Central Park Zoo 
Fifth Avenue and East 64th Street, 212-439-6500
Animal lovers of all ages won't want to miss the Central Park Zoo. A pioneer in re-creating natural habitats in an urban environment, the zoo takes guests to the Arctic world of penguins and polar bears; a humid rainforest, where tropical birds walk and fly among zoo visitors; and forests with Japanese snow monkeys and the endangered red panda climbing trees. Be sure to time your visit around the sea lion feeding shows, which take place three times per day (at 11:30am, 2pm and 4pm) right in the center of the zoo. If you're bringing along little ones, don't forget to check out the Tisch Children's Zoo, where kids can feed and pet friendly live animals. —HP