Zoo New England is one of 2 zoos near Boston. Although it isn’t the best zoo in the country (in my opinion that award goes to Brookfield near Chicago), it’s a decent way to spend a nice summer afternoon (just be sure to avoid free days!). Despite a lack of animals (no bears, penguins, or dolphins) and tiny animal enclosures, a visit to Zoo New England is still your typical zoo experience, complete with a nice stroll through landscaped grounds, enjoying the warm weather and getting a close up look at your favorite animals.
Honestly, I was a bit surprised at how small this zoo was being located in a major city. We walked around the whole zoo in about an hour. I am used to spending at least half a day at the zoo! This could be a good or bad thing depending on how much exercise you are willing to do. Franklin Park Zoo just had a bit of a run down look to it – not enough landscaping, nowhere nice to picnic, and too many chain link fences instead of nice enclosures. I would say it is need of a restoration!
However, you will still find several nice exhibits including a pretty cool butterfly exhibit where you will enjoy plenty of nice photo opportunities. And the close up Tiger exhibit was also fantastic! Overall, enjoy the zoo works best as a nice add on activity during your trip to Boston. Don’t come to Boston solely for a zoo trip; you are bound to be dissapointed. Save your zoo trip for another city.
Below are a few photos from around the Zoo
The Butterfly exhibit..
We spotted a beautiful blue peacock walking around the zoo…
The zoo houses a large Bird House – if you are a bird lover you will be pleased…
Loved the giraffe exhibit!
I was dissapointed in the indoor Gorilla exhibit…maybe I’m too used to the fabulous “Tropic World” at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo!
The tiger exhibit had a long line, but was worth it for the extraordinary up close views!
Overall, this zoo doesn’t rank at the top or bottom of my list in terms of zoos I have visited: I would say it’s your average zoo experience. If you live in the area, I would recommend checking out a discount pass at a local library as the Franklin Park Zoo isn’t quite worth the $17 per person they charge per person for admission. And tourists will likely be more pleased with Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence.
Address: 1 Franklin Park Rd. Boston, MA 02121
Summer Hours (April 1-September 30th): Monday-Friday: 10:00am-5:00pm, Saturday &Sunday: 10:00am-6:00pm
