The Stone Zoo located in Stoneham, MA is one of my favorite places to bring my crew. I think it is the perfect Zoo for families with young children. It’s not too big, I’ve never found it to be too crowded and it’s not too far from home. Add the fact that it has a petting zoo, some great animals, a very cool bird show and a whole lot educational fun and I think think we’ve found the perfect place to spend the day!
I am very happy to be able to offer a Giveaway for 4 Tickets to Zoo New England. These tickets are good for use at both the Stone Zoo and the Franklin Park Zoo. Please visit this link for more information and to enter the Giveaway! I want to say a big thank you to Zoo New England for sponsoring this Giveaway!
Here is your inside look at the Stone Zoo!
Playground and Petting Zoo: The Stone Zoo has a nice playground area where kids can climb and slide. This is the only section of the Zoo that I’ve ever found to be a little busy. I would avoid the playground area during lunch time as that is when it’s seems to be the busiest.
The Stone Zoo has a small petting zoo area where kids can interact with the goats. The goats are friendly, as are the zoo employees monitoring the petting zoo! The employees do a wonderful job of regulating how many children are permitted to go into the petting zoo at one time. This keeps the goats and the kids happy and makes for a much more enjoyable experience.
The Animals: The Stone Zoo has just the right amount of animals and exhibits for my children. Our favorites are the bears and the American Alligators! The zoo is also home to a pack of gray wolves, a host of reptiles, cranes, reindeer and many more animals.
While at the zoo we were able to catch a Live Animal Animal Presentation where we met Lewis, the baby alligator. We learned all about our little friend and then the kids got to pet him. Our favorite fact about Lewis is that he can climb trees! So, if you are looking to evade Lewis, don’t run to your nearest tree. 🙂
Masters of Flight – Birds of Prey Show: I highly recommend seeing this show at the Stone Zoo’s amphitheater. The birds are fantastic and the kids and I learned a lot. Our absolute favorite bird was Einstein the Raven. Einstein has the intelligence of a 6 year old child. Einstein’s handlers used his intelligence to train him to pick up dollar bills and put them in the Zoo’s donation box. If you hang around after the show, you can place a dollar bill on the donation table and Einstein will demonstrate his skills by putting it into the donation box. Einstein delighted all of the children (and adults) with this skill. I think charities would easily double their donations if they had Einstein helping out!
The zoo recommends arriving to the Master of Flight Show about 15 minutes early. I agree with this recommendation. While you are waiting for the amphitheater to open, the kids can explore and play in Dino Dig. This is an area where the kids can dig for fossils.
Food: There is a food stand where you can purchase lunch, snacks and beverages. While the food is fine and food prices are comparable to other local attractions, I recommend bringing your own water bottles and snacks to save a little money. The Zoo has a covered area with several picnic tables where you can enjoy lunch and snacks.
My Tips for Your Trip to the Zoo:
Wear Close Toed Shoes. While at Stone Zoo you will walk along a lot of paths to go between the different exhibits. Many of these are dirt paths and, if you are wearing sandals you will have very dirty feet by the end of the day. My easy solution to this is to wear close toed shoes.
Become a Zoo Member. The only membership my family owns is a Zoo New England Membership. Our membership pays for itself within only two visits to the Franklin Park Zoo or three visits to the Stone Zoo. Family Memberships begin at $110 and admit 2 adults and up to 4 children to both the Franklin Park and Stone Zoos for free for one year. Other membership benefits include a 10% discount in all Zoo gift and food shops, discounted admissions to seasonal exhibits and educational programs and invitations to members-only events and programs.
Read Visiting Local Zoos and Aquariums at a Discount. This page outlines several ways in which you can visit Zoo New England at a substantial discount! Please read this before visiting – it may save you some money.
Pack Snacks. Be prepared to spend the day at the zoo by packing snacks and water bottles.
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