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Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport, CT

Photo: Sage Ross, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsFamily Favorite

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

1875 Noble Avenue · Bridgeport, CT

Why you should go…

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo sits inside Beardsley Park in Bridgeport, a park Frederick Law Olmsted planned in 1884. Its collection focuses on wildlife from North and South America, and you can see red pandas, Amur leopards, Andean bears, giant anteaters and three kinds of wolves: American red, Mexican gray and maned. There is also a historic carousel, an indoor Rainforest Building and a greenhouse of rare plants. It is the only AZA-accredited zoo in Connecticut.

  • #zoo
  • #carousel
  • #kids activities
  • #wildlife
  • #red pandas

Good to know

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.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    Tour Philip Johnson's 1949 glass-walled house and the galleries and pavilions spread across his New Canaan estate.

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    Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

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    Tour Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island home and walk the grounds of his former Summer White House.

    28 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

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    One of the world's largest urban zoos, gorillas, tigers, sea lions and more across 265 wild acres in the Bronx.

    44 mi awayMore like this

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    $25–$50

    Watch the New York Mets play, see the Home Run Apple rise in center field and browse the team's Hall of Fame.

    47 mi awayMore like this