Drill's mini reviews

drill said:
Zoo #253 Electric City Aquarium Scranton, PA A+
Perhaps the best mall aquarium in the United States (definitely best I've been to), it is full of rare reptiles and amphibians plus a good fish collection. Highlights: Yellow-headed gecko, Northern glass frog, Helmeted basilisk, Morelet's crocodile, Large-spot river stingray, and much more.
Zoo #254 Ross Park Zoo Binghamton, NY A-. Nice little zoo with a decent collection. They reduced admissions because of areas that are closed. Many areas that are fenced off can easily be seen such as wolves, vultures, and petting farm. Only real bad part is the long walk at the beginning and the gigantic red wolf exhibit with few seen. Does anyone know the birds in the rainforest aviary?
Zoo #255 Animal Adventure Park Harpursville, NY B 25 minutes east of Ross Park Zoo
Large, hot park with little shade. The usual random assortment zoo with a mix of rare and dirt common like all the others. Highlights: Guanaco, Palawan binturong, Nyala, Triton cockatoo, and others.
Zoo #256 The Wild Animal Park Chittenango, NY temp. A- Safari not visited. A pleasurable little zoo with straight, easy walking like Keystone Safari. An incredible mammal collection is the main grab here not. Highlights: American badger, Fisher, Tonkean macaque, Javan langur, and others. If anyone knows where the langurs came from (presumably Tanganyika), and more importantly, a species list for the Safari, thanks.
Zoo #257 VIA Aquarium C. Schenectady, NY. Anything but a seaQuest or Sealife aquarium, this one is just straight fish, poison frogs and a reptile show (guy with a snake, Blue-tongued skink, and a Bearded dragon). Only innovation here is Koi touching. Stingray touching and koi touching is allowed if there's enough social distancing. Highlights: Whitetip reef shark.
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Zoo #258 Berkshire Bird Paradise Petersburg, NY A 45 minutes east of Albany.
A sanctuary for abused and not-wanted birds. This is also New York City's dumping ground for rock doves. The collection starts with the Poppy Memorial, after a Rock dove they had. This aviary holds Sacred ibis, Emu, Great curassow, Purple swamphen, and Rock dove. Then there is a weed garden, followed by a big house with many parrots and other birds. There are outside enclosures with Emu, Nicobar pigeon, Victoria crowned-pigeon, Great-horned owl, Bald eagle, Helmeted curassow, Golden eagle, a Steppe eagle rescued from Afghanistan, and others. Highlights: Steppe eagle, Crested pigeon, Purple swamphen, and others.
Zoo #259 Bailiwick Animal Park Catskill, NY F. Hour south of Albany. Downright awful zoo with a horrible stench. Crazy roads with awful turns to get there. There are not many interesting animals, though I rushed there due to the unbearable smell. Very likely the worst zoo north of Virginia. Highlights: Leaving.
 
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drill said:
Zoo #231 Johnson Park Piscataway, NJ C+
Big park with a free zoo in the NYC suburbs. Exhibits ranging from average to below disgusting. A series of cages and enclosures with a big deer habitat behind. Species list in order of exhibit: White-tailed deer, Horse, Llama, Pig, Ring-necked dove and Helmeted guineafowl, Pig, White-tailed deer and some domestic waterfowl, chickens, turkeys, sign for Ring-necked pheasant (none seen), typical roadside zoo monkey exhibit for 3 raccoons with a tiny pool, Unsigned snake (think Corn), Unsigned rodent (looked like a Mink), exhibit (nothing seen), Rabbits, Goats and Fallow deer. Highlights: Groundhog seen across from zoo.
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Where was the rodent/mink exhibit?
 
drill said:
Zoo# 173
Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo A+
One of 7 collections in the Smoky Mountains and probably the best. It is 95 percent indoor and has many amazing animals such as zorilla and red-fronted lemur.
Zoo#174
Parrot Mountain A
A few minutes drive from Dollywood, this is a large collection of birds, many rare and some that could be touched or fed. Highlights include Glossy black cockatoo, Slender-billed conure, and others.
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I am heading to this area in May. If you had to pick one between these two, which would you say is better? I will have my wife and 4 year old in tow as well.
 
