About Us

Zoo New England's mission is to inspire people to protect and sustain the natural world for future generations by creating fun and engaging experiences that integrate wildlife and conservation programs, research, and education.

Zoo New England

Commonwealth Zoological Corporation D/B/A Zoo New England ("Zoo New England") manages and operates Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Zoo New England programming is made possible through earned revenues and state, private, and corporate funding.

Zoo New England is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.

Franklin Park Zoo

Franklin Park Zoo is a 72-acre site nestled in Boston’s historic Franklin Park, long considered the "crown jewel" of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace Park System. The Zoo was founded in 1912 and was managed by the City of Boston until 1958, when the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), a state agency, assumed management. The MDC managed the Zoos until 1991, when Governor William Weld signed legislation to create the private Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (CZC). In July of 1997 the CZC changed its name to Zoo New England to reflect the regional appeal of the Zoo.
Visiting Franklin Park Zoo

Stone Zoo

Stone Zoo, formerly known as the Middlesex Fells Zoo, is located on a 26-acre site near the sparkling Spot Pond reservoir in Stoneham, MA. Charles Price, Superintendent of the Metropolitan District Commission’s Middlesex Fells Reservation, founded the Zoo in 1905, and in 1969, the site was renamed in honor of Walter D. Stone, a former Zoo Director. In 1991, the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (CZC) was created to maintain care, custody, and control of both Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo.
Visiting Stone Zoo