Prospect Park Zoo

At this interactive wildlife center, kids can walk along the Discovery Trail and come face to face with Oggie and his new pal Dixie, two North American river otters. Keep hopping down the path to find the Australian Walkabout's kangaroo and the new rock wallabies, whose grooved hind paws easily grip the boulders in their steep habitat. A pair of native South African scops owls—recognizable by their bright white faces—roost in the aviary along the trail. 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 a pair of Geoffrey's tamarin monkeys named Tira and Misu (they were born in April), and hoot and holler with Jabari and Azizi, a couple of boisterous hamadryas baboon babes who were born in late July; 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 to the Amazing Animals area—a pair of big-eyed pygmy slow lorises (nocturnal primates).