Seneca Park Zoo — Attraction in City of Rochester

Seneca Park Zoo, located in Rochester, NY, is a wonderful destination for a family day trip, especially for those looking to introduce their kids to the beauty of nature and wildlife conservation. On a recent trip, my family and I spent a day exploring the zoo, and it turned out to be both educational and engaging for all of us, particularly for my boys, who were fascinated by the different animals and their environments.

When we arrived, the first thing that struck me was the zoo’s layout—it’s divided into different regions, representing various habitats around the world. It’s clear that Seneca Park Zoo has undergone major improvements in recent years, with a commitment to expanding naturalistic enclosures and highlighting species from different ecosystems. As we strolled through, it was easy to get a sense of the zoo’s mission: conservation and education are at the forefront of their efforts.

We started our adventure at the Rocky Coasts exhibit, where the boys were immediately drawn to the sea lions. Watching them glide effortlessly through the water, performing flips and interacting with each other, was a highlight. There’s something magical about seeing these animals up close, and it gave us the opportunity to talk to the boys about marine life and the importance of protecting our oceans.

Next, we ventured into the A Step Into Africa section, where we got to observe majestic animals like the African lions and elephants. The boys were in awe of the size and power of the lions, and I took the chance to explain how lions are a keystone species, playing a critical role in maintaining the balance of their ecosystem. My oldest, August, asked insightful questions about how the zoo helps protect endangered animals, which led to a conversation with one of the zookeepers. They were more than happy to explain the zoo’s breeding programs and efforts to support animal conservation globally.

One of the zoo’s standout features is its interactive educational stations. At the elephant exhibit, we encountered a zookeeper talk that captivated not just the boys, but myself and my wife as well. We learned about the challenges facing African elephants in the wild, such as habitat loss and poaching, and what we can do to help. The boys seemed particularly moved by the story of the elephants’ resilience and asked what we could do to help protect these amazing creatures in the wild.

As we made our way through the zoo, we encountered animals from the cold tundras in the Animals of the Cold exhibit, which houses species like polar bears and snow leopards. I could tell this area resonated with my youngest, Roman, who is always intrigued by animals that thrive in cold, snowy environments (probably because Buffalo winters are just as chilly!). The polar bear exhibit is particularly impressive, with underwater viewing areas that allow you to see the bears swimming up close.

Seneca Park Zoo does a great job blending fun with learning. They offer hands-on activities for kids, like the interactive trail maps and environmental conservation quizzes, which kept my boys engaged throughout the day. We also visited the eco-friendly butterfly garden, which added a peaceful element to our visit and sparked some great conversations with the boys about pollinators and their importance to ecosystems.

For anyone with kids, I highly recommend visiting Seneca Park Zoo. It’s small enough to navigate easily in a day, but packed with rich educational opportunities that make it a rewarding trip for adults and children alike. Just make sure to check out their daily talks and feeding sessions—they’re the perfect way to get up close and personal with the animals and learn directly from the experts. My boys left wanting to learn more about wildlife and conservation, which made me feel like the trip...

There were 2 full buses visiting so I'm very thankful we have a membership otherwise we would've been in line for easily 30 minutes. We enjoyed our visit. There was a fan with a mister that my kids enjoyed on this hot summer day. Sadly the polar bear wasn't out when we went. It took us about 2 hours to go through it all and that is without reading any of the signs, just looking at the animals for a few minutes and moving along. There were stations throughout held by seneca teens. They would teach my kids different things based on what they had on their table and poster board. That was really cute and my favorite part. I tried to get a pretzel at the cart by the baboons but the employee was sitting on a crate on her phone so we walked away. She didn't acknowledge us. Then on our way passing by again, she was still on the crate underneath her cart and I stood there for a minute waiting for her to get up and talk to me but she didn't. I said excuse me 3 times then had to should hellooo??? She didn't get up she just looked at me. I asked her if they took cash and she said yes and I asked how much a pretzel was and she said $9.71! I was disappointed with her service and that is a crazy price for what I'm sure would have been a disappointing pretzel. The elephants are always a treat to watch and they have a little rock wall to climb across from it so I was able to look at them a little longer since my kids were distracted. The otters are always my favorite. They're so active and it's fun to watch them underwater keep showing off. The sea lions are my second favorite. There were 5 of them (1 from a visiting zoo that is getting rehabed) and they were sun bathing on the rocks lol and then you could watch them swim underwater. Unfortunately they covered the tunnels to the lynx which used to be my favorite as a kid. You could crawl in the tunnel and then be in the middle of their sanctuary. I'm not sure why they got rid of it, maybe the lynx didn't appreciate the banging? I know the red panda just had a baby but I didn't see any of them at this visit. The way the park is laid out makes it an easy visit no map needed. I wish they had a nicer glass by the lions so it wasn't so scratchy when trying to see them but still awesome! I've never come in the winter time but with our membership, I'm looking forward to...

The animals.are great, the zoo is gorgeous but Do not believe info on website or tickets . we purchased tickets online and for 8.99 you can add a souvenir cup with FREE refills . They never once honored that when we scanned our receipt Qar code . First I was told it was 9 dollars for a pretzel . The cafe in the back of the zoo said no those are only feee.refils upfront , so we paid for our refills because it was an extremely hot day and they do bit fill cups of water ( we were told ) , upfront we were told that there are not free refills and showed us a more expensive cup with a 1.99 refill . So we paid 17.99 thinking we'd have free refills on an extremely hot and humid day with a family of 4 and paid for 3 refills each cup. The lady at front was pleasant but no one offered to reimburse our cost .

DO NOT TRUST WHAT IS ONLINE . I thought the extremely high prices at the Cafe was a bit off bur hey it's a zoo and they do alot for their animals . ..but the lying about the cups..I guess the mentality is they need to get as much out of you as possible .... if it's stated on my ticket and scanner how could we be charged and denied by multiple people staring right at it .

Our first visit ...very disappointing. ..we live 2 hours away. Also, have water available or send folks to fill stations on heat advisory days maybe even fill a baby bottle with water when a family.is paying 15 dollars for a cheeseburger. NO BOTTLED WATER AVAILABLE FOR SALE ..ONLY ONE SPOT on one end of the whole park . You have elderly and small children visiting and paying you alot of money , let them drink water . They asked for donations everypurchase. I think you got my donation already..thanks. A plus is you can absolutely bring your own water in and food...