“Family Nights” and “Zoo-vies” are coming to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo this summer.
For Family Nights, the zoo will have extended evening hours on Wednesday and Thursday nights from June through August.
For Zoo-vies, popular movies for children will be shown on the top floor of the new Zoo Parking Deck on Wednesday nights.
“Family Nights and Zoo-vies give children and our families another opportunity to enjoy an evening under the stars at Turtle Back Zoo and our beautiful South Mountain Recreation Complex. Come to Turtle Back in the evening when the temperature gets cooler and our animals get more active, and then stay to watch a movie under the stars in the unique setting of our new parking garage,” said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo. “These evening activities are sure to be fun for the whole family,” he noted.
Family Nights at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo will be on Wednesday and Thursday nights in June, July and August. Instead of closing at 4:30 p.m., the zoo will remain open until 8:30 p.m. with the last admission at 8 p.m. Families also can enjoy a night out for dinner with a variety of specials, including fried chicken, barbeque spare ribs and pizza, being offered in the air-conditioned Zoo Café.
Family Nights will be held as follows:
- Dates: Wednesdays, June 24; July 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29; August 5, 12, 19 & 26
- Thursdays, June 25; July 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30; August 6, 13, 20 & 27
- Times: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Place: Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ
Zoo-vies will feature blockbuster movies that children – and their parents – will enjoy. The movies will be shown on Wednesday evenings during June, July and August on the rooftop of the new parking deck. Participants are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Admission is free and the deck will be open for seating at 7 p.m. The movies will be shown at dusk. Refreshments will be for sale. Rain will cancel the presentation. The schedule is as follows:
Zoo-vies
- Wednesday, June 24: Dolphin Tale 2
- Wednesday, July 1: Into the Woods
- Wednesday, July 8: Yogi Bear
- Wednesday, July 15: The Lorax
- Wednesday, July 22: ET
- Wednesday, July 29: 101 Dalmatians
- Wednesday, August 5: Jurassic Park
- Wednesday, August 12: Madagascar
- Wednesday, August 19: Curious George
- Wednesday, August 26: A Bug’s Life
Revitalizing Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
Since taking office in 2003, DiVincenzo has spearheaded over $70 million in upgrades to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, which have included developing a new Educational Building, the Carousel with 33 figures of endangered animals; building the Sea Lion Sound Exhibit with sea lions, sharks and sting rays; the Big Cat Country Exhibit with Jaguars and Cougars; Tam-ring Gibbons Reserve with Gibbons apes, Reeves muntjac and white naped cranes; Australian Exhibit that features kangaroos, wallabies, emus and over 500 birds in the Aviary; Reptile and Education Center, open air dining pavilion and playground, Penguin Exhibit, Otter Exhibit, Wolf Exhibit, Alligator Exhibit, North American Animal Exhibit, Black Bear Exhibit, Animal Hospital, Essex Farm Petting Zoo and South American Animal Exhibit; renovating the Food Pavilion for year-round use and making upgrades to the entrance as well as fencing and infrastructure to meet AZA requirements. Funding has been provided through Green Acres grants, existing capital improvement bonds, or donations from the Zoological Society, Essex County Parks Foundation, corporations or private foundations. Corporations that have provided support include Investors Bank, Prudential Financial, Inc., Wells Fargo (Wachovia Bank), PNC Bank, PSE&G, Verizon, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Coca Cola, Capital One Bank, TD Bank, Aramark, Covanta Energy and OxyMagic carpet cleaning.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 22 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, two miniature golf courses, three off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. Turtle Back Zoo is located in Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation and was opened to the public in 1963.
