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Holiday Fun at New York City Zoos: Winterfest, Presents for the Animals and Clydesdale Carriage Rides
Winterfest isn't happening in 2012.
It's the season of lights. For the past few weeks, we've been posting about all of the dazzling holiday spectacles that illuminate New York City at this time of year, like Christmas tree and menorah lightings, holiday light displays and department store windows. Even the animals are getting in the illumination action. The Central Park Zoo is decking its halls with thousands of lights, and also hosting holiday-themed activities as part of its annual Winterfest celebration.
The festivities kicked off last weekend and continue every Friday and Saturday through December 17. I took my son and a few of his animal-loving buddies last year and they were mesmerized by the strings of twinkling lights threaded throughout the zoo. They also had a great time meeting the animals, making crafts and enjoying other special holiday activities.
Although the Central Park Zoo is the only New York City zoo that decorates its landscaped grounds, the Bronx Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo also have special holiday happenings, like giving presents to their residents and other seasonal activities.
Read on to find out about all the things you can see and do at NYC zoos this holiday season.
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Central Park Zoo Winterfest
Fridays and Saturdays, December 9, 10, 16 and 17 2-6:30pm
Free with admission: $12 for adults, $7 for children ages 3-12, free for kids under 3.
Winterfest isn't just twinkling lights. Families can also enjoy fun and enriching activities. The highlights are below.
Wildlife Theater
Kids can watch interactive, animal-themed theater performances in the Zoo Gallery. This year's offerings are Penguin State of Mind, Polar Bear and the Beat, and Snow Leopard. Plus there are two special live events. On Saturday, December 10 at 2pm and 3pm, the wonderful Making Books Sing mounts If You Really Love Polar Bears, a musical about being good to our planet. On Saturday, December 17 at 3pm, Sprout TV's Super Why and Wonder Red will greet their young fans.
Live Animal Encounters
Get up close and personal with Ruby the fruit dove, Aramis the chinchilla and other members of the zoo's collection of touchable animals in the Zoo Gallery 2:30-5:30pm.
Crafts
Kids can tackle snowy art projects in the Zoo Theater Classroom 2-6pm.
Presents for the Animals
Watch what happens when the polar bear and the penguins receive their annual holiday present at 3:15 and 5:30pm. Hint: They're not going to be happy with socks.
Watch a Movie
The zoo's 4-D theater will be showing a 15-minute version of the holiday classic Polar Express and the short doc Planet Earth: Ice Worlds. The films are $7 each, or are included with Total Experience Tickets: $18 for adults, $13 for children 3-12.
The Bronx Zoo Holiday Fun
The Bronx Zoo will be giving gifts to its residents, too, although the schedule isn't yet set. Visit the website for updates. The zoo's also offering frosty fun to go with its traditional Clydesdale carriage rides: ice-carving demos, an ice-carving competition and a literally cool play area for children. The best part: Most of these programs take place during school break!
Hess Clydesdale-Drawn Carriage Rides
Saturdays and Sundays, December 10-11, 17-18; Monday, December 26-Saturday, December 31 11:30am-3:30pm
$5
Enjoy a leisurely ride ride around Astor Court.
Ice Play Area
Tuesday, December 27-Friday, December 30 11am-4pm
Free with admission: $16 for adults, $12 for children 3-12, free for kids under 3.
Make sure the kids put on their gloves so they can hit this frigid ice play area featuring kid-sized tunnels of ice, a 25-foot marine-mammal-inspired slide, a giant polar bear ice throne and ice mountains, and burgs to play on and with. If you visit on Monday, December 26, you can get a sneak peek of the play area as it's assembled.
Ice Sculpting Demonstrations
Tuesday, December 26-Friday, December 30 11am-4pm
Free with admission: $16 for adults, $12 for children 3-12, free for kids under 3.
At the Dancing Crane pavilion, watch sculptors turn blocks of ice into amazing animal sculptures. On Thursday, December 29, the zoo will host the Salute to Wildlife Ice Carving contest to see who reigns supreme.
Special Performances and Guests
Free with admission: $16 for adults, $12 for children 3-12, free for kids under 3.
If you missed Making Books Sing at the Central Park Zoo, you can catch the troupe's If You Really Love Polar Bears show in the Bronx on Saturday, December 17 at 1 and 2 pm, and Sprout TV’s Super Why and Alpha Pig on Wednesday, December 27 at 1:30pm.
Prospect Park Zoo's Presents to the Animals
Saturdays and Sundays through December 25 at 11an and 3:30pm
Free with admission: $8 for adults, $5 for children 3-12, free for kids under 3.
Every weekend, see a different pair of cute critters get what's coming to them. Catch the baboons and pallas cats on December 10-11; the golden lion tamarin and dwarf mongoose on December 17-18; and the North American river otters and meerkats on December 24 and 25. Yes, the zoo's open on Christmas day.
Since this is the season for giving, all WCS Zoos will be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys and non-perishable, packaged food items for donation to City Harvest. Bonus: For every toy or ten food items you give, you'll receive one free adult general admission ticket to the Bronx Zoo or the New York Aquarium in return.
For more holiday fun, check out our Holiday Activity Guide.
Places featured in this article:
Central Park Zoo
The Bronx Zoo
Prospect Park Zoo
