It's not my favorite zoo I've been to. However it's the best one I've been to in MA. I really like it and it's a pretty good size. I really enjoy the different exhibits. I love the deer park I wish I didn't forget my money but I enjoyed it. The food was expensive but that was bound to happen. It's a little bit of a walk and there is a lot of paying extra for rides read more

Very happy with my experience here today bringing two 2 year olds to the zoo! Very clean, safe, and fun. It was so big we didn't even get a chance to see half of it - so we can go back again soon, do the other half, and have a brand new zoo experience! Lots of shade, picnic tables, and clean restrooms. The kids both loved and were terrified by the petting zoo goats - I've never seen such pushy and ruthless goats in my life! (Just a warning!) All in all a lovely day at the zoo! Will definitely be back! read more

Southwick is a wonderful combination of amusement park and zoo. The kids can get lunch, some rides, a great walk and then be educated about animals from around the world. How wonderful. read more

This place is crazy! holy crud i am a cheap person and let me say my credit card was on fire after buying that admission stuff. holy crow am i upset. read more

My favorite zoo to visit with my kids or just my husband. I never get bored looking at the animals. Fairly clean with many attractions. My son is particularly amazed with the Skyfari and train ride. My daughter is fond of all the birds. My personal favorite are the peacocks that walk around the facility. Food is plentiful and easily accessible. Animals appear to be well taken care of and happy, there enclosures are always clean. Prices are a bit much but we know where to find reduce cost tickets. read more

You can get deeply discounted tickets at the Holliston library. Then it's a better deal. I have a lot of fun there. The sky ride is my favorite. We are lucky to have this in the area. Not many other attractions in the area. read more

the Deer Forest is magical because you could actually interact with the deer and they are free range running around there is Woods I am not a big fan of zoo's animals belong in their natural habitats but in this day and age with hunting and poaching sometimes I think they are better off in a good suit that gives them a lot of space to roam the Tigers definitely did not have enough space though I am not a big fan of zoos because I think they are glorified prisons as an animal rights activist though the animals seem to be happy most have large enclosures and being able to hand feed there was an awesome experience although they seem very fearful and the second the food is gone they bolt away. And the admission is very high read more

Meh. Our first time there during Harvest Fest. Ticket prices are way to high for the zoo experience, thankfully kids got in free today. The exhibits seem a bit run down. The deer park was pretty cool, kids enjoyed that. Nice to visit once, but we won't return. read more

I love this zoo. My favorite part is the deer enclosure. I love that the deer walk right up to you & eat out your hand. My kids and I also love the train that rides thru the area with the elks. October is the best time because on designated dates, kids (under 12) are free when the wear a costume. read more

My 18 month old loved the petting zoo. Best zoo in MA

This is our second visit to Southwick Zoo. My boys are 8 and 12 and love zoos. This is a nice, close to home place to visit that they both enjoyed. The zoo has a great collection of primates some of whom were carrying around babies! The deer forest does not disappoint and the sky ride is great. The lion cubs (6 months old when we saw them) were beautiful and playful. Those complaining about weeds in the flower beds, etc. If you want a place that looks like Disney or Busch Gardens then you need to go to one of these fancy places. This is what it is--a nice, small zoo tucked away in the woods of Massachusetts. I agree that the food is a little pricey. Bring some power bars, water, and eat lightly while you're there. read more

Great place to bring kids! I have never had a bad time at this place. They keep it clean and updated. Have stations to entertain children with activities, playground, amusement & animal rides throughout the park, nature train and mostly easy viewing of animals. Two areas to get up close and personal with animals. A petting zoo with goats and a feed the deer nature walk, very peaceful. Zoo attendants also take animals out of the cages at the kids discovery center to let them touch and inspect the animals (snakes & lizards). They have a baby animals check list to see "who's" new!! I loved this place when I was a kid and love it now that I have one!!! It's a must see every year when we visit New England. read more

By far the best Zoo in Massachusetts. You get so close to the animals in a very natural setting. Magical place.

