Cape May County Park & Zoo
Animal habitats and generous park paths make this an easy Cape May County family day.
Artwork inspired by Stan Sperlak
The Cape May County Park & Zoo combines a free-admission zoo with a larger county park, so a visit can include animals, shade, and a picnic rather than a timed circuit. Walk slowly through one habitat zone and ask how enclosure design, signs, and viewing distance shape what you learn about an animal. The wooded setting feels different from a concrete promenade.
The zoo and park have different closing times: animal areas close earlier, with shorter zoo hours in cooler months, while the park stays open until dusk. Admission and parking are free, supported by donations. Pets are not allowed. Arrive early for more active animal viewing and time in the surrounding park afterward.
- Admission
- Free
- Car parking
- Free
- Pets
- Not permitted
Quick guide
- Start with animals
- Visit habitats before the zoo’s earlier closing time.
- Keep the park
- Use picnic and walking space after the animal areas close.
Know before you go
- Arrive early
- Give animals and exhibits the coolest, least rushed hours.
- Read one habitat
- Compare what signage says with what animals actually do.
- Build in shade
- Use the wooded paths for breaks rather than forcing a continuous loop.
- Finish in the park
- The surrounding grounds remain open later than the zoo.
Good to know
Zoo closing precedes park dusk, and seasonal zoo hours change. The county does not allow pets on park or zoo grounds, even for a brief outdoor walk.
Notice these
- Wooded zoo paths
- Animal habitats
- County park