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Photo: Goldfishbutt, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Turtle Back Zoo is a zoo in West Orange, New Jersey. Situated on 20 acres (8.1 ha) in the South Mountain Reservation, it is part of the South Mountain Recreation Complex, which is managed as part of the Essex County Park System, the oldest county park system in the United States. Founded in 1963, the zoo was originally a showcase for animals indigenous to the New York metropolitan area but currently features species from every continent except Antarctica. As of 2018, it houses approximately 1400 animals, including several hundred birds in a free-flight aviary. Located adjacent to the Richard J. Codey Arena, the former practice home of the New Jersey Devils, the zoo is open year-round, weather permitting.
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In 1887 Edison moved his laboratory from Menlo Park to West Orange. He worked there until his death in 1931. In West Orange he improved his phonograph and storage battery and did all of his work on motion pictures. His lab and home are now preserved by the National Park Service as Thomas Edison National Historical Park, which is 7 miles from downtown Newark, and accessible by public transport.
Historic 400+-acre park with trails, a 9/11 memorial, and NYC views.
Largest collection of cherry blossoms in the United States of America.