wow. Last time i was there was the turn of the century.What an improvement. Buildings, displays, animals, staff.Truly enjoyed it enough to write to become a volunteer.Highlights:Ravens, condor, all cats (so healthy), pink flamingos, dog and cheetah, stingray petting, alligator, tortoise, and the price.I will be heading back in the spring for the giraffes and bears.And babies!

Doris Yu

Turtle Back Zoo is amazing! 🐾 It has so many animals, fun exhibits like giraffe feedings and touch tanks, and beautiful surroundings. Perfect for families and kids, with lots to see and do in one day. A fun and educational trip for all ages! ★★★★★Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes

Ankita Sunilkumar

Had a wonderful time! Just don't go during afternoon in the summer. Most animals would be taking a nap or hiding in the shade to cope with the afternoon heat. Make sure you have water with you, you also need to cope with the walking and afternoon heat. A lot of folks brought outside food and snacks, which I thought was a great idea as there's not many options. Not as many exhibits or diversity as Bronx zoo but still very lovely, less crowded and charming. My favorite was the Giraffe and red panda exhibit. You can also feel the giraffe and the birds for couple extra bucks, if you choose to.Visited onWeekendWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes

The German In America

Nice little Zoo. Good parking, and short travel into the Park. The little train going around the zoo always has a big line on the weekends. Animals are plenty and well visible.Friendly Staff and clean Amenities. Fantastic for kids of all ages. Sometimes you don’t get to see some of the animals due to Feedings, Maintenance or other reasons.Visited onWeekendWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNo

Daniel Smith

We have a family pass here and just love this zoo especially in the, Spring, Summer and Fall. Its great to just get out and have a walk around with the family, get those steps in and see some fantastic animals when they arent hiding in their exhibit.Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNot sure

Hajer Mguidich

The zoo was absolutely wonderful on Saturday!The exhibits were clean and well-maintained, and there was a good variety of animals to enjoy. The staff were friendly and helpful, and there were plenty of shaded areas and rest spots, which made walking around comfortable. It was a great experience overall, I’d definitely recommend visiting!

Jariel F

We've done the Bronx Zoo, the Flushing Meadows Zoo, even the Philadelphia Zoo, but the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo is my favorite by far and I will be more than happy to tell you starting with the FREE multi level parking lot (not sure if this was just because it was a weekday but it was free and that was a nice start). This is a HUGE zoo, you will be walking for hours, I strongly recommend comfortable shoes even hiking shoes as some areas require you to traverse up hills. You will be here from beginning to close because there is that much to cover for the day. If you are pushing a stroller you will get a full core and hamstring workout I assure you. Start with the train ride around the Giraffe exhibits with all the horns and railroad engineering to go with it. The Africa Adenture, Amazing Asia, Australia , Reptile, and Birds Exhibits are all wonderful. The carousel is painfully nostalgic and reminiscent of the good old days but I'm a good way, give it a go... you'll be glad that you

Catherine Weiss

Wonderful zoo. We went on a week day and there were no crowds and only 1 school trip. No wait lines. Thoroughly enjoyed it all. Very well priced entry tickets.Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes

Eloy Yip

Zoos provide an amazing chance to connect with wildlife that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to see without traveling across the world. Most of them do their best to provide habitats that give animals humane treatment and a safe place to roam with as much space as possible.Designed as part of the South Mountain Reservation located in West Orange on just 20 acres, Turtle Back Zoo is managed as part of the Essex County Park System. Tickets were easily gotten by visiting their website for a Saturday visit.Upon arrival as first-timers, parking was well organized and free. The zoo is not huge, but there is a decent amount of walking, so if one goes, be sure to wear comfy shoes. Water misters were set up throughout the park to help cool off on hot days.It’s recommended to start at the top of the zoo or top of the hill and work your way down. There were plenty of interesting animals to see from all continents except Antarctica, such as flamingos, condors, bald eagles, penguins, giraffes, etc. S

Guido Tebano

This place is great if you live local for kids. Def recommend getting the family membership you will use it all the time: they have so many great experiences for kids and it just keeps expanding. They have some pretty cool animals and the hit is def the lions and giraffes.Visited onWeekendWait timeNo wait

Ernie Seferagic

We had such a wonderful time at Turtle Back Zoo! Our family truly enjoyed every part of the visit—especially spending time with the beautiful birds, feeding the stingrays, and watching the powerful lions and jaguars up close. Everything was well organized, clean, and welcoming. Overall, a fantastic experience and a place we can’t wait to visit again!Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes

