Founded in 1899, the Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan animal park in the United States, with more than 4,000 animals living on 265 acres. This is an extremely progressive zoo as zoos go -- most of the old-fashioned cages have been replaced by more natural settings, ongoing improvements keep it feeling fresh and up to date, and it's far more bucolic than you might expect. In fact, I think it's one of the city's best attractions.

One of the most impressive exhibits is the Wild Asia Complex. This zoo-within-a-zoo comprises the Wild Asia Plaza education center; Jungle World, an indoor re-creation of Asian forests with birds, lizards, gibbons, and leopards; and the Bengali Express Monorail (open May-Oct), which takes you on a narrated ride high above free-roaming Siberian tigers, Asian elephants, Indian rhinoceroses, and other nonnative New Yorkers (keep your eyes peeled -- the animals aren't as interested in seeing you). The Himalayan Highlands is home to some 17 extremely rare snow leopards, as well as red pandas and white-naped cranes. The 6 1/2-acre Congo Gorilla Forest is home to Western lowland gorillas, okapi, red river hogs, and other African rain-forest animals.

The Children's Zoo (open Apr-Oct) allows young humans to learn about their wildlife counterparts. Kids can compare their leaps to those of a bullfrog, slide into a turtle shell, climb into a heron's nest, see with the eyes of an owl, and hear with the acute ears of a fox. There's also a petting zoo. Camel rides are another part of the summertime picture, as is the Butterfly Zone and the Skyfari aerial tram (each an extra $2 charge).

If the natural settings and breeding programs aren't enough to keep zoo residents entertained, they can always choose to ogle the 2 million annual visitors. But there are ways to beat the crowds. Try to visit on a weekday or on a nice winter's day. In summer, come early in the day, before the heat of the day sends the animals back into their enclosures. Expect to spend an entire day here -- you'll need it.