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Zoos & Aquariums| Official Website: Southwick's Wild Animal Zoo Location: 2 Southwick Street, Mendon, MA, 01756 map Phone:(508) 883-9182 Hours: Hours Vary see below Ages: Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults In/Outdoor: Outdoor Cost: $$ see below |
Others to Consider: Franklin Park Zoo - Zoo New England, The Butterfly Place, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Magic Wings Butterfly ConservatoryPrivately owned and maintained, Southwicks has the largest collection of endangered species (White Rhinoceros, African elephants) and some not-so-endangered animals in the region. This is one of the nicest zoos in the area.
The zoo offers animal shows, a petting zoo and a 35-acre walk through a deer forest where you come in direct contact with the animals. Your toddler can ride a pony ($3), or try the more exotic elephant or camel ride ($4). They also offer wagon ($8.00) & stroller ($5.00) rentals for your convenience. Concessions and a gift shop are also available.
Children's Play Park:
The Children's Play Park at Southwick's is an example of Recycled Materials at Work. The Play structure is made from the equivalent of 2424 plastic containers, 27608 aluminum cans, 14994 Soda Cans, and 10 car tires! Southwick thanks you for recycling!
*All children must be accompanied by an adult.
History:
Southwick's began as a dairy farm on a homestead that dates back to 1803. In 1952, Justin Southwick's keen interest in the conservation and preservation of animals, particulary migratory waterfowl, led to the sale of his dairy herd. The dairy herd was replaced with a collection of exotic birds and migratory waterfowl. After several years of the public coming to visit his birds, in 1963, he was encouraged to put out a donation box.
With the money collected, he purchased a bear and a fox.
Since that time the park has grown extensively. Southwick's is now home to hundreds of animals representing a wide variety of species, some of which are endangered.
Southwick's Zoo is privately owned. It does not receive state, local, or federal funding of any kind. All admission proceeds go directly towards caring for the animals and upkeep of the zoo. This includes animal housing, appropriate diets, veterinary care, new exhibit design, and all maintenance to zoo facilities.
 Hours |  Top |
Operating hours for Southwick's Zoo are 10:00am to 5:00pm
Opens for the season May 1 ... 7 days a week including holidays.
 Cost | Top |
View Current Rates
 Tips | Top |
- Save $2 per person using this online coupon
- WGBH members can also receive $2 off admission by showing your card
 Related Links | Top |
- Profiles
 Reviews | Top |
A Great Time At The Zoo, Mon 30 Jun 2008
I visited the zoo on Saturday, June 28, 2008. All of the animals were very cute. I saw the gentlemen with the dog act and was very impressed with him. He did such a wonderful job with the dogs. I would recommend the zoo to a friend.
The Zoo, Wed 29 Aug 2007
I found Southwick zoo, a very wonderful place to take my grandson to see animals. It is educational and fun. I found the aniamls in good health and their habittats clean and the animails had plenty of water and seem to be well fed. There should be more zoo's like this one.
It's an annual event, Sat 5 Aug 2006
I was taken to Southwicks as a child and the tradition has been handed down now that I have a daughter. Over the years Southwick has become a nicer place to visit. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot the Zebras were right there. We hurried over even before we entered the zoo and took a few photos, we've never been so close before--the timing was great. We had a coupon that we printed on line and another coupon from the mail. The deer forest was our number one favorite. This is the first year the my daughter 'fed' the deer, it was a young one and approached us very cautiously, she absolutely loved it! The alligator was lying right along the fence, that was a sight to see!!! We went right as school was beginning so it wasn't crowded at all. We certainly will be visiting again next year!
Southwick's Zoo!, Mon 15 May 2006
I have visited Southwick's Zoo for many years. It is absolutely the best zoo in the New England area!! The zoo is spacious enough to visit each animal without having to worry about crowds. All the animals seem very well taken care of and in beautiful condition. The park is very clean and you can spend a day enjoying the quiet, relaxed atmosphere. The deer forest is amazing, you can even picnic amongst the deer! (there has never been charge for petting zoo or deer forest..prior reviewer must have had mis information). The shows are fantastic and the new Purple Peacock gift store has an amazing collection! I loved the new train ride and I hear they are building a new train station! They had a great Haunted Ghost Train during Halloween time in October! Myself and Kids loved it!! All in all, Southwick's is my favorite place to visit and I love being able to get up close and personal with so many exotic and beautiful animals while learning to respect them. EARTH ltd., does a great job with educational programs also! Make sure it is on your list to do this summer!