Very nice place .....Enjoyable a lot to look at...U do a lot of walking around so wear sneakers or comfortable shoes.... Would definitely return with my child read more

Just had our first visit, and loved it. The layout was great with so many zoo animals. Tons of monkeys, chimpanzees, lions, rhinos, giraffes, kangaroos and so many more. The kids loved the pony rides and sky ride. The zoo also had a playground and a few shows. The best zoo I've been to in the area, The excitement of the verity kept our 4 and 7 year old excited to keep moving. read more

Always a great time and the zoo keepers are very knowledgeable! Clean and they seem to always have great activities going on for the kids.

I'm a zoo lover and this is still the best zoo I've ever been to and I've been to quite a few. A few highlights were the deer forest, which is awesome. They also have a fantastic tiger/lion exhibit with a waterfall. It's really nice how the animals have room to roam/scenic exhibits and at the same time you can get really close to the animals as they walk by the fence. Also, I enjoy that the entire zoo isn't concrete to walk on which is hard on your feet. Most of it is gravel/dirt. Much nicer after an entire day of walking. There's also a lot of really tall trees in the zoo which is great for getting shade from the hot sun. Really like how they added cheetahs and the giraffe exhibit/new reptile exhibit are also great. If you like big cats, they have a ton here! And their petting zoo is also really fun. I do hope they add an orangutan exhibit at some point since I really like them. Also if they got some grizzly/black bears it would also be cool. But that would just be icing on the cake. So many animals to see here! A+! read more

Yes sir, it's that time of year! Take the family out, go have some fun, and enjoy the outdoors, and take in what nature has to offer. Where else to do it besides Southwick Zoo? The Zoo is great, lots of animals, lots of activities to participate in, and it'll give you a great exercise walking around this Zoo. I think I lost one pound upon leaving. read more

BEST zoo EVER, we love everything about this zoo, you can take your own food in to save money, they have yummy foods and we love the smoothies, we LOVE miner Phil, the lion cubs are amazing, love watching them grow......such a relaxing place, the petting zoo is great! We love it all!!! read more

Southwick zoo is by far one of my favorites! This zoo is a adventure because its in the middle of the woods! This zoo has a lot to see the animals are active great health conditions! This zoo is over all amazing a lot of babies every year I go! I definitely put this zoo to the top things to do! Down falls! This zoo is a little pricy but it goes to all the animals and awesome employees! read more

My family and I love this Zoo! This is our go to Zoo. The animals' enclosures are clean and large. We have been to other zoos that are dirty and the enclosures are small and depressing. The animals at Southwick Zoo seem very well cared for. We don't visit the rides at the zoo, we spend the day visiting the animals. The zoo is large with plenty of parking. My fiancé and daughter love the deer enclosure, it is the highlight of their visits. read more

This was the best place I have ever gone to.at this zoo they rescue all their animals including sloths,hyenas,deer,tigers,chimps,and many different species of monkeys.they not only have animals but petting zoos,discovery centers,ziplining,and animal shows.this zoo is anvout two hundred acres.this place is wonderful and has many great deals.If you look at the animals faces you can see their happiness.my friend told me that If she ever was gone she would be at this zoo. read more

Apparently the standards by which I judged this place are higher than others who gave this place good reviews. I found Southwick's Zoo to be a monumental disappointment and waste of $18, not to mention the hour plus drive getting there. Food was over priced and of poor quality. Toilets were filthy. Animal habitats were lackluster with heavy fencing making it impossible to get decent photographs of the animals. read more

we took our two granddaughters to this zoo last week. what a great place! Clean, animals were clean, not mangy, very well cared for. Bathrooms were clean, staff was extremely helpful and friendly. Teresa B. read more

