Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Learn more about our Masai giraffe family in this once-in-a-lifetime experience! From a shaded overlook, you’ll come face-to-face with the world’s tallest mammals and even have the opportunity to feed them a healthy snack.

• When: Daily, 1:30 - 2:00 p.m.
• Location: Meet at end of path by Giraffe Savannah- VIEW ON MAP
• Price: $200 per group (your private encounter can accommodate up to six people)

 Please note:

• Tickets must be purchased online; they are not available at the Admissions booth.
• Tickets may be purchased up to 30 minutes before your encounter time (subject to availability). Giraffe encounter tickets do not include general admission to the Zoo. Admission tickets must be purchased separately here.
• Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your encounter.
• You may forfeit your encounter if you are more than 5 minutes late arriving at the designated meeting spot.
• Group size is limited to no more than six guests. All guests above the age of 3 must be accounted for in the group size.
• Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Encounters may be cancelled due to weather or the animals' needs.
• Though we do our best to engage them, it’s ultimately up to our giraffe as to whether they want to participate in the feeding experience. You're still guaranteed to get plenty of attention from the giraffe care team, who will guide your experience, so have your questions ready!

Not so fast, it's tortoise time! Hang out with Stone Zoo's African spurred tortoises in this up-close and personal feeding experience! Learn all about our shelled superstars while you feed them some tasty produce.

•  Location: Stone Zoo (At this time, tortoise feeds are not offered at Franklin Park Zoo.)
• When:  20-minute feeding sessions take place daily at 1:00 p.m. Offered through September 7.
• Price: $75 per feeding session of up to six guests. One group per session. Guests above the age of 3 must be accounted for in the group size. Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Online reservations must be made in advance. General admission tickets are required in addition to tortoise encounter tickets. 

Please note:

• This opportunity is weather-dependent. In the case of rain, the feeding will be cancelled and tickets may be refunded or exchanged for another day.Meet our staff at Stone Zoo’s front gate 10-15 minutes before your scheduled encounter. If you are over 15 minutes late, your experience may be cancelled.
• Only two people at a time are permitted in the feeding area at a time.
• Close-toed shoes are recommended.
• Tortoises move at their own special pace, so we cannot guarantee their activity level during your feeding session. There will be no direct touching or contact with our reptile friends, but we do hope you have a great time meeting them up close!

Cancellation Policy

• All tours cancelled seven or more days in advance of the scheduled date will receive a partial refund equal to 80% of the original tour cost.
• All tours cancelled less than seven days in advance of the scheduled date will not receive a refund. Tours can be rescheduled to an available date for an additional $35.00 fee.
• Be advised that late arrivals are not able to be accommodated due to previously scheduled feedings and procedures.  If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your tour you will have to discuss rescheduling options with your educator.

Covid Policy

Please note: these requirements do not apply to Tortoise Encounters.

Vaccination Requirements:

Anyone over 5 years of age must be fully vaccinated.

In accordance with our current vaccine policy, you must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter all of our Behind-the-Scenes spaces at both Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo. Proof of vaccination may include:

• A CDC vaccination card
• A digital image of your CDC card
• An image or printout of any official immunization record
• A city-designated app containing a digital image of any official immunization record, or any verification application developed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or developed or endorsed by the City of Boston.

To prevent spreading COVID to our animals, to our guests and to our staff, all tour participants must take the following precautionary steps before your tour:

• Please screen yourself and your group ahead of time to make sure that nobody in your group has any symptoms of a cold. If anyone in your group does have any cold symptoms, please ask those individuals to excuse themselves from the tour.
• Guests will be asked to complete a questionnaire and sign off on requirements ahead of attending the behind-the-scenes (BTS) experience. Responses of “Yes” to any of the following questions will require rescheduling those persons or the entire household from BTS tours until such time as all conditions on the questionnaire can be answered with “No” responses. One person can answer the questions on behalf of the rest of your group. A staff member will provide you with a questionnaire on the day of your tour or, if you prefer, you can download it below, complete it, and bring it with you on the day of your tour.
• Have you or any members of your party tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 10 days?
• Have you or any members of your party had any symptoms including fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, or other symptoms of illness in the last 10 days?
• Have you or any members of your party been exposed to anyone that has tested positive, or has had symptoms consistent with COVID- 19 in the last 14 days?
• Although we allow up to four guests per registration, only two guests from your tour may enter the exhibit at a time to allow for social distancing. We will divide the 30-minute tour time between the participants in your group.
• Before and after the tour, we will ask that guests sanitize their hands.
• New, disposable surgical masks must be worn during the entire length of your tour. No cloth masks, please.