Spring Into Fun at CT's Beardsley Zoo

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is pleased to release its calendar for April through June 2023. Spring is a wonderful time to visit the Zoo, as many of the animals are more active in cool weather, so make plans to get outside with the family for fresh air! The Zoo plans fun and educational special events and seasonal programs for the entire family, most of which are free with the cost of admission. Calendar subject to change without notice. Please check BeardsleyZoo.org or Facebook (@ConnecticutsBeardsleyZoo) for the most up to date information.

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is closer than you think and open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Adult admission (ages 12 & older) is $19.00; children (ages 3 -11) is $15.00, senior admission (62 and older) is $15.00 and children under 3 years old are free. Zoo members also are admitted free. 

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is located at 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut, and parking at the zoo is free of charge. 

DAILY HOURS

The Zoo is open seven days a week from 9-4, year-round. 

Peacock Café: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Grill closes 30 minutes before closing. 

Carousel: Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Final ride at 3:45 p.m.

 

April 2023

April 1, Tickets on Sale for Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari!

Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari is a great night out for couples and individuals over 18!   Join us in June for a fabulous night of great fare from local vendors and tastings of 100 different wines and more than 60 different beers from around the world and close to home. This beautiful summer evening at the Zoo sells out quickly so don’t wait to get your tickets. https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

April 2, World Autism Awareness Day

Light It Up Blue! If you have family members with sensory issues, we offer a quiet space, sensory backpacks, and an understanding of people of all abilities. 

April 5, Facebook and Instagram Live, Farmyard Animals, 1 p.m.

Join us for a discussion about all the Farmyard animals that charm children and adults year-round, and then let’s talk National Zoo Lovers’ Day. 

April 8, National Zoo Lovers Day

This would be a perfect day to visit a zoo and be one of the millions of people who visit them each year. Enjoy seeing your favorite animals and have a fun-filled day. A few zoo facts: Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo opened in 1922 and is 101 years old. The Zoo is home to more than 350 animals, primarily North and South American and northern Asian species. Many endangered species make their home at the Zoo, including an Amur tiger and Amur leopards, Mexican and red wolves, red pandas, and many more.

April 9, Easter Sunday

The Zoo is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.! Come celebrate with the children. 

April 19, Party for the Planet Facebook and Instagram Live, 1:00 p.m.

Join us online and find out what you can do to help the Zoo celebrate Earth Day.

April 20, Zoo Tots: Rainforest Adventure! 10:30-11:00 a.m.

This monthly 30-minute program, for children 22 months to four years who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, crafts, and live animals. This session is “Rainforest Adventure!”  Spend your rainy April showers inside our Rainforest and discover all the animals that call this place home. $25 for one tot and up to two guardians; add another tot for $10. To reserve a space in the program, register here: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/zoo-tots.html

April 22, Earth Day, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

The Zoo is celebrating Earth Day by sharing information on the important part that each of us can play in protecting our fragile natural environment. Six tables at the Zoo will offer information on: How you can help the planet; How accredited zoos save species with our Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) programs; Citizen Science initiatives—FrogWatch and Monarch Watch; the New England Cottontail Conservation Program; Cool Blue Bridgeport with a focus on Climate Change, and teen volunteers share their plans to visit Yellowstone National Park. 

April 22-23 Party for the Planet; Pequonnock River Clean Up, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. 

Join us for our annual Earth Day program. Come join the Zoo for either of two separate Pequonnock River Cleanups in Bridgeport.  Up to 50 individuals each day can sign up to help the Zoo clean up Beardsley Park. The clean-up will be held from 9:30 am-12:00 pm. We will supply gloves, trash bags, paper pickers and companionship: you bring your energy and desire to help clean up the earth! Families are welcome. Sign up through the website at https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

In 2022, we cleaned up 800 pounds of garbage and filled 25 garbage bags!  