Ok here is my two cents-first took my wife and 2 year old daughter there It was a nice drive and when we got there, plenty of free parking. The lines were a bit long at the gate but they moved pretty quickly. On price $20 per adult, I think it was fair considering that Disney is $85 per day..not saying the parks are comparable, just keeping it in perspective. Food: was good, typical park food. No gourmet here, but sandwiches and hot dogs. Not cheap but not going to break the bank. Park: Pretty clean over all and if you pick up a map its easy to find the exhibits. The park was clean and had a small playground area for the kids. Exhibits: I found the exhibits well maintained and most of the animals had companions-some people on here were complaining about them being too small then others they were too natural-I thought they were good sizes. The monkeys seem to be having blast. Deer Park: The keeper was a bit harsh, but I thought this was the highlight of the park. Buy the food and stay on the path and the deer come up to you. Nice stroll and I think this is what sets the park apart from the others. Its nice seeing the animals, but interacting with them is such a bonus. I had been to the park over 30 years ago when my parents have bought me there. The difference is huge..the park is so much better now. More animals, better enclosures, and a park like atmosphere. I don't think its better or worse than Roger Williams-just different. I like them both To those from out of State, New England does not have big mega zoos, but Southwick is a good time. I reccomend it read more

I brought my daughter yesterday 5/2 and had an incredible day. We spent about 4 hours there and she is only 11 months old. If you like the zoo and want a place to bring your children I strongly recommend buying the membership well worth it. Absolutely love the deer park spent time with a lot of deer and 3 turkeys. A wonderful walking path with lots of shade and bench seating if you need it. We will be back a lot this summer. Saw 2 baby cub lions and lots of other baby animals. Loved the petting zoo too. A wonderful way to spend the day with my daughter outside. The staff is readily available and very helpful. See you soon! read more

Great place to take the family. Very clean and friendly place. The variety of animals kept it interesting.

Great zoo for the location and price! Have always taken my children there. Would definitely recommend!

Southwick's zoo is by far one of my favorites! It is a little more costly than some others. Our favorite part of the zoo is the deer forest. The zoo offers a lot of shade and is just the right size. I do wish they would add a little splash pad for the kids to cool off in during the summer. read more

This was our first visit to this zoo and I thought I'd share some info for both interested visitors as well as the park management (hoping they read social media to learn how to improve their business.) In a nutshell, it's a very nice piece of land featuring animals in their natural habitats (or as close to it as possible). But it could definitely use some improvements in its operation. Tip: -- Buy your tickets online. We waited 25 minutes in line just to purchase tickets! -- Bringing in water and food is allowed so take advantage of it. -- Plan your rest room trips as clean rest rooms are scarce. I do not consider port-a-potties a rest room. -- It's worth getting the combo ticket if your children are going to ride more than one kiddie ride. Notes to Management: -- Signage within the park is very poor. Getting around is very difficult having to follow the small map. You should feature lots of large, directional signage to exhibits, attractions and rest rooms! We could not locate the train ride and asked a park employee who was walking around and he didn't even know where it was! He said he would have to call his manager to find out where it was. Are you kidding me? If the staff doesn't even know how to get to the attractions, there definitely is a problem!!! Also, informational signage should be increased. Some very large exhibits only have one little sign on one end. So if you are on the other end of the exhibit, you don't know anything about the animal you are looking at. -- Rest Rooms: We were pretty surprised to find that a family attraction like this has very few rest room locations. Port-a-potties are not acceptable family rest rooms. The one location we finally found after asking someone (again, no directional signs) was busy and my daughter and I had to wait a good 20 minutes in line. It wasn't very clean, one toilet was out of order, toilet paper was either out or almost at the end of the roll, and one of the hand dryers wasn't working. Not a great experience. -- Ride attendees need training: My daughter waited in line to ride the Bears and when the attendee opened the chain for the next group, she was about third in line. She walked in and went to the left like the people in front of her, while others behind her ran to the right. The attendee was not watching how many people he was letting in or who was going where so my daughter ended up without a "bear" to sit in. She was standing there about to cry when I went over to see what had happened. I called the attendee over to talk to him about what had happened and he was completely clueless. I told him he needs to watch who he is letting in and where they are going to ensure everyone gets a seat. She ended up having to exit the ride and did not want to wait again to ride it, nor was it fair that she would have to do that. She was very upset, as was I. Please be sure the ride attendees have a system and pay attention to what they are doing! -- Review your ticket purchase operation as the lines are much too long. read more

