Take Kids on a Wild Easter Egg Eggstravaganza at CNY Animal Park
Here comes Peter Cottontail. Hopping down the bunny trail for the first Easter Egg Hunt at The Wild.
Thousands of Easter eggs will be hidden inside the animal park in Chittenango on Saturday, April 16 with thousands of dollars worth of prizes. There are two Easter Egg Hunts for kids 12 and under to choose from - 10:30 AM and 2 PM. They can only participate in one and everyone will receive a bag full of candy.
We will be giving away $10,000 worth of prizes that day ranging from encounters to giraffe tokens.
Be sure to arrive at the Wild Animal Park early and don't forget to BYOB - bring your own baskets. Tickets for the Easter Egg Hunt are normal admission price. The event is not included for Season Pass holders.
Ticket Prices
Adults $16.99
Seniors $13.99
Children aged 2-12 $14.99
Children 2 and under are free
Opening day at the park will be Saturday, April 9. The Wild Drive-Thru Safari will open a few weeks later on Saturday, April 30 for the third year. There will be some new additions you can meet and feed at the drive-thru too.
Camping in the Wild
Easter Eggs and more animals aren't the only new things coming to The Wild. It'll soon be home to a massive $10 million expansion with unique opportunities not available anywhere around, including camping in the wild, a water park, mini-golf, wedding venue, aquarium, and indoor rainforest.
Luxury Camping
A high-end luxury camping resort will include treehouses and bungalows that'll make you feel like you're in Africa. "We're going to offer treehouses that you can look out on your deck and see some giraffes, zebras, and African animals, as well as bungalows with lions and tigers outside your window," said park owner Jeff Taylor.
Water Park & Mini Golf
A water park and exotic mini-golf course are also planned. But it won't be just any mini-golf course. "There is going to be animal enclosures mixed in with waterfalls and possibly bald eagles."
Wedding/Event Center
The 117-acre project will be located on New Boston Road and will also include a large event/wedding venue that overlooks a large habitat of giraffes and African animals. "The animals will be able to come up to the venue so it's kind of a unique experience where you get to get married, see giraffes, maybe have a penguin walk your rings down the aisle."
Taylor hopes the building, which can hold up to 1000 people, will also be used to bring in lots of entertainment. "We're hoping to bring in some country concerts. Doing a building that size really gives us a lot of options."
Aquarium & Rainforest
Plans are to break ground on Phase One of the project in the next few weeks with a few treehouses and bungalows being ready sometime in the Summer of 2023. Then it's on to Phase Two. "The plans never stop. Our second phase is a large aquarium and indoor rainforest facility."
Both Phases are large projects that will take years to complete but Taylor says the overall goal is to create a place families can make memories. "We always try to think of things that are different and create a place families talk about forever and look back on fondly. Just putting smiles on people's faces, that's what's important."
You can take a virtual tour through The Wild Animal Park and Drive-Thru Safari while we wait for opening day.