Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park

Address:	60 Morgan Rd, Binghamton, NY 13903, USA
Phone:	+1 607-724-5461
Site:	rossparkzoo.com
Rating:	3.8
Working:	10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

A Private User

It has been a really long time since I last visited this zoo. I took my 4yr old son this past weekend, and Im sorry to say it will be the last time we go. This zoo is so discouraging to say the very least. The animals all appear to be very unhappy. The monkeys were huddled in the corner of their cage hugging one another and looked as though they were afraid for their lives. The lemurs are left in a glass enclosure that is merely cinder block walls that are painted white with a couple of logs in the center for them to sit on. Not very appealing...it makes prison look like the Taj Mahal! The bear seemed extremely depressed, simply pacing around in his rather small confinement. Penguins...huddled in the corner of their space. Some of the other exhibits, for example...ducks, goats, and...get this....CROWS....I see them all the time...are you kidding me?! For the price of the admission, I could have taken my son for a stroll in the woods and seen more. I came away from this experience very upset and still fuming. I feel horrible for these poor creatures. So much needs to be done for this zoo...what a sad, sad state it is in. If it wasnt for the price of gas in these hard economic times, I would have opted for the Syracuse Zoo. At least at that zoo there is a lot to see, the animals are in more realistic habitats and seem to be living happy and fulfilling lives. For the sake of these animals...Ross Park Zoo should just hang up the towel. Please do not punish yourselves and save your money! Its really sad when your 4yr old says he hated the zoo and cant wait to go home. I dont ever remember having that feeling when I was a kid and went to the zoo. I have such vivid memories of going to the zoo as a child. What a magical place a zoo can be.

Dylan H

The zoo has some great potential. Its located in a nice wooded area within the city limits. It is very spread out and has a decent variety of animals. However, I was not pleased with the exhibits. They were very confined and unnatural. Most if not all of the animals were pacing around their enclosures. With so much space within the park youd imagine much larger enclosures for the wildlife. The cougar and bear stood out most to me. The bear was enclosed in a concrete arena. With not much for it to do but pace back and forth. The same can be said for the cougar. An under sized cage with very little natural coverage. Leaving it with the only option of paying around the cage. This was a similar scene throughout the park. It appears some changes should be made to make this a really great zoo. I know it might not be ideal for those involved but Id rather these animals be somewhere more habitable than left to spend their lives confined for our viewing. I can only hope somebody has already recognized these issues and are working to make life for these animals better.

Josh Thorne

You would think that with the heritage of being the 5th oldest zoo in the nation, that the exhibits and state of the park would be on par or better than most. This is not the case. Most animals are confined to small, uninspired exhibits where pacing is VERY evident. The majority of exhibits are undersized and unsuited for the size of the animals they house. But atleast they had those new nice zippy carts when I visited a few years back while the zoo is literally crumbling around them. They need to bring in a designer in the know to redesign this zoo. I cant believe it would be a funding problem, as the zoo was relatively packed whenever I visit. It either needs an overhaul or to be shut down in my opinion. It would be a shame to shut down as I have gone several times since being a kid and interacting with animals in this setting heightens awareness towards conservation, but the zoo needs to hold itself to much higher standards than are currently on display.

A Private User

Ignore the low-star reviews, this is a fine zoo; and under new management it is working hard to regain its past luster. Only a few animals? Youve got to be kidding! The Amur Tigers and Leopards are worth the entire admission fee. These are magnificent animals in open air cages that allow great viewing. There are also Spectacled Bears from Ecuador, penguins, otters, bald eagles, wolves, reindeer, mountain sheep, monkeys and other animals. The indoor aviary is also very nice, with a good selection of colorful and unique birds. This zoo is worth the trip, especially if you have kids or grandchildren (there is also a petting zoo).. UPDATE: Zoo on 0/24/2009 announced that they were re-accredited. Congrats to the new management for restoring the zoo to this elite and coveted status! Keep up the good work!

Tony Deida

We loved this zoo, we travel to zoos all over, and this was our 16th this year. Its not you major city, mega zoo. But it is a great local community zoo worth visiting. The entrance fee is well priced, the exhibits were well maintained,(The cleanest glass, and restrooms I have ever seen at a zoo. :) ) all the animals looked super healthy, and happy. Every employee, from the ticket booth, Gift shop, and Keeps were all very nice, social, and helpful. The price and size of the zoo is absolutely perfect for families. My only disappointment was, the gift shop didnt offer Zoo Collectors Pins thats something offered by just about every zoo in America, but they did have zoo patches, and the Web page could use a little work. Thanks for a wonderful visit. And if you ever get pins, please contact me. :)

Justin Tyler

Its an older zoo, in fact one of the oldest in the country, so the facilities are somewhat dated. A few years ago the zoo was in decline, and lost its accreditation. The new management however have regained the accreditation, and are working hard to really improve. Every visit Ive been, theres been improvement. It may not be as exciting as other large zoos, but there is a variety of animals, very low admission, and a friendly staff. Kids dont care if its fancy, they will still appreciate the animals, and adults will appreciate the more intimate environment compared to a larger zoo. Its worth a visit!

Bree Wilcox

Last Saturday my mother, her boyfriend, my fiance, and me went to ross park zoo we went down to the spillway there was a fawn down there that seemed to be hurt and couldnt get out I contacted the zoo and the woman that I spoke to said that it goes in there all the time it can go through the pipe and get to its mother.....they had lied to us we had recently found out that the poor little fawn had died. They say there all about animals well they didnt help the fawn that was stuck and I will not be returning to this zoo.

Reubên Hall

This place is very sentimental to me, I spent a lot of time there as a child however, most of the staff is half-ass with their work... I will say though that in the past several years there has been a lot of improvement throughout the park. There are some staff members who fully devote themselves and you can definitely see the results. For the staff that is committed to the place, sorry for the 3 star rating, you can blame all the half-asss