We visited during the week of April school vacation and the crowds were very minimal. We only experienced a small wait due to understaffed for the train & carousel rides with one gentleman rotating back and forth for service. Considering these two events were the busiest he managed the crowd with ease. This is by far not the best zoos MA has to offer but it’s close to us being on the Cape and for the size it definitely has a host of some pretty cool animals that most importantly seem to be happy with their captivity environment. Overall this zoo is definitely worth visiting and even revisiting

Nice zoo, admission is nicely priced at $6 considering the zoo is pretty small. There's a carousel and train ride to keep smaller kids occupied that is $2, so very cheap. You can see everything in the zoo in a little over an hour, but the exhibits are very nice. Horses, elephants, harbor seals, mountain lions are some of the few that are there. There are plenty of bathrooms and vending machines, so there's no long walks to try and find one. The aquarium area has a touch pool to feel some of the animals like starfish and dogfish, and all the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly, and willing to answer questions about the animals.

For a smaller zoo, this Zoo is perfect. Always clean and welcoming. I have been taking my daughters here since they were very young, they are now older and still love going. I had my youngest daughters 14th birthday here as well and it was very well organized. Definetly recommend for a fun visit or to have an amazing party.

Buttonwood Park Zoo June 5, 2022 I visited the zoo with a free Wareham library pass and it was a beautiful sunny day, I couldn't of asked YHWH for more beautiful weather. It was the perfect day for a zoo visit. It wasn't too busy with guests so it wasn't crowded. There was 2 birthday parties going on in the building when I was there, but at different times. I find that to be a wonderful idea for parents, the kids were having a blast at the zoo. I arrived at 10:30am and some of the animals were still resting, sleeping or not yet active for viewing. Around 11:30am-12:00pm the zookeepers were feeding them so I decided to walk around the zoo a couple more times to see if I could see the animals I missed from walking around the first time around. Luckily I got to see them all. I like this zoo because it's small and it's perfect for small children because its not an excessive amount of walking. I do however wish that they had more animals to see. My ultimate favorite is the moon jellyfish located in the tropical building a mask is required to enter. The moon jellyfish are just simply exquisite, unique and amazing. Watching them swim around in a circle together and how they glow and breathe. It's an amazing feeling being able to see underwater life on the surface of the earth. The other amazing under the sea creature was the orange starfish with the purple background it was artistic and beautiful display. That starfish liked to pose for the perfect picture. The seahorses were adorable clinging to plants and hanging out in their tank. I love opossums and I was hoping that he would be on display, but he doesn't have his own habitat he is only visable for shows. Overall I had a wonderful time. I got a cookie ice cream sandwich at the cafe and I stopped by the gift shop on the way out and bought a small opossum and a Buttonwood Park Zoo t-shirt. All the zoo staff is helpful, professional, and friendly. I definitely will visit this quaint adorable zoo again in the future. Highly recommend for ALL ages! Go and have a Zoo-Terrific Time!

We had a great time there! I would recommend this zoo to anyone who asks. All staff we encountered were so nice and knowledgeable of the animals.

This was a great zoo to spend a few hours in. We watched the red panda handler demonstration and learned a lot about them. There is also a cafe and great little play area. Plenty of chairs in shady areas to take a rest as well. It also backs up to a wonderful park to play in afterwards.

I was blown away by this place! I've lived an hour away my entire life and have never even heard of this place. I could not have been happier with my visit. The animals all looked content in this zoo which is proven by the zoo's AZA verification. We meet a volunteer at the elephant area and she was a wealth of knowledge, incredibly friendly, and so passionate. You could tell she cared and I feel like that is a common theme throughout the zoo. Go! It's like ten bucks for a ticket and you won't regret it.

