Central Park Zoo Education Programs
Central Park Zoo, 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10021
About
Central Park Zoo Education Programs include activities such as Summer Camp, Penguin Feeding, and Sea Lion Feeding. The program schedule for a day at the zoo includes Penguin Feeding and Sea Lion Feeding sessions at set times throughout the day. The zoo is open every day of the year and features the Tisch Children’s Zoo along with three major biomes called the Tropic Zone, Temperate Territory, and Polar Circle.
• Schedule: Zoo opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 4:30 PM, with last entry at 3:30 PM; Penguin Feeding is scheduled at 10:40 AM and 2:30 PM, and Sea Lion Feeding is scheduled at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM.
Manhattan’s Central Park Zoo first opened on its current site in 1861 and is one of the oldest zoos in the country. In the 1980s, the Wildlife Conservation Society assumed management under a contract with the City of New York and completed a five-year transformation, after which the zoo reopened in 1988. Since reopening in 1988, its stated mission has been to engage future generations of conservationists and create wildlife champions. The zoo comprises 7 acres and currently has 23 species of waterfowl on exhibit, as well as 74 chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni, and king penguins swimming daily in Polar Circle. Central Park Zoo is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society under a contract with the City of New York, and it is part of a network of five urban wildlife parks headquartered at the Bronx Zoo that have inspired and educated more than 400 million guests since first opening.
Parent reviews describe the exhibits as fascinating and informative, and note that the zoo is small but makes a strong impression and is visually appealing. Other feedback mentions that visits have been consistently positive, with staff described as helpful and the park described as clean.
Last updated February 6, 2026.
• Schedule: Zoo opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 4:30 PM, with last entry at 3:30 PM; Penguin Feeding is scheduled at 10:40 AM and 2:30 PM, and Sea Lion Feeding is scheduled at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM.
Manhattan’s Central Park Zoo first opened on its current site in 1861 and is one of the oldest zoos in the country. In the 1980s, the Wildlife Conservation Society assumed management under a contract with the City of New York and completed a five-year transformation, after which the zoo reopened in 1988. Since reopening in 1988, its stated mission has been to engage future generations of conservationists and create wildlife champions. The zoo comprises 7 acres and currently has 23 species of waterfowl on exhibit, as well as 74 chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni, and king penguins swimming daily in Polar Circle. Central Park Zoo is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society under a contract with the City of New York, and it is part of a network of five urban wildlife parks headquartered at the Bronx Zoo that have inspired and educated more than 400 million guests since first opening.
Parent reviews describe the exhibits as fascinating and informative, and note that the zoo is small but makes a strong impression and is visually appealing. Other feedback mentions that visits have been consistently positive, with staff described as helpful and the park described as clean.
Last updated February 6, 2026.
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