The zoo unfortunately is in terrible shape. Poor animals need more space. Zoo was dirty and a lot of the cages were empty. Food services are awful. I would hope the owner/management of the zoo either makes it better for the animals or move them to a better zoo. read more

I LOVE Stone Zoo... up close & personal furry fun! NOTE TO YELPERS ....STOP COMPARING IT to San Diego. or the Bronx Zoo's...They're rich. Massachusetts doesn't invest in their zoo's, so they can't afford to compete with wealthy cousins. ATMOSPHERE: A small zoo... so it can offer a more personal experience. Intimate animal encounters abound here. ZOOKEEPERS: Stone zoo has a small number of animals, and Zookeepers, but they are friendly and available to you. (Try to get personalized service at The Bronx Zoo!) We are so blessed to have access to 2 local zoos, and all the educational enrichment they provide. THE DEAL: I attend their annual fundraiser, "A Wild Affair" every Summer...Food, Fun & Furries! Some of the top restaurants in the area provide their latest offerings, along with libations, and a few priceless photo opps w/ zoo inhabitants. YES... a few of the keepers will bring out some animals for an up close show and meet-n-greet with you! read more

We come here regularly with the kids over summer breaks, and always for ZooLights each Christmas. They do a great job bringing in new attractions each year (like the dinosaurs this year). One of the few things we could do as a family when the pandemic was raging. read more

This is a lovely little zoo to which we ultimately purchased a membership. The bears are the first creatures we encountered and we were sold. This is almost like a neighborhood zoo, nestled within a community. It was clean and easy to navigate. I could see us coming over for a couple of hours to just enjoy the animals who are out and about. The available staff and volunteers were quick to engage visitors with information about the various zoo residents. Overall a really nice afternoon. You could bring a lunch and have a picnic right inside the zoo. Most impressive for me were the grey wolves. When we were there they were extremely active; I think there are five or so and they came down close to the viewing area; no howling but maybe next time! read more

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We had the pleasure of attending the zoo lights event, so this covers both zoo lights, but also visiting the zoo during COVID times. I got tickets for 4:30 on Wednesday and have congratulated myself amply for my wisdom because 1) it was just getting dark and the lights looked awesome, 2) the traffic wasn't bad at all getting there, 3) parking lot was only half-full, so...4) it was mostly empty! When we left about 45 mins later, the lot looked nearly completely full and there were way more people waiting at the entrance. With the number of people walking around as we were, I felt relatively COVID-safe and can't say I would have felt the same had we gone at 5:30. Zoo Lights: The lights are very pretty and interspersed really nicely throughout the zoo. They have the paper lantern-esque animals all around (fabulous!) and a few cool photo op sites. My kids (8 and 10) were really into some of the flashy, dangling light things and danced around under them. It was euphoric for all of us, but probably because it was the first sort of normal thing we've done since March. There is generic pop Christmas music, and one little room that has a tree and stockings, but otherwise it was pretty secular. There is a whole separate Santa tent that we didn't go into. Not sure how that works for safety. COVID: You buy tickets online and hold your code up through the plexiglass at the ticket booth, so no contact there, then you walk into a lovely display of 'wear your mask' and hand sanitizer (soooo heavy. Didn't smell too terrible, but just like sat on my hands and later when I washed them with water it was like washing off lotion. Prob worked, which is what matters!). The zoo is organized one-way and staff are stationed throughout to presumably direct traffic and proper masking, although we didn't see any of that. It was easy to keep distance. I was surprised that they were selling food in a few places because it meant sneaking by people eating. We did get some fried dough for an outside food stand before we left, so if you want to eat away from people, you can do that! There were no places where we were forced into close contact with others and no indoor sections. It helped that people were really respectful. As always, the snow leopards are amazing and they were really active while were there. The bear was, too! Otherwise, not a ton of animals and many were sleeping, but we still felt like we saw a lot and it was really fun. I took off one star because of how crowded it looked when we left, how quickly it went by, and the walking and eating stuff, which isn't ideal, especially if crowd density goes up. read more

