Zoo · Philadelphia, Philadelphia County
Philadelphia Zoo
America's first zoo, opened in 1874, with big cats, primates and Zoo360 trails that let animals roam over visitors' heads.
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
9 places
Zoos & Aquariums
America's first zoo, a national aviary and wildlife up close
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Philadelphia Zoo was chartered in 1859, the first zoo in the country, though the Civil War delayed its opening until 1874, and it still sits among old trees and historic buildings in Fairmount Park. Pittsburgh has both a zoo with an aquarium and the National Aviary, a zoo given over entirely to birds, on the city's North Side.
Smaller parks around the state make easy half-days, especially with young children. ZooAmerica in Hershey is devoted to the wildlife of North America, the zoos in Erie and the Lehigh Valley are an easy size for little legs, and Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, in the Valleys of the Susquehanna, is all about reptiles.
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Zoo and aquarium · Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
African elephants, gorillas and big cats live at this hillside zoo in Highland Park, which also has an aquarium and a Kids Kingdom play area.
Aviary · Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
National Aviary
Free-flying birds share walk-through habitats with visitors at this zoo just for birds, where penguins, owls and parrots star in close-up encounters.
Zoo · Derry Township, Dauphin County
ZooAmerica
An 11-acre zoo devoted to North American wildlife, from black bears and gray wolves to river otters, with animals grouped by region, right next to Hersheypark.
Zoo · Erie, Erie County
Erie Zoo
A compact, family-friendly zoo in Glenwood Park, with animals from around the world, a children's area with a carousel, and a little train that crosses Mill Creek.
Zoo · North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County
Lehigh Valley Zoo
Set within the 1,100-acre Trexler Nature Preserve, this zoo has African penguins, red pandas, kangaroos and giraffes, while herds of bison and elk roam the surrounding preserve.
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Every zoos & aquariums place
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Clyde Peeling's Reptiland
Cobras, alligators, giant tortoises and Komodo dragons star at this accredited zoo devoted to reptiles and amphibians, along with live presentations by keepers.
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Elmwood Park Zoo
Hand-feed giraffes, come face to face with jaguars and zip-line through the treetops above bison and elk at this friendly mid-sized zoo.
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Erie Zoo
A compact, family-friendly zoo in Glenwood Park, with animals from around the world, a children's area with a carousel, and a little train that crosses Mill Creek.
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Lake Tobias Wildlife Park
Open-air safari buses carry visitors through fields where bison, elk and deer wander right up to the vehicle, plus walk-through animal exhibits and a petting zoo.
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Lehigh Valley Zoo
Set within the 1,100-acre Trexler Nature Preserve, this zoo has African penguins, red pandas, kangaroos and giraffes, while herds of bison and elk roam the surrounding preserve.
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National Aviary
Free-flying birds share walk-through habitats with visitors at this zoo just for birds, where penguins, owls and parrots star in close-up encounters.
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Philadelphia Zoo
America's first zoo, opened in 1874, with big cats, primates and Zoo360 trails that let animals roam over visitors' heads.
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Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
African elephants, gorillas and big cats live at this hillside zoo in Highland Park, which also has an aquarium and a Kids Kingdom play area.
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ZooAmerica
An 11-acre zoo devoted to North American wildlife, from black bears and gray wolves to river otters, with animals grouped by region, right next to Hersheypark.