Heading out with your family? How about a day out to visit and learn about animals? Long Island has a lot of great places to visit where animals are the main attraction.

Check out our list of great places to visit:

First, we will talk about different local farms across Long Island.

Farms:

The Suffolk County Farm and Education Center

is a great place to visit with your family or enroll in a great educational program. Self guided tours are free or you can plan your visit ahead of time by contacting the farm. Your children will love exploring the grounds and seeing all the great animals at the farm.

Located at: 350 Yaphank AvenueYaphank, NY 11980

Call (631) 852-4600  for General Info

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White Post

“A trip to the White Post Animal Farm is your ticket to a full day of fun for the whole family. Meet and feed our animals, watch our fun animatronics shows, play in our giant sandbox and playground areas, experience Ronnie’s Birdie Landing ^TM the largest free flight aviary on Long Island and more!”

Located at: 250 Old Country Road  Melville, NY

Phone: 631-351-9373

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Benner’s Farm

A fifteen acre family owned farm with farm animals to see and a giant swing to swing on. Benner’s Farm offers their visitors a feeling of what it is like to be part of a small farm and enjoy great events and workshops throughout the year.

Located at: 56 Gnarled Hollow Rd, East Setauket, NY 

Phone: (631) 689-8172

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Long Island Game Farm

The Long Island Game Farm – Wildlife Park & Children’s Zoo is a great day out for the family with great animals to see and feed throughout.

Located at:  489 Chapman Road  Manorville, NY 11949

Phone: 631-878-6670

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Animal Farm Petting Zoo

Ten acres of land with lots of animals to see, free pony rides, playgrounds to climb and so much more. There is a lot of interaction between you and the animals here at The Animal Farm and your kids will love it.

 

 

 

 

Ecology Sites/ Nature Centers

Sweetbriar Nature Center

“Sweet Briar Nature Center is a private not-for-profit corporation which exists to provide natural science education services for Long Island residents of all ages and to engage in native wildlife rehabilitation services.’ Through education programs at the center people can better understand and appreciate the animals and nature that surrounds us.

 

Located at: 62 Eckernkamp Drive Smithtown, NY 11787

Phone: 631-979-6344

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Holtsville Ecology Center

“The Town of Brookhaven Wildlife and Ecology Center Animal Preserve is the home of over 100 injured or non-releasable wild animals and farm animals that are available for viewing.” The playground area is huge and there are swings available for kids to use, as well.

Located at : 249 Buckley Road in Holtsville, NY 11742

Phone: 758-9664 ext. 10

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South Shore Nature Center

 The Nature Center is beautiful and there are great trails to explore. When you first enter the Nature Center parking lot you will see the Butterfly Garden on your left. You will see a large variety of all kinds of wildlife including many species of birds and water fowl.

the picture above was taken from the Islips.com website

Located at: 130 Bayview Avenue  East Islip, NY 11730

Phone: (631) 224-5436

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Quogue Wildlife Refuge

300 acres of land for you and your family to enjoy year round. “The Outdoor Wildlife Complex houses permanently injured wildlife that require human care to survive including a bobcat, owls, falcons, a bald eagle, foxes and other native New York animals.”

pictures taken from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge Resident Animal Page –> here

Located at : 3 Old Country Rd   Quogue, New York

Phone: (631) 653-4771

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Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve

“The Hoyt Farm Nature Center is an exciting and educational place. There are many live animals, including snakes, frogs, salamanders, turtles, and fish.”

 

Photos taken from website

Located at: 200 New Highway Commack, NY 11725
Phone: 631-543-7804

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Center For Science Teaching and Learning

“Open year-round, CSTL’s live animal exhibit offers visitors of all ages a unique opportunity to meet and encounter a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Visitors to the exhibit can expect a more intimate, family-oriented experience than most zoos, as they interact with chatty parrots, look eye to eye with alligators, pet dwarf goats, hoot at owls, and even gaze into the inner workings of a live honeybee hive. An outdoor butterfly garden gives visitors the opportunity to see hummingbirds and butterflies!”

photo taken from website

Located at: 1 Tanglewood Rd.   Rockville Centre, NY 11570
Phone: 516-764-0045

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Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

” Integrating science, conservation, policy and education, our mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems within New York and the Atlantic Flyway, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.”

Located at: 134 Cove Road  Oyster Bay, New York 11771

Phone: 516-922-3200

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Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium

“the largest living collection of New York State freshwater reptiles, fishes and amphibians. Visitors can tour our two aquarium buildings and eight outdoor ponds, feed the hungry trout, and try our “Catch & Keep” fishing.”

Located at: 1660 Route 25A   Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
Phone: 516-692-6768

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Connetquot River State Park

“maintains 3,473 acres of land and water for the protection and propagation of game birds, fish and animals. Deer and waterfowl are numerous, rare nesting birds, including the osprey, are present and there are numerous rare plants, and other interesting flora, such as trailing arbutus and pink lady’s slipper in their natural habitats. The preserve also has 50 miles of hiking, horseback riding, cross-country ski and nature trails, as well as fishing (by permit only) on the Connetquot River.”

Phone: (631) 581-1005

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Tackapausha Museum and Preserve

“At the museum you can see live exhibits and monthly scheduled presentations which include; birds of prey, reptiles, amphibians, mammals such as opossums, rabbits, ground squirrels, porcupine and coming soon our amazing and unique Egyptian fruit bats.”

 

Located at:  2215 Washington Ave  Seaford, New York

Phone: (516) 571-7443

 

The Long Island Aquarium

“Two great attractions in one fin-tastic destination, the Aquarium and Exhibition Center features one of the largest all-living coral reef displays in this hemisphere, a 120,000-gallon shark tank, year-round sea lion shows, numerous touch tanks, and more than 100 exhibits and interactive experiences.  The Exhibition Center’s first exhibit is Butterflies, Bugs & Birds!”

 

 

pictures taken from the Long Island Aquarium FB page

Located at:  431 E Main St   Riverhead, New York

Phone: 631.208.9200 

 

Jungle Bob’s Reptile World

Not your average Reptile Store! Are you ready to take a walk on the wild side? Do you and your kids love reptiles? Then you have got to head to the coolest store on Long Island … Jungle Bob’s Reptile World.

 

 Located at: 2536 Middle Country Rd  Centereach, NY 11720

Phone: (631) 737-6474

 

 

 

If you have not been to some of these great places on Long Island make it a point to head out with your family and enjoy all the beauty Long Island provides us. Support your local farms, nature preserves and centers they are doing great things for our community.