Then and Now: Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo

Stone Zoo, whose name peculiarly enough bares no connection with Stoneham’s town name, was originally named the Middlesex Fells Zoo over a century ago.

Charles Price, former Superintendent of the Metropolitan District Commission, founded the Zoo in 1905.

According to beloved, recently departed author and Stoneham resident, Joanne Harriman, Price housed a small collection of local animals during his time as superintendent.

Throughout the years, Price’s collection expanded and more and more locals visited the Zoo located near Spot Pond.

“Eventually, the Metropolitan Parks Commission began to help with the costs of feeding the animals and building their cages,” Harriman said in her book “Images of America: Stoneham.”

With the advent of a trolley service in 1910, inner city children were able to experience the sights and sounds of the Middlesex Fells Zoo just as local children could.

“The project was referred to as ‘Fresh Air Children,’ and churches and various social agencies acted as hosts,” wrote Harriman. Even into the 1960s, admission was free and visitors came by the thousands.

So how did Stone Zoo get its name? Stoneham resident Walter D. Stone and his family lived next to the Zoo in the Gould Homestead, according to Harriman. Stone became the first Middlesex Fells Zoo director in 1959, and shortly after his unexpected death 10 years later, the zoo was renamed the Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo in 1969.

The Stone Zoo thrived for years until its closing on Nov. 12, 1990 due to a budget cut. "In 1991, the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation [now named Zoo New England] was created to maintain care, custody, and control of both Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo,” states the nonprofit’s website.

Fortunately, due to the help of Zoo New England and a volunteer group called the Friends to Reopen Stone Zoo, the zoo’s doors once again opened on June 6, 1992.

Today Stone Zoo, located at 149 Pond St., covers 26 acres by Spot Pond. It features six major exhibits that include Yukon Creek, Windows to the Wild, Treasures of the Sierra Madre, the Barnyard, the Himalayan Highlands and the Gibbon exhibit, according to the Zoo’s website.

“Stone Zoo has been a beloved part of the community for more than 100 years," said David Hirschberg, Zoo New England Vice President of Institutional Advancement. "The addition in recent years of popular exhibits, such as the black bear exhibit  and the white-cheeked gibbon exhibit, have generated tremendous excitement throughout the local community."

So the next time your family strolls through the Animal Discovery Center or the Peacock Place Gift Shop, think about how far the Zoo has come since 1905.

The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adult admission is $11, child admission (ages 2–12) is $7 and children under 2 years old get in for free.

To help keep the Zoo alive, donate via their website today.

For a list of upcoming Zoo events, view the education events calendar.