Zoos, Aquariums & Animal Parks in New England

New England > All New England > Families and Kids > Zoos, Aquariums & Animal Parks

New England is home to a handful of excellent zoos and aquariums dedicated to the preservation, appreciation, and rehabilitation of wildlife. Visitors of all ages can view, and possibly interact with, animals and fish from all around the world. Many zoos and aquariums also offer food; experiences like train rides, zip lines, shows or petting zoos; and after-hours or adults-only events.

Follow these links for : Family Activities - Outdoor Adventures - Events

Cheetah Love at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI - New England Zoos, Aquariums & Animal Parks

America's Stonehenge

105 Haverhill Road Salem, NH, 03079 Phone: 603-893-8300

Who built America’s Stonehenge? Try to solve the mystery with a visit to this intriguing attraction

Ponder the mystery of ancient civilizations at America’s Stonehenge, an outdoor history museum of stone structures and astronomical alignments built more than 4,000 years ago. But who built this maze of manmade chambers, walls and ceremonial meeting places that still is an accurate astronomical calendar? Was it an ancient American civilization or a migrant European population? No one knows, but it’s a great puzzle to try to solve as you take a self-guided audio tour. The half-mile trail is over uneven rocky terrain and takes about an hour. There’s an 11-minute introductory video on the website. There’s also snowshoeing on the site and: seven friendly alpacas! For a special outing, consider visiting during the summer or winter solstice.

Roger Williams Park Zoo

1000 Elmwood Avenue Providence, RI, 02907 Phone: 401-785-3510

Learn about the amazing world of animals, and have fun in the process, at this popular zoo

Here’s a wild idea: Spend your day at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, where visitors have been having fun, and learning about the natural world, for a century and a half. You really can see it all here, from elephants swimming in waterholes and giraffes snacking on treetops to bison grazing, moon bears climbing and toucans flying. Get involved in the milking process on a farm, book an animal encounter with a river otter or soar above the zoo on a zip ride. In Hasbro’s Our Big Backyard play area, kids can guide a boat down a waterfall, build a fort and see how telescopes work. There’s a carousel, a train, dining options from salads to pizza and gift shops galore.

York's Wild Kingdom

Route 1 - Animal Park Road York, ME, 03909 Phone: 207-363-4911

New England's Only Zoo AND Amusement Park

Bring your children to York’s Wild Kingdom and enjoy a day with our animals! Visit our Zoo and see dozens of exotic animals, including Lions, Gibbons, and Ring Tail Lemurs. Here at the zoo, you can feed deer, goats, and ducks all by hand. Walk through and feed a flock of parakeets and view a verity of butterflies in our butterfly aviary. Pony and camel rides are available for an additional fee. Ride the rides and enjoy some fair favorites in our amusement park! Take a spin on a carousel or play a round on our mini golf course. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch or feast from our snack bars on ice cream, fried dough, hamburgers and more. York’s Zoo will be open for the 2023 season starting late May.

Southwick’s Zoo

2 Southwick Street Mendon, MA, 01756 Phone: 800-258-9182

It really is all happening at this zoo, with hundreds of animals and exciting rides

Zip on over to Southwick’s Zoo for a full day of fun. It starts with the animals, of course, and there are over 850 of them in naturalistic habitats. From leopards, white rhinos and giraffes to tarantulas and tiny frogs, this zoo has one amazing exhibit after another. You can feed the pygmy goats in the petting zoo or fallow deer in the Deer Forest, offer seed sticks to parakeets in a walk-through aviary or take a ride on a camel. Check the website for animal encounters where you can help feed a giraffe or sloth. Beyond the animals, there’s an adventure maze, train ride, zip line and the Skyfari Sky Ride. And the year-round Galliford’s Restaurant & Tavern serves delicious lunches and dinners.

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Save The Bay

Multiple Centers & Dock Locations Providence, Newport, Westerly, RI and Fall River, MA Phone: 401-272-3540

Year-round aquarium and interactive marine science center lets visitors get up close to bay critters

Hold a sea star, pet a shark, marvel at jellies, and more at Save The Bay's Exploration Center and Aquarium in Newport, R.I. With dozens of exhibits featuring creatures collected from (and ultimately returned to) Narragansett Bay, this year-round center is always introducing new specimens—plus, their three touch tanks offer endless opportunities to come face-to-face with the wonders beneath the waves of local waters. Expert staff are always available to answer questions, engage visitors, and share fun facts about Rhode Island's unique marine habitats.
Boat tours depart from Newport, Westerly, and Providence RI.

Living Shores Aquarium

850 New Hampshire Route 16 Glen, NH, 03838 Phone: 603-383-4186

Walk-through adventures await everyone at this dynamic, hands-on aquarium

Get hands-on with all sorts of aquatic creatures at the Living Shores Aquarium, located at Story Land. Watch otters frolic, clownfish and angelfish glide and tropical lorikeets flit from perches in a walk-through aviary. See tortoises and other reptiles and amphibians. Touch pools let you run your fingers over rays, sharks, horseshoe and hermit crabs, large snails, sea urchins, shrimp and “nibble fish.” Learn about local marine life through staff-led educational talks, or sit at a drawing station to see how those creatures move through their watery environments. In a digital sandbox, kids can dig and discover marine life living on beaches. And everyone can enjoy Italian specialties at the aquarium restaurant, Pasta Mia (don’t miss the Sunday pizza buffet).