Bronx Zoo

The largest metropolitan zoo in the US, Bronx Zoo is a must-see for anyone who loves wildlife. The 265-acre site is home to more than 6,000 animals, which are housed in recreations of their natural habitats. Visitors can marvel at the elephants of Southeast Asia, the snow leopards of the Himalayas and the lemurs of Madagascar. Those who prefer to explore the long-extinct creatures of yesteryear should know that the zoo's popular dinosaur exhibition has returned this year as well, allowing visitors to enjoy close encounters with the massive lizard- and bird-like creatures of the Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic and Permian periods. (Don't worry—they're mechanical.) The biggest draws, however, might be the newest arrivals—two western lowland gorilla babies and four lion cubs.