They call it ‘New York’s biggest little zoo,’ and families who cross the harbor to find it are glad they did. The Staten Island Zoo is famous for one of the finest serpent collections in the country – its reptile wing has wowed visitors since 1936 – and for a certain celebrity groundhog, Staten Island Chuck, who predicts the spring weather every Groundhog Day.
Beyond the snakes and Chuck, kids can meet tropical birds, monkeys and farm animals, and explore an aquarium and a children’s zoo designed for close-up encounters. It’s compact enough for toddlers, affordable for parents and rarely crowded – a sweet, old-fashioned zoo day with a ferry ride as a bonus.
