Prospect Park Zoo Announces Reopening In July

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — The Prospect Park Zoo will open for the first time in four months in late July should New York City continue with its pace of reopening its economy from the coronavirus crisis, the zoo announced.

The Brooklyn zoo, run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, said Friday that it plans to welcome back members on July 20 and the public on July 24.

It is one of four city zoos, along with the New York Aquarium, that the society is preparing to reopen at limited capacity given that New York City is slated to enter Phase 4 of reopening July 20, according to the organization.

The Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo and Queens Zoo are also part of the reopening plan.

“While we have been closed to the public, our essential staff have been here every day caring for the animals and maintaining park operations," Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny said in a release.

“We have been developing new guidelines and safety protocols to help ensure we can operate our parks safely....Our primary concern is the safety of staff and guests."

The guidelines for reopening will vary for each facility, Breheny added, and can be found on the zoo and aquarium websites.

For the Prospect Park Zoo, guests must reserve a ticket and specific time to attend in advance.

The five facilities have added staff and equipment to disinfect the parks and plan to enforce social distancing by limiting the number of visitors, creating one-way paths in certain areas and creating contactless interactions with staff, according to the organization. Zoo-goers and staff will both wear masks.