Turtle Back Zoo is a Great Place to Take the Kids

Location: 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, New Jersey, 07052

• Phone: 973-731-5800
• Website: http://www.turtlebackzoo.org

Turtle Back Zoo is located in West Orange, New Jersey and it is one of the most wonderful recreational places in the city to take the kids. With a surface of 15.5 acres, the zoo was designed for children, taking into account the fact that all the exhibits are based on children’s stories and nursery rhyme themes written by Hans Christian Anderson.

Introducing the Turtle Back Zoo

Turtle Back Zoo was opened in 1963 and it features a collection of around 140 animals belonging to 40 different species. What’s interesting is that the name of the zoo was inspired from a rock formation situated in the eastern part of the zoo, which was named the Turtle Back Rock by the Lanape Indians who lived in that area. Since then, the zoo has constantly evolved and its number of animals and species has increased dramatically. Nowadays, the Turtle Back Zoo comprises even an Animal Hospital that serves the animal residents of the zoo, and it also includes a quarantine facility.

Children who visit this zoo are fortunate, as this is one of the most popular zoos in the whole country. The zoo includes a walk-through souvenir shop, a reptile center and an animal themed playground.

The Turtle Back Zoo Exhibits

If you take your kids to Northern New Jersey’s Turtle Back Zoo, make sure they get to see all the exhibits because each of them is unique in its own way. For example, the American Alligator exhibit is always crowded with children who can’t wait to learn more about alligators and their ancestors, the dinosaurs. However, there are plenty of other exhibits that you can visit, such as the Australian Exhibit, the Essex Farm, the River Otter, the Wolf Woods, the Southeast Asia and the Penguin Coast. And that’s not all!

Turtle Back Zoo Activities

Turtle Back Zoo features many interesting activities for kids, such as face painting, birthday parties and zoo keys. Master face painters are here to make your children feel beautiful and special, especially if they are going to attend a birthday party celebrated in Turtle Back Zoo. Birthday parties can be celebrated in one of the indoor or outdoor facilities that can be rented, such as the Carousel, the Classrooms, the Gazebo, the Picnic Area and the Café Party Room. Besides, you can hire the zoo’s Cafeteria to do the catering or you can serve your own food.

Whatever room your children choose, they will certainly have a great time with their friends. Just imagine how happy they would be to spend a day in nature, getting their faces painted, playing games and visiting various exhibits.

You certainly remember the Story Boxes and the Zoo Keys, as they were two great zoo facilities a couple of decades ago. Well, they are back! Your children will understand your childhood stories better now, as they get the chance to listen to jingles related to various animals or hear their brief description along with some interesting facts, depending on how they insert the key.

Get ready to offer you children some unforgettable moments in one of the most popular zoos in the United States, Turtle Back Zoo. Not only that they’ll have a great time, but you’ll also feel like a child without worries in this magnificent place!

Click Here to See Homes For Sale Near Turtle Back Zoo!