At this point you're probably already halfway through singing the memorable Catskill Game Farm jingle, the one New York residents know all too well and would always hear in the zoo's well-known commercial. Things were wild at this family fun adventure. Opening its doors in 1933, this statewide popular attraction closed forever back in 2006, breaking the hearts of many. With 2016 marking the zoo's 10 year anniversary since closing, the conversation on reviving the fond memories of what once was has picked up again.
Over the course of its 73-year run, the Catskill Game Farm never drastically altered the welcoming front booth, keeping the nostalgia alive until the very end.
Captured in the first picture above you can see the zoo's front booth from its earlier days. The picture is actually from old footage found at a garage sale, click here to take a trip back in time and see if you recognize anyone in this footage!
After being sold in 2012, the new owners of the Catskill Game farm have hopes of keeping the old zoo's spirit alive.
The new owners of this abandoned Catskill zoo have dreams of turning the land into an RV campground, transforming the giraffe house into a bed and breakfast and creating a museum to honor the memorable zoo's history.
Click here to read more about the specific plans!
Currently seeking people to financially help the abandoned area become lively again, The Old Game Farm offers unique ways for New York's residents to make donations and visit the area.
If you're currently feeling overwhelmed with nostalgia and are dying to visit the old Catskill Game Farm, there are two options for you. You can either sign up to participate in Abandon America's Photography Workshop or you can schedule a self guided tour on your own time.
For more information on how you can visit the old Catskill Game Farm today, click here.
Who remembers pushing through these revolving gates?
Can you picture what animals you used to find here?
Where you could once see bears riding motorized bikes and elephants performing mind-blowing acts, now lies an aged stadium, overgrown with nature.
While these pictures most certainly remind us of joyful memories, it's absolutely heartbreaking to see how much has changed since the Catskill Game Farm closed its doors.
For most of us it feels like a lifetime has passed since we last visited here, when really it wasn't too long ago that we were watching these animals perform!
Once the world's largest privately owned zoo, the Catskill Game Farm wasn't actually recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture until 1958.
It was then that the zoo was able to expand its variety from housing just deer, donkey and sheep to importing animals from all over the world!
Click here for a full list of which animals you could find here before it closed!
Visitors all throughout the zoo could hear the loud roars of the majestic lions, always stopping you dead in your tracks to focus in on the magnificent blast.
You never truly experienced the Catskill Game Farm unless you found yourself completely surrounded and swarmed by a bunch of furry four-legged friends!
Who knows how much we managed to spend on graham crackers and other animal treats during the zoo's 73 operating years!
Check out the video below by America's Forgotten Places to see more of what the abandoned Catskill Game Farm now looks like!
Did you ever visit the Catskill Game Farm while it was open or during its current abandoned years? Find us on our Facebook page, New York Only and share with us your nostalgic tales from this dearly missed zoo!
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