Buttonwood Park Zoo
Asian elephants, red pandas, seals, farm animals, and regional wildlife occupy a compact historic zoo within New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park.
Artwork inspired by Albert Pinkham Ryder
Asian elephants, red pandas, seals, farm animals, and regional wildlife occupy a compact historic zoo within New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park. The zoo’s scale supports close observation and conversation about aging animals, managed populations, marine rescue, and the relationship between a working port city and wildlife care.
Check animal talks and construction notices, then allow time at the elephant and aquatic areas rather than expecting a large collection. Parking and walking are comparatively straightforward. Animal visibility depends on weather, care, and individual choice. Some seasonal rides and programs are not part of general admission. The compact plan makes returning to a favorite animal genuinely practical.
- Founded
- 1894
- Setting
- Buttonwood Park
- Accreditation
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Quick guide
- Listen for individual history
- Long-lived animals carry complex care stories.
- Connect to the port
- Marine conservation is locally immediate.
Know before you go
- Listen for individual history
- Long-lived animals carry complex care stories.
- Connect to the port
- Marine conservation is locally immediate.
- Pause at small habitats
- Compact scale rewards patient viewing.
- Check construction
- Animal-care improvements can reroute paths.
Good to know
Animal visibility depends on weather, care, and individual choice. Some seasonal rides and programs are not part of general admission.
Notice these
- Asian elephants
- Aquatic center
- Berkshires-to-the-Sea habitats