This is a small zoo with some neat animal exhibits. It's a good way to spend an hour or two. There is a lot of construction going on, which has closed some of the pathways. It's an older zoo, so several of the exhibits are in a state of disrepair. Not bad for small kids (who won't know the difference), but definitely not the best kept zoo. read more

This review is based on Zoo lights. Am I the only one that thinks it is really underwhelming? Maybe going with children is more fun. Honestly, you are better off driving the Fellsway, you will see more lights! Some of the displays weren't even completely lit up as if they were broken or something...lame. On the plus side, it is something that is inexpensive to "do," but once you are in there some of the activities cost extra. The shop is kinda fun and you will see a few animals which is a nice bonus. The parking situation was a nightmare...drove around several times to find a spot. read more

I have been here for both the zoo lights and regular zoo. The zoo lights are fun, just be aware that its hard to find parking and it gets really crowed. When I went this year, the lot was closed and people were parking elsewhere and walking, so just keep that in mind. All the lights are really pretty. For the regular zoo, i thinks its kind of small. Its $16 for adults and $12 for kids and I think thats kind of a lot for such a small zoo. They have some good animals though, I like the flamingos and the sea otters. I was gonna give only 3 stars, but I gave 4 because of the zoo lights. read more

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Nice little zoo! We were still able to spend the better part of an afternoon there without all of the exhibits being available yet for the season. Would love to see some thoughtful additions, such as a mate for the monogamous black neck crane. read more

"Meh." Is how I would describe our Christmas light experience. Nothing was overtly offensive. Just nothing spectacular. We're zoo members and we thought our membership would get us into the lights at Stone Zoo. Nope. It takes a dollar off each ticket. A dollar. So it cost about $50 for a meh Christmas light experience. Will not go to the lights again. read more

I cam here for Ales and Tales recently and had such a fun time! The zoo is great, the staff is friendly, and there were so many vendors that I never felt like we were waiting for more then a few minutes at each stand! read more

We have never been here pre-covid, but it was a great experience, even for adults. We didnt bring any kids with us and it took us an hour and half to move through. There were plenty of animals that seemed well cared for. The zoo currently has arrows guiding you on a path to see everything. Looked like some kids stuff and indoor areas were closed, but that didnt bother us. Great zoo for MA. read more

I enjoyed my experience of looking at the animals with my family. however, when i approached the goat exhibit, i noticed one big goat head butting the other two small goats with his horns. My family and I were horrified. In order to protect my young nieces from seeing the bullying, I announced for someone to please help the goats. An attendant came out and told me that the goats were fine, and that i was making her anxious. this was upsetting to me. I hope that in the future the situation is dealt with differently, and that I am listened to rather than reprimanded. read more

Zoo lights looked pretty sloppy and underwhelming from the road. That's all we saw as we sat in traffic and got ferried through the full parking lot with no overflow parking. If they had any sense, they would sell limited tickets for each day rather than the complete mess that we just drove through. Not holding my breath for a refund but yeah, don't waste your money on this. Totally disorganized and overcrowded. read more

Went for the Zoo Lights, 10$ to get in and it's not worth it. Minimal light displays, poor direction signs. Don't waste your time or money.

I think the reviews here are a little harsh. It's a tiny little zoo, but great for little kids. The exhibits are clean (actually the whole zoo was clean) and most are very spacious. The gibbons in particular seemed active and happy. I do find it a little expensive considering it only provides about 1-2 hours of entertainment. I went on Kid's Price Saturday, so it was only $18 for my son and me to go. The Franklin Zoo is a bit better and Southwick's Zoo is awesome - but this one is convenient and a fun enough experience. Don't compare it to a bigger zoo. It's just a small little place. read more

This zoo made me want to cry! It's filthy. It stinks. The animals are cramped into inadequate spaces. The value of zoos is to teach children about wild animals they wouldn't otherwise see and to instill a passion for protecting the animals in the wild. I walked my kids around the zoo and pretended like I didn't hate it for the sake of my children but after a few days of pondering the experience I realized that repeat exposure to this zoo would teach children to devalue the animals rather than respect them. There were so many animals stuck in a dark depressing building with dead trees and plants in their habitat and condensation on the filthy windows. I don't know what else to say. It was sad and depressing. I would never go back. read more