There is plenty of parking. The is relatively small but what they have is top notch. The trick to visiting any zoo is going before the animals are fed. Then they are more active. The zoo was set up for Corona virus so we walk arrange the arranged. My favorite was the snow leopard. Some of the more tropical animals were inside. I suppose that is what happens when the temperature turns cold. I would have liked to have seen the alligator. I was gorgeous day so there were plenty of people. It was twenty dollars to get in which I thought was a little steep but it was worth it. read more

It's a small zoo with an intimate feel which we knew going into our visit, but that's why we chose to come. Hours show the zoo closes at 4p so I didn't understand whether it reopens for zoo lights or if it's separate admission - wasn't super clear on the website. We decided to spend a short morning here with my in laws and arrived to an awesomely quiet zoo around 11am - very little crowd! Unfortunately most animals were feeding, sleeping, or just not in their exhibits and most, if not all, food cart vendors were closed, but we had plenty of opportunity to peer into the exhibits on such a quiet winter day. The zoo itself is clean and the path winds through trees and nice surroundings. It was a pretty sight to be welcomed by the bright flamingos contrasted against the white snow on the ground. The zookeepers were super friendly and knowledgeable - we asked a lot of questions about the flamingos and the javelinas. Another great addition to the day were the impressive, life size LEGO statues of various animals throughout the park. Really unbelievable detail! Overall I recommend as an easy, inexpensive, enjoyable way to spend the day with family! They also had a Santa area and an exhibit with reindeer, but Santa hadn't opened yet I imagine he is only there during night light hours. read more

Set outside Boston proper, the Stone Zoo is small in comparison to other major zoos. However it's size, it still offers a wide variety of animals and education that is enjoyable for toddler, children and adults alike. Wife and I decide to invest in the seasonal pass, which is good for both the Stone and Franklin Zoo. read more

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This here zoo is teenie weenie but it packs a punch and is a far cry from the 70s when I first went. It is better now in every way except that they ain't got no pachyderms or pinnipeds no more. Easy parking and it's just minutes from my crib. They got 'em undulates, cats, birds, bears, simian pals, and more. Also a bug house with gnarly insects n' stuff. It's a real gas to walk about and spend a couple hours. Have yet to try food at the snack "bah." I doubt it is Zagat rated and I would assume that it's most likely janky. Very doable and mellow zoo. Peep it out. read more

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With the holidays approaching, I just wanted to updated my Stone Zoo review. I can absolutely say that getting a Stone Zoo membership for our Grandchildren was one of the best gifts we've given . My husband and I explored the memberships and decided to get it for our grandchildren. We were pleasantly surprised by the membership deals . The prices for each membership packages were very reasonable as you'll see when you visit the Stone Zoo website. Our membership passes paid for themselves over and over ! Honestly! Funny to say , when I suggested to my husband that we get zoo memberships , he replied, " how many times will the kids want to go to the zoo ? ". I replied, they're kids, they would go daily if someone drove them lol. We plan on renewing our memberships ! I saved the best for last ! We now have lifelong memories of going to the zoo with our grandchildren and they have the memories of going with us. The greatest gift my daughter told us for our grandchildren was to take them on adventures instead of buying toys that fade with time . She was absolutely right. Thank you Stone Zoo read more

Stone Zoo is not a huge zoo with a ton of animals but they have a very good, diverse collection that included a lot of animals I haven't seen in other zoos. I won't leave spoilers. We took the grandparents and our 1.5 year old and it was a great way to spend about 2 hrs without dropping too much money. The restrooms are clean; the park is a beautiful walk. The gift shop had a lot of cool items and was not expensive. $42 for a medium stuffed animal, bigger than real rubber frog, and 2 toddler books. It was a really nice way to spend the morning. read more

Nice easy walk. Easy parking. However, the BEES were out of control. I've never experienced something like this before. Detracted from the experience so much. My son is under 2 and may be allergic so we were even more on edge. We could not feed him or eat outside without literally being swarmed by 10 plus yellow jackets EACH. We were told they have a "bee problem" and saw an exterminator. if that's the case, then they should create some indoor eating space so families can eat comfortably after paying an arm and leg for admission. read more

