new york state zoo

Don't expect to see lions and tigers, but if you want to see creatures that are (or used to be) found in the wild nearby, this is a nice little place to see a few wolves, wolverines, bears, and so forth.

Nine dollars is a little too much to pay, however, it was a nice way to spend an hour or so on a sunny afternoon while on vacation. Most cages had only one animal, and there weren't a lot of animals in total. Adults with small children would probably enjoy it more.

Super small, charged way to much, the park looked like it was made over night and it was just a crappy place to be. I'll never go there again, nor will I suggest to go there.

It was small but all the animals put on a show! It is great size for younger children. what more can I say!

I am a zoo fan and have been to zoos in many cities. I understand that it is not fair to compare a zoo like this in a small city with those in much larger metropolitan areas, so my rating of average for this zoo does not stem from those kinds of comparisons.This is a good little zoo, worth an hour of your time if you are in the area anyway, but not worthy of a special trip. Even though I had what I considered reasonable expectations, it did not impress me the way I'd hoped it would.All of the animals here are, or once were, native to New York State. The NYSZ had a good idea when it recognized that it needed a focused scope to match its size. Although the animals were housed in fairly nice enclosures, I did not feel that the zoo truly did justice to its defined niche. There were only about 20-25 species present, and many animals that I know would fit the scope of the zoo were not represented. I won't provide a litany here, but without effort I could name at least 25 more species that would have been interesting to see here. The NYSZ just isn't big enough to really address even its narrowly defined niche.I was taken aback by the admission price. An adult will pay $9 to get in, and this is in the range of what you'd pay at the Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo zoos, all of which are larger, much better zoos. If the money really isn't a big concern for you, you'll enjoy your visit. But I have to think that families on budgets will wonder whether they really got their money's worth here.That's not to say that I didn't like some of what I saw. The river otter exhibit, for example, is superior to the one at the zoo in Syracuse. The mountain lion was impressive, and the black bears were worth seeing. Unfortunately, the wolverine did not make an appearance, although its enclosure was very nicely done. Perhaps too nicely, as it successfully had found a place to hide from view no matter what angle we tried.So, if the price doesn't matter to you, and you set your expectations at a modest level, you'll enjoy an hour or so here.Please note that Thompson Park is pretty nice, and there are some impressive view points to look out over the Watertown area. The park is free, you only pay if you want to see the zoo.PS: There is a point of confusion over who designed Thompson Park, which contains the zoo. It was not Frederick Law Olmsted (Sr.) who designed Central Park in New York City and many other world famous parks. It was his sons, who were notable landscape architects in their own right.

The Thompson Park Zoo was designed by Olmsted and is the only zoo in the world to exhibit species native to New York State so they you can view bears, wolverines and mountain lions. It is a wonderful treat if you are up here on business.

This is a very small zoo, with few animals...however, the animals they do have our rescues. They seem very socialized as many walk right up to the edge of their enclosure to get close to the people walking by. I enjoyed my trip here and for the cost it can't be beat...make sure to check out the wolverines as they aren't in many zoos and they are very playful animals!!

we loved the zoo, the price was great, under $10 each, my kids are older, we haven't gone to many zoos,.So for them this was a first , nice size not too much walking ,but a little, My son loved the otters, we watched them for half an hour,.Great day, and a outdoor public pool next door, and a beautiful state park for a picnic across the street. Bring lunch or have a barbecue, We would do this again,

We really enjoyed our visit. The animals are indigenous to New York State, so it is especially interesting to learn about critters that we may not see but roam amongst us :) The fisher was not be seen, but every other animal was visible, and the wolverine, bear and wolves were very active while we visited. We come in from Kingston, Ontario, and it is well worth the trip and admission. The park is also a great spot to visit, and the playground is very good for younguns to run off some steam. We will be back.

Unlike others writing reviews on TripAdviser, we had done our research and knew what to expect with this zoo. My main comment would be is most of the time there is only 1 animal to see in each cage (if you're lucky enough to see them!!) especially the one wolf, which bothered me as they are pack animals but I'm sure the zoo has it's reasons for that. I guess I just expected more animals that are native to NY State - raccoons, possums, snakes, snapping turtles, beavers, etc. The zoo in Syracuse is cheaper and has many more animals but it was a fun couple of hours and our son loved seeing animals that actually lived in our state.

There are not many animals to see at this zoo. For what it had to offer it was quite expensive at $9 for an adult and $7 for a senior. We were able to see all the zoo had to offer in a little over an hour. No exotic animals. Wanted to see lions, tigers, deer and penguins. If you have the time and the money and you want to go for a nice walk this is the place to go. I would not recommend it.

The zoo in Syracuse was ok.. The one in watertown was terrible..not many animals when I went..will prob. Take my kids to the zoo in Syracuse again

The first time we visited I was disappointed. We had expected to visit a larger zoo with the typical animals you would find, not one filled with local animals and a petting zoo. However the enclosures are large and the animals were active when we went. We came back a year later and took part in "Boo at the zoo" it's a nice place to spend an hour or so before heading to Thompson park next door.

Hadn't visited in several years and had heard good things had happened since then, so stopped by to check it out. It was very well maintained, the exhibits all looked great - filled with lots of vegetation, hiding spots, and things for the animals to interact with. The animals themselves looked good too. It was early afternoon and lots of them were sleeping in the sun, but the bears entertained us climbing trees for quite a while! The butterfly house was staffed with a very helpful staff member who made sure to point out caterpillars and eggs on the leaves. The "night" exhibit was great too - a nice chance to see some animals up close you wouldn't normally see. A nice place to spend a couple of hours with the kids.

This was my first trip here. I was very impressed! The habitats blend secure enclosures with nature! The animals seem to be very well adjusted & happy. My favorite exhibits were the black bear & the wolves! The black bear was VERY entertaining! She had all of us viewers in stitches laughing so hard. The staff are friendly, helpful, & informative. I highly recommend this for people of all ages including the very young!