A very pleasing and relaxing atmosphere all throughout the park. Parking is ample and it’s a short walk to the entrance. The gift shop is stocked with all manner of stuffed animals and souvenirs certain to appease even the most discerning shoppers. The train ride and carousel were specially entertaining or rather fascinating for little ones. Park staff can be easily located or identified and are glad to assist with any questions. The keepers are very knowledgeable and easy to approach with inquiries about the animals in their care. Of note, the Bald Eagles are an impressive sight given their overall size and expansive wingspan. The food court maintains a limited menu and prices are relative compared to other similar places. Restroom facilities are well maintained and stocked. I did not upload nor take any pictures of actual zoo animals as to not take away from the experience of any future visitor.

Had my son's 3rd birthday party which with pandemic it was it 1st official. This place was amazing... We have 5 birthdays in our immediate house hold in this week. We know the pressure of throwing a kids party. It was worry free Jordan was simply a phenomenal host and was beyond our expectations.. The lizard ambassador was great for our 3 year old. Gave a little extra after cake ice cream.. Then last walk thru our group all were raving how stress free relaxed fun experience here.. Everyone was extremely nice during stressful time with all the visitors multiple birthday party's. We left most up to the staff and we were not disappointed.. I did notice if visiting order food before your starving if it's busy staff makes it all fresh so give them the time needed there working hard I've seen it myself. Overall Outstanding job we are extremely grateful. Even older kids had fun.. So outdoor birthday party you can spend with family and not worry about things don't matter.. Book it....thank me later...

Very cute albeit small zoo. What's here is great but there's just not a lot to see. Easy way to spend an hour or two but not much more.

Awesome tiny zoo! Park was easy to navigate, affordable, and lots of neat faces to see.

Update! The new bears are at the zoo. Still an amazing place to visit A great zoo! The staff here is so friendly and put the animals first. They take great care of them and work to make sure they are happy. The zoo is kept so clean and everyone is so helpful. Worth the trip!

Great place to visit when in New Bedford, MA. I've been going every once in a while for years. Just happened to hit the Red, White and Brew fundraiser last Friday. It was fun night. Lots of beer, ciders, wine and hard seltzer to choose from. The music was great too.

Nice clean zoo, on the smaller side. You can see everything in about 1-1.5 hours. Bathrooms are always clean and they have a cafe to buy food which is reasonably priced. You can also bring in your own food and have a picnic lunch. Train ride and carousel for kids is a nice addition to this zoo and there is also an imaginative outdoor play area for children.

We did boo at the zoo it was really cool trick or treating seeing the animals and all the kids dressed up.

I just cannot believe there's a whole zoo in the middle of New Bedford. Many animals including some of the oldest elephants around here! Will be going again next time I'm in town!!

Excellent small zoo, very clean and quiet. The adjacent park is also worth a stroll. It's good for 2 to 3 hours, so if you want a full day suggest combining with another local attraction (New Bedford Whaling museum, perhaps).

Membership is more than worth it. Can go whenever you want for as long as you want during open hours. One of the best parts is the reciprocal list that lets you visit other zoos as well for either half off or totally free. Such as, Boston museum of science…for free! Just call Ahead and they email you the complimentary tickets for the places on the reciprocal list. The zoo itself is one of the oldest zoos in the country. They have done some great updates over the years, including a nice childrens area near the back by the farm animals. Also a new fennec fox area is underway. I recommend going on a weekday as they open to catch the cougars and other exhibits get their first meals.

Contains the world's best playground!!

Well maintained park/zoo with enough to see and do for the kids.

The animals are so cute!!! We loved the seals especially. Please consider adopting (sponsoring) a zoo animal to help fund it! Would love to come back after quarantine to see the full zoo in action! Right now most of the animals on display are mammals, the fish, amphibians, etc are closed off for safety reasons.

It's a nice small Zoo. Easy to go through in short time. The kids love the elephants, red panda, otters and aquarium section. they also really enjoy the train ride. Just wished the carousel ride was a little longer. And we miss all the farm animals. The staff is friendly and answers questions about the animals. I've been coming here since i was a kid and now I take my kids.