I'm just trying my luck with picking the wrong time and I'm going back and trying it on the first time so I'm going with you and I'll get the same results and I'll see what you can find a better price and I probably have the best deal I just need the same amount and then I'm not trying and I'll just have the best prices for that but if you're willing I don't care if I just don't know if it's going out or what I'm trying or what you can think and I'm trying but it's hard right I don't want it I know I'm not sure if you have the best deal and you can do whatever it can get me I know I know that but it's just I know I have no clue how I don't have the same thing but it's not even know if it's a little too far to know if it's like you don't even think of me I know you you just want me and you can get a little better and then you don't have any other than the same things are not like you can do what do what do what do we don't have ok think you. read more

I came here during the Ales and Tails event (thanks Yelp for the tickets!) and we got to drink beer and look at the animals for 2 hours. Some of the areas were closed, my husband was really disappointed that he didn't get to see the snow leopard. Overall it was a really fun experience because there were so many brewery vendors, and we got to try beers from quite a few of the smaller lesser known breweries. There were a few snack vendors too, I really like the chicken salad booth (yikes, I wish I remembered the name!) and the Krave jerky! It's a pretty small zoo, so don't expect to spend the whole day here. I think this is a nice place to bring your kids on a weekend, especially if you live around the area. But if your party only has adults, you might find this zoo a little too small for your liking. read more

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Like another review mentions, it really is a 3 star zoo. I haven't been to the other zoo in Boston but I've heard it's the "better" one. However, Stone Zoo has a lot to offer too. They have an amazing bird show, flamingos galore, a beautiful jaguar, a black bear, alligators, and several animals I had honestly never heard of until this visit. The best part of this zoo is that you can see the animals up close. It's also an easy zoo to walk around if you skip the wolf part. Back to the bird show - I would definitely plan to do this. It's really beautiful to see the birds soar so close and see them interact with the trainers. Kids can be even get a picture with one at the end. I bumped it up to 4 stars because for what the zoo offers, it is a nice way to enjoy the day with your family. If you have a zoo membership, check their website for reciprocal benefits. read more

Small zoo compared to Franklin zoo Very professional Helpful animal tech's Great for young kids to walk around Our grand kids like going every week read more

What a pathetic little zoo. I think I counted about 4 animals. Mostly empty cages here. The poor bald eagle in a very small chicken wire cage at the entrance is disturbing. Displays and signs are worn and faded. This place is crying to be either closed or drastically updated. read more

For the relatively small budget that this zoo has, I say it has done a very good job. The staff is very knowledgeable & helpful. The Goats, Snow Leopard and Wolves have great space to live in. Feel a little sorry for some of the other animals tough. Overall, it is a very good place to take your kids and teach them about animals. read more

Stone Zoo - Snow Leopard at Stone Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Stoneham, Massachusetts

"I was actually able to see the wolves. They came right down to the fence. An awesome experience since they are the reason I was there. I was very impressed with the flamingos also" read more

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It's a tiny zoo but it's really good for small children. Translation for those of you not yet afflicted with spawn: This place is walkable for the under 6 crowd. It's cheap, the restrooms are "fun" (think outhouse with pizazz), and the food area is a nice central location with a decent selection. The smaller number of animals may be a turnoff for sophisticated zoo visitors, but the proximity to the animals makes up for the fewer exhibits. Most of the larger animals are separated by (what seems like) a thin piece of glass, so you can press yourself up next to the glass when the black bear or mountain lion walks by. Don't believe me? I pushed my four month old up next to the glass every time the monsters went by, then emailed the pics to my mom with captions like "Mmmm - Dinner!" FUN read more

I came here during a Brew at the Zoo event (aka beer tasting while learning about flamingos), and it was incredible (seriously, not the beer talking). It's a bit smaller than some other zoos, namely the Franklin Park Zoo, but there's plenty to see here, and most excitingly -- BABY SNOW LEOPARDS! Currently there's a mother and two cubs, and they couldn't be cuter. The zookeeper was discussing their characteristics, endangerment, attempts at wildlife conservation, all the while the cubs were seemingly 5 feet away, scrambling up and down rocky terrain with ease. It was easy to fall in love, with the chorus of "awww" from the crowd. We walked around for at least an hour and a half, saw a wolf habitat, birds, cockatoos, monkeys, lizards, reindeer... and a baby reindeer, to boot. It was practicing its jumps over and over again, literally like a scene out of a Christmas movie. I thought the cute threshold had been reached with the baby snow leopards, but oh was I wrong... This zoo may not be as well known as Franklin, but it's definitely worth a visit -- there's plenty of variety in animals here, and a great place to appreciate wildlife. At the very least, it's got some seriously cute newborn animals to ooh and ah at (which hopefully, again, will make you truly appreciate wildlife and conservation). read more

