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All the United States New Hampshire Hudson Benson's Park

Benson's Park

A former zoo turned public park, where visitors can hang out in the old animal cages.

Hudson, New Hampshire

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The gorilla house from Benson’s Wild Animal Farm   Benson's Park on Facebook
The Old Lady in the Shoe   Benson's Park on Facebook
Picnic structures in Benson’s Park   Benson's Park on Facebook
Former animal houses at the new Benson Park   Benson's Park
Pond where the alligator shows took place   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Sign by the big shoe   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Steel girder from 9/11   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
9/11 monument   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Side angle of the shoe   ladyredtravel / Atlas Obscura User
9/11 monument   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Front angle of the shoe   ladyredtravel / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Overlook of the old alligator pond   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
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A popular zoo operating from 1927-1987, Benson's Wild Animal Farm once had elephants, lions, and a particularly large gorilla named Tony who sometimes went by the name of "Colossus." 

Founded in 1924 by animal trainer John Benson first as a center for his profession and only secondarily as an entertainment device for the public in 1926, Benson quickly found that installing a "permanent circus" made his zoo more profitable. Among the Farm's biggest stars was a huge silverback gorilla named Tony, aka Colossus, who was not only thought to be the largest gorilla ever kept in captivity, but also once ran for President of the United States. 

Despite changing ownership several times and decades of financial struggle, the park finally shuttered in 1987. Abandoned after its closure, the spot had always been a favorite for explorers and adventures. Rather than demolish a site that had been home to generations of memories for so many, the city of Hudson, New Hampshire saw fit to repurpose the park's 165 acres of scenic land and other attractions into a new, usable form. 

The Farm was re-opened as a public park in May 2010 under the new name of Benson's Park. Access to abandoned animal cages—such as the Elephant Barn and Gorilla House— and other attractions like a miniature railroad remain open to the public in its new incarnation, even as others are still being repaired. A huge model of the shoe from "The Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe" still sits near the park entrance, as a miniature railroad unites the park's disparate corners. The shoe was likely the creation of the famous Adirondack theme park creator Argo Monaco. The shoe shows several similarities to other Monaco creations that are on display at Storyland, Santa’s Workshop, and The Great Escape (which houses remnants of the now-defunct Land of Makebelieve).

While it seems that spending unsupervised time in abandoned animal cages would be one of the most jarring ways to pass a weekend, the juxtaposition of these features paired with a September 11th Memorial, complete with a girder from the Pentagon, really pushes the experience of visiting the former site of Benson's Wild Animal Farm over the top.

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Zoos Parks Public Abandoned Presidents Animals

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There's free parking.

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Added By

PhotoSarah

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littlebrumble, e1savage, adk, EricGrundhauser...

  • littlebrumble
  • e1savage
  • adk
  • EricGrundhauser
  • kendrawashere
  • ladyredtravel

Published

August 27, 2015

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benson's_Wild_Animal_Farm
  • http://wikimapia.org/4482353/Benson-Park
  • https://www.facebook.com/bensons.waf
Benson's Park
23 Kimball Hill Road
Hudson, New Hampshire, 03051
United States
42.769239, -71.40278
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Hampshire

New Hampshire

United States

Places 110
Stories 6

Nearby Places

1946 Nashua Dodgers Mural

Nashua, New Hampshire

miles away

Robert Frost Farm

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miles away

Wannalancit Mills Smokestack Christmas Tree

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Hampshire

New Hampshire

United States

Places 110
Stories 6

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