The Stone Zoo was founded in 1905 as the Middlesex Fells Zoo, a small collection of local animals which soon began to include more exotic species. A new attraction, the Kiddy Zoo, largely based on Mother Goose stories, opened in the 1950s. In the 1960s, the zoo underwent major renovations under the guidance of zoo director Walter D. Stone, including the construction of a large free-flight aviary. The renovation project saw the inclusion of 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, following his death in 1968. The zoo continued to operate through the 1970s and 1980s and 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, state budget cuts caused the Stone Zoo to cease operation. Following public outcry, the state senate established a private, non-profit corporation to manage the zoo, with the help of fund-raising and donations, and the zoo reopened on June 6, 1992. During this transition period, the zoo fell into disrepair and lost all of its large animals, with the exception of Major who remained until his death in 2000. The zoo rapidly declined in quality and attendance. Old facilities were repurposed including using the former giraffe house as an animal education center.
Recent developments
In the early 2000s, Zoo New England began a fund-raising campaign to reinvigorate both the Stone Zoo and the Franklin Park Zoo. On September 24, 2005, Stone Zoo celebrated its 100th anniversary. The zoo layout was modified to make the grounds interesting and educational, despite the lack of large animals. Many new exhibits were created and existing ones expanded or upgraded. These improvements have been credited with increasing zoo attendance. A Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus stop is expected to be added to improve access by public transportation.
Animal Discovery Center : Home to Arizona blond tarantulas, Blanding's turtles, California king snakes, Chilean rose tarantulas, corn snakes, dyeing poison dart frogs, eastern box turtles, green and black poison dart frogs, honey bees, leopard geckos, magnificent tree frogs, Panamanian golden frogs, rosy boas, tonkin bug-eyed frogs, and vinegaroons.
Barnyard: Home to Guinea hogs, Nigerian dwarf goats, pygmy zebus, and various chicken breeds. This section also features a 'nature playscape' playground.
Caribbean Coast : A walk-through aviary featuring blue and gold macaws, Caribbean flamingos, green winged macaws, Jamaican iguanas, scarlet ibises, and scarlet macaws. Nearby, there is a bush dog exhibit which displays a breeding pair. The pair had two pups, one male and one female born in November 2018.
Himalayan Highlands : Home to black-necked cranes, markhors, snow leopards, and yaks.
Mexican Gray Wolf Exhibit : Was home to a single lone lobo named Roberto. He died in October 2019. In early 2020, the zoo now has a sibling pack of six, adolescent lobo that now roam the hillside habitat.
Treasures of the Sierra Madre : Home to Chacoan peccarys, coatis, cougars, gila monsters, jaguars, peregrine falcons, pueblan milk snakes, red-tailed boas, ringtails, roadrunners, and Seba's short-tailed bats.
Windows to the Wild : Home to barn owls, black-handed spider monkeys, cotton-top tamarins, hyacinth macaws, Inca terns, laughing kookaburras, Linne's two-toed sloths, prehensile-tailed porcupines, red-rumped agoutis, rhinoceros hornbills, and rock hyraxex. A tortoise exhibit featuring a trio of African spurred tortoises opened in the former flamingo grotto in July 2019.
An annual holiday light exhibit, ZooLights, with seasonal displays from Thanksgiving through Christmastime
New/future exhibits
Aussie Adventure : A temporary seasonal exhibit which showcased koalas, kookaburras, wallaby, tawny frogmouths, etc. Also included was a free-flight budgerigar aviary, similar to the one at the Franklin Park Zoo.