SwampDonkey said:
I am heading to this area in May. If you had to pick one between these two, which would you say is better? I will have my wife and 4 year old in tow as well.
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A 4 year old might be scared of a large number of squawking birds. There are nice aspects to both. Rainforest Adventure is nice, and interactive, so is Parrot Mountain with it's many gardens also. If you're not into Christianity, that is the main downside as Parrot Mountain has a lot of religious articles throughout the grounds.
 
drill said:
A 4 year old might be scared of a large number of squawking birds. There are nice aspects to both. Rainforest Adventure is nice, and interactive, so is Parrot Mountain with it's many gardens also. If you're not into Christianity, that is the main downside as Parrot Mountain has a lot of religious articles throughout the grounds.
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I don't mind the Christian things, I am pretty "into" that too. :)

That said....Rainforest Adventure might be more up his alley, and mine. Maybe we'll keep an eye on weather too, since Rainforest is indoors.
 
SwampDonkey said:
I don't mind the Christian things, I am pretty "into" that too. :)

That said....Rainforest Adventure might be more up his alley, and mine. Maybe we'll keep an eye on weather too, since Rainforest is indoors.
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I would choose Rainforest 100 times out of 100 over Parrot Mountain. Being indoors is helpful, too - I ended up going there a day earlier than planned because of rain (which stopped 15 minutes before I got there ;) )
 
Zoo #260 Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum Surrey, VA B. A few exhibits of domestic animals. Highlights: impressive bull. Located an hour northwest of Norfolk, Virginia in the heart of the cattle and chicken farm industries.
Zoo #261 Prospect Park Zoo NYC A+
Beautiful tiny zoo with a collection of rare species. Highlights: Black-footed cat, Pallas cat, Red-knobbed imperial pigeon, others.
Zoo #262 Flat Rock Brook Nature Center Englewood, Nj A-. The building itself was closed due to Corona, but there is a pond outside fulled with frogs and tadpoles. There is a also a series of bird of prey enclosures featuring Eastern screech owl, Red-tailed hawk, Great horned owl, and American kestrel. A serene place just 3 miles from the George Washington Bridge.
Zoo #263 Cold Spring Harbor Aquarium Cold Spring Harbor, Ny. Fish hatchery, trout ponds, an aquarium and live exhibit building with fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Highlights: Northern two-lined salamander, thousands of fish and Eastern ribbon snake. Located on northwestern Long Island
Zoo #264 White Post Farms, Melville Ny C-. Big attraction in central Long Island with an expensive and small animal farm. Highlights: Reeve's muntjac, Whooper swan, and Collared aracari.
 
Zoo #265 Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor NJ C
Two buildings with various native aquatic species, marshes with martin houses, an observation tower, and a box turtle exhibit. Highlights: Martins and a Horseshoe crab hatching tank. Hour south of Atlantic City
Zoo #265 Linvila Orchards Media, PA B Farmers market and garden center and a small farm with deer, goats, ponies, ducks, pheasants, and chickens. Highlights: baby deer and albino deer.
 
drill said:
Zoo #265 Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor NJ C
Two buildings with various native aquatic species, marshes with martin houses, an observation tower, and a box turtle exhibit. Highlights: Martins and a Horseshoe crab hatching tank. Hour south of Atlantic City
Zoo #265 Linvila Orchards Media, PA B Farmers market and garden center and a small farm with deer, goats, ponies, ducks, pheasants, and chickens. Highlights: baby deer and albino deer.
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Zoo #266 Edenton National Fish Hatchery and Aquarium Edenton, NC C
Tiny aquarium building with a number of fish (sunfish, bass, sturgeon and others), a diaroma, and a enclosure with alligators and turtles. There is a walk outside with a number of fish ponds (no fish seen but many dragonflies and other bugs) and a hatchery building with mostly empty tanks and a few ones with many small fish. Highlights: dozens of frogs seen outside buildings. Most likely Upland chorus or Little grass frogs. Located 20 minutes from Elizabeth City.
 
Zoo #268 Pagoda and Oriental Garden Norfolk, VA B. Small garden with koi pond and walk to the docks. Highlights: cormorant seen grappling with an eel
Zoo #269 Locust Grove Nature Center Bethesda, MD C+
Small nature center in the Washington suburbs (one of around 10 in the area). Species list inside building
1 Corn snake
2 American toads
2 Eastern box turtles
Outside building
Box turtles are kept here most of the day
1 Bobwhite quail Highlights: Wild Eastern bluebird and butterflies.
 