It is a good zoo for the size of it. Great place to bring kids, inexpensive admission prices.

Cute and organized city zoo. It has collections of aquatic, rainforest and farm animals. It does not have large carnivores though. Very family friendly and a good way to spend an hour. The entire park is about a mile loop. Clean bathroom and plenty parking. Excellent

Nice little zoo, clean and easy to navigate, but hard to find in general as there was only one tiny little sign that a saw pointing in the direction of the zoo. Most animals were visible and active. Nice little zoo for kids. Big playground nearby and a carousel inside the zoo(but apparently you need to buy a token for it, it's not included with admission which I thought was a little strange) There's a nice little cafe with a great kid-friendly menu. All in all it was a nice place to stop on our way home to Connecticut from Cape Cod.

Beautifully landscaped, well taken care of animals, loved the environment here, no crowds too. The animals were adorable, the nature park was a really cool place to play with the kids. There’s a lot of seating around the zoo with shade too. Would definitely visit again

We had a birthday party here Saturday and could not have been happier with the experience! The room was perfect for our group and came decorated. Ginger the party coordinator was responsive to all my questions and weather related concerns. The animal encounter was a big hit as was the unlimited rides on the carousel and train. We got super lucky with the weather given the time of year and the park wasn’t too crowded! 10/10 would recommend having an event here and we will definitely be back!

I went to an after hours event. It was a great evening. There were lots of opportunities to see the different animals throughout the zoo. I spent a large amount of time watching the red panda who are not related to Panda but both love bamboo, the lynx, the seal, the coyote (Molly), and Black and White Tegu ( Frankie)...The animal ambassadors and human ambassadors really made it special. A great community resource for the area. Oh I saw the following other animals: Forbes Sea Star, Lionfish, Spotted Garden Eels (They were fun to watch hide in the sand and how they camouflage themselves), ducks and geese, moon jelly (really cool) and of course one of the Elephants (Ruth?).

Love it

I like. Beautiful

I always loved Buttonwood Park. Whenever I want to just park and relax, I always want to go to Buttonwood Park. Specially the pond area. I'm so very disappointed of how our once a beautiful pond are now a total mess! Even all the birds that we're once there, they're no longer there or they've chosen to go to the other side of the pond. The grass are long! There are very little beautiful flowers left around. With all the work that had been done to beautified New Bedford, I'm very proud to say, I live in New Bedford! Buttonwood Park, specially the pond area are in so badly need of extensive renovation! Truly Cares!

Small and perfect for Lil kids. Duck variety are beautiful

Such a great way to spend a couple of hours. It's not massive, but is very easy to get through the whole place. They are working on expanding though, which will be great. Our 4yo loved the train ride around the zoo and the carousel. We also happened to be there in October, and he loved the Halloween decor throughout, especially the small maze they setup for younger kids.

What a nice little gem of a zoo. Fair admission price and $2 per person for an electric mini train ride, sweet! Loved the Otters. First time ever seeing an American Eagle, a Beaver, and a Cougar up close. Not all in the same enclosure or that would have really been an unforgettable show. A little understaffed, the guy running the mini train was also in charge of operating the carousel.

Best small zoo

Not a bad little zoo

We love buttonwood zoo and have been members for years. It's perfect for younger children, but our almost 10, and 7 year olds love it too!

The animals are so cute! I love them! The jellyfish are interesting, and the fish display is very nice!

Trick or treat for the younger set is awesome! We'll be back. I'd say under 6yrs old overall with or without the extra Halloween tables. A small, intimate zoo not too overwhelming.

It's December, the zoo is fairly quiet. Some of the animals went somewhere warm for the winter. The others stayed here and kept us entertained. The Park is clean and well maintained. The staff is very friendly. It was a good visit. My daughter and I had a good time.

The place is nice and has so much potential, however when we visited a few days ago, a significant amount of the animals were off of display. Their website does not reflect this, and lists many animals and species that they did not have for years. The price was very low compared to other Zoos, so that was good. The cafeteria is nothing more than a snack bar. They have a few pre-wrapped turkey sandwiches, an abundance of potato chips, and ice cream. If you live close by, give them a visit.