The Best Zoo In Mass!, Fri 22 Jul 2005
this is an annual event for my family. lots of great animals to see. The cost is a bit steep for adults, compared to other zoos. the highlights: lots of monkeys, the deer woods, the baby giraffe. I have pictures every year over the last five or so of my girlfriend feeding the deers. It is a great activity. Also, ask when the giraffe are going to be fed. The giraffe come right up to the edge of their area to eat. Great close up views. the lowlights: the tiger and lions are sleeping and hard to see. the chimpanzees are so far away that they are hard to see. the bathrooms are nasty.
Fantastic place!, Wed 17 Mar 2004
This past summer I took my 1.5 yr old to the Southwick Zoo. It is the best place I've been with him so far! The entire zoo is fabulous, but the deer forest was amazing. I stood teary eyed as I watched my little boy feeding the deer. He made kissing noises as he toddled after them & when one brave deer actually got close enough to eat the sweaty corn he held, he said 'Mmmmm!' That alone was worth the very reasonable price of admission.
Must have on your summer season list!, Wed 26 Nov 2003
We discovered Southwick two years ago. For whatever reason, they are not advertising much, so it took my then 3-years old to ask for the elephant rides, and me doing yahoo search on elephant rides to find Southwick... Since then, we're there driving from Cambridge, MA at least twice a month from May to October. Buy the Friends of Earth pass, it will save you tons of bucks over the season. There is no better place to connect to wild animals and make your kids feel like a part of planet Earth than Southwick. What those people do is fantastic!
A pleasant surprise!, Wed 23 Jul 2003
We went to Southwick's Zoo recently and both my husband and I were pleasantly surprised. We remembered an old, run-down farm from our childhood. Boy has this place changed!! We decided to go since it was a mere 1-hour trip from our home. Also, they had all the 'important' zoo animals - lions, tigers, zebras, giraffes, etc. Our kids (8 and 3) loved it! The dear enclosure was definitely the highlight. They really loved having these 'wild' animals come up right to them to eat from their hands. The giant tortoises, the elephant ride, and a funny little show with dogs, cats, and llamas were all big hits as well. Unfortunately, the lions, tigers, and zebras were all too sleepy or far away to see very well. We were a bit disappointed, but that's no ones fault. Lots of monkeys there! All different kinds. And we were able to get up close to a number of parrots and cuckotoos that were brought out for people to experience more closely. Unlike a prior reviewer, we didn't have to pay to enter the petting zoo, so maybe Southwick's has changed that? I thought the food was overpriced, but it was ok. I was able to have a pretty good chicken ceaser salad instead of a fatty hamburger. All in all, we would definitely go again! Southwick's is a nice zoo with a small feel, but great displays and animals.
Zoo trip to kick off summer fun!, Sun 6 Jul 2003
Last Friday, 6/27, we adventured to Southwick's in Mendon, MA from Concord, MA. The car ride was just enough when you have five kids in tow. The zoo was just big enough for our 3 year to walk around even though we did take the stroller along. The oldest child was 11 years and she loves animals of all kinds so this was a wonderful place to get up close to some of the most fascinating creatures. A big hit with all the kids was the Deer Enclosure which was neat to have all these friendly deer walk up to you and feed and pat them. I was, however, a bit disappointed that there was a fee charged ($3/child), to enter the Petting Zoo area. Even though adults enter free, it's costly to pay for 5 children after you've already paid an entrance fee to the main zoo. This we unfortunately had to forfeit doing. The food stations are plenty and offer a wide selection for all appetites! The gift shop is placed strategically as the only way to exit the zoo. Of course we all bought a souvenir of a wonderful visit to the zoo!
Not just for kids, Sun 6 Jul 2003
Plan at least a half day to visit a truly unusual zoo. You will enjoy a day out of the heat of summer viewing animals in a comfortable and clean enviroment. Not just for children either.
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