About this vendor
Are you looking for an out of the ordinary spot to tie the knot? The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is home to over 700 animals, and we’re also one of Central New York’s most unique spots to host a wedding. Celebrate your big day in a relaxed setting that reflects your fun-loving style and personality. Best of all, your special day helps support the animals of the zoo.
Host a wedding like no other -- say “I Do” at the zoo!
Amenities + details
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Ballroom
- Garden
- Park
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Food & Catering
- Rentals & Equipment
Awards and Affiliations
2025 'Best of Weddings'
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.020 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
When looking at venues for our wedding, my husband and I knew we wanted outdoors and nature, but also unique and fun, as well as somewhere/someone who knew what they were doing! We...
looked at wineries, a few golf courses, county parks, and dedicated wedding venues, and none of them felt right. Then I happened upon the zoo when searching venues and was intrigued by the possibility. We set up a tour with Stephanie and never looked back!
The entire lead up to the event the team was onpoint, communicated often and well, and made sure we had all the information and support we needed, including working with our vendors, responding to my very silly questions, and keeping us updated on any changes to the zoo. Our tasting in February before our wedding just made that decision even more clear, the food was AMAZING and we ended up paying a bit more to have three entrees on our buffet instead of two because we couldn't deicde!
We decided to get married in front of the elephants (on the overlook above the outdoor habitat), but unfortunately it rained our entire day (good luck we hope??) and we had to move the ceremony indoors. But even with this unforunate change, the staff was so supportive and wonderful, kept in constant contact with use the entire weekend, and made the entire day and evening as special as they could.
We had such an amazing time, we loved all of the food, got to take some awesome pictures with a eagle owl (got right near him!), and had a spectacular time - we couldn't believe it when the DJ played our last song and it was time to go!
We are so so so happy we chose the zoo for our wedding, and would do it a million times again. Stephanie, Nicole, Allison, and everyone else on the catering team were superstars and we are so glad they were there to make our day amazing. All of our guests commented on how beautiful the entire set up was, how unique and amazing it was to be attending a wedding at the zoo, and how much fun they had during the entire event. (and did I mention the food!!!!! AMAZING - we're still getting compliments and people asking if they can get some more!)
Absolutely positively the best decision we made for a wedding venue! We wanted something unique and there was no doubt that this would be it. From the moment we started planning, S...
tephanie was extremely helpful and communicative. She made sure every detail was hit before the wedding and made sure it was everything we would want. On our wedding day, she and the rest of the staff made sure to accommodate us with whatever we wanted to make happen. The food was absolutely delicious at the reception, the fact that we were able to get married by one of our favorite animals (the penguins) was incredible, and all of our guests said they had an amazing time. If you want a wedding that your guests will talk about forever, this is the place to do it- our wedding here was simply perfect. 10/10 would absolutely recommend the zoo for your wedding!
We got married at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in September and it was absolutely perfect! They made the whole process so easy and they were incredibly responsive and professional! Our...
coordinators Stephanie, Claire, and Wendi, were completely on top of everything and helped us all along the way! The staff on the day were excellent and everything went off without a hitch! The price for everything was also very reasonable! They were able to take care of everything from catering and the bar and even some decor! It’s also so cool that they have so many different locations that can be used for a first look spot, pictures, and ceremony spaces! We had the best time and would absolutely recommend to any couples looking for a fun and unique venue! Also, Chef Allison is amazing and the food was fantastic!
Getting married at the zoo was an absolute dream! In every way, all my dreams came true: the elephants were majestic, the food was delicious, and every member of the staff was atte...
ntive and kind.I can't speak highly enough about Stephanie - she is professional, on top of things, easy to talk to, and absolutely so supportive throughout the day. She was there whenever we needed her, and accommodated to all our silly mistakes like forgetting one of the name tags for the dinner plates. It was an absolutely beautiful night that I won't forget! Shout out Egon, the Great Eagle Owl, all the elephants, and all the animal handlers who made the night special. Thank you!! Would recommend this venue to anyone who wants something fun, unique, special and different!
My husband and I had our wedding ceremony at the end of May in 2024. We have had nothing but a great experience with CATZ and their amazing staff! The Catering Sales Manager, Steph...
anie was impeccable! She made our wedding as stress free as possible and was outstanding to work with. She was very responsive, upfront, courteous, and resourceful. We planned our wedding with Stephanie for about a year and a half and could’ve have asked for a better wedding. We did have some issues with our decorator but Stephanie and her team really stepped up and helped us out at the last minute and really brought things together. We also wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to Wendy and Jill who really outshined on the day of our wedding to ensure everything went smooth! Also Chef Allison was incredible! Her work on the food for the wedding was beyond delicious! If you aren’t able to have a wedding at the zoo, I would still highly recommend going for one of their monthly Gourmet Dinner Series to get a taste of of her fabulous cooking and to give back to the zoo! Overall this wedding venue receives a 10/10 in all categories and we are so thankful for everything they did to assist us. I highly recommend this venue for every couple looking to get married in the Syracuse, NY area.
Great food, very accommodating, and a great experience! Our guests loved the venue!
