How long does it take to go through Franklin Park Zoo?

Nancy R

How long does it take, on average, to get through the zoo? I am trying to schedule a time slot.

over a year ago

2 answers

Reviewed this attraction

Pat V

Narragansett, Rhode Island

We were there about 2 1/2 hours but that was in February and some of the animals were not there at that time but there was still many, many animals to see

over a year ago

Reviewed this attraction

Kaywhitec...

Boston, Massachusetts

We were there for 2 & 1/2 hours. You can decide how long you want to stay and what you want to see by studing the map that

is given to you when you enter. There were several exhibits we didn't see. Decided to stay in one area of the park close to where we entered.

over a year ago

Hours, Info & FAQ

Please note:

• For the health and safety of our bird species, staff has relocated many of the birds to indoor spaces to protect them from the avian influenza.
• The Andean condor and Steller's sea eagle are currently off exhibit while exhibit improvements are being made. 

Franklin Park Zoo is open year-round!

Fall/Winter Hours

October 1- March 31
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily (last entry at 3:00 p.m.)
6:00 - 10:30 p.m. daily, through Oct. 23: Boston Lights (last entry at 9:00 p.m.)

Summer Hours

April 1 - September 30
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily (last entry at 4:00 p.m.)
6:00 - 10:30 p.m. daily, through Oct. 23: Boston Lights (last entry at 9:00 p.m.)

Please note:

• The Zoo is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
• The Zoo may close or close early for announced special events.

Franklin Park Zoo is handicap accessible. Guests who rely on service dogs which are trained to perform specific tasks are welcome to bring them into the Zoo, provided the animals remain under the guest's control at all times. Guests are solely responsible for the care and control of their animals.

Spend less, experience more!

Save 48% on admission to top Boston’s top 4 attractions. Visit the attractions at your own pace, in any order, over a 9-day period. Buy CityPASS online for immediate, paperless mobile ticket delivery.

CityPASS ticket holders do not need advance reservations. Simply purchase CityPASS online for instant mobile ticket delivery. Next, show your mobile ticket QR code to the Admissions attendant at the gate to enter.

Automobile  

Storrow Drive: 

• Take the Fenway exit to Route 1 South
• Follow Route 1 to Route 203 East, following signs for Franklin Park Zoo (you will pass Arnold Arboretum)
• Follow through two sets of lights (Washington and New Washington Streets)
• At the third light, left onto Forest Hills Drive
• Enter Franklin Park, and follow Zoo signs

Route 128 North or South: 

• Take exit 15A (Dedham Exit) to Route 1A
• Stay on Route 1 (approximately 4 miles) until it becomes the VFW Parkway
• Continue on the VFW Parkway, approximately 3 miles, until it ends
• Take a left on Centre Street
• At the rotary take 203 East onto the Arborway (you will pass Arnold Arboretum)
• Follow through two sets of lights (Washington and New Washington Streets)
• At third light, left onto Forest Hills Drive
• Enter Franklin Park, and follow Zoo signs

I93 North of Boston: 

• Take I-93S to Exit 14, Columbia Road
• At the end of ramp take a right onto Columbia Road
• At the 3rd light Columbia Road turns left
• Continue on Columbia Road through 9 more lights
• Go straight across Blue Hill Avenue
• Parking for the zoo is on the left - entrance into the zoo is on your right. If lot is full, stay straight on Franklin Park Road and there is additional parking on your right

I93 South of Boston: 

• Take I-93N to Exit 14, Columbia Road
• Take a right at the end of the ramp - you must go up and around the rotary and then come back - to be heading in the correct direction on Columbia Road
• At the 3rd set of lights, Columbia Road turns left. Continue on Columbia Road through 9 more sets of lights
• Go straight across Blue Hill Avenue
• Parking for the zoo is on the left - entrance into the zoo is on your right. If lot is full, stay straight on Franklin Park Road and there is additional parking on your right

Route 9: 

• Take Route 9 to Route 1 (the Jamaica Way) south
• Follow Route 1 to Route 203 East onto the Arborway (you will pass Arnold Arboretum)
• Follow through two sets of lights (Washington and New Washington Streets)
• At third light, left onto Forest Hills Drive
• Enter Franklin Park, and follow Zoo signs

Public Transportation

Three options:

• Take the Orange Line or Commuter Rail to Ruggles Station, then take the Route 22, 28, 29, or 45 bus to Franklin Park Zoo. Routes 22 and 28 are “Key Bus Routes” and are every 20 minutes or better, seven days per week, during service hours.
• Take the Orange Line or Commuter Rail to Forest Hills Station, then take the Route 16 bus to Franklin Park Zoo.
• Take the Red Line to Andrew station, then take the Route 16 bus to Franklin Park Zoo.

