Connecticut Day Trips: Beardsley Zoo {Bridgeport, Connecticut}

If you’re look for Connecticut day trips, a great spot to travel with kids is the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

It’s easy to get to (if you don’t use your GPS, because that will surely send you astray!). And most Connecticut libraries have free day passes available.

Beardsley is a smaller zoo, easy to get through in just a few hours from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York (metro area). They don’t have many large animals (a tiger and the ride-on camels are their largest animals); most of the animals are woodland creatures, birds, and farm animals.

Our son…

climbed through logs, spotted prairie dogs,

went through a tiger maze, into fountains gazed,

sat on a tiger made of stone, touched an eagle skull made of fake bone,

many peacocks to be found, on a carousel rode ’round…

Not to bad for a few hours of zoo entertainment, right?

And the baby? Well… we learned he DOES. NOT. LIKE. CAROUSELS! But he does love the real live animals!

We enjoyed our day at the zoo – it seemed to be a rather busy day, but even so, most spaces were not crowded, so our walk around the exhibits felt leisurely. There are a few indoor exhibits, but most of them are outside.

I’d recommend packing a lunch and eating outside at the large play and picnic areas centrally located in the zoo! Kids will have structures to climb on, and peacocks roam the area freely!

The Carousel costs $1 per ride, and parents have to pay to stand next to their child. There are some concession stands and a cafe as well if you didn’t bring snacks. I’d also recommend sunscreen and water, because you could end up a bit of a walk from the nearest food source.

What Connecticut day trips do you recommend? Do you have a local zoo?