This is a good SMALL zoo for kids and parents, and continues to get better as changes keep taking place. There is upheaval, and it shows. We keep a membership and use it for fun summer filler. The membership is good at the Franklin Park zoo as well, and it is the bigger regional zoo. It is an EXCELLENT value if you live near by, or plan to visit both zoos more than once a year. The bird show is good fun, and it won't take more than an hour at a fast clip to walk around the zoo, so it is a great partial day adventure/excursion without the headache if your child looses steam and you have to find the exit (as can happen at zoos like Roger Williams & Frankiln Park which are great fun ;) Go to a bigger Zoo if you want more. They do a Santa at christmas and it can be fun for the little kids. They also do a slate of events to benefit the zoo, and being on the mailing list might be a good way to go if you like extra diversions. During the school year it can be a bit hectic with groups, but that is life at a small zoo. SOME criticisms people have made have merit, but many are unrealistic, ignorant tripe by misguided people. I have seen San Diego and other Major zoos, Stone doesn't pretend to be one, yet people want to talk as if they were conned into believing it is. By the way, San diego charges $42/32 adult/child. Southwick $20/15. Franklin Park $17/14 Roger Williams $15/10 Stone $14/10. So let's stop the whining about price. If you pay $10 for a 1.5hr pulp value movie, what makes anyone think $10 - 14 is overpriced for a similar time experience value in your community where your you and your kid might actually learn something? If you expect more than a fun LITTLE zoo, or animals to leap for your pleasure in 80+ degree heat, don't go to Stone and don't write a hateful or idiotic review. And yes the bird house has an unpleasant odor (like bird poo, what a shock), it always has unfortunately for 30 years. It is also not an expansive animal country club funded by Bill Gates with unlimited resources and staff, nor a place where they stake out animals like veal calves so you can examine their fleas, so get over it. If you want a big zoo, go to Roger Williams, Southwicks, or Franklin park, and stop being angry for not investigating where you were going before hand. Today I got the closest look at a snow leopard I've every had - 4 feet!!! But I hadn't seen it out for a while this year. Same with a couple of wolves. Or watching the baby Gibbon play with it's parents today. Or seeing an eagle being held three feet away at the bird show. Like everywhere, and every thing in real life and nature, you have to invest time for precious moments, not walk by and expect them to perform because you showed up for 10 seconds walking by one day !!! This is it, http://www.zoonewengland.org/page.aspx?pid=220 Cheers to Everyone PS the person who blurted "what zoo doesn't have a lion, tiger, giraffe, elephant, or zebra?" Doesn't even know what animals live in new england apparently, as MOST of the Stone Zoo's don't but they seem to think think they do! And if you want a carnival, drive to storyland, I do. AND OMG animals smell, you're kidding !?!? They should put you in a cage and see if you look happy! Wow, come on! read more

This is a very small zoo and is a shadow of what it used to be in decades past. Gone are the aviary, lions, gorillas, elephants, zebra and most of the exotics. Having said that it is a pleasant diversion for a young family on a warm weekend afternoon. The best exhibit is the wolf enclosure where a pack of four or five animals have a large area to roam and trot. The flamingo exhibit is sad with the birds in a small pond area that absolutely reaks of feces. read more

We had a 13 year old visitor from Paris this July and we visited the Stone Zoo. It was the perfect size to spend an hour 1/2 or so walking past (and through) the animal exhibits. Raphael is especially fond of Wolves and was so excited to be able to see a White Wolf walk right by the hidden viewing spot in his enclosure. We also were 2 of the first of the general public to see the brand new baby sloth!! I was standing there when this big ball of fur (the mother and father) slowly separated to reveal the tiny baby as it passed from mom and clung to dad. Truly a unique experience. read more

Loved our day at the zoo! It's been many, many years since I had been to the Stone Zoo and what a difference between then and now. Great collection of animals put on exhibit in more natural and fun ways than was once the case. It's definitely better for the visitor and the animals. Great job! read more