Walking Directions from Green St. T. to Franklin Park Zoo

• Exit Green Street Station and walk to the right on Green St.
• In 1/10 mile come to the light at Washington Street.
• Cross and continue straight up the hill; the street name changes to Glen Road.
• Go 1/10 mile and come to a light at Forest Hills Street.
• Cross and continue straight for another 1/10 mile to the entrance to Franklin Park.
• Glen Road becomes Glen Lane – the main paved path through the park.
• Continue straight on Glen Lane for about 5-7 minutes until it ends and there is a flight of steps in front of you.
• Turn Right and walk for about 2-3 minutes and the path ends at Pierpont Road and the Zoo parking lot.
• Turn Left on this road and continue through the parking lot to the Giraffe entrance to Franklin Park Zoo.

For bus schedules, rates and more information please visit www.MBTA.com or call 617-222-3200.

Bicycle

Get some exercise, go green and enjoy VIP parking at Franklin Park Zoo's Blue Bike station! Metro Boston's public bike share program allows users to rent and pick up a bike from one location and drop it off at another. 

Wheelchairs & Scooters:

A limited number of wheelchairs may be borrowed at the Admissions booth on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are asked to present a current photo ID. To ensure availability, we recommend making a reservation. To reserve a wheelchair, please contact us at 617-989-2076, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wheelchair reservations should be made at least a day in advance.

• 2 EMV's available (Electric Mobility Scooter): $20
• 10 Standard: $5
  

Strollers:
A limited number of strollers (approximately 20) are available for rental on a first-come, first-served basis at the Admissions booths. Guests are asked to present a current photo ID.

• Single: $5
• Double: $7

There’s no assigned nurse or medical facility on grounds. We do provide basic first aid supplies when requested by an adult. We do not give out pills of any sort. Basic medications may be purchased at our gift shop. When requested, EMT services can be called to the Zoo.

At this time, we are not requiring masks or proof of vaccination to visit the Zoo. Please note, we are following local, state and CDC guidelines, and therefore these policies are subject to change based upon their guidance. Health & Safety updates will be posted on our website, so please be sure to check here before your visit. 

Lost and Found

The Zoo maintains a lost and found, but the Zoo is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Items and articles found by our staff or visitors are kept for a minimum of 30 days when turned in. After 30 days, the Zoo reserves the right to dispose of said items at the Zoo's discretion.

Missing something after your visit? Call 617-989-2000 to check if it has been turned in. We’ll need an exact description of the item along with your name and a number where you can be reached. If we have the item, we’ll call you back to arrange a pick-up time that’s convenient for you.

If you become separated from your child, please notify the nearest Zoo employee. Zoo staff will need a general description of what your child was wearing, name, age, sex, and the area you last saw him/her. This will be relayed to our security officers and other Zoo staff, and we will begin an immediate search.

We don’t have a general PA system throughout the park. If you don’t see an employee nearby, please head to the nearest admissions booth. If a child is found, we will have them taken to our administrative building to await you. Resolutions not resolved after 30 minutes are referred to the local police.

Parking is free at Franklin Park Zoo!

Parking locations (View on Zoo map)

• Giraffe entrance parking lot on Pierpont Road
• Zebra entrance parking lot between Franklin Park Road and Blue Hill Ave. (Peabody Circle)
• Parking lot on Circuit Drive/N.Jewish War Vets Drive

Pets are not allowed on Zoo grounds to protect the health and safety of our animals and your pets. Fully trained service dogs trained to perform specific tasks are allowed. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person's disability.

Please don’t leave pets in your parked vehicle while visiting the Zoo. If deemed necessary for the animal's wellbeing, the Zoo will contact authorities.

Zoo New England is Sensory Inclusive Certified

We’ve partnered with KultureCity to improve our ability to assist guests with sensory needs. Through KultureCity's certification process, Zoo staff have been trained by leading medical professionals on how to best accommodate guests with sensory needs. Additionally, we now offer the following resources:

Sensory Bags
Sensory bags containing fidget tools, verbal cue cards, noise canceling headphones and other resources are available for checkout (at no cost by leaving an ID) at our admissions booths.