Like most small zoos, the Stone Zoo seems to be slowly updating their exhibits. Today was a rainy fall day, perfect for visiting a normally crowded place outside, and I was not disappointed. All the animals came over to check me out, curious at the sole human outside their enclosures. I saw 5 Mexican gray wolves (did you know the last wild one was shot in Arizona in 1970? I didn't either!) in a big beautiful exhibit, an arctic fox who couldn't stop checking me out, a jaguar who said hello, a yak who bellowed at me until I walked over and said hi -- same with the reindeer. All the farm animals were locked up, I'm sure because of the rain, but the chickens followed me around and one of the funniest goats I've ever met goaded me into spending 25 cents to feed him in his pen. I'd visit again, because it's a nice intimate zoo. It was clean, but still desperately in need of enrichment for the gibbons --pizza boxes? Not good enough:( -- and others. The poor kookaburra sits on a stick in front of a picture of a forest. But it was a great mix of species, local and exotic, from otters to meerkats. The keepers I saw were very friendly, too. Thanks, Stone Zoo, for a great afternoon. read more

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Absolutely loved our time at this zoo! Can't wait to go back! Loved walking through the flamingo/macaw exhibit as soon as you get in! Animals all had great exhibits! The place was very clean and not over crowded. read more

Very small zoo. Some animals were very exciting to see like the wolves, flamingos and snow leopards, but I left feeling like quite a bit was missing. There were plenty of birds to see.. Most of the up-close displays of small reptiles/insects/rodents were covered with dirty finger prints to the point where you couldn't even see them. The gift shop was hot and the merchandise all felt cheap in hand. The highlight of our trip there was the Birds of Prey show which was entertaining and well-narrated. This zoo is just okay, but does well enough for for its size I suppose. You can be in and out of this zoo in about an hour if you really take your time. If you're not into reading a thing it will take less. One visit is probably enough unless they manage to get more animals (with hopefully better environments in their containers). read more

Stone Zoo - Eagle from birds of prey show - Zoos Near Me - Stoneham, Massachusetts

Look at the reviews I have written. I tend to give nearly everybody 4-5 stars. If I don't like something, I just don't review it. I don't like spreading negativity out there. I feel, though, that I must write a review of the Stone Zoo in order to remind myself NOT TO GO THERE. SAM G---DO NOT GO TO THE STONE ZOO. Hopefully, the next time I get the urge to get a library pass and take my kid to this place, I will remember the nasty stuff I wrote on Yelp and think twice before heading up there. 1. I'm still thinking about the smells I experienced here. I feel like they have somehow clung to my clothing, to my skin, to my soul. I know...it's a zoo...obviously, animals are going to poop. That's fine. There's just something about the smell and the overall sadness of the place. 2. The overall sadness of the place. Animals don't have a lot of space. It feels like we are looking into a jail. If I had some strong ideological reason to oppose zoos, I wouldn't go. I wouldn't write this review. I think zoos are more or less OK. It's just THIS zoo is wicked depressing. Colobus monkeys looked like they needed some more structure to their lives. The gibbons looked so lonely. The sign says that they enjoy complex social connections within a larger group. There were only three of them sitting there in that little cage. I think they had gotten sick of each other. *Flamingos looked cold. It was 40 degrees. How can flamingos deal with this? *Lots of the smaller cages off to the side are REALLY poop covered. *My kid even noticed the SAD reindeer. The things looked on the verge of death. *Jaguar really wants to be somewhere else. He's a lifer behind bars. He's still in the same place he was last time we went there. That dude needs to get out and LIVE. *Lynx looked incredibly anxious. The thing was just running all around the cage. 3. Not a terribly informative zoo. There could be a lot more information presented on each animal. There could be overarching themes throughout the zoo. It feels like this thing is set up to make money ($15 is too damn expensive even with the library pass). New England Aquarium feels like a place to be proud of. This place here is just gross and embarrassing. 4. Tacky crap. Stupid zoo railroad thing? What's that for? Feels like I'm at an old-timey circus looking at a freakshow. All of this being said, I will probably go back next year. There's something about taking a kid to the zoo that just feels right. Kid has to know about different animals. This zoo also makes me want to go to a better zoo---it sparks my interest in zoos! It should spark my interest in the animal kingdom but it falls short of that. As bad as this place is, it's still somewhere I will go (BUT ONLY ONCE A YEAR). People working here are nice, it's easy to get around...it's not hell on earth. But someone should get those flamingos some stockings!!! read more

Really a three star zoo but I love animals and I enjoyed our mini trip with my husband. read more

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Five stars is not enough for this review! Had an absolute blast here a few weeks back with a surprise visit. We actually fed sloths! I was so happy and excited I cried like a two year old feeding the sloths. The staff were so friendly and very educated about the zoo itself and the animals. The zoo is definitely a small zoo..But, we had a blast. The zoo is very well kept and perfect for a few hours. Loved it! read more

This review is for ZooLights which we attend on a busy Saturday night in December. This event is perfect for young parents with kids from 2-12. Arrive early check in at 5 and leave by 7 and get the tired kids to bed (or go to dinner afterwards or before). It will only take and hour or two including seeing Santa. My 14 year old was bored. They had some unique zoo animals but as my 20 year old daughter said "this is a very small zoo" (She's use to SeaWorld, BG, and San Deigo).. this is not even a minuscule close to that. Good points: * Very colorful lights and music and festive atmosphere * A lot of the animals were awake and active * Get a picture with the reindeer... that was cool * The North Pole area was well lighted and cute.. bring your cameras * Even though it was busy it wasn't a very long wait for Santa.. dragged my older kids and we got a family picture :-) Things to note: * You cannot take your own cell phone picture with Santa... the package is $25 and you can add on a digital photo for $5 with this package. We did that. * Refreshment variety is extremely limited and lines are very long... eat before hand (or afterwards).. Friendly's is up the street... * DRESS WARM... even thought it was in the 50s earlier in the day it cooled off fast! * I was concerned about the well being of some of the animals being out in the cold (e.g., Flamingos) but I'm not a zookeeper (we usually see them in Florida). A Solid F for the City of Stoneham for traffic management for this very popular event (TIP: arrive at least 1 hour early on a Saturday night). It took a solid hour to travel from I93 to the Zoo which is a little over a mile and I almost GOT HIT on Main St by an aggressive driver. Once there parking was extremely limited... we have a SUV so we parked on the grass after going up on a curb (like several others). Many families had to park on the busy fellsway and walked. Very poor management here. Value.. this is a decent value.. about $12 per person... i believe kids are $10 .. the same you would pay for a movie.... it was a fun night.. I think we would of enjoyed it better going with our grandchildren vs. older kids though. read more

All the animals looked so sad every single one did t move. Such a sad zoo to visit. Those poor animals so sad.

The experience was phenomenal yet the certain lady who was " in charge " of greeting people gave very bad service with a poor attitude and very rude. Complained about my service dog with out even greeting the customers. Mind you it was a small Pomeranian obviously fully trained and did not bark once ! read more

Okaaaaay so I paid $10 to see ZooLights....... still undecided if it was worth it or not! We went Sunday night with a group of friends as I grew up loving the Oregon Zoo ZooLights, this was the more low budget version. I've never been to this zoo but it's more of a small collection of animals rather than a zoo. They had bears, reindeer, flamingos, Arctic foxes, bald eagles, wolves +15 or so more animals? I guess you in theory are going to see ZooLights to see the lights, but it's pretty sparsely lit and a small zoo (also under construction while we were there) so we tried to spend more time by looking at the animals. It's a nice place to wander around for ~30 min or so. The were BLASTING TLC Christmas music behind the river otters, not sure why the music was so loud but I loved the beats. read more

What a nice day trip so many active animals. I was so glad we went we ended up getting a season pass . It's a nice place to kill a few hrs . read more

I'm usually pretty excited to visit a local zoo and support the local community. However, i was pretty disappointed about this one. My boyfriend and I visited during the winter season in the afternoon. The animal variety was decent, but the grounds were a mess. Even though snow and ice are expected in the wintertime, there didn't seem to be any effort to clear the walkways. We had to tiptoe the entire time to make sure we didn't get drenched in puddles or fall on the ice. Apart from the walkways, the exhibits had lacking information or signs that weren't properly hung. The lack of fun decorations or knowledgeable employees was also lacking. Overall for $12 a person, I probably won't go again. The overall atmosphere was a bit depressing. read more

I grew up in New England and I remember The Stone Zoo was often the butt of jokes due to it's lack of animals. I think it went through different phases. It never compared to the now defunct, Benson's Animal Farm. Unfortunately, I think some of this reputation has unfairly stuck around... this is a very fun zoo packed full with interesting animals!!! Don't get me wrong... this isn't the San Diego Zoo, or a big-city Zoo like you'll find in Los Angeles or Portland... but it is super charming and you can see everything from Mountain Lions to Wolves to Snow Leopards!!! I very much enjoyed seeing unique animals. I go to a lot of zoos when I visit places, and I can't remember the last time I saw a Yack! It was very cool. The bat cave is the stinkiest thing I've ever smelled... so be careful there. The only thing I didn't like was the over-priced store. It was winter when we went and our son got his feet wet in the puddles, and we forgot to pack an extra pair of socks. ONE pair of toddler socks was $10! Seemed like a high price to pay for a single pair of toddler socks. Go with fair expectations and have an wonderful time!!! We loved it!!! PS... Check with your local library! They may have discount tickets!!! PPS... Come on people... "Zoo Lights" is a separate event to see (guess what?) LIGHTS!!! This event is NOT for seeing the animals. Don't complain you didn't see many animals if you just go for Zoo Lights!!! read more

At some point, I convinced myself to check out the Stone Zoo. They had a special for those wearing Patriots Attire. I didn't have any but wrote "Go Pats" on my collarbone with an eyeliner and crossed my fingers. The attendant was not impressed with my artistic expression of loyalty to our New England team. She had to go ask if this was allowed. As it was 2:30 and the zoo is closing in 90 minutes, maybe they decided to give me a break. Giddy, I trampled in with my bad eyeliner tattoo. 90 minutes was actually enough time to get around the space though 2 hours would have been better. I take my time at the zoo looking at all the animals. Favorites were the bats, an orange monkey swinging around with her baby, the brown bears, and the snow leopard babies. They were playful and active. Some of the animals looked sad and desolate, but that's just how most zoos are. For a small zoo this was a nice place to visit. read more

I visited the Stone Zoo and left depressed. What a terrible zoo! The enclosures are SO SMALL! Most of the animals were ALONE in them. SAD SAD SAD!! The animals look depressed and bored. This is just an intolerable existence for them. I don't think this type of zoo should be allowed. If there's not enough money to support these animals in large, natural habitats then there shouldn't be a zoo! This was abusive to see these animals in these tiny enclosures! How is this not illegal? Think about the real world where they live naturally compared to these animal jails? Ugh, it's just so unfair. Don't support these types of zoos! read more

Depressing. The big cats are clearly miserable, pacing, caged animals, losing their minds. Even the squirrelly rodent things whose goal in life is apparently to bury nuts and seeds look depressed and glassy-eyed sitting on the sad concrete floor of their cage. The flamingos are cute, the ducks don't seem to mind, and the wolf and mountain goat habitat seem appropriately sized, but wow, this place is overall depressing as hell. Especially as an escape from quarantine - it is not relaxing to go gaze at permanently captive animals in tiny cages. Hard pass next time. read more

Poorly presentations! The cost it's don't comparable whit the presentation! Super bad!

I kind of left here feeling depressed....I wish some of these animals had more space, it was sad to see the jaguars and mountain lions in such a small enclosure, with really no escape from the heat. Other smaller animals were constantly pacing or sleeping in the corner. The snow leopard had plenty of outside space to explore, but It seemed like he was not allowed outside of the garage like enclosure he was in, I did see him peeking out of the windows. The wolves and mountain goats also had excellent room to roam. I was so glad to see the renovations going on, hoping this will give the more cooped up animals the space they deserve. read more

Stone Zoo is a small zoo, but it's one of my favorites. We go every year to celebrate my birthday at Ales & Tails and I feel like we know the staff & animals. It's the only zoo I've been to where I was able to actually see a wolf in the wolf exhibit. He got spooked by a falling leaf and it was the most adorable thing. Stone Zoo is great for kids and adults alike. read more