Turtle Back Zoo
Turtle Back Zoo is a zoo in West Orange, New Jersey.
A zoo & aquarium inside West Orange Township
You can stay in West Orange Township
Turtle Back Zoo is inside West Orange Township, which has 10 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Hempstead
Hempstead is about 36 miles east (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 62–84°. When to go ↓
An airport 8 miles away
Newark Liberty (EWR) has airline service, about 8 miles from Turtle Back Zoo.
Established in 1963
Turtle Back Zoo dates from 1963. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in West Orange Township. Green months are the mild ones.
Turtle Back Zoo
Turtle Back Zoo is a zoo in West Orange, New Jersey. Situated on 20 acres (8.1 ha) in the South Mountain Reservation, it is part of the South Mountain Recreation Complex, which is managed as part of the Essex County Park System, the oldest county park system in the United States. Founded in 1963, the zoo was originally a showcase for animals indigenous to the New York metropolitan area but currently features species from every continent except Antarctica. As of 2018, it houses approximately 1400 animals, including several hundred birds in a free-flight aviary. Located adjacent to the Richard J. Codey Arena, the former practice home of the New Jersey Devils, the zoo is open year-round, weather permitting.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Established
- 1963
- Wikipedia readers
- 7.7K a year
Where to stay near Turtle Back Zoo
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are West Orange Township (10) and New York City (1,485).
- 1Madison Square Garden
- 2Central Park
- 3MetLife Stadium
- 4Studio 54
- 5Metropolitan Museum of Art
- 6National September 11 Memorial & Museum
- 7Coney Island
- 8Yankee Stadium
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Turtle Back Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Orange Township | in town | — | 10 8 hotels · 2 lodges & cabins | 49,557 | $557K | B− |
| New York City | 19 mi east | 30 min | 1,485 1295 hotels · 35 motels · 71 inns & B&Bs · 17 lodges & cabins · 38 hostels · 28 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 8,584,629 | $778K | D |
| Newark | 7 mi southeast | 10 min | 29 27 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs | 323,808 | $374K | C− |
| Jersey City | 12 mi east | 20 min | 39 34 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 302,013 | $567K | C− |
| Elizabeth | 8 mi southeast | 15 min | 25 16 hotels · 8 motels · 1 inn or B&B | 141,675 | $449K | D |
| Parsippany-Troy Hills Township | 10 mi northwest | 15 min | 27 26 hotels · 1 motel | 56,633 | $536K | B+ |
| Secaucus | 11 mi east | 15 min | 18 16 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 22,640 | $572K | C− |
| Woodbridge Township | 14 mi south | 20 min | 25 20 hotels · 5 motels | 104,802 | $433K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Turtle Back Zoo
Other well-known places within 21 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw115 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw217 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw311 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw416 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw517 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a year
Big draw615 mi MuseumNational September 11 Memorial & Museum
Big draw721 mi BeachConey Island
Big draw819 mi Stadium & arenaYankee StadiumPhoto credits
Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0 · National September 11 Memorial & Museum: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Coney Island: OptimumPx, Public domain · Yankee Stadium: Matt Boulton, CC BY-SA 2.0
_-_Full_(48124330357).jpg){kind=link}
_-_Central_Park,_NYC.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Visiting Turtle Back Zoo
Is Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange Township?
Yes. It’s inside West Orange Township, NJ.
When is the best time to visit Turtle Back Zoo?
April, May, June, August, September and October, with highs of 62–84°.
How far is Turtle Back Zoo from Hempstead?
About 36 miles east of Hempstead, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Turtle Back Zoo?
Newark Liberty (EWR), about 8 miles away.
Where should I stay near Turtle Back Zoo?
New York City (19 mi, 1,485 places to stay), Newark (7 mi, 29 places to stay) and Jersey City (12 mi, 39 places to stay).
Tips from people in West Orange Township
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in West Orange Township’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.