Visiting the Beautiful Cape May County Park and Zoo

The Cape May County Park and Zoo is located in Cape May Court House in New Jersey. When heading to south New Jersey...you'll want to come down the Garden State Parkway or down Route 9. Both of these major routes will lead you to the zoo. If you're a GPS user, the zoo is located at 707 N. Route 9 in Cape May County.

You can visit the park and zoo year round and they're typically open from 10 AM to 4:45 PM EST during the summertime operating season. During other times of the year their hours will vary and they're closed on major holidays. Please visit their website for the current operating schedule.

Parking and admission is free. However, as you enter the park you'll meet an attendant who will hand you a park map and ask for a donation. We typically drop a $20.00 bill in the donation bucket, but you can donate what you feel is appropriate. You'll then proceed to the parking lot and then walk towards the entrance gate.

As soon as we passed through the gate we were greeted by some guinea hens and peacocks who roam around the zoo freely. They're not caged and they're not afraid of people. Please watch where you're walking, don't try to pet them and you should NEVER feed any of the animals. If you walk calmly and slowly...you can get up close and personal with them.

My grandchildren were thrilled to head to the farm animals section next. These animals will allow you pet them and feed them (you have to purchase feed from the machine) right through the fence. On the day that we were there...the kids had fun feeding the goats and pigs that were on exhibit. After this experience, you'll want to have your children use the antibacterial hand gel that they have nearby.

We proceeded on and came across additional guinea hens and peacocks. The right we had the opportunity to see some birds and owls that they had on display. You'll then want to head inside to the Bird World which is an indoor exhibit. Just be forewarned, the birds fly around in there freely and it has an "odor" as you walk through. Personally, I think they need to add more ventilation in there!

You'll find various areas within the park where you can stop and get some family photographs. I love snapping pictures of my grandchildren posing with the various props along the way. I counted at least 6 different areas where you can get some really nice photos to remember your day. There is a decent sized snack bar in the middle of the zoo where you can get some finger foods, ice cream, popsicles and cold beverages. You can sit at tables that are shaded by large umbrellas if you need to sit down and get out of the sun.

Some of the areas that you walk on are paved pathways and other areas are wooden boardwalks. I'm partially disabled and I found it all to be easy walking. If you're disabled and have issues walking you can rent a manual or motorized wheelchair at the gift shop. Just be forewarned, I think they're expensive. We paid over $37.00 for 3 hours of use for a motorized scooter. You'll want to dress appropriately for the season and wear comfortable walking shoes.

The park can get crowded especially during the summertime and during those summer weekends. We prefer going to the zoo early in the morning (right after they open) during a weekday. It's one of our family's favorite activities to do when we're on vacation down at the Jersey Shore. When planning a visit...I recommend allowing at least 3 hours in your schedule which will allow you to go through the zoo at a leisurely pace.

Cape May County Park and Zoo in Cape May Court House, New Jersey is one of the best on the entire east coast...definitely the best in the state of New Jersey. When visiting Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Wildwood and/or Cape May, you'll find the zoo (at most) 30 minutes away.