The Staten Island Zoo is a small urban zoo in northern Staten Island in New York City in the United States.Zoo construction commenced in 1933 as part of the Federal Government’s works program on an 8-acre (32,000 m2) estate willed to New York City. The land, now called Barrett Park was willed to the City of New York by Mrs. Edward E. Hardin and reconstructed into a zoological park during the Great Depression by the Work Projects Administration. The zoo opened to the public in 1936 and was considered the first U.S. "educational zoo."
Initially the focus of the zoo was reptiles, in particular including the collection of snakes housed in the zoo's Serpentarium. Although the focus of the zoo has broadened, the zoo's collection of rattlesnakes is still regarded as among the largest and most complete in North America. The current collection comprises over 858 animals of over 222 different species. Among the zoo's current exhibits is the African Savannah at Twilight. The zoo is also the home of Staten Island Chuck, a groundhog who is the official Groundhog Day forecaster for New York City.
614 Broadway (Broadway/Colonial Ct)
Staten Island, NY 10310
* phone: 718-442-3101
* fax: 718-981-8711
* hours: 10am – 4:45pm – 7 days a week
