space farms zoo & museum

I have been taking my kids to this great local zoo since 1992. Now that my kids are older, I'm sure one day I will be taking my grandchildren as well. We love to buy the animal treats that they sell in their store and feed the animals as we journey through the zoo. I would recommend this zoo to all ages.

You need good shoes because it is a lot of walking. Pick a nice day because there is not a lot of shade.

This is quite a place. Just when you think you have seen it all, around the corner is a whole other collection that is unbelievable! Nothing fancy but a tribute to one family's lifetime of collecting.

Twenty years ago, I visited Space Farms for the first time on an elementary school field trip. I was so excited to go back this past summer. Soon after arriving, I began to wish we hadn't wasted the time or the money. We forgot to pack our stroller, so we had to rent one; $5.00 for a rickety old rusted metal contraption, that we ended up using just to hold our bags. The name should be changed to "Deer Farms" because they are almost overtaken by deer. They have a handfull of other animlas, like a bear and a llama, but mostly deer. The most disturbing part of the visit, was when we saw a few attendants driving ATV's around with carts containing deer limbs that were being fed to the large animals. It was disturbing on a few levels. They were literally pulling carts through crowds of people, mostly children, that contained deer legs, and then feeding those parts to the other animals, in front of the children. They had dispensers containing corn that could be purchased and fed to the deer and goats. Knowing that we were feeding the deer, that were being raised for hte sole purpose of feeding the larger animals, was sad and disgusting. If you are reallying looking for a nice day at a "zoo" and want to get an upclose experience with the animals, spend then extra hour in the car, and head over to Claws N Paws in P.A. The atmosphere is better, the conditions of the animals and their habitat is better.

I have been coming to Space Farms since I was a child and it remains one of my favorite places to spend the day at! Don't expect a modern zoo with paved pathways and high tech features...this is an old fashioned classic zoo that brings you back to when you were a young kid. You can get right up close to all the animals and really experience what a zoo is supposed to be all about. All the animals looked extremely healthy and their enclosures looked spotless. The zoo is very spread out so you do not have to fight to see the lions, tigers and bears!! They also have a fantastic collection of classic cars and tons of other collectibles from long ago. I probably have visited Space Farms 25 times over the years and last Sunday I brought my son for the first time. So start a family tradition and see what a real zoo is all about. I know you'll love it as much as my family has over the years.

This review is about the Space Farms Zoo and Museum in Sussex, New Jersey. I feel appalled at the deplorable conditions in which the zoo keepers maintain the animals. They are dehydrated, confined to small spaces and unable to seek relief from the weather elements. In a photo that I have, the bear is literally asking for help. How can people think that it's ok to keep animals in a zoo in these abusive conditions? It's inhumane. I am sending the information to various associations and newspapers with the hope that the animals get some help.ECL

How this "farm" is allowed to house animals is beyond comprehension. The lions have are kept in a pen the size of a small patio. The fur of other animals is either falling off or matted. There is plenty of room on the grounds but apparently the owners refuse to invest the price of admission to provide adequate space for these animals to walk/live. I was saddened to bring my daughter here. The state needs to come in and help these animals.

I am glad to see that people have tried to contact and change things about this zoo. Unfortunately, it remains the same. My hope is that someone reading the bad reviews can see this and create positive change. These animals are not kept in the right conditions. They are suffering daily. There were loaves of bread piled in cages to animals that do not even eat bread. The larger animals can barely stretch, their cages are so small. A monkey was pulling the fur out of its tail. There was nowhere for them to hide, nothing for them to play with. It would be worse than jail, like waiting everyday for death. Please someone help these animals.

