The Plaza
$50+Step into the 1907 chateau-style hotel on Grand Army Plaza for afternoon tea in The Palm Court or a drink at the Champagne Bar.

Photo: Tim Rodenberg, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
East 64th St at Fifth Ave · New York, NY
Central Park Zoo fits into 6.5 acres at the southeast corner of Central Park, near East 64th Street and Fifth Avenue. A sea lion pool anchors the central garden, with a rainforest Tropic Zone, a Temperate Territory of snow leopards, red pandas and snow monkeys, and a penguin and sea bird house around it. Sea lion and penguin feedings happen through the day. The Tisch Children's Zoo adds goats, sheep and alpacas to pet, and the Wildlife Conservation Society runs it all.
General attractions guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Book the time slot, not just the ticket
Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.
Grab the daily schedule on arrival
Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.
The first hour is the quietest
Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.
Budget past the ticket price
Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.
The closest stops to Central Park Zoo, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Step into the 1907 chateau-style hotel on Grand Army Plaza for afternoon tea in The Palm Court or a drink at the Champagne Bar.
0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay
See paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Goya hung in the rooms of Henry Clay Frick's Gilded Age mansion on Fifth Avenue.
0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Hear a concert in one of three halls, take a guided tour of Stern Auditorium, or browse the free Rose Museum.
0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events
Rockefeller Center's three-tiered deck serves the best view in town, Central Park one way, the Empire State the other.
0.7 mi awayMore like this
The 1913 Beaux-Arts landmark with a starry celestial ceiling, the famous opal clock, and a Whispering Gallery, free to wander.
1.1 mi awayMore like this
Wax museum in Times Square featuring 200+ celebrity and pop-culture figures across interactive themed galleries.
1.2 mi awayMore like this