Zoos in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has ten listed zoos, packed into a small state and clustered around Boston, Worcester and the south coast. Zoo New England runs two AZA-accredited zoos: Franklin Park Zoo, which opened in 1912 on 72 acres of Boston's Franklin Park, and Stone Zoo in Stoneham, open since 1905 on about 26 acres. Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford is a compact 7-acre zoo that opened in 1894 and is also AZA accredited. Out in the Blackstone Valley, Southwick's Zoo in Mendon is a family-operated zoo that is not AZA accredited, while the EcoTarium in Worcester blends a science museum with live animal habitats and outdoor nature trails. Smaller community zoos such as Lupa Zoo in Ludlow add to the choices.