Southwick's Zoo

About Southwick's Zoo

Southwick's Zoo is a family-operated zoo at 2 Southwick Street in Mendon, Massachusetts, in the Blackstone Valley. Wikipedia reports that the Southwick and Brewer families have managed it since it opened, and that Dr. Peter Brewer has served as president since 2016. The zoo's website is southwickszoo.com, and Wikipedia lists membership in the Zoological Association of America. The zoo is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The zoo's Plan Your Day page describes more than 900 animals across more than 160 species, while Wikipedia gives more than 850 animals. Published figures for the size of the grounds vary by source, from 300 acres on Wikipedia to 330 acres in a regional travel guide. Wikipedia reports annual attendance of more than 475,000 visitors.

The zoo's guest services page says the zoo is located on a hill and that some pathways are uneven and bumpy, and a Boston-area family guide also notes hills and uneven paths. The zoo operates as a seasonal attraction rather than year-round.

History

According to Wikipedia, the Southwick homestead was established in 1803 as a dairy and vegetable farm. In the 1930s, Justin F. Southwick began collecting exotic poultry, and his son Justin A. Southwick had dedicated the property to aviculture by 1956. The zoo itself opened in 1963 under the name Southwick Wild Animal Farm.

Wikipedia lists several later additions. Giraffe encounters began on weekends in 2010, and the Elkhorn Mining Company, a gold, gem and fossil panning attraction, opened in 2012. Rhinoceros encounters began in 2014. A walk-through reptile and insect building with more than 20 species opened in 2016, and a restaurant and event building followed in 2017. In 2021 the zoo organized a winter lights event called the Festival of Illumination: World of Lights.

The zoo also sits within a larger complex that Wikipedia describes as including Galliford's Restaurant and Tavern, The Daniels Farmstead, Earth Limited and Wild Events. A regional travel guide says EARTH Limited is a nonprofit organization focused on teaching about environmental issues, with a main emphasis on animal ecology, endangered species and threatened habitats.

Exhibits and habitats

Wikipedia groups the collection into several named exhibits. The North American Exhibit holds animals such as elk and wild turkey. The African Plains Exhibit includes zebras and ostriches. The Deer Forest covers 35 acres, and Wikipedia says it holds fallow deer, turtles, hawks and wild turkey; the zoo's own page describes it as a forest where guests can hand-feed fallow deer, using food from feed machines. Parakeet Landing is a walk-through aviary, and the EARTH Discovery Center is the zoo's environmental education facility.

Wikipedia says the zoo keeps four species of big cats and describes its primate troupe as the largest in New England. It names two white rhinoceroses, Thelma and Louise, and reports that a female chimpanzee named Carol, long known to visitors, died in 2025. The zoo's Plan Your Day page names lions, giraffes, white rhinos, tigers, monkeys and sloths, and lists areas including the African Plains, a Rainforest Room, big cats, primates, reptiles and amphibians, and birds. It also describes a petting zoo where guests can meet and feed goats and barnyard animals. A family guide groups giraffes, white rhinos and lions under an endangered species habitat.

Ride-style attractions are spread through the grounds. The Skyfari Sky Ride is a roughly 15-minute aerial tramway that a family guide describes as a ski-lift style gondola offering aerial views. The Woodland Express Train is a rubber-tired train ride of about 12 minutes through the North American Exhibit. The Soaring Eagle Zipline is a seated zip line of about 700 feet, according to the family guide. The zoo's Plan Your Day page also lists the Rainforest Adventure Maze, the Within the Wild Carousel, Elk Mine and Gemstone Panning, and a nature-themed playground. Wikipedia lists pony and camel rides, and the zoo's ticket information refers to camel rides as a separate attraction.

Conservation and programs

Education at the zoo runs through EARTH Limited, which Wikipedia says provides the zoo's education programs, including live animal presentations at the EARTH Discovery Center, outreach programs, spring and summer programs for young children, and training for interns and docents. The zoo's Plan Your Day page lists keeper chats and bird shows featuring birds of prey in an amphitheater from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and describes an EARTH Nature Center as coming soon.

The zoo also runs two evening festivals during the colder part of its season. According to the visitor page, The Great Jack O'Lantern Journey and Winter Wonderland begin in October.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, Southwick's Zoo is open every day, rain or shine, from mid-April through October 31, including all holidays during the season. Hourly schedules are posted on the zoo's Visitor Info page, and ticket details are also on the zoo's website.

Parking is free and is located directly across the street from the zoo, with marked signage and crosswalks, according to the zoo's Plan Your Day page, and accessible parking is provided in the main lot while available. The zoo's guest services page says outside food, coolers and full lunches are not allowed, but small snacks, beverages, formula and food needed for medical reasons are permitted; coolers, standard backpacks and large bags are also not allowed. Strollers, double strollers and wagons can be rented in limited numbers. In-park dining listed by the zoo includes The Deli, The Creamery, The Zebra Cafe, The Snack Factory and The Dog House, and gift shops include the Purple Peacock Gift Shop, Marangu Trail Outpost and Jungle Hut. Galliford's Restaurant and Tavern offers sit-down dining at the zoo entrance. The zoo says rides, most attractions, shows and smaller food and retail locations are weather permitting and may close on rainy days.