Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton Offers Free Admission for Families Year-Round

New Jersey's oldest zoo has never charged admission, and after more than nine decades in operation, Cohanzick Zoo at 45 Mayor Aitken Drive in Bridgeton remains one of the only municipally run zoos in the state, housing over 100 mammals, birds, and reptiles across 47 species and 25 separate exhibits, all at no cost to visitors.

The zoo traces its origins to 1934, when the City of Bridgeton found itself with a small herd of deer that citizens wanted put on public display. That modest collection grew into what the city now calls New Jersey's first zoo. In 1972 the facility was renamed Cohanzick Zoo, honoring the band of Lenape Indians who lived alongside the Cohansey River, the waterway that still flows through the 1,100-acre Bridgeton City Park where the zoo sits.

Tigers and gibbons are among the most-noticed residents. Visitors walking the path that wraps around a central pond with a fountain can hear a gibbon screech or a tiger roar before they see the animals; reviewers have described the tiger exhibit as a highlight, noting the enclosure puts visitors closer to the big cats than they expect. The zoo is operated by the City of Bridgeton's Department of Recreation and Public Affairs, with the Cohanzick Zoological Society serving as its nonprofit funding arm. Donations to the society cover medications, veterinary care and equipment, specialty feeds, enrichment items, and habitat renovations, since admission revenue does not exist.

Beyond live animals, the grounds hold a growing collection of statuary: Gordy the Gorilla, Mr. Kipling (a life-sized Komodo dragon), a life-sized giraffe, and George and Daisy, a mother-baby ape. The names came from children who attended the 2013 Zoo Camp, one of several programs the zoo runs alongside its public and educational offerings.

The annual event calendar includes KidsFest each May from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a free family gathering with facepainting, crafts, and entertainment sponsored by the Cohanzick Zoological Society. October brings Boo at the Zoo, running the same hours, where community organizations and volunteers hand out treats and host activities for costumed children. A September Community Fun Day and the summer Zoo Camp round out the regular schedule, along with the Out-to-Lunch Mad Scientist show and the Run For The Animals 5K and one-mile walk fundraiser.

The zoo is open daily, with spring and summer hours running 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and fall and winter hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The zoo closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and occasionally during severe weather. The City of Bridgeton and the Cohanzick Zoological Society have stated a longer-term goal of pursuing formal accreditation as part of a broader push to make the zoo a premier family destination in Cumberland County.

The Cohanzick Zoo is part of the larger Bridgeton City Park complex, which also includes a 7,500-square-foot Splash Park adjacent to the zoo, an outdoor amphitheater at Sunset Lake with a swimming beach, Mary Elmer Lake, Piney Point Woods trails, and the Southern New Jersey All Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. The zoo can be reached at 856-453-1658 or by email at cohanzickzoosociety@gmail.com.