Have kids who love animals? I sure do! If you're looking for animals near you in the Seacoast, we have the list! From zoo animals to farm animals, and from the furry to the scaly, we have all the animals you'll need to please your little animal lover.
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Here's where to find animals in the Seacoast:
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Friendly Pets Dog Park
40 Concord Rd, Lee
81 Portsmouth Ave, Exeter
With two locations in the Seacoast, at the Friendly Pets Dog Park you'll see a lot of, well, dogs! Bring along your own pup(s) and let them have a morning or afternoon of playing and socializing. The parks are open daily.
Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
89 Depot Rd, Greenland
At Great Bay NERR you'll get tons of opportunities for wildlife watching, including ospreys, deer, chipmunks, minks, otters, red fox, muskrats, rabbits and several dozen species of birds. The reserve is open daily from dawn to dusk, with the Discovery Center opening in the spring.
Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
3 Arboretum Dr, Newington
Several species of birds and forest wildlife can be found at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge. You may even catch a glimpse of a bald eagle! The Refuge is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Legacy Lane Farm
217 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham
Farm animals such as goats and pigs are at Legacy Lane Farm. You can even visit for a feeding and snuggling session! Open daily.
New Hampshire SPCA
104 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham
Looking to get a new pet for the family? Visit the NHSPCA where you can adopt dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, ferrets, horses, pigs, goats and other farm animals. The center is open daily from 11 am - 4 pm except on Wednesdays.
Seacoast Science Center
570 Ocean Blvd, Rye
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The Seacoast Science Center offers several programs for kids to get up close and personal with ocean wildlife. Indoor and outdoor activities and exhibits are part of the experience. In the touch pools you can see and touch starfish, hermit crabs and other small creatures, while in the tanks there are numerous species of fish, sea plants and even a blue lobster! The center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am - 4 pm.
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Worth the drive from the Seacoast
If you're up for a little road trip, here are additional spots worth the drive from Seacoast to see animals:
Cider Hill Farm
45 Fern Ave, Amesbury, MA
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During the summer months, Cider Hill Farm has chickens you can feed and goats you can visit. The farm is open from April to December, with the animals residing there from May to September.
Living Shores Aquarium
850 Pinkham Notch Rd, NH-16, Glen, NH
At Living Shores Aquarium, the touch pools offer opportunities to see and touch fish, stingrays, lobsters, crabs and Bamboo sharks, to name a few. Various tanks hold fish and other ocean wildlife, but ocean animals aren't the only animals here! Otters, snakes, amphibians and birds can also be spotted. The aquarium is open daily from 10 am - 5 pm.
New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA
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Several fish, crustaceans, sea lions, penguins and more are available to see at the New England Aquarium. On weekdays the aquarium is open from 9 am - 5 pm and 9 am to 6 pm on weekends.
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Let your imagination swim wild!
Stone Zoo
149 Pond St, Stoneham, MA
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From flamingos to the snow leopard, and turtles to reindeer, the Stone Zoo has a wide variety of animals. They are open year round with hours differing with each season.
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Wildlife Encounters Ecology & Wellness Center
270 Beauty Hill Rd, Barrington, NH
Porcupines, opossums, parrots and chameleons are a few of the many animals you could see at Wildlife Encounters. They have on-site and off-site programs with differing availability.
York’s Wild Kingdom
1 Animal Park Rd, York, ME
York's Wild Kingdom is a zoo AND amusement park! Lions, sloths and llamas are some of the animals you can see here. They also have a Butterfly Kingdom as one of their exhibits. York's is open from May to September.
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Do you have a favorite place to visit with animals that we should add to our list? Email us at mackidseacoast@macaronikid.com
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