When planning our trip to Rhode Island this past September, I did lots of research on things to do to ensure the ultimate itinerary. One thing that kept coming up was the Roger Williams Park Zoo (link). The zoo sounded promising, but I was getting turned off by the mixed reviews online. Some reviews admitted to not visiting the park in over a decade, yet still felt the need to give their opinion. Trolls much? Since we live a short drive away from the famous Bronx Zoo (link), I didn't want to waste time or money visiting a zoo that would disappoint us in comparison.
Despite my conflicting thoughts, we purchased tickets and planned for a whole afternoon exploring the Roger Williams Zoo. It's time to set the record straight on how the Roger Williams Park Zoo is with a modern day review!
Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI
Based on reviews, we expected a smaller, disorderly, run down zoo. When we pulled up, we were immediately surprised. The Roger Williams Park Zoo looked new, well kept, and WELCOMING! Lines were short, staff kept things orderly, and everything looked well maintained if not new.
Since we visited in mid September, the entrance to the park welcomed visitors with a beautiful pumpkin display. Hundreds of pumpkins dangled from the tree bridge over our heads and dozens of carved jack-o-lanterns lined the path. We learned later on that if we visited a week later we could have seen a fabulous Halloween jack-o-lantern display at night. Based on the small bit we saw, I was a little disappointed that we would miss it!
Fun Fact: The Roger Williams Park Zoo dates back to 1872 making it the first accredited zoo in the New England area and the fifth oldest zoo in the US. How cool is that?!
Contrary to the reviews I read online, there were lots of things to do and see in the Roger Williams Park Zoo. First was the vast array of animals to watch and appreciate. There were the typical zoo animals like elephants and giraffes, plus other unique ones like giant anteaters and my personal favorite, a pair of blue macaws! There was a farm area that was kind of like a petting zoo except there were interactive activities that were designed to act like a Rhode Island farm. Here you can see a donkey, gigantic rabbits, goats, and even a barn owl. Another exhibit that was really enjoyable was the Faces of the Rainforest. Here you get to see and have intimate encounters with the playful monkeys, sloths, otters, and more. You can take a stroll along the Wetlands Trail where you can see what wildlife you spot below you. We found frogs and turtles galore. The list goes on, but you get the point, there's lots of animals to see!
When not enjoying the animals, there are plenty of other things to do. To start, there's a very large eating area. Here you can get lunch cafeteria style. We had burgers and hot dogs. Other then being a little pricey, we were very happy with it. Next to the eating area is the gift shop where we had to buy some novelties. My daughter picked out a small, stuffed red panda and my son picked out gigantic elephant ears to wear. There is also an impressive Hasboro play area in the Roger Williams Park Zoo. You'll find things like a rock wall, water activities, fort building, relaxing hammocks, and a bajillion other things that I don't remember in the play and exploration area. Finally, you can get your adventure on with a short train ride that my son made us do TWICE, pony rides, and pretty intense zip lining that we skipped.
The above video is of my son trying to talk to the elephants at the zoo. He must of thought that his new elephant ears gave him some sort of elephant speaking super powers!
To reiterate, the Roger Williams Park Zoo (link) is clean, well maintained, orderly, filled to the brim with things to do and see, has a clean place to eat, AND has interactive experiences. It really was a pleasant experience and I would go back again in a heart beat! If we're being honest, I liked it way better than the Bronx Zoo, but shh, don't tell anyone. Just make sure that you plan enough time to do everything without feeling rushed.
As a double bonus, the zoo is located in the Roger Williams Park which is filled with fun things to do. To fully appreciate the park, you may want to plan two afternoons here when visiting Rhode Island. One for the zoo and one for the park.
-R&W
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