You start at Space Farms trying to see all the stuff that they have! The entry museum has a great selection of arms and oddities. It also has a blacksmith shop, auto museum, tractors, tools, and a general store.My son and I had a great time in the zoo portion. The herds of deer and all the different bears was interesting. Then we went to see the lions. The male lion chose that moment to start his roars...WOW! The animals in the cages around him freaked out. The tiger got upset, the black bears starting fighting, the deer herd moved enmasse away and babies started to cry. To say the least, it was interesting. This park is big and they have alot of animals to see. The albino Elk and baby pigs were kid winners.It was very sad to see the kangaroo with the bad leg. My son was upset with that.The entry was fair I guess, $15 for adult and $11 for kids, my son and I enjoyed ourselves. Some of the cages should be increased.

I've seen all the ratings online (which I'm sure most are paid for and mostly positive ones get approved) but we decided to try it out. Very big wide open space for the kids to run around to the cages. But considering all the open vast land and what they charge to get in they can afford to give these animals larger areas and atmospheres that are more like their habitats they are meant to be in. Lions bears and wolves are not meant for a space like our backyards with no vegetation and nothing but rocks and dirt. They all looked so dehydrated and I was so sad for them. The deer were NUTS for the corn we fed them but they had absolutely no vegetation. They were in a small area of rocks and dirt surrounding the bear cages. They just cried out for corn when you walked towards them. And forget having lunch there unless you want to sit in a cafeteria setting amongst all the taxidermy. Which is really ironic for a zoo. Just gross to eat amongst that too. They need to really do some work here. The kids didn't know the difference and left happy but us adults were heartbroken for those animals. We wouldn't ever go back again and they need to be Called on to make changes or transport those animals to larger zoos where they will be happier.

If you have kids this is a good day out. Firstly the place is big with animals given a lot of space to move around in, now that's contrary to some other reviews, but some animals are sitting in acres of land! The wild cats/lions/etc have just as much space as other Zoos such as Turtleback zoo. It's not as modern as that but then it's not situated in a heavily built up area so doesn't get funded by the same number of people passing through the gates.The other roaming animals are in large compounds, considerably bigger than your average zoo.Another user commented on the 'overwhelming smell'. Only area we smelt anything was around the baby pigs, but they are after all animals! and some reviewers clearly missed this point! It's a zoo and animals don't flush after using the bathroom! There was no smell at all today.The grounds are well kept and clean. Some areas in need of modernizing but new pens in evidence.You can buy food to feed a lot of the animals which kids of all ages (And adults) will love doing. The keepers are knowledgable and happy to answer questions.

We visited this zoo with some friends and our children ranging from 8-11.. WE all had a great time. It is very small and friendly. Not over crowded. It was small enough that the kids could run ahead and we didn't have to worry about them getting lost. Loved all the animals and the museums were very interesting. I would definitely go back again.

Through the years I have brought my son here as it is really just a town away. It was always fun and entertaining for him when he was young. It is laid out nicely to walk it with children and the variety of animals is good. They also have a barn with antique cars which honestly breaks my heart they aren't kept in a more rodent proof area. i just picture them restored to their former beauty. All in all a fun affordable place to bring the kids.

We love Space Farms. There are things for everyone - wild animals zoo and farm animals, vintage cars museum, picnic tables, fresh made pizza, beautiful vistas and playgrounds for kids. You can easy spend the whole day there. You will find a lot of needed shade in a summer under old oaks. Not crowded even on weekends - there are space for everyone with a lot of visitors.

It started as a good family event... The reviews were good, everything should have been nice. The museum was nice, quaint. The zoo... I pity. The animals such as bears, large cats , & primates... were NOT adequately hydrated!!! No source of water, let alone fresh water! The animals that needed the space were not given adequate space. The alligator had a space caged in smaller than my bedroom! It was over all sad . There were primates in the center that my son could reach to hand them food, they were so frustrated (you could see in their eyes & expressions) that they wacked the food from my sons hands (mind u my son is 6-4, 190#) & growled... You could see the frustration in the higher level animals! Bears pacing, looking aimlessly ...Time for Space (the owners last name) Zoo to throw the towel in ! But first give the animals some water!!!