9/10 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊Mommy Approved Smiling Faces
2 Southwick St
Mendon, MA
1-800-258-9182
The kids and I love Southwick’s Zoo. It is amazing! It’s truly massive with endless activities to see and do! Not only are there animals to look at, but there’s a playground, a restaurant, and rides to go on! That being said, this place is not a cheap day. In my opinion, it’s worth the occasional splurge for all the activities!
We didn’t make it through the entire layout of Southwick’s Zoo and that’s because the kids were too tired to try. The animals are close for viewing and their enclosures simultaneously seem spacious for times when they want privacy. Obviously, there is no comparison to their natural habitats but zoos definitely help protect endangered animals and injured ones too.
A must at Southwick’s Zoo is the deer encounter, where you can even feed deer. There are so many deer in all different patterns and ages. Some with large antlers, and others that look more juvenile. Such a majestic sight! They don’t really want to be touched and are skittish, but they will take food from your hands ( so super cool! ). This same scenario is true for the goats. You can buy food and pet / feed them -warning- they are a bit aggressive for the food so it may scare some kids, i.e. my daughter refused to go in their gated area when she was 5. They offer a parakeet enclosure where patrons can buy popsicle sticks of bird seed and the parakeets flock over to feed. Making for a unique experience for all ages! My kids enjoyed riding the camels which can be done for an additional charge.
There’s plenty of shade, and tons of rest areas with water dispensers and cups conveniently set up. There are also misters with cool water set up to keep the heat at bay. Gift shops and food venders are also positioned throughout the park that are not too steeply priced. We went to Galliford’s Restaurant and Tavern which we found to be excellent. They had adult drinks, great food, a kid’s menu and an upscale rustic decor that fit in with the outdoors / safari theme. Also we met the manager, who was personable and welcoming.
Take away: Southwick’s Zoo is a great place for a half or whole day with the family. You can buy ride tickets, if you want to go on rides with older kids (it’s a better value than paying for just a few rides). My kids were too small for most rides so, it worked better for us not to buy the tickets for them at the time. Be sure to wear comfy walking shoes, and take quarters for the animal pellets so you can feed them!
The Skinny:
Weather : Permitting location as 95% of this zoo is outdoors. Open April 13th- October 31st.
Duration : We spent 5 hours which included a sit down lunch, but we didn’t get through the whole zoo so, you could easily spend more time here.
Pricing : Adult $32, kids 3-12 $27, seniors 62+ $27 – just entrance ( no rides ), 2 and under FREE , unlimited rides and entrance is $44 and 39 respectively.
***Buying tickets online will save you a few bucks off each ticket so we recommend that!
Anything else you should know : Many gift shops are strategically placed so you have to walk though them on your path to the next exhibit. Although not outrageously priced items, it’s tough to get kids to focus on the experience of the zoo and not the toys in the gift shop.
This is a pricier place, so it would definitely not be on my agenda for a weekly game plan. Visiting Southwick’s would more likely an annual outing to treat ourselves to.
Jewel approved👍🏼
Jamison approved👍🏼
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