drill said:
Zoo #268 Pagoda and Oriental Garden Norfolk, VA B. Small garden with koi pond and walk to the docks. Highlights: cormorant seen grappling with an eel
Zoo #269 Locust Grove Nature Center Bethesda, MD C+
Small nature center in the Washington suburbs (one of around 10 in the area). Species list inside building
1 Corn snake
2 American toads
2 Eastern box turtles
Outside building
Box turtles are kept here most of the day
1 Bobwhite quail Highlights: Wild Eastern bluebird and butterflies.
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Zoo #270 Brothers Farmers Market Elizabeth City, NC B
Random little roadside produce store which exhibits goats, sheep, a cow, llama or Alpaca, two donkeys, chickens, turkeys, guineafowls, a rabbit, two emus, peacocks, and goldfish.
Zoo #271 Port Discover Elizabeth City, NC C
Saw a sign for a science center in Elizabeth City looked it up and found that it has some animals. Those being 2 guinea pigs, a corn snake, and a Leopard gecko.
 
drill said:
Zoo #271 Port Discover Elizabeth City, NC C
Saw a sign for a science center in Elizabeth City looked it up and found that it has some animals. Those being 2 guinea pigs, a corn snake, and a Leopard gecko.
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If this is the standard you're going by in order to pad out your lifetime zoos-visited number I think every other member of this forum owns a zoo :p
 
drill said:
Zoo #270 Brothers Farmers Market Elizabeth City, NC B
Random little roadside produce store which exhibits goats, sheep, a cow, llama or Alpaca, two donkeys, chickens, turkeys, guineafowls, a rabbit, two emus, peacocks, and goldfish.
Zoo #271 Port Discover Elizabeth City, NC C
Saw a sign for a science center in Elizabeth City looked it up and found that it has some animals. Those being 2 guinea pigs, a corn snake, and a Leopard gecko.
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Much Overdue Update
Zoo #272 Newport News Park Discovery Center Newport News, VA D
Just a building with rehabilitated animal enclosures outside. I remember I think a robin, a mockingbird and many mallards.
Zoo #273 Clay Pit Ponds Staten Island C
A large preserve on Staten Island. Nature Center exhibits Centipedes, Florida box turtles, and Corn snake. Might possibly be forgetting something else. Half-mile down are exhibits with chickens, guineafowl, peacocks, silver pheasants, and possibly others.
Zoo #274 SeaQuest Woodbridge, NJ B
My favorite of the SeaQuests I have been to (others being Lynchburg and Trumbull). Large collection of a variety of interesting species. Highlights: Flying squirrels, smoothounds, Bat rays, Wolf eel, and others.
Zoo #275 Long Island Aquarium A- Riverhead, NY
Wonderful, though rather expensive aquarium. Absolutely superb fish and insect collection inside with plans to get Coconut crabs soon also. The outside area features rare bats, lizards, snakes, crabs, a barred owl, Japanese macaques, seals, and others. Highlights: Grey seal, Pallas's long-tongued bat, Flamboyant cuttlefish, Brazilian wandering spider, Peacock day gecko, and others
Zoo #276 Stamford Museum and Nature Center Stamford, CT 45 minutes north of NYC B-
Didn't see the indoor areas or otters, so not really fair. The rest is mostly domestic and a nature center with Chilean rosehair tarantula and Corn snake (What I remember). Highlights: Goldfinches.
Zoo #277 Trailside Nature and Science Center Mountainside, NJ A
Free museum with native animals in a very nice area about a half hour west of Jersey City. The main animal room was closed, but saw a Brook's kingsnake
Zoo #278 Rancocas Nature Center Westampton, NJ.
Located in Rancocas State Park a half hour east of Philadelphia. Home to many native turtles, a few snakes, a White's treefrog, and possibly others.
Zoo #279 Liberty Science Center Jersey City, NJ B-
Large, ridiculously expensive, when I went too mask-crazy and bad employees. Large but mostly unimpressive collection. Mole-rats, lungfish, marmosets, a Taveta weaver, and other insects, fish and reptiles. Highlights: African lungfish and Naked mole-rat
Zoo# 280 White Deer Park Nature Center Garner, NC F
20 minutes away from downtown Raleigh, there are corn snakes, Yellow-bellied sliders, and unsigned (possibly empty) exhibits.
Zoo #281 Busch Gardens Williamsburg, VA C-
Went on a bad day, all of the rare birds were off exhibit (Green imperial pigeon, Bush stone curlew, and lorikeet species) saw a few birds of prey, horse, and a dog. There are many bald eagles kept here and other animals are also here, primarily the wolves which were not out. Highlights: European barn owl.
Zoo #282 Lake Roland Nature Center Baltimore, MD B. Small nature center with native fish, turtles, frogs, snakes, a rabbit and empty bird cage. Highlights: Crayfish.
Zoo #283 Marshy Point Nature Center Middle River, MD A
Highly recommended for those in the Baltimore area. Large reptile, fish, insect, amphibian collection inside (also unseen duck and a starling) and Barred owl, turkey, Black vulture, Great horned owl, Barn owl, and kestrel outside. Many wild birds seen. Highlights: American eel, Pickerel frog, bluebirds, titmice, nuthatches and others.
Zoo #284 Nixon Park Nature Center York PA A-
45 minutes north of Baltimore, this nature center has a gigantic taxidermy collection, particularly African and native. The live part consists of Eastern mud turtle, three-toed box turtle, grey treefrog, black ratsnake and coming soon. Also many wild birds, particularly white-throated sparrows, Song sparrows, and Hairy woodpeckers.
 