This zoo could definitely use some sprucing up, but is overall a nice place. Most of the enclosures are spacious, however some animals, including the red lemurs, exhibit clear zoochosis with little to no effort to combat it through enrichment. The primates were the only animals with toys, and even those were limited. The leopard exhibited agitation in his small enclosure, and the big cats did not have toys or access to enrichment in their enclosures. The layout was confusing to navigate and the walkways are not all paved, so people with strollers and wheelchairs should be prepared. The deer forest was an absolute blast, as was seeing the giraffes up close. In my opinion, with a generous donation for enrichment, toys, and some minor renovations, this place could easily be Connecticut's best zoo, hands down. read more

I am a mother of three children . The kids were so excited to go to the zoo over vacation. I have to say that I was very disappointed with the people that worked at the zoo. In particular the Camel ride. Each of my children brought their own money to buy tickets to ride the animals/ bouncy house. We waited in line to ride the camel , each child counted out four tickets( cost for 1 circle on the camel) . Finally it was our turn, however once we got there the lady decided the kids had to ride together and it would still cost each child four tickets. The kids were so disappointed that they could not ride by themselves even though they were watching other kids riding solo. The women that were working there said because they were siblings they had to ride together. My children were actually being discriminated against because they had each other. I tried to talk to the lady explaining that they had used their own money to buy tickets because they wanted their own rides. The lady was arguementative and rude. I did give in and the kids rode the camel together. I have to say though.. That will be our last trip there.. Many animals weren't out and I felt the staff were impolite. We will be going to Roger Williams zoo from now on. Southwick is all about money .. read more

As an animal lover, I manage to get to a zoo yearly. This was our 1st visit here and we all loved it. We went on a very hot Sunday (got $5 off each ticket being over 88 degrees!), but most of this zoo is shaded. the air was blowing this day and it was not super humid. there was a "mist tent" to walk through that literally cools you off quite well! I only saw one of these though. It was clean here, and all the animals looked so healthy to me. We actually saw animals close up too! Maybe we just got lucky, but we were about 6 feet away from a tiger (beautiful), the cheetahs were sitting right up at the fence so we got a close look at those too. Lots of lively and healthy looking monkeys. A walk in deer forest that allows you to just walk around and feed the deer. Daughter loved that, and mom and dad enjoyed this too. I loved how spacious the "deer forest" was...deer are just roaming around in a huge space, it was so nice to see. There are a few kiddie rides for young ones ( my 10 year old too old, I"d say rides are for 8 and younger). There is a gondola ride that was great ($6), took you over the whole zoo where you could look down on many animals. There is a train ride but we didn't have time for that. Looked cute though, we would have done it. There is food here, but you can bring your own, which is what we did to save $ (and calories!). many empty picnic tables available. It wasn't that crowded to me surprisingly. The highlight for us was the giraffe encounter. it cost $15 but sells out super fast. We got there at 9:50 and the 11:00 was sold out, but we got tx for 1:30. They only sell 12 tickets per time slot (see website). so plan to be one of the first at the gate if you want to do this and get there by 9:45 the latest, you can't purchase these ahead of time or online. Giraffes were SO adorable. A entire family! Bred in captivity too. So the encounter is you are allowed into a small area (in front of all guests) and they give you big branches for the giraffes to lean over and munch on.. You get to see them up close and personal. Fun experience at pretty decent price. This was my favorite zoo. Large, clean, animals looked healthy and happy:) Great views! Pricier than others, but it's worth it. They probably use the money wisely to upkeep the place and take care of the animals, and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. read more