April 28-May 1, City Nature Challenge with the Maritime Aquarium

Invented by community science staff at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences, the City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It’s a bio blitz-style competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people.Download the iNaturalist app on your phone, take a photo of an item in nature and upload it. Instructions and registration here: https://www.maritimeaquarium.org/city-nature-challenge

April 29-30, Party for the Planet; Pequonnock River Clean Up, 9:30 a.m. -12 p.m.

Up to 50 individuals each day can sign up to help the Zoo clean up Beardsley Park. The clean-up in the park will be held from 9:30am-12:00pm each day. We will supply gloves, trash bags, paper pickers and companionship: you bring your energy and desire to help clean up the earth! Families are welcome. Sign up through the website at https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

April 26, Evening Lecture Series: Animal Observation, Fairfield University,

7 p.m. 

Fairfield University’s U RIZE program students in conjunction with Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo are studying zoo animal behavior. Students studied leopard calls, behavior in red wolves, breeding behavior in white-naped cranes, and aggression in trout, among other topics. The lecture will take place at Fairfield University. 

 

May 2023

May 6, Photography Walkabout with Jack Bradley, 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Zoo Volunteer Jack Bradley will lead a group of 12 intermediate photographers in a hands-on morning session at the Zoo. You must have a basic working knowledge of cameras to join the group. Join Jack for tips on photographing animals from birds to bison, and tigers to trout. Class size is limited; sign up is required.  $25 fee, payable in advance, plus $19 Zoo admission. Members pay only the $25 fee. Sign up through the website at https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

May 7, Mother’s Day

Connecticut’s only Zoo wants to thank all mothers and grandmothers. Enjoy this special day by visiting animals and then having lunch together in the Peacock Pavilion.

May 10, Be Bear Aware Panel, 7:00-8:30 pm., Carousel Building

The Zoo has assembled a cadre of bear experts to answer all your questions on living safely with black bears, and more! This very informative evening will address concerns about wild bears, share information on what bears are really like, what they need, and discuss how we can help to promote bear conservation and habitat protection. Plus, learn about our new Andean bear habitat opening in just 10 days! 

May 17, Evening Lecture Series: The Bear Reality, Felicia Ortner, CT Master Wildlife Conservationist, 7 p.m.

Bears have become victims of misunderstandings, fueled by media, literature, and word of mouth. The population of black bears has increased in Connecticut over the last four decades and will continue to grow. This program will share information on the American black bear, the state’s only resident species in the wild, to improve our understanding and tolerance and reduce conflicts with our wild bear neighbors. The lecture will be presented via Zoom and in person. The cost is $10 for each lecture, with light refreshments provided. Sponsored by the Zoo’s Volunteer Council. Volunteers are free.  To purchase tickets: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/evening-lectures.html

May 19, Endangered Species Day, Facebook & Instagram Live, 1 p.m.

Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions they can take to help protect them. This year, we’re celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. A table with information on Endangered Species will be set up at the Zoo from 1 to 3 p.m. 

May 20, Grand Opening Andean Bear Habitat, 11:00 a.m.

Help us celebrate the Grand Opening of our newest habitat for Andean bears! We’ll bring the cake and beverages along with special presentations on these beautiful and endangered South American bears, returning to the Zoo after an absence of several years. This large and beautiful habitat for the arboreal (tree-climbing) bears features a very special guest viewing area. Zoo Educators will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with exciting information about these “spectacled” bears. The first 100 guests to arrivce will receive an Andean bear water bottle!

May 24, Zoo Tots: Wolf Wednesday!  10:30-11:00 a.m.

This monthly 30-minute program, for children 22 months to four years who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, crafts, and live animals. This session is “Wolf Wednesday!” Have a howling good time in our Wolf Observation Learning Facility (W.O.L.F. Cabin) and join the pack for stories, crafts, and learning all about wolves here at the Zoo. $25 for one tot and up to two guardians; add another tot for $10. To reserve a space in the program, register here: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/zoo-tots.html

May 31, World Otter Day, Facebook and Instagram Live, 1 p.m.

World Otter Day brings all otter species to our attention. It focuses on raising awareness about how important otters are and also highlights the threats they face. Threats faced by otters include the huge trade in these animals for pets and fur. 