KultureCity App
Download the free KultureCity App to view sensory features available during your visit, including locations for Quiet Zones and Headphone Zones.

For the safety and comfort of visitors and Zoo animals, the following rules are in effect during your Zoo visit:

• Don’t feed or allow children to feed any of the animals in the Zoo's collection. Each animal is on a specially enriched diet prescribed by the Zoo's professionally-trained veterinarian staff that keeps it healthy and fit. Things that people find good, healthy and harmless might be very harmful to the animals.
• Tormenting animals is not tolerated and guests found doing so will be asked to leave immediately.
• Stay on pathways and don’t place children on the railings.
• Don’t throw anything into animals’ exhibits or the water (including coins). Even the simplest object can be hazardous if swallowed.
• Children must always be in the company of adults.
• There must be one chaperone over the age of 19 for every 10 guests 18 years old and younger. There must be one chaperone for every 5 pre-school children. Chaperones must stay with their group at all times.
• Roughhousing and heavy horseplay, as well as running around or screaming, is discouraged, as it bothers other guests and animals.
• Any theft or destruction of Zoo property will result in prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
• The Zoo doesn’t have public storage facilities, and no items may be left in the care of Zoo employees or left unattended on Zoo grounds. The Zoo is not responsible for items left unattended and will dispose of abandoned items when necessary.
• Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times.
• Visitors are permitted to bring their own lunches and food into the Zoo. If you choose to bring your own food, please follow these rules: No glass containers of any sort; no alcohol of any kind; no straws.
• To help with our conservation efforts, please deposit plastic and aluminum cans in the Zoo’s recycling receptacles.
• For the safety of our Zoo collection, pets or animals of any kind are not allowed on Zoo grounds at any time. Guests who rely on service animals may bring them into the Zoo, provided the animal remains under the guest's control at all times. Guests are solely responsible for the care and control of their animals.
• Smoking and/or vaping within our Zoo is prohibited. Check with the Admissions booth for the closest permissible location.

The following items may not be brought on Zoo grounds:

• Alcohol
• Bicycles, Scooters, Roller Blades/Skates, heelys
• Balloons
• Balls
• Kites
• Frisbees
• Squirt Guns
• Radios
• Drones

I can't find my pre-purchased tickets in my email.

Use the "order lookup" function in the menu of our ticketing site for access to your tickets. You will need to provide the email address and phone number used during purchase.

Is the Zoo open in the winter?

Yes! Our Zoos are open year-round. Check out our Winter Visits page for full details on animals you’ll see and special winter events we host.

Can I bring my own food with me to the Zoo?

You’re welcome to bring your own lunch and snacks with you. We have plenty of picnic areas available. Please note: glass containers, straws or alcohol are not allowed on Zoo grounds.  Please help in our conservation efforts by throwing away garbage and recycling plastic and aluminum cans.

Franklin Park Zoo's indoor/outdoor Giddy-Up Grill concession stand (open year round) offers meals and grab and go treats for the whole family.

I forgot to pack something. Where can I purchase essential items?

Our gift shop sells all the essentials, like batteries, sunscreen, umbrellas, first aid kits, basic medication, etc. Bandaids and first aid kits are also available at Zoo admissions booths.

Are you open if it's raining?

Yes! All daytime Zoo tickets are rain-or-shine, and we don't offer refunds, rainchecks or rescheduling. We encourage you to dress accordingly, or check out our gift shop for rain gear during your visit.

Where’s the nearest restroom and changing station?

Every public restroom –both male and female—has a changing station. 

Restrooms are located in the Children's Zoo, Giddy-Up Grill, Kalahari Kitchen, Tropical Forest, and near the Gift Shop. View map

Do you offer any discounts?

Check out our Special Offers page for upcoming specials, or become a member.

A membership typically pays for itself in just two visits. Your membership allows free admission to both Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo for one full year, and includes exclusive benefits. Learn more about becoming a member!

Can I smoke or vape in the Zoo?

Smoking and/or vaping within our Zoo is prohibited. Check with the Admissions booth for the closest permissible location.

Membership questions?

See our Membership FAQ page.

Does Zoo New England donate tickets for charitable causes?

Yes—please see our Zoo & the Community page for full details on donation requests.

Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Contact us.

How much time is needed in the Franklin Park Zoo?

How long does it take to walk through the Franklin Park Zoo?

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