drill said:
Much Overdue Update
Zoo #272 Newport News Park Discovery Center Newport News, VA D
Just a building with rehabilitated animal enclosures outside. I remember I think a robin, a mockingbird and many mallards.
Zoo #273 Clay Pit Ponds Staten Island C
A large preserve on Staten Island. Nature Center exhibits Centipedes, Florida box turtles, and Corn snake. Might possibly be forgetting something else. Half-mile down are exhibits with chickens, guineafowl, peacocks, silver pheasants, and possibly others.
Zoo #274 SeaQuest Woodbridge, NJ B
My favorite of the SeaQuests I have been to (others being Lynchburg and Trumbull). Large collection of a variety of interesting species. Highlights: Flying squirrels, smoothounds, Bat rays, Wolf eel, and others.
Zoo #275 Long Island Aquarium A- Riverhead, NY
Wonderful, though rather expensive aquarium. Absolutely superb fish and insect collection inside with plans to get Coconut crabs soon also. The outside area features rare bats, lizards, snakes, crabs, a barred owl, Japanese macaques, seals, and others. Highlights: Grey seal, Pallas's long-tongued bat, Flamboyant cuttlefish, Brazilian wandering spider, Peacock day gecko, and others
Zoo #276 Stamford Museum and Nature Center Stamford, CT 45 minutes north of NYC B-
Didn't see the indoor areas or otters, so not really fair. The rest is mostly domestic and a nature center with Chilean rosehair tarantula and Corn snake (What I remember). Highlights: Goldfinches.
Zoo #277 Trailside Nature and Science Center Mountainside, NJ A
Free museum with native animals in a very nice area about a half hour west of Jersey City. The main animal room was closed, but saw a Brook's kingsnake
Zoo #278 Rancocas Nature Center Westampton, NJ.
Located in Rancocas State Park a half hour east of Philadelphia. Home to many native turtles, a few snakes, a White's treefrog, and possibly others.
Zoo #279 Liberty Science Center Jersey City, NJ B-
Large, ridiculously expensive, when I went too mask-crazy and bad employees. Large but mostly unimpressive collection. Mole-rats, lungfish, marmosets, a Taveta weaver, and other insects, fish and reptiles. Highlights: African lungfish and Naked mole-rat
Zoo# 280 White Deer Park Nature Center Garner, NC F
20 minutes away from downtown Raleigh, there are corn snakes, Yellow-bellied sliders, and unsigned (possibly empty) exhibits.
Zoo #281 Busch Gardens Williamsburg, VA C-
Went on a bad day, all of the rare birds were off exhibit (Green imperial pigeon, Bush stone curlew, and lorikeet species) saw a few birds of prey, horse, and a dog. There are many bald eagles kept here and other animals are also here, primarily the wolves which were not out. Highlights: European barn owl.
Zoo #282 Lake Roland Nature Center Baltimore, MD B. Small nature center with native fish, turtles, frogs, snakes, a rabbit and empty bird cage. Highlights: Crayfish.
Zoo #283 Marshy Point Nature Center Middle River, MD A
Highly recommended for those in the Baltimore area. Large reptile, fish, insect, amphibian collection inside (also unseen duck and a starling) and Barred owl, turkey, Black vulture, Great horned owl, Barn owl, and kestrel outside. Many wild birds seen. Highlights: American eel, Pickerel frog, bluebirds, titmice, nuthatches and others.
Zoo #284 Nixon Park Nature Center York PA A-
45 minutes north of Baltimore, this nature center has a gigantic taxidermy collection, particularly African and native. The live part consists of Eastern mud turtle, three-toed box turtle, grey treefrog, black ratsnake and coming soon. Also many wild birds, particularly white-throated sparrows, Song sparrows, and Hairy woodpeckers.
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Even longer overdue update
May 2022
Parson's Farm Dagsboro, DE B-
Collection of domestic animals mostly in one large area. Interesting mix of horses, goats, sheep, Scottish highlanders, and others in one exhibit
Barn Hill Preserve Frankford, DE A-
9 mins from Parson's Farm, nice area. Different animals depending what you pay for.
Species seen: Chicken, goats, sloth (not sure species), African spurred tortoise, Bearded dragon, African pygmy hedgehog, Eurasian lynx, Greater rhea (albino), Eurasian lynx, camel (think it was Dromedary), Lesser hedgehog tenrec, Blue-tongued skink (massive), Three-banded armadillo, Red kangaroo, Bennett's wallaby, Agile wallaby. Aardvark was not on show. For $300 you can swim with Asian small-clawed otters and there was also an encounter with a Spectacled owl.
Seaside Nature Center Lewes, DE B-
In Cape Henlopen State Park right by the ferry to NJ. A touch tank, a few aquariums(signage very off) and herp exhibits. Highlights: Smooth dogfish. Purple martins outside.
More coming soon.
 
