Staten Island Zoo

About Staten Island Zoo

Staten Island Zoo is an 8-acre urban zoo at 614 Broadway in West New Brighton, Staten Island, part of New York City. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1988 and is open year-round except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Unlike the other New York City zoos, which are run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Staten Island Zoo is operated independently by the Staten Island Zoological Society, formed in August 1933 and officially incorporated in July 1934.

The zoo occupies what was once the estate of Colonel Edward Harden, a Spanish-American War veteran who moved to the property in 1908; his wife Julia Harden willed the land to the city on the condition that it be named for her brother-in-law, Civil War Major Clarence Barrett, and the site is still officially recorded as "Barrett Park" in city planning records. The Harden Mansion still stands on the north side of the zoo and is used for offices. Construction began in 1933 as part of a Federal Government works program, and the zoo opened to the public on June 10, 1936, billed at the time as the first U.S. "educational zoo."

Today the zoo's current collection comprises more than 1,550 animals across over 360 species, spanning mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. The zoo's website lists at least 187 species, and its scope has broadened well past its original focus, though reptiles — especially rattlesnakes — remain a defining part of the collection.

History

The Staten Island Zoo's roots trace to three Staten Island military figures of the 1800s: Colonel Edward Harden, Colonel Richard Penn Smith, and Major Clarence Barrett, whose estates sat across from each other on Clove Road. Following Julia Harden's death in 1930, her land was transferred to the city, and it wasn't until the 1960s that "Staten Island Zoo" became the site's popular name over the official "Barrett Park." On March 25, 1935, the New York State Senate passed the Egbert-Robillard Bill to have the city fund zoo maintenance, and on May 7, 1935, the governor signed an agreement allocating public funds for operations while the Zoological Society ran the exhibits, animal care, and education programs. Construction proceeded through 1933 to 1936, converting the 8-acre estate into a zoo.

From 1942 to 1966, Patricia O'Connor served as the zoo's chief animal caretaker, reported to be the only woman veterinarian working at any zoo in the country at the time. By 1949, the zoo held over 1,200 animals, a 400-seat auditorium, and drew 500,000 visitors a year, and was described as "spotless, modern, and odorless." The zoo's parking lot, built in 1968 on a plot once belonging to Colonel Richard Penn Smith's estate, was acquired jointly by the Zoological Society and Saint Peter's Cemetery.

In 1971, several zoo animals died of lead poisoning, including a black leopard, Mr. Leo Pard, who suffered severe nerve damage; the source was traced to tetraethyl lead, a gasoline additive, and the incident contributed to the eventual U.S. phase-out of leaded gasoline. In 2024, the city's Public Design Commission announced plans for a new decorative entrance for the zoo on Clove Road.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's original focus was reptiles, and its Serpentarium collection of rattlesnakes is still regarded as among the largest and most complete in North America. As the collection broadened, exhibits came to include the African Savannah at Twilight and the Tropical Forest wing, which underwent a modular update adding humidity-controlled environments for the green anaconda and Chinese alligator.

Animals have arrived over the decades through purchases, transfers from other zoological parks, staff collecting expeditions — including a 1936 rattlesnake-collecting trip by curator Carl Kauffeld and a 1965 trip by zookeeper Bob Zappalorti — and donations, such as a pair of solenodons given by the Dominican Republic's Rafael Trujillo and a marine fish collection donated by the Staten Island Aquarium Society in the late 1950s. The zoo's education building houses four classrooms, a small basement lecture auditorium, and a classroom and private library on the second floor alongside the Zoological Society's administrative offices, supporting an extensive internship program for veterinary students working alongside the zoo's on-site veterinary clinic.

Animal highlights

Staten Island Zoo lists at least 187 species on its website, spanning reptiles, mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, from the Amur leopard and fossa to Gila monsters and a large run of rattlesnake species including the eastern diamondback, timber, and sidewinder. The zoo's current overall collection is described as comprising more than 1,550 animals across over 360 species.

Two animals stand out for local recognition: Staten Island Chuck, a groundhog who serves as the official Groundhog Day forecaster for New York City, and Grandpa, a black-handed spider monkey who made local news for accurately "predicting" the outcome of six of nine matches during the U.S. Open Tennis Championship. The zoo's broader roster includes fennec foxes, capybaras, meerkats, binturongs, ring-tailed lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, a fossa, an Amur leopard, chinchillas, tarantulas, and a wide range of snakes, tortoises, and reef and freshwater fish for its aquarium exhibits.

Conservation and programs

The Staten Island Zoological Society was founded on the principle that the zoo be an educational institution, and that mission continues today through on-site and in-school lessons. The Society held monthly evening lectures at the zoo from its early years, provided school lessons and tours for children, and later expanded its education programs under zoo veterinarian Patricia O'Connor to include programming for hospitalized children as well as courses for teachers and lectures for educators and wildlife clubs. The zoo continues to run a lecture auditorium, classrooms, and a fully operational on-site veterinary clinic that supports an internship program for college students pursuing careers as veterinary technicians and veterinarians.

Planning your visit

The zoo is listed as open all year except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, with hours listed at 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. It offers free admission on Wednesdays after 2:00 p.m. Free parking is available in the zoo's own lot at the corner of Martling Avenue and Clove Road, with additional street parking on Broadway; the zoo is also reachable by the S-53 bus from Bay Ridge and the S-48 bus from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, both listed as stopping near the Clove Road entrance.

The Zoo Café on the grounds serves snacks like pretzels and popcorn along with meals such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and grilled cheese sandwiches, plus vegetarian options including veggie burgers and plant-based chicken nuggets. Visitors are also welcome to bring their own food to eat at picnic tables under a covered pavilion or at outdoor tables and benches, and water refill stations are available throughout the grounds.

For guests with sensory processing needs, the zoo has partnered with KultureCity and offers training-based accommodations and resources. The zoo also publishes tiered visitor's guides for parents and teachers preparing children for a visit, available as handouts or presentation slides. Children under 14 must be supervised, and items such as rollerblades, skateboards, bikes, scooters, balloons, and balls are not permitted on the grounds for safety reasons. As with any listed details, confirm current hours, admission, and rules on the zoo's official website before your visit.