Tickets-Entertainment

Item Description

Southwick's Zoo is a 300-acre privately-owned and operated zoological park located in Mendon, MA. It was opened in 1963, and remains family operated to date.

Attractions include:

• North American Exhibit - This exhibit is home to many North American animals including elk (wapiti), red deer, great blue herons, river otters, swans, foxes, and painted turtles. Visitors are take around this exhibit on the Woodland Express, a rubber-tired train.
• Deer Forest - This 35-acre walk-through exhibit lets visitors get close to, and even feed, the resident animals. Residents of this exhibit include fallow deer, painted turtles, native birds, and frogs. Visitors can also see this exhibit from the air on the Skyfari.
• Birds - The zoo started with an interest in migratory waterfowl, and birds have always had a special place. Birds can be found in exhibits throughout the zoo including the Earth Discovery Center and Parakeet Landing, a walk-through aviary that lets visitors come in contact with parakeets and cockatiels, as well as feed them. Birds at the zoo include macaws, cockatoos, conures, eclectus, cockatiels, ostriches, emu, rhea, African crowned cranes, flamingos, Mandarin ducks, Polish chickens, fancy pigeons, and kookaburra.
• Earth Discovery Center - This is the zoo's education center, and in addition to the education programs it houses many smaller animals including macaws, bush babies, porcupines, turtles, snakes, bearded dragons, and other reptiles. Some of he animals housed here have been rehabilitated after injury or donated by owners who could no loner care for them.
• A petting zoo, pony rides, and camel rides are available at the zoo. A play area for children is also available, with play structures made from recyclable materials.
• The Skyfari Sky Ride, which takes visitors over a large portion of the zoo in a triangular pattern, was opened in 2008. Visitors can see alligators, watusi cattle, camels, chimpanzees, mandrills, and elk, as well as fly over Deer Woods, in a two-seat chair lift.

Nestled under the shade of tall oak trees, Southwick's Zoo is situated un the tranquil countryside of the Blackstone River Valley. Privately owned by the Brewer (Southwick) family, the Zoo does not receive any federal, state or local funding of any kind. It depends solely on the admission proceeds from Zoo visitors and patrons.

More information can be found at www.southwickszoo.com.