About Zoo New England

Zoo New England is the private, non-profit organization that operates Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Zoo New England subsists on earned revenues and state, private, and corporate funding. Zoo New England's mission is to inspire people to protect and sustain the natural world for future generations by creating fun and engaging experiences that integrate wildlife and conservation programs, research, and education.

Franklin Park Zoo

Franklin Park Zoo is a 72-acre site nestled in Boston’s historic Franklin Park, long considered the “crown jewel” of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace Park System. The Zoo was founded in 1912 and was managed by the City of Boston until 1958, when the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), a state agency, assumed management. The MDC managed the Zoos until 1991, when Governor William Weld signed legislation to create the private Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (CZC). In July of 1997 the CZC changed its name to Zoo New England to reflect the changing image of the Zoos.

Franklin Park Zoo is located at One Franklin Park Road in Boston. For more information or directions, call 617-541-LION.

Stone Zoo

Stone Zoo, formerly known as the Middlesex Fells Zoo, is located on a 26-acre site near the sparkling Spot Pond reservoir in Stoneham, MA. Charles Price, Superintendent of the Metropolitan District Commission’s Middlesex Fells Reservation, founded the Zoo in 1905, and in 1969, the site was renamed in honor of Walter D. Stone, a former Zoo Director. In 1991, the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (CZC) was created to maintain care, custody, and control of both Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo. In July of 1997 the CZC changed its name to Zoo New England to reflect the changing image of the Zoos.

Stone Zoo is located at 149 Pond Street in Stoneham, MA. For more information or directions, call 781-438-5100.