The Franklin Park Zoo is a zoo located in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

Exhibits

The zoo contains more than 220 species of animals and includes the following main exhibit areas.

thumb|Kimani, daughter of Kiki and Kit, was the second western lowland gorilla born at the zoo.

The Tropical Forest (known as the African Tropical Forest from 1989 to 1997), a building roofed by a huge Teflon-coated cloth dome. The building mimics the animals' natural environment with streams, moats, faux-rock structures, hidden fences and barriers. The exhibit includes African painted dogs, Baird's tapirs, ball python, cotton-top tamarins, De Brazza's monkeys, dwarf crocodiles, fruit bats, giant anteaters, green anacondas, Kenyan sand boa, Linne's two-toed sloths, pygmy hippos, ring-tailed lemurs, West African pottos, western lowland gorillas, yellow-billed storks, various birds, fish, and insects. As of 2025, a male clouded leopard currently resides in the former ocelot enclosure.

This exhibit was included in the zoo's 1973 master plan, and was originally home exclusively to African rainforest animals; however, more Central and South American species began being displayed in the Tropical Forest by the late 1990s. One gorilla named Little Joe escaped his enclosure several times in 2003. He was later separated from the gorilla family, but later returned in 2007. Also in 2007, the zoo's gorilla exhibit was reopened after extensive renovations. As of 2011, a male giant anteater named Jockamo resides in the former warthog enclosure. In spring 2020, a wildlife trade exhibit showcasing artifacts will be displayed in the tropical forest public areas.

Serengeti Crossing (known as Bongo Congo from 1997 to c. 2003): A grasslands exhibit with common ostriches, Hartmann's mountain zebras, and white-bearded wildebeest. The exhibit first opened in 1997, making it one of the first new exhibits to open at the zoo since the opening of the African Tropical Forest in 1989. Reconfigured to 1.25 acres in 2018, adding a new path and entry garden. The observation decks that once overlooked this exhibit have been collected. The area also has wattled cranes.

thumb|Video of a lion at the zoo.

Kalahari Kingdom: A large African themed area housing one African lion. The exhibit previously featured two lion brothers, until one of them (Kamaia) died in 2023. Visitors can view the remaining lion through a replica of a land rover "crashed" into the exhibit, glass, or from over a moat. The opening of this exhibit in 1997 marked the first time lions had been exhibited at the zoo since the old Lion House was closed in the early 1970s. Other animals included are African spurred tortoises, bactrian camels, kori bustards, lowland nyalas, red river hogs, and spotted hyenas.

Outback Trail: Australian animals such as emus, laughing kookaburras, North Island brown kiwis, red-necked wallabies, tawny frogmouths, and western gray kangaroos. This exhibit opened around 1998, the same year the Butterfly Landing exhibit first opened. A seasonal budgerigar aviary offers opportunities to feed them.

Giraffe Savannah: Opened in 1999, this large habitat contains a herd of Masai giraffes and Somali wild ass.

Bird's World: A large building dating back to the zoo's 1912 opening containing dozens of bird species in four different environments: swamp, rainforest, desert, and wetlands. Outside, there is a large flight cage for Andean condors and Steller's sea eagles, and other birds from around the world including Bali mynahs, black crakes, blue tongued skinks, boat-billed herons, Bourke's Parrots, Gouldian finches, green aracaris, hadada ibises, Indian blue peafowls, keas, red-crested turacos, sunbitterns, violet turacos, White-naped cranes, and various waterfowl, turtles, fish and insects. A three-year-old male Steller's Sea Eagle named O-washi debuted in May 2018. This building originally opened in 1912 (the same year the zoo itself opened to the public) and was renovated around the mid-1970s to exhibit birds in more naturalistic environments.

Butterfly Landing: a seasonal exhibit containing over 1,000 butterflies in free flight. This large outdoor "tent" also has streams and a waterfall surrounded by numerous plant species. The exhibit first opened in 1997.

thumb|Franklin Farm at the Children's Zoo.

Children's Zoo: A three-acre complex which includes a new, walk-through aviary with assorted Asian birds, Baikal teals, golden pheasants, hooded cranes, black-tailed prairie dogs, red pandas, Reeve's muntjacs, and turtles. There is also the Franklin Farm, a barn with paddocks for livestock and an interaction area for goats with various outbuildings. The animals include Black Welsh Mountain sheep, Dexter cattles, Guinea hogs, Morgan horses, Nigerian dwarf goats, Poitou donkeys, heritage breeds of chickens and barn owls.

Gorilla Grove: This dynamic outdoor habitat features over 360,000 cubic feet for the troop to explore, including vines and trees for climbing, a cascading waterfall, and a multitude of built-in foraging opportunities for gorillas to discover throughout the day. Gorilla Grove opened in 2022.

African Experience: This exhibit will renovate the Serengeti Crossing exhibit, adding African Penguins and giving a new habitat to their Hartmann's Mountain Zebras, Common Ostriches, and White-bearded Wildebeest. The Penguin's habitat will feature an underwater viewing area along with a replica of a penguin rescue boat to educate visitors about the challenges these birds face in the wild. The new Savannah will feature a watering hole and new moats to give guests a better view of the animals. This project is set to open in the Spring/Summer of 2026.

The park also features a large playground for children up to the age of 12 that was created by using drawings from young kids. The different components of the playground, such as the slides, are themed after various species of animals and reptiles.

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Sargent's Folly, Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, 2.jpg|A folly onsite which predates the zoo.

Lemur Baby Peeking Up (21981859526).jpg|Baby lemur.

2009 FranklinParkZoo camels Boston.jpg|Camels

Tiger Franklin park zoo.jpg|Tiger.

Milton Tapir sniffing2.jpg|Tapir.

Mandrill.jpg|Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx).

Gray-Green Ibis (21385305014).jpg|Hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash).

Pink Tropical Flower (21385291274).jpg|One of the many flowering plants at the zoo.

Carousel, Franklin Park Zoo, Boston.jpg|Carousel at the zoo.

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References

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