Old zoo turned into park! Things to do: Trails for walking/running for all fitness levels Playground for kids Big areas for picnics and parties Fishing read more

The old Benson's animal park they did a good thing made it a nice park to enjoy walking picnics walking around and playing they have trails you can walk on they have old nostalgia left over from the zoo days cages the old shoe house and much more they also have a dedication to September 11 very cool so take your kids and have fun read more

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Love trekking Benson's Park in Winter, Spring Summer or Fall! Great place for family, friends and pets. read more

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Cute little park! Lots of trails, places to sit, little free library, old zoo cells, pond! And one of the best places to play Pokémon go in the area! read more

This is a really beautiful park with a lot of history. There are somewhat secluded running and walking trails (not very long in distance, though). There are plenty of ponds, benches, pavilions, a playground for kids, and my favorites: history and old buildings from the original animal park that was there before it shut down and a 9/11 memorial including a beam from one of the Twin Towers. Definitely something to check out for a small history lesson and a beautiful walk. read more

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Beautiful, spacious park Paved and unpaved trails. Memorial to 911 heroes. Playground. Picnic tables. Restrooms. I highly recommend spending the day or even a few hours, whether for lunch or a walk. Extremely peaceful. I could hear the birds as I walked around. Serene read more

People forty and older will remember this park as the site of Benson's Wild Animal Farm, which was open from 1926 to 1989. It was a great local cultural and entertainment attraction, a close second to Canobie Lake Park. Changing social trends causes attendance to drop throughout the 80s, and the park's closure was a loss to the community. For many years the abandoned lands of this park were left to the ravages of weather, and vandals. But a few years ago volunteers from around the community came together to improve the grounds, fix the trails, and rebuild and stabilize the remaining buildings. Now this park is the crown jewel of Hudson's Park system with miles of beautiful, maintained trails, well maintained flower plantings, a small brook, a lake that one can fish in, and a gorgeous new playground for kids of all ages. read more

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There's not much more you can ask for from a park. On the site of the old Benson's Wild Animal Farm, the zoo pathways have been completely redone. The paths lead the way around ponds, over bridges and past the old zoo exhibits, many of which have historical markers stating what used to be there. Some of the animal cages are still there, like the gorilla cage are still there and you can walk around inside. Along with massive playground, there is an enormous dog park and 9/11 memorial featuring a girder from the WTC. It's absolutely one of the best parks in NH. read more

Dog park: gravel, dirt, old asphalt very little grass. Worst dog park I've ever seen. Seems like someone found the ugliest land in Benson's and put a fence around it and called it a dog park. read more

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Great park for walking around and plenty of trail options. I like that with the COVID-19 they have closed down the playground and dog park because now the true hikers can go in peace and without all of the dogs and children making lots of noise and taking up all the parking. I recommend the blue trail which goes around the perimeter and takes about 45 minutes to complete. read more

This park is amazing for children and dogs. There are quiet areas if you want to relax. There are plenty of trails as well as a play park and recreational areas as well. Perfect place to grab a good book (which this park can also provide in the free library's found around it) or playing with the pup or kids. If I could give this par ten stars I would! Side note also VERY CLEAN! read more

Benson's Park - Parks Near Me - Hudson, New Hampshire

This is my favorite park, I love how spacious it is and all that it has to offer!

I had never come out here before but it's a very pleasant discovery! Apparently this used to be a Zoo of sorts, features a 9/11 memorial (some beams from ground zero lined up side by side like the towers with informative plaques) and a Fairy tale shoe house....quite a combination. Now it's mostly a playground and walking area with lots of room to explore. Did a quick couple miles in the more inclined walking paths with a friend. It's not exactly the ideal time to go hike in sneakers lol but a great find and good to know it's here for when the spring comes. I'll definitely be back! read more

It depends on what you're there for. IF you plan to walk your vulnerable little dog on a leash and hope that other dog owners respect that and control their dogs, then forget it. This is not a good place for you to walk your vulnerable dog on a leash. IF you plan to enjoy your little children on a playground, then this playground is very good and very enjoyable! IF you plan to walk some trails and enjoy a nice walk, then this place is great! So, it depends on what your purpose is here. It's nice, and yet a little spooky and ominous considering the not-here-with-us-anymore animal cages and sites, which makes it atmospheric if not morose. However, the grounds are kept so impeccably beautiful, that it adds to the impact of the time you spend there, along with the very moving 9-11 Memorial. I really love it here, although sometimes, it's a hard sell with the family. Such beautiful grounds, so well-maintained, with so much sadness for different reasons behind it. I do love it, though, kind of, as long as I don't take our dachshund out to face the man-and-dog-eating pit bulls that are either unleashed or uncontrolled. read more

I will never bring my dogs here. There were two males unfixed who wouldn't leave my girls alone and the owners did nothing about it. One tried humping another dog and that poor dog was reprimanded. No. These owners are not ok. I even found broken glass on the ground. I will never go back! read more

I am in love with Benson's Park! ! The beauty, the walking trails and the serenity. ..... I wish I had seen it when it was a fully functioning zoo!! read more

This park is beautiful but every year I go there are less fish and this year I didn't see any. People are always fishing. The trees are littered with fishing lines and some of the turtles and geese have fishing hooks in them. Can we please make this a place where you don't fish. There's plenty of other spots to fish. read more

Went here as a kid when the animals were there. So good to see the place getting fixed up into a place all can enjoy!

