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Old 06-01-2011, 04:30 PM
 
1,527 posts, read 4,053,280 times
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Van Saun Park is huge. Do you mean the zoo part? There are also pony rides at Van Saun.

I think you can pet the farm animals at Van Saun. You can also ride horses or ponies.

I would say both destinations are equally boring, just in different ways.
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Old 06-01-2011, 04:34 PM
 
2,535 posts, read 6,640,440 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mumra View Post
yes turtle back also has a train, carousel, and playground. Van Saun is smaller and no petting area. You can make a nice day trip for the kids, spend a few hours at the turtle back zoo, head over for a round of mini golf then cool off with some ice skating at codey arena.
hmmm....I don't remember seeing a playground...is it that little area by the carousel? I still vote for VS
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Old 06-01-2011, 08:50 PM
 
4,284 posts, read 10,722,664 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann77 View Post
Van Saun Park is huge. Do you mean the zoo part? There are also pony rides at Van Saun.

I think you can pet the farm animals at Van Saun. You can also ride horses or ponies.

I would say both destinations are equally boring, just in different ways.

Van Saun park is meant for kids, who I am sure enjoy it (I did when I was a kid).

Not sure how it is boring. It is meant to be a place to spend 2-3 hours in the afternoon for parents with children and it costs next to nothing. Sure the Bronx zoo is a lot better, but you also spend all day visiting it.

Going to Van Saun was definitely one of the best memory's of my childhood. Specifically remember going one time right before a thunderstorm on a summer day and the animals were all going nuts.
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Old 06-01-2011, 09:05 PM
 
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Just compared both maps and Looks like VS has a farm as well. There are also Pony rides at turtle back. one thing I did notice is that TB has more exhibits bears wolves eagles ect. I vote for neither since I really don't enjoy going. Thankfully I don't go often but my wife will be taking the kids this summer as much as they want while I'm safe at my air conditioned office. So far my little guy hasn't begged me to take him to the zoo after we hit the ice at codey but I don't know how long that's going to last.
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Old 06-02-2011, 06:52 AM
 
1,527 posts, read 4,053,280 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GiantRutgersfan View Post
Van Saun park is meant for kids, who I am sure enjoy it (I did when I was a kid).

Not sure how it is boring. It is meant to be a place to spend 2-3 hours in the afternoon for parents with children and it costs next to nothing. Sure the Bronx zoo is a lot better, but you also spend all day visiting it.

Going to Van Saun was definitely one of the best memory's of my childhood. Specifically remember going one time right before a thunderstorm on a summer day and the animals were all going nuts.
Sure, if your kid likes it, go for it.

And just because it's for kids, doesn't mean it's not boring.
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Old 06-02-2011, 03:31 PM
 
Location: Montclair, NJ
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It's fun. It used be prettty aweful. They've done a nice job rehabing it. We usually meet freinds from Millburn or Summit there as it's 1/2way. It's no Bronx Zoo, but it's close and easy. Much better at "off" times. I've actually been to a recip zoo- Brevard in FL, which was pretty good too, except lots of extra fee activities/ exhibits.
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Old 06-02-2011, 03:39 PM
 
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Originally Posted by MC Hammer View Post
Apparently people who want to enjoy a real zoo
Please Hammer, don't hurt me, but I think the best zoo is the SD Zoo.
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Old 06-02-2011, 04:10 PM
 
1,173 posts, read 4,735,275 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann77 View Post
Van Saun Park is huge. Do you mean the zoo part? There are also pony rides at Van Saun.

I think you can pet the farm animals at Van Saun. You can also ride horses or ponies.

I would say both destinations are equally boring, just in different ways.
Turtle Back has pony rides too.

As far as being boring if you are going as a childless adult, I can see how you would think it's boring. But when you're with kids (especially little ones 6 & under) I think it's great! Just the right size so you can see the whole zoo before the kids get tired and cranky. Someone else mentioned the prairie dog exhibit being the worst but when your a child and actually small enough to crawl in there it's awesome! I have a hard time dragging my son away from it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tdstyles View Post
hmmm....I don't remember seeing a playground...is it that little area by the carousel? I still vote for VS
The playground is actually huge, it's not the little area by the carousel. When we go there I avoid that entire side of the zoo until the end otherwise my son won't want to be torn away to look at the animals and while addmission is pretty cheap I didn't pay it just for the playground!

In general I really like Turtle Back Zoo I think it's PERFECT for younger children who get too worn out from a day at the BX Zoo, which let's face it if your toting along children with short legs your NOT going to see the whole thing. Plus I hate that the BX charges extra for the special exhibits, which are usually the best ones. Yes Turtle Back is hilly, which if your opposed to getting a little exercise can be a negative but I find it serves three purposes that I like: 1) I get a little calorie burn going on 2) It slows the kids down so they can't run off as quickly 3) After all those hills a nice long nap is almost guaranteed!

As for the staff I can't say they are terribly attentive but I didn't experience any straight up rudeness. We had our son's 3rd birthday party there and they were very helpful in getting all of our supplies over to the picnic area and with the food ordering.

Honestly, if we lived closer I'd get a membership in a heartbeat. It's a great way to do something fun with the family on the cheap that doesn't require a lot of advance planning.
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Old 06-02-2011, 04:15 PM
 
1,173 posts, read 4,735,275 times
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Oooh, almost forgot! For all you Bronx Zoo fans, this weekend (June 4th & 5th) is corporate weekend so you can get in free. Just check if your company participates before you head out (and don't forget your ID!!). You still have to pay for parking and special exhibits but the zoo admission is free.
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Old 06-04-2011, 04:19 PM
 
1,614 posts, read 3,743,879 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by icibiu View Post
Oooh, almost forgot! For all you Bronx Zoo fans, this weekend (June 4th & 5th) is corporate weekend so you can get in free. Just check if your company participates before you head out (and don't forget your ID!!). You still have to pay for parking and special exhibits but the zoo admission is free.
Pretty much a scam. You only get the cheap-o admission. You still have to spend a lot to get into the cool areas like the gorillias. Better to go on different weekend and pay the extra $11 for when it is not as crowded.
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