New York farm directories Petting zoos
A New York family-outing guide
Petting zoos in New York
Compare walk-in animal farms, children’s zoos, hands-on wildlife parks, and mobile petting zoos serving communities across the state.
Choose the right kind of visit
Not every listing works the same way
Some locations keep regular public hours, while others open seasonally, require a timed ticket, or bring animals to your event. Each listing explains the visiting arrangement and links directly to the operator’s website.
Statewide directory
Find a petting zoo or animal experience
Select a listing for its location, visiting policy, animal-experience format, and website.
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Animal Farm Petting Zoo is a nonprofit animal park with rescued farm animals, birds, and other species. Designated areas allow visitors to hand-feed animals and cuddle animals in the Baby Barn.
The zoo generally operates from spring through fall. Admission is charged, animal-safe feed is sold onsite, and current open dates should be checked before traveling.
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White Post Animal Farm has a large petting-zoo area where guests can hand-feed and bottle-feed farm animals. Its animal experiences also include giraffe feeding and walk-through bird aviaries when available.
The animal farm uses a changing calendar, with regular admission and larger seasonal festivals. Tickets, feeding supplies, and activity availability should be confirmed online.
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Long Island Game Farm is a children’s zoo and wildlife park with animal feeding, walk-in enclosures, and close-up encounters. Its current offerings include baby goat, pony, wallaby, and capybara experiences.
The park is seasonal and weather dependent, with general admission plus some separately booked encounters and tours. Check the current calendar before visiting.
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Green Meadows operates hands-on petting-farm events at Floyd Bennett Field. Programs combine supervised animal petting with educational farm activities for families, school groups, and private parties.
This is an event-based venue rather than an everyday walk-in zoo. Use the event calendar to confirm public dates and ticket requirements.
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Green Meadows brings its petting-farm program to Alley Pond Park for scheduled family events. Visitors can meet and pet friendly farm animals while taking part in seasonal activities.
The Queens site opens for announced events rather than daily visits. Check the current schedule and purchase tickets when required.
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The Art Farm is a children’s education center with an indoor petting zoo. Its programs introduce children to animals such as chickens, chinchillas, rabbits, and reptiles through supervised interaction.
Animal time is offered through registered classes, camps, drop-ins, and birthday programs rather than general zoo admission. Review the calendar before visiting.
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The Bronx Zoo’s Children’s Zoo includes a farmyard where children can pet and feed gentle domestic animals. The surrounding exhibit also presents smaller wild species in child-scaled viewing areas.
The Children’s Zoo is normally open from April through October, weather permitting. Limited-admission tickets carry an additional exhibit charge.
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Tisch Children’s Zoo at Central Park Zoo is a touch exhibit with sheep, goats, zebu, and other domestic animals. Animal feeding is offered during a limited daily window when available.
The exhibit is open year-round with Central Park Zoo admission. Feeding times can change, so confirm the day’s schedule before arriving.
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The Queens Zoo’s domestic-animal area is a year-round touch exhibit with goats, sheep, cattle, alpacas, llamas, rabbits, and other farm animals. It gives visitors a hands-on farm experience inside the city.
Access is included with regular Queens Zoo admission. Check the zoo’s daily information for current hours and any temporary exhibit changes.
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The Barn and Garden is a year-round touch exhibit with sheep, Nigerian dwarf goats, miniature zebu, pigs, and alpacas. Visitors can purchase grain to feed designated animals.
The exhibit is part of Prospect Park Zoo and is included with zoo admission. Daily conditions can affect feeding and animal access.
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Fort Rickey is an interactive children’s zoo where guests can feed and mingle with tame deer and enter a pygmy-goat play yard for supervised holding and cuddling. Daily presentations feature additional animal encounters.
The zoo operates seasonally with public admission, memberships, group programs, and birthday packages. Review current hours and presentation times online.
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Animal Adventure Park is a walk-through zoo built around close, hands-on animal experiences. Visitors can meet more than 100 species, with additional keeper-led encounters for animals such as capybaras, sloths, giraffes, and rhinos.
The outdoor park runs seasonally, while a separate indoor zoo operates during part of the winter. Some encounters require advance reservations and use a different entrance.
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The Wild Animal Park combines a walk-through zoo with direct animal encounters and feeding experiences. Current programs include close interaction with species such as pygmy goats, camels, penguins, capybaras, sloths, and giraffes.
General zoo admission and encounter schedules vary by season. Some hands-on programs carry a separate fee and need advance booking.
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Old McDonald’s Farm is a hands-on agricultural attraction with more than 200 farm animals. Visitors can feed cattle, pet animals, and walk among goats as part of general admission.
The farm is normally open from mid-May through October, with reduced days later in the season. Weather notices and any schedule changes are posted by the farm.