Stacie Y

I made my second trip back to Turtle Back Zoo recently after quite a long break, and it was a mix of nostalgia and new discoveries. The layout has expanded, and there’s definitely more to see but also more walking! Each themed area feels like its own little world, which makes the journey between them fun, even if your feet start to protest by the end.I remembered the peacocks roaming freely last time, so it was a bit surprising not to see them this time around. Still, the variety of animals is impressive from big cats to reptiles. Depending on the weather, a lot of them were lounging in the shade, which made spotting them a bit tricky.One of the highlights was feeding the giraffes such a cool, up close moment that made the visit feel extra special. There are also plenty of spots to grab snacks, rest, and take photos, which came in handy since I was snapping way more pictures this time.Whether you're going with family, friends, or just looking for a peaceful day outdoors, Turtle Back Zo

Quien B

Let me start by saying it was my first time here and I loved the whole experience. I came there with my aunt and son; we had an amazing time from start to finish we started with the train ride and it was nice.. our first stop was to the African experience where we seen the giraffes, we had feed Marlo, the giraffe.. then we went the Asian experience where we seen the red panda, there was a leopard over in that section but it was hiding or sleeping. We seen some white cheeked gibbons, kangaroos and then the farm; where we seen the goats being feed outside. Be careful walking down that hill it’s a lil steep, my son fell walking down, he was ok just a lil cut on his knee and hand nothing a bandage can not cover!! My overall experience was a 10, I would recommend coming during the weekday, it was not too bad there was enough people but not crowded and the weather was just perfect!! TURTLE BACK ZOO GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNo

Rami Girgis

Great zoo! Parked in their garage for free. The animals were beautiful, and the design of the facility and habitats is very impressive. Very kid and stroller friendly. The staff we came upon throughout the park were very nice and friendly. The kids burned some energy at the cool prehistoric playground. Definitely looking forward to coming back!Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes

Lauren Ahmad

Super hilly, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes! Both times we went we saw a bunch of different big cats, which are my favorite so I was very pleased! I love how many different angles you can see each exhibit from. And the attractions are so reasonably priced - only $3 for a pony ride, and $3 for a carousel ride.Visited onWeekendWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNo

shirley

Had a fantastic time at the turtle back zoo!!! i went with my brother. we hadn’t been since we were little children and it was so much fun to rediscover the zoo as adults. i recommend getting there early, parking was free and we drove right in. no lines! which was fantastic. they had lots of different areas to see and it was a great time overall. a lovely day activity for any animal lovers.Visited onWeekendWait timeNo wait

Mike Z

Although not all animals were present at the time of my weekday December visit, it was still very enjoyable experience with very few people around. Live webcam into lion cub’s den was a very nice touch. Spent close to two hours even without realizing it. Cafe options were so limiting, that they might hot even keep it open. Plenty of parking at the entrance.Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNo

Zack T

You cannot beat the price per person on a weekend to enter this Very nice zoo! Stop by if you love animals and take a look at all the beautiful wildlife that lives here !! The zoo is very clean and the staff is so helpful and kind , consistently walking around the property to make sure the animals are good and the customers have any questions or concerns there is always a staff member near by , you can also pet and feed the cownose stingrays which is very cool! I highly recommend stopping in to this amazing zoo!

Sanjay Gupta

This is a review for Christmas experience at the ZooWow… can’t believe I didn’t know about this despite living in NJ for 8 years!Turtle Back Zoo turns into a complete Christmas paradise after 5 PM, and it’s absolutely magical.I recently found out about this and, after seeing the lights and activities, I was genuinely impressed. During the holiday season, entry is free after 5 PM through sponsorship, which is a huge plus.Timings are 5 PM – 9 PM. Parts of the zoo remain open, so you can still see animals and birds like bison, giraffes, toucans, and more, which makes it extra special for kids.The entire park is beautifully lit with festive decorations and multiple Christmas trees. The area near the carousel looks amazing.For Kids’ Activities - There’s no shortage of fun for children- Face painting, Meet & greet with Santa (on specific days/times), Carousel rides, Pony rides etc…Food and beverages are well taken care of, like Starbucks or Zoo’s own food sections spread across the park Perf

Regla Fraga

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Magical Christmas ExperienceWe visited Turtle Back Zoo during the Christmas season and it was a beautiful and very special experience. The zoo was decorated with lights and Christmas decorations that created a magical atmosphere, especially at dusk. It's a perfect activity to enjoy with the family and experience the spirit of Christmas.The tour is pleasant, well-organized, and safe, with plenty of opportunities for photos. The children enjoyed it immensely, and the adults did too. The staff was very friendly, and everything was well-maintained.An excellent option for creating unique Christmas memories, surrounded by nature and joy.🎄 Highly recommended 🎄Visited onWeekendWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNot sure