petting zoo

American  

noun

1. a zoo, or a special part of a larger zoo, where children may hold and stroke and sometimes feed small or young animals.

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Example Sentences

The companies also offer recommendations, like giving certain supplements or bringing babies to a petting zoo, which they said can improve children’s microbiomes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

The opening of Galaxy’s Edge was monumental — not just replacing a petting zoo and barbecue restaurant, but reshaping Disneyland’s Rivers of America and taking over a whopping 14 acres.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2025

“It’s very frustrating because I’m here in Montana trying to organize this search,” Ms. Keltgen, who runs a petting zoo in Anaconda, Mont., said in an interview on Saturday.

From New York Times • May 4, 2024

A spokesperson said: "It was a peaceful, non-violent demonstration. We want Fiona to be rehomed at a sanctuary rather than a petting zoo"

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2023

"I take the key home at night and hang it on a hook in the kitchen. Every morning I get the key off the hook to open the petting zoo for the day."

From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene