A few weeks ago our family had the honor of being guests of the Franklin Park Zoo for a day. We were meeting friends who live north of Boston and we decided the zoo would make a fun halfway point meeting place. We weren't wrong!
We started our day at the Zebra Entrance which is also the main entrance. There is a circular parking lot out front which had spaces in it when we arrived just before the zoo opened. Half an hour later when our friends arrived that lot was full, but they found another one clearly marked for zoo parking just down the road. There is also a large lot at the Giraffe Entrance on the other side of the zoo.
We checked out every single animal in the zoo, spending the most time Tropical Forest. It was a pretty hot day and it was a welcome respite from the heat. The kids especially loved watching the gorillas and I have to admit I could probably watch them all day. We also really enjoyed checking out their family tree and seeing their connections to other gorillas around the country.
The middle kids (2 and 3) really enjoyed Aussie Aviary in the Outback Trail. You can purchase seed sticks for $2/stick and the birds will perch right on the sticks to eat the seeds. And of course the lions were a huge hit with all of the kids. They loved pretending to drive the truck into the habitat! We found that many of the animals were being fed around noon which created some cool, and sometimes gross, viewing.
The middle kids (2 and 3) really enjoyed Aussie Aviary in the Outback Trail. You can purchase seed sticks for $2/stick and the birds will perch right on the sticks to eat the seeds. And of course the lions were a huge hit with all of the kids. They loved pretending to drive the truck into the habitat! We found that many of the animals were being fed around noon which created some cool, and sometimes gross, viewing.
At lunch time we had a picnic with food we had brought from home by Kalahari Kitchen. It also had a small climbing structure nearby for the kids who finished their lunches early. There were plenty of tables in the shade, and there are picnic area to sit and eat all over the zoo. There are also a number of places to purchase food. Their hours vary by season and day of the week.
After checking out a few more animals we visited the amazing playground within the zoo. The kids had a blast! There are sections for older and younger kids, swings of all types, amazing climbing structures, and a soft surface underneath. It is the coolest and most comprehensive playground I have ever seen, and we are considering a family membership just for the playground! There is limited shade by the playground, but there are some picnic benches within the fence and a shaded picnic area just on the other side of the fence. There is also a gift shop by the playground which is perfect for one adult to sneak in and grab drinks, or small gift items to surprise the kids with on the way home. I bought my girls small tiger toys and they haven't stopped talking about them or our trip to the zoo since!
After our playground adventure we checked out the the barnyard with it's goats, horses and other barnyard animals, climbed on the big tractor nearby (a must for truck loving kids), and finished our trip with some ice cream bars at Giddy-Up Grill. 
We had an awesome day at the Franklin Park Zoo and we can't wait to take another trip soon! We also plan on hitting up the Stone Zoo in Stoneham which together with the Franklin Park Zoo makes up Zoo New England. Check them both out on-line at www.zoonewengland.org for information on hours, directions, parking, special events and more.
Note - My family received admission to the Franklin Park Zoo for the purpose of sharing our experience with our readers. The thoughts expressed are entirely my own.