May 27-28-29, Family Favorite Chris Rowlands LIVE; 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm; May 27: Farmin’ Fever sponsored by The Farm Bureau

Chris is famous for getting everyone involved through singing and dancing—even bringing kids up on stage with him! Rowlands brings animals to life through kid-friendly songs, dance, puppets, and colorful props. Children are invited to wear fun hats and sing along on stage as he shares his self-penned songs about animals and their environment. Free with paid admission to the Zoo. Shown at 11 am, 1 and 3 pm. daily. Each performance is 30-35 minutes long. 

May 29, Memorial Day

All active service members and veterans get in free, and their families get 20% off the price of tickets. 

 

June 2023

June 1, Photography Goes Wild Photo Contest Begins

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is proud to announce its fifth annual photography contest is open for submissions, an opportunity for the Zoo’s many dedicated amateur and professional photographers to submit their best work for public viewing. The contest is sponsored by Milford Photo.  Judging will take place mid-July, with an in-person show held on Thursday, July 27 in the Zoo’s Hanson Building. 

June 3, Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari is a great night out for couples and individuals over 18!   Join us for a fabulous night of great fare from local vendors and tastings of 100 different wines and more than 60 different beers from around the world and close to home. This beautiful summer evening at the Zoo sells out quickly so don’t wait to get your tickets. Tickets go on sale April 1, 2023. 

June 10, Milford Photo Day at the Zoo, 10 am. to 2 p.m.

Join the photography professionals from Milford Photo at the Zoo as they demonstrate new cameras, lenses, and techniques for the best animal photos. 

June 14, Zoo Tots: Farmyard Fun!  10:30-11:00 a.m.

This monthly 30-minute program, for children 22 months to four years who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, crafts, and live animals. This session is “Farmyard Fun!”  Cultivate a sense of wonder in our fabulous farmyard! Tots will explore domestic breeds, enjoy stories on the family farm, and enjoy a craft near our big red barn in the Adventure Amphitheater. $25 for one tot and up to two guardians; add another tot for $10. To reserve a space in the program, register here: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/zoo-tots.html

June 18, Father’s Day

Come spend the day at the Zoo with your family!

June 21, Evening Lecture Series: Horseshoe Crab Monitoring, Jo-Marie Kasinak, M.S., 7 p.m.Sacred Heart University Biology Professor Jo-Marie Kasinak will present Project Limulus: a community-based research study examining the ecology of the Long Island Sound horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) population. “Horseshoe crabs are a foundational species for their ecosystem. They are invaluable to human health, because their blood is used to make Limulus amebocyte lysate, which tests vaccines and other medical devices to ensure they are not contaminated with bacteria. Anyone who has received a flu shot or a COVID-19 vaccine can thank horseshoe crabs,” says Kasinak.  The lecture will be presented via Zoom and in person. The cost is $10 for each lecture, with light refreshments provided. Sponsored by the Zoo’s Volunteer Council. Volunteers are free.  To purchase tickets: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/evening-lectures.html

June 22, World Rainforest Day, Facebook & Instagram Live, 1 p.m.

World Rainforest Day celebrates the importance of healthy, standing rainforests for climate, biodiversity, culture, and livelihoods, and convenes a global movement to protect and restore them. 

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About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo:

Let Your Curiosity Run Wild! Connecticut’s only zoo, celebrating its 101st year, features 350 animals representing primarily North and South American and Northern Asian species. Guests won’t want to miss our Amur tiger and leopards, maned wolves, Mexican gray wolves, and red wolves.  Other highlights include our Spider Monkey Habitat, the prairie dog exhibit, and the Pampas Plain with giant anteaters and Chacoan peccaries. Guests can grab a bite from the Peacock Café and eat in the Picnic Grove.  As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, the non-profit Zoo is committed to the preservation of endangered animals and wild habitats. Tickets must be purchased on the Zoo’s website at beardsleyzoo.org

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Submitted by Fairfield, CT

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