Space Farms Zoo and Museum facts for kids
| Date opened | 1927 |
|---|---|
| Location | 218 County Road 519, Sussex, NJ 07461 |
| Coordinates | 41°12′35″N 74°41′35″W / 41.2096°N 74.6930°W |
The Space Farms Zoo and Museum is a special place in Sussex County, New Jersey. It's a type of zoo often found along roads, and it also has a museum full of history. This unique spot is currently owned by Parker Space, who is a New Jersey Assemblyman. An Assemblyman is a person elected to help make laws for the state.
Space Farms first opened its doors in 1927. Today, it is home to over 500 live animals. Some of these animals are even endangered species, meaning they are at risk of disappearing from the world.
Contents
Exploring Space Farms
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum at Space Farms is like a trip back in time. It has many old cars and other items from the early days of the United States. You can see horse-drawn carriages and early motorcycles. Many of these vehicles are shown just as they were found, without being fully fixed up or repainted.
The museum also displays tools and weapons from the colonial period. This was a time when the United States was first being settled.
The Story of Goliath the Bear
One famous exhibit at the museum features a very large bear. This was a Kodiak bear named Goliath. He was part of a special display that showed animals that had been preserved through taxidermy. Taxidermy is a way to prepare, stuff, and mount animal skins to make them look alive. After Goliath passed away in 1991, his skull was put on display in the museum.
Animal Friends at the Zoo
The zoo at Space Farms is home to many different kinds of animals. You can see powerful African lions and sleek black leopards. There are also South American jaguars, cougars, lynx, and bobcats.
The zoo also has several types of tigers, including Bengal tigers. If you like bears, you can see Grizzly bears, Hokkaido bears, Kodiak bears, and black bears. It's a great place to learn about animals from all over the world.
