The zoo is located within Central Park and covers 6.5 acres it began as a small menagerie in the 1860s and was the city's first zoo. Like most zoos today the traditional barred cages have been replaced with recreated natural environments. The zoo has three main areas: tropical, temperate and polar as well as an indoor rainforest, a leafcutter ant colony and a penguin house. The zoo is home to about 2,150 animals and in addition there is an auditorium, hands-on activities, guided tours, lectures, picnic areas, a gift shop, behind-the scenes tours and children's activities. The zoo has an IMAX theatre where there are regular shows about animals.

Within the zoo is the Tisch Children's Zoo at 64^th Street and 5^th Avenue which underwent renovations in 1997. Here kids and even toddlers can interact with the creatures and learn about the animals in a secure environment. The zoo has a petting area and kids can feed and touch farm and domestic animals like goats, cows and pigs. There is animal feed on hand for the kids to give the animals and there are daily performances by the Acorn Theatre troupe. Next to the animal pens are bronze sculptures of the animals so that kids can get a close-up look at the creatures.