Stone Zoo
| Date opened | 1905; June 6, 1992 |
|---|---|
| Location | Stoneham, Massachusetts, USA |
| Coordinates | 42°27′47″N 71°05′35″W / 42.462961°N 71.092947°WCoordinates: 42°27′47″N 71°05′35″W / 42.462961°N 71.092947°W |
| Land area | 26 acres (11 ha) |
| No. of animals | 180 |
| No. of species | 60 |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Major exhibits | Yukon Creek, Treasures of the Sierra Madre, Windows to the Wild, Treetops & Riverbeds, Alfred Huang North American Crane Exhibit, Himalayan Highlands, Barnyard, Mexican Gray Wolves |
| Website | www |
Stone Zoo is a medium-small sized zoo of about 26 acres (11 ha) in Stoneham, Massachusetts, United States, by the Spot Pond reservoir. It is operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.
Stone Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The zoo was founded in 1905 as the Middlesex Fells Zoo. It began as a small collection of local animals, but soon began to include more exotic species as well. A new attraction, the Kiddy Zoo (which was largely based on Mother Goose stories) opened in the 1950s. The zoo underwent major renovations in the 1960s under the guidance of zoo director Walter D. Stone; state-of-the-art exhibits were built, including a large free-flight aviary. Also from the renovation project, the zoo began featuring elephants, giraffes, zebras, pygmy hippopotamus, sea lions, and many other large animals. On March 14, 1969, the zoo was renamed the Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo in honor of Walter D. Stone, after his untimely death in 1968.
The zoo was very popular by the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, it began breeding endangered species, including orangutans, kinkajous, siamang, and kudus. A polar bear named "Major" arrived in July 1979, and soon became the zoo's main attraction.
On November 12, 1990, after drastic state budget cuts, the Stone Zoo was forced to shut down. Due to a public outcry, the state senate helped set up a private, non-profit corporation to manage the zoo, with the help of fund-raising, donations, etc. During this transition period the zoo lost all of its large animals (except for Major, who stayed at the zoo until his death in 2000), and the grounds were not kept properly. The zoo rapidly declined in quality, and then in attendance. Old facilities were put to new uses, such as using the giraffe house as an animal education center. The zoo reopened its gates on June 6, 1992.
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