Lovely small zoo that provides healthy stimulating care for the animals! Enclosures are very well kept with lots of therapeutic toys in them! Wonderful size zoo for families wit small children!

I've been going here since I was little and now we come here from the Cape to bring my girl. Emily the elephant its still around and she's great! Her friend, With is, too, of course. I love how close you can get to the otters..... Dunkin and Doughnut, I believe. Do much fun watching them get free at the end of the day! We also did the Girl Scout sleepover a couple years ago with our Troop. That was fun! Thanks Buttonwood for all you do! So glad to be back last week!

Smaller zoo that features a surprisingly large collection of animals. The zoo is easy for toddlers to walk, and could be made into an afternoon or full-day trip. Lots of animals, including elephants, otters, red pandas, a seal, seahorses, and lots of monkeys. There is a carousel, cafeteria, clean bathrooms, wide paths, no stairs, nice gift shop, and affordable admission.

We had a good experience even though it's a small zoo it's still a great place to bring your children too.

Nice little zoo! I didn't do any research so I'm hoping that all of these animals are rescues. When I was younger I worked several years with with all types of exotic animals. The enclosures they keep these animals in don't really seem to be that bad.It looked as though they were well taken care of. I think it's a good place to take young children to learn about animals.

This zoo is awesome. They show case a lot of animals that are local to the area. I like this because I enjoy the knowledge of what I am sharing the land with. They also have elephants and some amazing tropical fish and plants. I definitely recommend this place.

We only went to see the ducks and there were so many new babies. Parking stinks near the edge of the sandy part. There were cars parked in handicapped spots that did not have a placard. Other than that, very nice.

A unique place to see not one, but 2 elephants. Both are elderly, so it is a little sobering to visit knowing the history, situation and future for them. However, they appear to be well cared for to make it this long. The other exhibits are interesting as well, although some facilities are dated. Still very affordable and like most other municipal zoos, facing financial challenges

An absolute gem of New Bedford!

One of the best zoos ever!! As an animal lover and animal care professional, I've been to Zoological institutions from Miami to San Diego and everywhere in-between; and this zoo is hands down my absolute favorite. The animals are healthy and the exhibits are beautiful. The staff is friendly and absolutely dedicated to the well-being and enrichment of every individual creature in their care. You can see it in the way the animals are bright and curious even with guests they've never met! They will interact and exhibit species specific behaviors especially if you visit early in the day! Truly an amazing gift to the community!

Nicely landscaped with a great menagerie of animals. The elephants Emily and Ruth have a huge enclosure with lots of visual and tactile stimuli. The new red panda family is a must-see, as are the New World monkeys. Their Boo at the Zoo event is the highlight of the Halloween season for Southcoast families.

Was a nice time for a Halloween treat

Amazing job given the zoo's limited resources. Alot of dedication exhibited there...

Cute, small zoo. Easy to social distance!

Kid friendly and beautiful

The animals are fun to watch especially for kids, interesting things in the overpriced gift shop, most of the animals seem to be just as bored as the majority of parents and teens there too. You will probably see and smell a lot of animal excrement and the smell may sleep into your clothes.

Make sure you check the hours and double check that covid is not effecting when they are open.

Good zoo, but nothing to really travel a long distance for

Small and well maintained Zoo, the employees are very nice. Great place!

Great zoo! The habitats are awesome and up to date and great!!

Such an excellent and amazing zoo!

(Translated by Google) Cleansed Animals (Original) Limpio Los animales

Ducks are cray cray. Visitors be advised.

Cool animals!

Small zoo but what is there is very nice and has been getting better over the years. I think this zoo is on the up and coming list

Great little zoo. Even with many things closed we still had a good time.

Easy walk with lots if room for kids to run! Just enough animal education too!

Good for 3 to 5 year olds. Alot was roped off. No carousel and small train because of safety from the virus. Understandable but it made the vist very uneventful.

I like to go there for walks. It's peaceful and you see birds and squirrels. The other people walking are nice. It's a relaxing time.

Great outdoor experience for the kids.

What a hidden gem! Loved it and so did my 2 teenaged daughters!

Did their after hours tour and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Got to do so much animal interactions. Keepers were happy to answer questions, and so many amazing experiences I wont forget.

Great little zoo. Loads of parking. Easy access. During covid, there is a one way walking path, but you can circle as much as you want. Wide variety of animals. Great prices. The Zoo always has something going and utilizes social media. We buy a membership yearly.

Perfect for younger kids. Has a good variety of animals. Some exhibits closed or hard to see animals due to Covid-19 and the procedures in place but still a great place to spend a couple hours at out of the house.

A very small zoo with some great exhibits but a little pricey ticket wise for it size. We were able to get though the zoo in about 2 hours. We took our time to admire the animals along the way. Almost all the animal exhibits gave you clear views. The grounds/animals seemed well kept and clean. The animals seemed to like viewing the humans outside as much as we enjoyed watching them play around, eat, loff and sleep. There was an area where you could have a cool hands on encounter with some sea stars, sting ray and little bitty cute sharks. The man in charge of the sea life touch exhibit was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the animals inside. They cared about helping your kids not be afraid of the animals, teaching them, and telling them funny stories about each animal inside. There seemed to be a smattering of extra paid activities that you could enjoy like the carousel and train. Price wise the food was reasonable and so was the gift shop. They really seemed to want you to have a great time. We did have a great time.

I had such an amazing time! Luv Emily the elephant. Saw the bald eagles, otters, seals, and even the bear! The cayote was so beautiful. And the bobcats. Just a great day!

There are many different animals from all over the world. It isn't a lot of walking either. Great for taking young and old for a couple of hours. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly.

Walking through nature,seeing the different animals.

Cool place

Great place to gather with family and friends.

We brought my 5 month old granddaughter and 3 generations of women in our family and had an absolutely great time.Bonus was how nice all the employees were especially the woman who explained about the lizards to us I know one was named Frankie. We would absolutely come back here when my granddaughter gets a little bigger but no matter how big or small you are it's a great time to spend as a family.

Cute little zoo. Animals looked sad though.

The restructuring of the park has made it significantly more COVID friendly. The exhibits are very well-kept and the diverse selection of animals is much appreciated. Currently, the indoor reptile exhibits are closed which, while unfortunate, is also unavoidable in current times.

Perfect for a good time with the kids

August 2020... You must purchase timed entry tickets prior to arrival. The zoo has created a one way traffic pattern that makes a large loop around the zoo. We found that just about everyone followed this. Masks are required and most adults and some kids were able to abide by this. We felt safe during our time. We looped around twice, got the opportunity to see everything. The kids play area near the barn was open but we skipped this as it becomes a little more crowded and lots of small kids without masks. They had outdoor grab and go food options and even the store had a small area outside. Enjoy!!

Safety is number one great place for small kids

Nice little zoo, reasonably priced, and easily accessible.

Got to see the red pandas

Was heartbreaking seeing so many beautiful wild animals in such small confined spaces... especially the elephants! I nearly cried seeing them in such unnatural conditions looking miserable. I will never return!

A truly sad place. The two elephants have very little space and are in dire need of placement in a sanctuary that can actually care for them. Please do not support zoos.

very bad the elephants are dangerous and not kept well the monkeys like to throw elephants the gold fish there aren't meant for eating i was hungry i got kicked out also my friend jumped the fence in to the gorilla container rip gorilla he aint do nun wrong

Great job on boo at the zoo! The kids loved it.

love this place!!!!

Boo at the Zoo was great for the kids and the zoo did a fantastic job keeping it safe during the pandemic!

Alot if animals weren't out but still a nice day