I don't think I can offer enough praise for the team at Rosamond or the Catering at the Zoo (CATZ) team! We got married about a month ago, and engaged about a month before that due...
to some life things going on. Everyone was incredibly kind, efficient, flexible with our needs, and professional both leading up to and including our wedding day. I could not have asked for it to be a more perfect day, and much of that is because of the wonderful staff. The food was delicious (many of our guests especially enjoyed the dip station we had, but honestly everything was so good). We were married at the elephant pavilion with a couple of elephants in the background during the ceremony, where we have happy spent the last few years watching the elephant twins grow. We also had an animal encounter (Muppet the porcupine), which is an event I would highly recommend. You can't pick a specific animal, but my partner, myself, and our guests loved taking pictures with her while we got to talk to the zookeeper. I have "ruined weddings" for my friend's children, as it was the first and least boring one they will ever attend. We also took all of our more formal wedding photos on site, as the zoo has a lovely patio and small walkways and gardens near the entrance. The staff had us drop off everything we wanted set up in advance (card box, favors, guest book, etc), and they took care of everything after that, which was amazing. I am uploading a few shots we got around the grounds for examples, along with where our ceremony was (we had ~25 guests), and some items they set up for us.
The team was very professional and everyone went above and beyond to ensure we had an unforgettable day. I would highly recommend getting married at the Zoo!
We LOVED having our wedding at the rosamond Gifford zoo. We felt so special and the venue was GORGEOUS. So fun to have an animal visit cocktail hour. Indoor zoo is open as well!
Having our wedding at the Zoo was amazing. The night was everything we could have imagined and more. Stephanie and her team were fantastic and right there if we needed anything. Th...
ank you so much to everyone at the Zoo who made our special day an amazing one.
The entire staff was phenomenal. Stephanie was amazing and very accommodating. The food was amazing. The zoo is always a winner in our books.
We had an amazing time hosting our wedding reception at the zoo. Stephanie was on top of everything, and the entire staff was incredibly helpful and kind. Our guests absolutely lov...
ed food and the entire experience. Having an animal ambassador at cocktail hour was so special! I would highly recommend choosing the zoo for a wedding reception you and your guests will absolutely love.
I cannot say enough good things about having our wedding ceremony and reception at the zoo! Stephanie is so wonderful to work with! She is kind, responsive, and detail-oriented! Sh...
e made sure everything went according to plan. So many people asked me - you're really having your wedding at a zoo? They were surprised to hear that the zoo has a beautiful banquet hall and excellent onsite catering service. It was so much fun having cocktail hour with the animals in the indoor zoo. The outdoor zoo fountain provided a stunning backdrop for our family photos. I also really appreciated how flexible they were about changing the date/plans during COVID. Thank you to the entire zoo team for giving us the best day ever!
I had my wedding here November 2017. It was AMAZING. The price was fair and the staff was fantastic. People are still talking about it and everyone said it was the most fun wedding...
they ever went to. I wouldn't have changed a thing! I booked rooms at Hotel Syracuse and when we went back after the wedding people who attended weddings at the hotel said they would have rather gone to our wedding because it sounded like so much more fun!
Seriously, if they have any date anywhere near when you want to get married open, book this place. I'm not kidding. Just do it. It's an amazing decision. You will be so happy. Just...
prepare yourself for all the "yes" responses you'll get. Whenever we told people we were having our wedding at the zoo, we either heard "you can do that?? That's so cool!!!" or "my (fill in the blank) went to a wedding there and they said it was awesome!!". And yeah, it is!!! We had THE BEST DAY EVER. The food was delicious and there was a ton of it. Everything was so gorgeous. Everyone was amazing. I had literally zero knowledge of how to plan a wedding and everyone was so nice and helpful and fantastic through our whole planning process. Our guests had so much fun- we've been told so many times that it was the best wedding they've ever been to, and I'm obviously biased, but I believe them! When our reception ended at 11, we still had 90% of our guests there partying it up, and most of our guests are retirement age. It was so much fun. I can't imagine how much work went into keeping everything going smoothly, and I honestly have no idea because we didn't even notice- we were so busy enjoying our night! We are so incredibly happy with the zoo and feel so lucky that we got the chance to get married here! Thank you so much!!!
Everything from the set up, take down, food, bar, and especially Bernadette was amazing. The crew with Catering at the Zoo absolutely made our wedding day memorable for us and our...
guests!!
My husband and I could not have asked for a better wedding experience. Catering at the zoo provided everything we hoped for; friendly and knowledgable staff, great food
and very a...
ccommodating management. The elephant demonstration was a fun addition to our wedding. We would recommend catering at the zoo as a great venue for any occasion.
The staff from Catering at the Zoo is amazing. The food was outsatnding, and everything was beautiful. I wouldn't change a thing. Thank You to Jim and staff.
Having my reception at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo was amazing!! The coordinator was more than willing to discuss any question I had. The food and service was amazing, and the fact th...
at we could rent the indoor part of the zoo made for lots of fun for our guest. I would highly recommend the zoo for anybody looking for a reception in Syracuse!
This was the best place for my wedding. The prices were great and the staff was amazing. They had a person to help me with all stages of my planning and who talked to my vendors ...
too. We had both our ceremony and reception right there. The guests were able to go through part of the zoo during our cocktail hour and were entertained while we were getting our pictures done. Overall, AMAZING job from the whole staff. They made my special day even more magical than I imagined.
Contact
1 Conservation Pl, Syracuse, NY
Catering at the Zoo