We visit a lot of zoos and wildlife parks in the Mid-Atlantic region and I have to admit, the Cape May County Park & Zoo is one of our favorites. Matter of fact, we make it a point to visit the facility at least once every year and have been visiting it since 2009. Every year, it gets better and better!
One of the best features about this zoo is that it's free. Yes, FREE admission! With that said, there is a donation bucket at the entrance gate where you can drop in some money to help them keep the facility going. We always travel together as a family, so we like to drop-in a twenty dollar bill. Your donation is always appreciated and put to good use!
There is plenty of free on-site parking and often times you can park in the shade. This is great if you're going to be visiting during the hot summertime months. If you're looking for handicap parking spaces, they're located towards to the front entrance to the zoo. In addition, they do offer daily wheelchair rentals (if you need them) and you can rent those at the gift shop, before you pass through the entrance into the zoo.
Once inside you'll stroll along the paved paths and wooden boardwalk at your own leisurely pace. There are (clean) public restrooms, snack & beverage stands, park benches, etc. throughout the property. They rarely get over-crowded and there is plenty of room for everyone. That's one of the reasons we love this place! No long lines, no over-crowding, etc!
The first exhibits that we came across were the barnyard animals which were really friendly. There were pot-bellied pigs, goats and cows. They come right up to the fence line looking for food and one of the goats was extremely-friendly and we witness some small children petting him. As you move down the path, you'll visit with some guinea and various exotic birds.
Shortly after entering the park you'll come across an indoor Aviary. There is one way in and one way out. You'll go through the entrance and inside the Aviary you'll find all kinds of tropical and exotic birds freely flying around. There is a "slight" odor in there, so be prepared if you're super-sensitive to smells. But other than that, it's a great way to see the birds flying around and doing their daily thing.
After we were done there we strolled along some of the other paths. We came across a few exhibits that housed some of the prettiest primates! These primates (monkeys) were really active when we were there and that was fun to see! Some of them were feeding and others were playing. Primates are some of my favorite animals to see when visiting a wildlife park.
My grandchildren enjoyed visiting the pond area where they saw various species of flamingo's, ducks, swans and turtles. There is a "corn machine" where you can pay a quarter and get a handful of corn to feed to the birds. Please don't feed them anything else, ONLY feed them the purchased food from the machine. My granddaughter was completely surprised to see black swans, her first time ever seeing them in that particular color.
Lions, tigers and bears...oh my! Yes, you'll find those popular favorites and many more here too! In the past we always looked forward to seeing "Rocky" the tiger and were sadden to learn during this visit that Rocky had passed away. We stopped by his memorial to pay our respects. He was one of my husband's favorite animals to see and Rocky will be missed by millions of visitors who grew to love him over the years.
We headed down the long wooden boardwalk path and into the Savannah so that we could check out the ostrich, giraffes, zebra and other African safari-type of animals. I'm a HUGE lover of giraffes, so I was really excited to see them. Last spring I was glued to the internet for months watching a famous giraffe go through her pregnancy and eventually give birth. After checking out the giraffes, the zebra were up next on our list to see. Beautiful and majestic animals for sure!
On our return walk back into the main viewing areas within the zoo, we finally spotted the lions. When we first passed through we couldn't see them, but on our trip back through...we found them. Both the male and female (lioness) were taking their mid-morning naps!
There is a small cafe nearby where you can grab a bite to eat and a drink. Personally, I just got something to eat while the family enjoyed hot dogs and popsicles. The food isn't too bad (in regards to taste), but can be on the pricey side depending on what you get.
After our little lunch we headed to the other side of the park to get a look at some of the reptiles. If you enjoy reptiles, they have a very nice collection of them to see. You'll find these extremely-large tortoises that seem to get bigger and bigger every year. I've never seen tortoises this big! They are really something to see.
Nearby you'll find the indoor Reptile House and you'll want to go inside to see various species of snakes, toads, fish, marine life, turtles, etc. There's quite a bit to see in the Reptile House and it's air conditioned inside. So, if you need to get out of the heat for a little bit, you'll want to head inside to take a peek at the park's reptile and amphibian collection.
We strolled around for another 30 minutes or so...checking out the rest of the exhibits. We saw a skunk, a beautiful red fox and a few other smaller land mammals as we worked our way towards the exit of the zoo. There is a lot to see and do during your visit, so make sure you take your time.
Once done...we made our way out of the gates and towards the zoo's gift shop. Inside you'll find some really cool items for the kids, your classic souvenirs & gifts, cold beverages, jewelry and if you're one of those penny collectors, you'll find the collectible penny machine there too!
Overall we spent a good 2 1/2 hours visiting the Cape May County Park and Zoo in Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey. On your way out of the park you'll find a large playground and picnic area that you and your family can enjoy too. The playground is right across the street from the parking lot and the children just love it. A great way to spend an afternoon at the zoo!
No comments:
Post a Comment