WAY better than I expected, based on Yelp reviews. PRO - Got discount passes at my town library & took my 12 year old & two of his buddies & they really liked it. The Jaguar was amazing, playing in her enclosure (helpful zoo employee told us it was a she), jumping & roaring, came right up to the glass and looked back at us. Her viewing enclosure was small but that gave us a better view of her versus say the Mexican Wolves & Snow Leopards, who you need binoculars to see. Keeper explained that they switch out the two jaguars so neither one is kept in the small enclosure for viewing all the time, I liked that idea. They do the same for the cougars as well, we were told. Bears had a nice exhibit, they were playing around as well. The Raptor Show was Amazing! The boys loved it, seeing the birds free flying around was neat. We liked touching the baby alligator too. The Monkey's were very active & the Flamingos beautiful, tho like most birds, messy. We stayed late in the day, the weather cooled slightly & the animals were up & moving. Three lynx kittens, how cute were they! Every employee we met was MORE than nice & very helpful. CON - Yes, some of the zoo is under construction & I can see where it would be a pain with a stroller. Some of the more "native animals" (porcupine, lynx) were in older "chain link" type enclosures that limited viewing & were not very large or nice for the animals. The petting zoo was pretty (very!) lousy, not many animals & it was smelly. SO - For grade schoolers/younger teens, it's a fun, cheap afternoon (meaning a couple/three hours) visit. Stay till close, when there are few people & the animals are up & moving around. The boys got some nice "selfies" with certain animals then. Don't take your toddlers, they'd be bored. If you are looking for Major Animals (giraffes, lions & tigers) hit the Franklin Park Zoo instead. But like I said, much better than I expected for the afternoon. read more

My husband and I took our then 4 month old baby to the zoo the day after Thanksgiving. They had a "black friday" special for half off. This place isn't the San Diego Zoo, but it is a lovely place with some good exhibits. I hadn't been since a school field trip probably 30 years ago, so needless to say there has been some changes! I think my favorits exhibits were the ones where the animals were rescued - such as the one armed baboon and especially the bald eagles. You could see the bald eagles right up close, since they can't fly. Wow, those things are big. Plus they have a couple of eagle nests... which can weigh up to 1 ton. And yes, I learned that fun fact at the zoo. read more

The zoo was a great way to entertain our toddler, but frankly she enjoyed running around more than the animals. Luckily, we only paid for one admission since it was Mother's Day and our toddler is under 2. It's a very small zoo, and a lot of it is under construction. Some of the dirt pathways were pretty narrow and hard to maneuver with a stroller. The animals in the more spacious enclosures were hidden or sleeping (not the zoo's fault). The petting zoo was not even open so we had to feed the goats through the fence. The concession area could have used some umbrellas at the tables as it was very warm and sunny. I think this place has a lot of potential, and I'd like to see it when the construction is finished. read more

Ok let me preface by saying I went not expecting much, and found my foreshadowing was correct. It ain't much. But it's cute...and they do have some cool exhibits. Namely the wolves...which rocked...I think they have a pack of about 14! And they recently had some jaguars born (3) on my birthday (which I now recall was my primary motivation in venturing out there)...but anyway, they were super-cute and it was endearing. I'll say it again, it ain't much - it's no Miami Zoo - it's more like a neighborhood zoo...but if you're in the area check it out and give them some much needed support. read more

I love Stone Zoo, but with a caveat: it's only great if you are a member. It is a small zoo, can get pretty crowded, and full price is definitely a bit steep. However, if you are a member it is a great place to spend a free hour with the kids. The highlights are the Bears, gibbons, snow leopards, and a really nice playground. My piece of advise is to go closer to closing when the animals tend to be more active. Finally, closer to Winter holidays they have Zoo Lights - where they decorate the zoo with Christmas lights and displays. Zoo Lights is a great time and one of the easiest places to get photos with Santa. read more

I hope the animals at the Stone zoo find their way to a much happier place :/ The zoo is clearly trying.... but whether that's an effort worth pursuing is a separate question. It's painful to give a zoo a bad rating. I'm sure these people are doing their best.... But don't go, it's depressing. read more

A modest zoo that lacks a lot of open space. By definition zoos are cool so it gets at least 3 stars. The animals are in good condition and appear to be well cared for. It seems this zoo is otherwise a little underfunded. I'm not sure if this is a private or public venture but it could use some help with the upkeep. The animals, as always, are beautiful. read more

This was an ok place it was unbelievable that the parking fee was so high and the walk so far to get to the entrance. In the end it was early july and the animals were mostly pyt away all the things we wanted to see the exhibits were closed no signs up as to why. read more

So many great improvements have been happening at Stone Zoo over the last few years. The animal variety and easy navigation of the park makes it such a worthwhile experience for families, friends, or couples. read more

Had a great experience at Stone Zoo this past summer celebrating the snow leopards' birthday! The other animal exhibits were also fantastic. Looking forward to going back. read more

