Nestled in historic Franklin Park, the
"crown jewel" of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald
Necklace Park System, Boston’s only urban zoo is home to more
than 210 species of animals — from anacondas to zebras,
butterflies to bats, giraffes to gorillas.
The Franklin Park Zoo is a center for
wildlife conservation, education, and research. Many of the
species on exhibit are highly endangered or threatened in the
wild. Displays focus on spreading appreciation for the
magnificent but fragile web of nature.
African wildlife exhibits include the
Tropical Forest, one of the world’s largest indoor displays of
Western Lowland Gorillas — now home to a baby gorilla born
August 8, 1999! A walk through this simulated jungle also brings
encounters with tropical birds, leopard, saddle-billed storks,
warthogs, tapirs, and bats. You can find lions lazing in the
Kalahari Kingdom and watch zebra and ostrich roam the grasslands
of Bongo Congo.
Experience a continent of a different
climate on the Australian Outback Trail, where wallabies, emus,
cockatoo, and kangaroos make their home. And for a truly
spectacular sight, pay an extra dollar to enter Butterfly
Landing (open from late May through September), an enclosure
filled with more than 1,000 of these aerodynamic wonders. There’s
also a Children’s Zoo, where kids can have close encounters of
the cuddly kind.
On weekends and holidays, May through
October, visitors may take part in a "Zoo Encounter."
Meet a zookeeper, naturalist, or horticulture specialist and
delve deeper into understanding the wild world. Special tours,
"Wild Adventures," and classroom programs are also
available for a fee. Call (617) 989-2024 for full details.
Hours:
Open daily, except Christmas,
Thanksgiving, and the day of the Zoo’s annual fundraiser
Summer hours (April 1-September 30)
Weekdays 10 am-5pm
Weekends and Holidays 10 am-6 pm
Winter Hours (October 1-March 31)
Daily 10 am-4 pm
Admission/fees:
Adult: $6
Seniors: $5
Children (age 2-15): $3
