Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Syracuse, New York
Address: 1 Conservation Pl, Syracuse, NY 13204
Phone: (315) 435-8511
About
Rosamond Gifford Zoo sits in Burnet Park on Syracuse's west side and holds more than 700 animals, from Asian elephants and Humboldt penguins to red pandas and a reptile house. About 60% of the exhibits are indoors, so a visit works in January as well as July.
Most people walk the full loop in two to four hours, longer if you stop for the keeper talks. In summer, staff run a Creature Chat schedule roughly every hour between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., covering elephants, penguins, primates and birds. The outdoor path climbs a hill on the way to the elephant yard, and the walk back up is steeper than it looks, worth planning around if you are pushing a stroller or a wheelchair. Indoor buildings connect several exhibits with level floors, which is where families tend to linger on cold or wet days. Stroller rentals run $7 to $8 depending on membership status, with single and double units both available.
The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. As of 2026, admission runs $9 for adults 18 to 61, $5 for youth 3 to 17 and for seniors 62 and up, and is free for children two and under and for active-duty and veteran military. Parking is free. On-site food comes from Hofmann Dog Haus, HoneyBee Café and Trunk & Tusk Canteen, and The Curious Cub sells gifts near the entrance.
Downtown Syracuse is about ten minutes east by car. The zoo is one of the paid attractions inside Burnet Park, which also has its own walking paths and picnic space outside the zoo gates.
Accessibility
Rosamond Gifford Zoo is wheelchair accessible: it has accessible parking, level indoor floors and paved outdoor paths, though the outdoor loop climbs a real hill.
Accessible parking spaces are available near the main entrance, and general parking is free. The zoo's own materials do not describe the entrance doors or gates in detail, so ask at the ticket window if you need specifics before you arrive.
Both indoor and outdoor pathways are wheelchair accessible, per the zoo. About 60% of the exhibits are indoors, with climate-controlled, level walkways connecting them, useful in bad weather. The outdoor loop is different: it climbs and descends a genuine grade on the way to the elephant yard. If a steep grade is a concern, see the elephant habitat early in the visit rather than at the end.
Accessible restrooms are located around the grounds, and a family restroom sits off the lobby at the main entrance. The Animal Health Center also has a quiet room with a chair and changing table that doubles as a place to take a sensory break.
Free push wheelchairs are available at the membership desk, first come first served, with a photo ID held while the chair is in use. A limited number of free motorized wheelchairs are available for guests 18 and older with a driver's license on file and a signed waiver; these are not handed out in rain, snow or low temperatures. Service animals that are on duty and leashed or harnessed are welcome, though three indoor buildings (Diversity of Birds, Animal Adaptations and the Social Animals wing) restrict them, and staff will escort a handler through those areas instead. Emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals under the zoo's policy.
Call (315) 435-8511 ahead of a visit to confirm any of this or to arrange a service animal escort. The zoo does not publish anything about braille signage, tactile paving or assistive listening devices; ask at the membership desk if you need one of those.
Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change
How we checked this
We checked these details against official information from the venue and public agencies:
- rosamondgiffordzoo.org (6 details, checked 2026-08-28)
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- Buffalo AKG Art Museum (Buffalo)
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City)
- Whitney Museum of American Art (New York City)
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum (New York City)
- Top of the Rock (New York City)
- Women's Rights National Historical Park (Seneca Falls)
Photo credits
- Pink flamingos stand by a pond with a spraying fountain at Rosamond Gifford Zoo.: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
- A railed boardwalk crosses the zoo's pond, with a fountain and buildings in view.: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
- The Domestic Animal Barn at Rosamond Gifford Zoo, with alpacas and sheep in its yard.: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