This zoo has greatly improved! It is very clean & has a good amount of animals. All the staff are very nice & friendly. They even have a little train ride & a playground for the kids. read more

The Stone Zoo has been a part of my life for almost 50 years and, even though it has changed over time, it is still a beautiful and enriching experience for me (and now my family) every time I visit. read more

I visited tonight for the Zoolights Christmas event. The staff was very friendly. The value was good. However all of the animals except the birds looks either sad or horrified. My 10 year old son said "Mom that monkey looks so sad" and he wanted to go home. I do not know a lot about flamingos but I question having these tropical birds out on display in New England weather. It was 44 degrees tonight. read more

There are some worthwhile animals in this zoo (black bear, jaguar, lynx, yak, snow leopard, etc.) However, extremely thick plexiglass cuts many of the animals off from the visitor; it becomes almost like TV. And beware, while 617-541-LION is the Stone Zoo's phone number, no African lions live here. On the whole though this was a good idea that my wife white cat Tasha and I partook in recently. It's recommended. read more

Great place for the kids. Many animals were hard to find. The attendant put away several animals into barns while numerous children were admiring them....it was 12 noon. The bird flight show was amazing. They do an excellent job with this. BEST PART OF THE EXPERIENCE! read more

Im only giving one star because I have no other option! This years zoo lights were horrible ! This zoo should be as shamed all the money they make year round , they have blow up decorations that are all ripped and filthy and old ! They have no staff thew out the zoo , you think with the amount of crowds they have workers would be around! Specially for those with carriages and the others that can't help but push and shove ! None of the animals were out at all either . Maybe they should tell people that before they go threw the zoo looking to see what animals are there only to be disappointed ! I've been going here since I was little and now take my kids , but this will be the last year. Compleat rip off!!!! read more

After a long day of shopping, Zoo Lights was a great way to regain the holiday spirit. The line was very fast and the lights really brightened up what looks like kinda a sad little zoo. The owls and reindeer were our favorites. Great holiday atmosphere. read more

Some of the animals need grooming and washing. White foxes are filthy. Other than that love stone zoo.

We love this zoo for our young kids (3 and 1 year old). It is close by (15 minute drive) and has lots of common animals which are fun. You can see the whole park in 3 hours which means we can do that w/ nap times. I could see how people with older kids and adults might feel like it's underwhelming but we love it. The staff are so nice and always willing to stop and give a little education! Highly recommend to those who are local. read more

We love visiting the zoo, and going there dressed up for Halloween is even more fun! We visited the Stone Zoo for the first time in mid-October for the Boo at the Zoo event. It was such a fun and unique way to celebrate Halloween with our young daughter. Parking was a little crazy, and there was a bit of a bottleneck when we first entered, but once we got past the initial crowd, we really enjoyed ourselves. Stone Zoo is not as big as Boston's Franklin Park Zoo, but the landscape and design is much nicer. The petting zoo is especially fun. Our daughter delighted in petting the goats, crowing at the rooster, and staring at the two enormous sleeping pigs. Will definitely plan on making this part of our Halloween tradition! read more

I loved it here. There weren't many people at all. For 9 bucks I got to watch black bears, a fox, meerkcats, a lot of different birds, amphibians, sea otters, monkeys, touch goats, and got to see a whole bunch of animals. I'm glad I guess this place is underrated because it was pretty empty and I happened to have a lot of fun!!! read more

The place is kind strange,we went for a bird show,But walked through the place it need's updating and some of the animal's cages are to small like the bear one. read more

The zoo has improved significantly since the 90's. That being said, the parking lot is inadequate, the refreshments are lacking, and the bathrooms stink! I've needed to remind myself that this isn't Six Flags. This zoo is operated by a private, non-profit corporation. They don't have the funds yet to improve upon these negatives. It's been an exercise in tolerance and patience at times. We had tickets for Zoo Lights once but couldn't use them because there weren't any parking spots. We had to drive away; all of us pouting at one another. My advice would be to get there on the early or later side if you intend to go to the zoo or hit up Zoo Lights. I think we're going to become members so we can go on the regs. It's a great place to push the stroller around and blow the stink off. Lots of cool animals! My personal favorite was The Bat Cave!!! read more

A very small town type of zoo. Most enclosures are very tiny and animals were not up for a visitors today. Some exhibits only had one animal and viewing glass was not clean making it hard to see them. Good to bring small children but disappointing for adults. read more