Bergen County Zoo Reviews Summary

Category: Zoo

Address: Van Saun County Park, 216 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652, USA

Phone: +12016343100

Rating: 4.6
based on 234 reviews.

Family and Child-Friendliness

Pros:

  • "Good place to go with toddlers and kids."
  • "Perfect place for a short day trip with young kids."
  • "The best part is that afterwards you can cross the parking lot and you'll find 6 jungle gyms that are age appropriate from toddler all the way up to teen."
  • "This was one of the best parks I've been to that have wheelchair accommodations."
  • "Lovely place to stroll among the trees and shade; families enjoying picnics, children happily running and playing on the fields and lawns."
  • "The playground adjacent to the zoo is wonderful too - lots of play equipment, splash pad, picnic tables, shade."
  • "A great place to visit for younger kids and children."

Cons:

  • "I have never seen such unhappy animals in other zoos then here the poor animals I feel bad for them."
  • "Big cats were the saddest as they kept pacing back and forth, showing signs of sensory deprivation."
  • "Most animals looked stressed out from napping too close to humans."
  • "All enclosures were too small. Most animals looked stressed out."
  • "The animals are in deplorable conditions and the management and staff do not like to hear that they are in the wrong."
  • "The exhibits are small and some of the animals seem cramped."
  • "Most animals seemed scared, and the mountain lions appeared terrified by the people crowded around and the children screaming."

Value and Accessibility

Pros:

  • "If you are a Bergen COUNTY resident you will have 50% discount."
  • "The price to ride the train and to enter the zoo is $4.00 each for NJ residents."
  • "Bergen County residents can get tickets at half the price!"
  • "The best buy in town. As seniors we only had to pay $1.00 each to get in."
  • "Great little zoo for very little ones. Buy a train ticket and ride that before you do the zoo, the train is well worth the $2.00."
  • "The price is the big draw here. It is $4 for residents of Bergen County."
  • "Residents tickets are only $4.00 and kids under 3 are free for the zoo."

Cons:

  • "The change to charging $10 a person to enter the Ice Skating area was not good at all."
  • "Careless employees, disregarded the fact a family drive out on a Sunday to see the animals and employees closed their gates early and turned away the family."
  • "Only downside is the parking which fills up very quickly."
  • "The gift shop is closed... allllll the vending machines were out of drinks or didn’t work."
  • "The train and the carousel were not functioning which was the main reason we went."
  • "Horrible should not be called a zoo when they have a goldfish like this and just don't care."
  • "When I was there the train was not running."

Staff and Management

Pros:

  • "It was clean and easy to walk! Very friendly staff as well."
  • "The respectful and patient demeanor of the zoo workers further enhanced our visit."
  • "During our visit to the zoo for the Easter hunt event, we were thoroughly impressed by the organization and friendliness of the staff."
  • "The staff were very nice and helpful."
  • "The management and staff were very attentive and courteous."
  • "The staff is very helpful and attentive."
  • "I was thoroughly impressed with the staff and how they assisted the little 6 year old, special needs boy I had with me."

Cons:

  • "The management and staff have over inflated egos and do not like to hear that they are in the wrong."
  • "Don’t get me started on the lady at the front desk. This place is worse then the DMV with their mannerisms and hostile attitudes."
  • "Please fire your miserable staff they take the life right out of the place."
  • "Very disappointed at the lack of empathy from workers."
  • "Got there at 2:55, last entry is 3:00. This old man by the front gate was being rude."
  • "I love this zoo, but the staff is horrendous."
  • "The only reason for my one star is for the service at check in. The Lady was really rude and nasty when purchasing my ticket."

Facilities and Amenities

Pros:

  • "Extremely well kept even with the traffic."
  • "Great little zoo. For their size they have a lot of variety and even saw some animals I hadn't seen in larger facilities."
  • "Plenty of places to sit and eat lunch."
  • "Train ride and carousel nearby. Plenty of rest rooms."
  • "We enjoyed the zoo, carousel, train, and nearby playground!"
  • "Nice park for barbecue and kids birthday in nature, big playground for every age of children."
  • "All the animals look properly taken care of and have enough space in their enclosures."

Thanks! Your review is awaiting moderation.