Plan Your Visit

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is one of Connecticut’s top family attractions. Spend an hour or the whole day and see more than 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Come learn about our many endangered and threatened species, which include the Amur (Siberian) tiger, Andean condor, Ocelot, Red wolf, Maned wolf, Giant Anteater and Golden lion tamarin. Grab a bite at the Peacock Café, enjoy an outdoor lunch in the Picnic Grove and take a ride on our colorful carousel. We can’t wait to see you!

Zoo Hours
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is open daily from 9 am to 4 pm.

(We are closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. We close at 1 pm on the days before these holidays, with the last ticket sold at noon.)

Hours are subject to change due to weather and operational capacity.

Please note the Zoo will close at 2 PM on Saturday, June 1, with the last ticket sold at 12:30 PM as we prepare for the Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari.

General Admission

FREE for Connecticut Zoological Society Members
Join now and receive free admission today. Click here to learn about membership benefits.

Adult Admission (ages 12 & older) = $16.00
Child Admission (ages 3 -11) = $13.00
Senior Admission (62 & older) = $12.00
Under 3 years = FREE

We are proud to offer free admission to active military members and 20% off military families with up to 6 guests.  Veterans receive 15% off general admission for up to 6.

AARP members receive 15% off admission for up to four people!  Must present valid AARP card and cannot be combined with other offers.

As of April 1, 2019, the Zoo will accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards for a reduced admission (not as form of payment) of $6.00/person and up to 3 people on that card. Must present EBT card and valid I.D. 

The Zoo accepts all major credit cards.
Parking is free.

Stroller rentals: Single stroller rental fee is $5.32 (includes tax); double stroller rental fee is $7.44 (includes tax).
Wheelchair rentals:  $6.00 (no tax on wheelchair rentals).

Group Rates
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo offers discounted admission fees for groups such as schools and non-profit organizations with 10 or more paying people that make a reservation at least 3 weeks in advance, pay at least 2 weeks in advance using one group payment, and enter the Zoo as a group for a self guided visit.  Educational programs, rides, food, appliance rentals and souvenirs are extra cost items.  For more information on prices and how to make a reservation, use the Education Tab on our website and then use the Teacher link or, email Group Sales at groupsales@beardsleyzoo.org.

Zoo Etiquette

Please read our Zoo guidelines and policies.

Zoo Calendar

Click here to see upcoming events.

Zoo Map

Click here for a printable color map of the Zoo grounds.

Behind the Scenes

Why do our animals look so happy?
Good food and a clean home – that’s why!

Think about it. Beef, for example – it’s what’s for dinner (and breakfast and lunch). Our tigers eat the equivalent of 161 steaks per week! A total of 8,395 pounds of meat go down the gullets of our tigers every year. That’s the same weight as two and a half Jaguars…the car, that is.

What about those insects not lucky enough to end up in an episode of Survivor? Turns out that hundreds of thousands of ‘em end up in the mouths of our animals. We serve up 390,000 insects per year including our special mix of crickets, and mealworms. Mmm!

You may be surprised to learn that it also takes a lot of newspaper to keep our animals in a clean and comfortable home – 12,672 pages per year! Newsprint makes excellent bedding because it provides lightweight warmth and animals can easily crumple, shred and scratch it to make their perfect nest, den or burrow.

It also takes a lot of help to keep Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo clean and beautiful. Over 90 active volunteers donate almost 5,000 hours of their time each year. That’s 13.6 years of hard work in just 365 days!