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Farmland Animal Park is a petting zoo and family animal park with farm-animal visits and horse rides. Admission also covers several outdoor activities offered on the property.
The park advertises daily public hours, but activity schedules can be weather dependent. Confirm current admission details before making a long trip.
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Becker Farms maintains a petting-zoo area with more than 35 animals, including alpacas, a miniature cow, pigs, and poultry. Most of the animals were rescued or donated.
The petting zoo is generally open daily from morning to the farm’s closing time, with some animals moved indoors in winter. Weekday admission is currently advertised as free.
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Springdale Farm opens a small petting zoo on selected days, normally featuring goats and rabbits with other barnyard animals sometimes joining them. The experience is designed for gentle, supervised petting.
Petting-zoo dates are generally scheduled from April through October, Monday through Saturday, weather permitting. The farm grounds remain open beyond those special animal-interaction dates.
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Stokoe Farms includes a large petting zoo and kangaroo pasture during its Harvest Fest. The farm also operates Roo Ranch animal encounters that can be booked for private events.
The onsite petting zoo is part of the ticketed fall festival rather than a daily year-round attraction. Check the annual festival calendar and ticket page.
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Apple Ridge Orchards has a petting-zoo area where visitors can pet and feed friendly farm animals. The animal stop is offered alongside the orchard’s pick-your-own seasons and hayrides.
The farm is open to the public on posted seasonal days, typically from summer into the holiday season. Confirm crop-season hours and animal access before visiting.
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Rulfs Orchard’s petting zoo houses a horse, alpacas, goats, a donkey, cattle, and rabbits. Most resident animals can be greeted up close, while posted signs identify animals that should only be viewed.
The petting zoo is open whenever the orchard store is open, including indoor access during winter conditions. Check current store hours before traveling.
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The Great Pumpkin Farm operates a hands-on petting zoo with goats, chickens, cattle, and other traditional farm animals. Animal feed is sold onsite for visitor use.
The petting zoo opens daily during the farm’s fall festival and is not advertised as a year-round attraction. Review festival dates, hours, and admission details online.
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Animal Interactions NY offers appointment-based farm visits and mobile animal programs with barnyard and exotic animals. Advertised activities include feeding, petting, walking animals, rabbit cuddles, and educational presentations.
On-farm visits require an appointment, and the business is closed on Saturdays. Mobile programs can be arranged for schools, healthcare facilities, community events, and private gatherings.
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Steppin’ Out Ponies is a mobile petting-zoo and pony-ride business serving Long Island. Its packages bring friendly farm animals, ponies, and optional animal add-ons to private and community events.
The company travels to most locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties and does not advertise walk-in farm hours. Advance event booking is required.
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Niagara Downunder provides a traveling petting zoo for parties, schools, festivals, and corporate gatherings. The company also schedules hands-on wildlife encounters and animal-academy programs at its home facility.
Mobile events require advance booking, while onsite encounters appear only on released dates and often require reservations. Availability should be checked online.
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Lucky Ducks is a family-operated traveling petting zoo that brings friendly farm animals to private and public events. The service is based on Long Island and is arranged directly with the operator.
This business does not advertise regular walk-in farm hours. Contact the company in advance to confirm service area, animal packages, and event availability.
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Tri-State Traveling Animals is a fully mobile petting-zoo and pony-ride service. Its event programs can include hands-on interaction with mammals, birds, reptiles, and other animal ambassadors.
The company serves New York City, Long Island, parts of upstate New York, and neighboring states. Events must be arranged in advance for a specific location.
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Pelham Bit Carriage Company offers a mobile petting zoo with goats, lambs, chickens, rabbits, and other gentle animals. Staff deliver, set up, supervise, and remove the animal area for each event.
The service covers New York City, Westchester, the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and other locations by arrangement. There is no advertised walk-in petting zoo.
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Two By Two Animal Haven is a nonprofit, USDA-licensed traveling petting zoo and educational animal program. Its adopted animal ambassadors travel to public events across the Northeast with staff-led presentations.
The organization brings its animals to event sites and does not advertise ordinary walk-in hours. Contact it in advance for programs, availability, and travel limits.
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Clowns4Kids is an event company with mobile farm-animal and exotic petting-zoo packages, plus pony rides. The petting zoo can be set up at homes, schools, and event venues, including indoor sites with advance preparation.
The New York office serves Long Island, New York City, Westchester, and nearby areas. Packages require advance booking and are not available as walk-in visits.
Planning a family outing
What to expect at a New York petting zoo
New York’s animal attractions range from small farmyards focused on goats, sheep, rabbits, and poultry to larger wildlife parks offering scheduled close-up encounters. Feeding policies differ by location; use only food supplied or approved by the operator.
For another farm-centered day trip, compare New York alpaca farms, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches. Seasonal options also include u-pick flower farms and Christmas tree farms.
Looking beyond New York?