Zoo #288 Brandywine Creek State Park Wilmington, DE B
Wild: Chipping sparrow, House finch, Carolina(?) chickadee, Downy(?) woodpecker, and Blue jay
Captive: Cornelius. Guess who he is.
June 2022
Zoo #289 Yoder's Country Market Madison, VA B+ Hour from Luray Zoo
Basically a petting zoo with mostly domestics and a few birds (nothing out of the ordinary). Lifer: Japanese quail
Zoo #290 Claude Moore Park Nature Center Sterling, VA B Suburbs of DC.
Herps and a few invertebrates. Woodland box turtle, Darkling beetle, White's treefrog, and others I'm forgetting.
Zoo #291 Walker Nature Education Center Reston, VA D
Empty fish tank, Corn snake, Box turtle. Black-throated blue warbler dying in parking lot
Zoo #292 Riverbend Park Visitor Center Reston, VA A-
Beautiful place overlooking the Potomac. Wood turtle, Pine snake, Corn snake, and others.
 
@drill How are you calculating your grades for each facility? I really appreciate that you're highlighting these obscure places that never get attention and I don't want this to sound like criticism, I just would like to know a little more detail on why a place like Walker Nature Education gets a D while Brandywine Creek State Park gets a B, rather than just the species they hold. These sounds more like mini-descriptions rather than mini-reviews, which again is still much appreciated ;)
 
Zoo #293 Eden Mill Nature Center Pylesville, MD A. Ten miles south of PA
Nature center with large collection of taxidermy and a few herps and fish. Box turtles outside and a lot of wild birds. Attached to the nature center is an old gristmill and museum with a stunning view of the dam outside.
Zoo #294 Oley Turnpike Dairy Petting Zoo Oley, PA. C
Halfway between Lancaster and Philadelphia, there are vastly more goats here than people and animals. There also chickens, emu, African spurred tortoise, Ring-tailed lemur, Brown capuchin, White-faced capuchin, and others.
Zoo #295 Upper Schuylkill Valley Park Royersford, PA A- 35mins from Oley. Lifers: Peninsula cooter, Chinese? ring-necked pheasant. Large collection of mostly native animals, very nice place but not much to say about it.
Zoo#296 Riverbend Environmental Education Center Gladwyne, PA C. 30mins from Schuylkill Park. Feels like middle of nowhere, though very close to Philly. Large park with a number of trails. Schneider barn has Honduran milksnake, Box turtle, White's treefrog, and others plus a nice greenhouse.
 
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SusScrofa said:
@drill How are you calculating your grades for each facility? I really appreciate that you're highlighting these obscure places that never get attention and I don't want this to sound like criticism, I just would like to know a little more detail on why a place like Walker Nature Education gets a D while Brandywine Creek State Park gets a B, rather than just the species they hold. These sounds more like mini-descriptions rather than mini-reviews, which again is still much appreciated ;)
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It's really just based on the experience of the place.
 
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