Prospect Park Zoo

At this interactive wildlife center, kids can walk along the Discovery Trail and come face to face with a playful family of North American river otters and be on the hunt for Australian dingos. On spring days, you might also find a commotion at the sea lion court: the graceful swimmers like to entertain onlookers by diving, high-fiving their keepers and chowing down on fishy food. Three major indoor exhibits keep visitors occupied year-round: Barn and Garden, where kids can walk among alpacas, goats, sheep and other beasts; the Animal Lifestyles building, where they can trade funny faces with Geoffrey's tamarin monkeys, and hoot and holler with the boisterous hamadryas baboons; and Amazing Animals, which allows aspiring zoologists to observe animals that adapt to their environment in diverse ways, including creatures that use their colors either to attract attention or deflect it. Have tots keep an eye out for the latest addition, vibrant aracari toucans from South America's rainforests.