When my daughters were young and we lived outside NYC (where the commute was an hour and a half each way…glad those days are over!), we had a series of au pairs (live-in nannies) from different countries. This week, we have the delight of hosting one of the young ladies from New Zealand who was our au pair from the time our daughters were three until they were four. When we asked Rachel what she’d like to do while she was here, one of her requests was to go to the zoo.
The last time we visited the Seneca Park Zoo, it was summer and the animals weren’t nearly as active as they were this time. Yesterday, we were treated to a show, which may have been because of the time of day and coolness of the weather, but perhaps they simply wanted to strut their stuff for Rachel and the children dressed in costumes, trick-or-treating at ZooBoo, one of the zoo’s fun annual events!
A Step into Africa is the zoo’s newest exhibit and it introduces visitors to animals that inhabit the Ngorongoro Crater, a conservation area in Africa. The exhibit is well-done and the enclosures are designed to protect both animal and human guests, but to also give visitors a close-up view of the wildlife.
The penguins seemed to be conferring about something very important
The sea lion takes a rare moment out of water to greet his admirers
Step into Africa is an amazing exhibition that opened within the past year and that shares the wonders of the Ngorongoro creater, a conservation area within Africa.
The lions survey their realm from a perch high atop rocks
The “King” turns his back on the crowd
A baboon family enjoys each others’ company
The elephants, a long-time favorite among zoo visitors, now have neighbors in the Step into Africa compound
Rachel and our daughters (now as tall as their former nanny) outside the tour bus that offers a close up view of the lions
The autumn foliage provides a beautiful backdrop for the snowy owl
I swore this crane was posing for pictures
The snow leopard seemed keen to have dinner and anxiously watched each passing staff member in golf cart
Dinner is served to the majestic amur tiger
The timber wolf takes a little “down time”
The meerkats are ready for Halloween!
Did someone say dinner? The vultures are always ready to eat!
Seneca Park Zoo focuses strongly on conservation and the zoo participates in many initiatives designed to study and preserve wildlife. Throughout the zoo, you’ll find interesting information that raises awareness about the various species that live at the zoo and how issues such as global warming, the eradication of rain forests and human encroachment are affecting the animals on our planet.
For those with young children, the zoo is the perfect size to spend a couple hours there and see most of the animals. There’s also a great play area that the kids love, plenty of restrooms and several cafes at which you can grab a bite.
One of the great things about the zoo is that it’s open almost every day of the year and closes only Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and the first Saturday in June for Zoobilation! From January 1 through March 31, the zoo is open from 10 AM to 3 PM and you may stay on grounds until 4 PM. From April 1 through Oct. 31 it’s open from 10 AM to 4 PM and you may stay on grounds until 5 PM. From November 1 through December 31, the zoo is open from 10 AM to 3 PM and you may stay on the grounds until 4 PM. The Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. for Seneca Park Zoo members. The fees to visit the zoo are listed below.
| Adults (12 to 62) |
Seniors (63 & older) |
Youth (3 to 11) |
Children (2 & younger) |
Members | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1 – March 31 | $8 | $7 | $5 | FREE | FREE |
| April 1 – Oct. 31 | $10 | $9 | $7 | FREE | FREE |
| Nov. 1 – Dec. 31 | $8 | $7 | $5 | FREE | FREE |
There are other special rates for Military Personnel, Groups of 10 or more, and school groups.
Seneca Park Zoo is located at 2222 St. Paul in Rochester.
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