I love this park! My parents used to tell me stories of when they went to the park as kids. We went there today and it was interesting to me to actually see what they were talking about. I especially loved "The Little Old Lady That Lived In A Shoe". I also loved being able to imagine what the park used to look like. When circus performers were in training, they used to go to Bensons to train with some of the older animals who were no longer performing. Clowns used to train there as well. Now it's a family-friendly dog park, with trails to walk and a playground for the kids to play in. You can even go inside the old animal cages! read more

Beautiful Park! Very clean, great for families. There are paved walking trails, wooded hiking trails, a playground, and a beautiful 9/11 memorial. No indoor bathrooms, just Porta potties. There is a little store that sells snacks and souvenirs. As Dane Cook said, "This is where Benson's (animal farm) used to be!!" read more

This is an amazing place to go walking, exploring, picnicking, reading, biking relaxing. A historical destination. It has a pond, wildlife, playground. Beautiful green open space. You can adopt a spot to plant a garden and take care of as necessary. Adjacent dog park but you can bring dog w you in the park as long as it's on a leash and you clean up after your dog! Many Walking AND Biking Trails. Amazing memorial of 9/11 is there as well. A must go to!! read more

Kids and I love hiking the trails. Always tons of wildlife to observe, great dog park, but some bigger breeds can be slightly frightening to smaller dogs, people, and children. read more

Very popular with the locals. All sorts of people come and enjoy the huge park right up until it gets dark. If you want to exercise, you can walk outer loops through the woods. Plenty of places to sit and relax. Plenty of grass for Frisbee. The best part are the tributes to the old amusement park/zoo. read more

I love Bensons! It's a great place to go on the weekend with the whole family! It's even nice to go for a walk after work with a few friends. The place has had an amazing transformation and it seems that they are always improving it every time I go. I am very impressed with their progress. read more

I have been told by a thousand people that I had to visit this park, and I am so glad I finally did! Holy cow, walking around the trails will make you completely forget you are in Hudson. The committee in charge did such a phenomenal job on the landscaping and layout-I couldn't believe how beautiful and serene it was. Not to mention of course, it is a wonderful walk down memory lane of the old Benson's Wild Animal Park and it was great to see the artifacts that were preserved. It was a trip to look in the windows of the Old Woman in a Shoe all these decades later, and also to visit the gorilla cage which was everybody's favorite attraction back in the day. The door on the cage is open too, so I let my son go in and pretend he was a monkey...who knows if they allow it, but he thought it was fun. The playground is better than most parks in the area, and there are miles of trails with lush and interesting plant life. The September 11th monument was so thoughtfully done, and it is hard to believe it is a piece of the actual World Trade Center tower. The dog park is enormous-way bigger than Derry, and not crowded. If you haven't been to this park I promise you it will be much nicer than you can even picture. We plan on going often, as it has something for everyone including the dog! read more

Such a cool place :) my boyfriend took my sister and I here in the winter to check it out. Gonna check it out in warm weather ! I really applaud the town for doing something awesome with it after Bensons closed!! So much land being built up these days!! read more

This was a close to home dog park for our Rhodesian Ridgeback to enjoy some time with friends. a lot of toys for the dogs, an agility course, and plenty of running space for them. It was pretty clean, most people have picked up after their dogs, and everyone was really nice. Seems like no breed restrictions here which I actually love, I think every dog should have the chance to play and enjoy a dog park, obviously unless proven that it can't conduct itself safely. No kids under 11 years old, which I also approve of! I don't have to worry about my puppy who is still learning manners bowling over some small kids. Plenty of places to sit and relax while the pups go crazy, and plenty of locals to chat with. We will definitely make this a regular stop for us :) I really hope this will remain free for non-residents to use, as I was happy to put in my donation. I wish my own town would put in a dog park, but no such luck. My furry friend needs this space! I've only been at the dog park section of this park but anxious to explore more! read more

I can't technically write a review of the park as it exists today but... I enjoyed every minute of reading the reviews & seeing the pictures of the old zoo. I worked there in 1980 and used to take care of the gorilla "Colossus" or as we called him Tony, every afternoon I'd get him a large cup of milk to drink. He'd sit on a bench & let me pour it into his mouth. I have seen many gorillas since then & none compare to how beautiful a specimen he was. The picture of his cage brought a flood a memories (& yes a couple of tears). I also took care of the birds including some beautiful black swans that would come swimming across the pond whistling and honking for some food. And the picture of the giraffes! Their barn was where all the cold food was kept including fresh fruits and vegetables. They loved to see us come out and would reach down with those long necks to try to mooch off of us. I rented a 3 room cottage at the foot of the hill & at night you could hear the lions roaring and "huffing". I could go on & on but thank you for the pictures. I always wondered what happened to that land after Benson's Wild Animal Park closed. read more