Connecticut Beardsley Zoo

About

Connecticut Beardsley Zoo sits inside Beardsley Park in Bridgeport and has operated since 1922, making it the state's only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It holds roughly 500 animals across more than 100 species, most of them native to North and South America, alongside a mix of endangered species from farther afield.

A visit moves through several distinct areas rather than one long path. The Rainforest Building is a warm, planted greenhouse with a free-flight aviary and a koi pond. Outside, Alligator Alley covers southeastern wetland species, the Hoofstock Trail follows Great Plains grazers, and Pampas Plains houses giant anteaters and other South American animals. The predator building holds Amur tigers and Amur leopards, the Wolf Observation Learning Facility (W.O.L.F.) gives a close look at gray wolves, and the New England Farmyard lets kids meet domestic breeds. A red panda habitat and a native reptile house round out the grounds, and a historic carousel sits near the center of the park for a break between exhibits.

Most visitors budget two to three hours to see the grounds at a relaxed pace, longer if a keeper talk or the carousel is part of the plan. The zoo is open daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with last ticket sales at 3 p.m., closing only for a handful of major holidays. As of 2025, general admission listed on a third-party guide was $15 for adults and $12 for children ages 3 to 11, with children under 3 free; the zoo's own site directs visitors to its online ticketing page to confirm current pricing before a trip.

Bridgeport sits directly off I-95 and the Merritt Parkway on Connecticut's coast, roughly midway between New Haven to the northeast and the Fairfield County towns to the west, so the zoo works as a stop without a long detour from either direction. The Peacock Cafe and an outdoor picnic area called the Grove cover food on site, and downtown Bridgeport's waterfront and its Metro-North train station are both a short drive away for travelers building a longer coastal Connecticut itinerary.

Accessibility

Connecticut Beardsley Zoo is accessible in the specific ways it documents, though its own pages leave out several details a wheelchair user would want, including accessible parking spaces, restroom layouts, and entrance grades. What is published points to a workable but not fully mapped-out visit.

The zoo describes its pathways as stroller-friendly, which in practice usually means a paved, mostly level surface, though the zoo does not state grade, width, or which loop is smoothest. Wheelchairs can be borrowed free at the gate with a driver's license held as a deposit, and motorized chairs rent for $30 on a first-come, first-served basis, so arriving near opening matters if a powered chair is part of the plan.

Trained service dogs are welcome, but the zoo asks handlers to check in with the front gate team on arrival, since a few animal habitats restrict dog access for the resident animals' sake rather than the visitor's. For sensory needs, a third-party accessibility directory lists a calm space on site along with a sensory map and a sensory app, and the zoo's own guest information page mentions noise-canceling headphones for loan at the gift shop.

Because the zoo does not publish specifics on accessible restrooms, curb cuts, or entrance thresholds, anyone with those requirements should call (203) 394-6565 or email [email protected] before buying tickets, particularly for a visit timed around a school break or a weekend when the parking lot fills earlier in the day.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Connecticut

• Beardsley Zoo (Bridgeport)
• Mystic Aquarium (Mystic)
• New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain)
• Yale Peabody Museum (New Haven)
• Connecticut Post Mall (Milford)
• Harkness Memorial State Park (Eolia Mansion)

Photo credits

• Flags and a Beardsley Zoo banner line a paved entrance plaza with benches for visitors.: Sage Ross, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
• Visitors gather at the paved, canopy-covered ticket booth entrance to Beardsley Zoo.: Sage Ross, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
• The green-roofed Carousel Museum and Gift Shop building sits along a paved zoo walkway.: Sage Ross, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)