Plan Your Visit to the Utica Zoo
General Info
Open 363 Days a Year: 10am to 4:30pm (Closed Thanksgiving & Christmas)
Admission Rates:
*for groups of 10 or more, ask out ticket window about our discounted "group rate"*
Address: 1 UTICA ZOO WAY, UTICA, NY 13501
Having touble with GPS? Try our neighbor’s address: 220 MEMORIAL PARKWAY, UTICA, NY 13501 and follow the “Utica Zoo” signs.
In need of group transportation to the zoo? New York Charter Bus transportation to the Zoo is available from our partners at CharterUP.
Want to Meet Our Animals? Click the Button Below
There is FREE parking in two large lots for your convenience! The lots are right on our grounds and only a short walk to our main gate.
We accept CASH, CHECK, DEBIT, and CREDIT (AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA, and MASTERCARD). Please note: There will be a $25 service charge for all returned checks.
We are also able to process Apple Pay, Google Pay, and similar scannable payments!
Our concession stand Polly’s by Kookie’s Q is OPEN daily from 11am until 4pm beginning 5/20/2023 through Labor Day! After that it will be open ONLY on weekends through the end of October. The concession stand WILL BE CLOSED November 1 through Spring (except on special occasions).
We also do have a selection of snacks – such as chips and ice cream – as well as cold drinks inside our giftshop.
Visitors are invited to bring their own food and drink items to enjoy while on Zoo Grounds. We ask that items containing allergens (peanut butter, gluten, etc) are not brought into the Playground area, located below the Rotary Pavilion deck.
Keeper talks are daily presentations given by our keepers about various animals around the zoo. Each talk happens at designated times (11:30, 12:30, and 3:00) at each specific animal’s exhibit (look to the map to see exact animal locations). Special Keeper Talk schedules with more and/or different times may be used for special events!
Keepers will announce each talk in advance. Feel free to ask our ticket window staff what the schedule is when you arrive!
Located right inside the Utica Zoo Gift Shop. A portion of the processing fee is donated to the Utica Zoo.
Our BRAND NEW playground – Wadas’ Wild Play Park – is now open for visitors to enjoy. It is located right between our Rotary Pavilion and Children’s Zoo.
Strollers are available to be rented for $7.50 for the day!
Manual, non-electric wheelchairs are available at no charge. You may call 315-738-0427 ahead to reserve a wheelchair.
Guests are welcome to take photos and/or videos for personal use. By entering the zoo, you grant permission for the Utica Zoo to use your image for promotional purposes. Permission is required for commercial photo use and access.
Drone photography is not permitted on Utica Zoo grounds without prior permission from Utica Zoo Senior Staff. The noise from the drone can cause stress to the animals.
If you are interested in capturing drone footage of the Zoo property, please call 315-738.0472 ext. 38.
Bring extra quarters – or get some at our Gift Shop – to feed the Goats, Sheep, Zebu, Alpaca, and Chickens in our Backyards & Barnyards section.
We ask that you do not feed any other animals within the zoo grounds including exhibit animals!
Want to bring your own lunch? No Problem! Enjoy one of our 3 Pavilions (Rotary, Eagle View and Zebra View) or one of the numerous picnic tables available throughout the Zoo. Please take care to clear any food or refuse from your eating area. We also ask that you do not feed any animals since they are on special diets and outside food can cause health issues.
NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE PERMITTED ON ZOO GROUNDS.
We welcome guests with disabilities who are accompanied by a trained service dog, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Dogs or other animals of any kind are prohibited on grounds.
Only working service animals, in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) are allowed on Utica Zoo grounds, including parking lots. Under the ADA, “a service animal is a dog that has been individually trained to work or perform tasks for assisting a person with a disability.” Service dogs are working animals, not pets. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Pets, comfort animals, emotional support or therapy animals are not permitted at the Zoo.
UPON ARRIVAL AT THE PARK, HANDLERS MUST CHECK IN WITH ADMISSIONS.
Service dog must be leashed and under handler’s control at all times. Retractable leashes are not acceptable.
Please be mindful of the danger of leaving pets in your vehicle while visiting the Utica Zoo. Due to the location within animal habitats and the disruptions external animals can cause, service animals are not permitted in some areas of the zoo. Please call 315-738-0472 for further information.
*As stipulated by the ADA, Zoo staff may request that a service dog experiencing difficulty or demonstrating problematic behaviors, such as barking or lunging, be removed from the Zoo immediately. We ask that you promptly comply with any such request for the safety and welfare of all.
The Zoo is a public venue and there are no restrictions on the types of food that visitors can bring onsite. In addition to this, the diet of our animals, as well as food offerings at our concession stand, may also include allergens such as nuts, dairy, and egg. It is therefore impossible to guarantee that visitors will not come into contact with specific allergens.
The Zoo is also predominantly an outdoor venue where participants may come into contact with a variety of naturally occurring allergens such as pollen, mosquitoes, bees, and trees containing nuts such as walnuts and acorns.
Don't See What You're Looking For? Try Our FAQ Page!
Has it been a while since you've been to the zoo? We are constantly updating and growing every year! To see more about what we have going on here, click the button below:
