It's All Happening at the Zoo

A week ago Sunday I went on a Preview Visit to Franklin Park Zoo in Boston with my cousin Terry and his friend Gino in preparation for two class trips with my young kindergardeners.  Last Monday I took the A.M class.  This Monday in 90 degree temperatures  the PM class had their turn.  As we strolled around the park I couldn't help but think of Simon and Garfunkle's song "At the Zoo".







Someone told me
Its all happening at the zoo.

I do believe it,
I do believe its true.





Its a light and tumble journey
From the east side to the park;
Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo.





But you can take the crosstown bus
If its raining or its cold,








And the animals will love it
If you do.





Something tells me
It's all happening at the zoo.



The monkeys stand for honesty,
Giraffes are insincere,




And the elephants are kindly but
They're dumb.
Orangutans are skeptical
Of changes in their cages,
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum.


Zebras are reactionaries,
Antelopes are missionaries,
Pigeons plot in secrecy,
And hamsters turn on frequently.
What a gas! you gotta come and see
At the zoo.



Franklin Park Zoo in Dorchester was founded in 1912.  As a young child I went to this Zoo many times because my Nana's house was right down the street.  For 15 cents you could gain access to the Park and stay all day.  A fudgiwudgie cost 5 cents and a bottle of coke was another 5 cents.  On holidays, all my father's nine brothers and sister's and their families would gather at "The House" (that's what we called Nana's) and the kids were allowed to roam freely, under the tutlage of Terry, our oldest cousin, throughout the Park while the grown-ups drank beer and told stories.  I imagine they thought the Park was a wonderful babysitter.  Little did they know  what we did there. I was elated to see Rapunzel's Tower last week.  That's not really the name of this stone ediface but that is what we used to call it when we would climb the walls inside.  Today it is fenced off...I imagine they are afraid of lawsuits.







The Bird House is still standing though I did hear that they are thinking of tearing it down.  As a child I loved the exotic roofline.  For hours we would playact the "King and I" on the steps.




Today there are new structures at the zoo.  I loved the architecture of the new Rainforest Building.


And yes, children still have fun at the zoo.  They can wander from one exotic place to another and see animals and reptiles from habitats all over the world.  Here are three of my chaperones with their six charges!


  Children can now climb up into a silo and slide down a chute.... Asher, are you having second thoughts?


They can explore the size of an ostrich egg...



Look through binoculars to see a lion....



Study the bones of an elephant.....



Climb on some structures in the Land Down Under....










Measure your "kangaro jump"....


Compare your wingspan to a bird....


Climb on a gorilla....




or see a live one looking at you....














Yes, the zoo can still be a neat place to hang out for the day....I do believe it's true.