@dreelegend: The Old Bear Dens at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston were among the original features of the zoo when it opened in 1912. Designed in 1911 by landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff, the dens were built to house multiple bear species imported from Germany and Yellowstone National Park, along with smaller animals such as a badger kept in a nearby enclosure. From the beginning, they were a major attraction, drawing thousands of visitors daily and helping establish the zoo as one of Boston’s most popular public destinations. One of the most notable early moments came on October 3, 1912, when more than 10,000 visitors passed through the zoo in a single day, generating an estimated $10,000 in revenue—an enormous sum at the time. The bear dens were so popular that when funding became unstable, Boston schoolchildren even organized penny drives to help keep them open. During this era, the Franklin Park Zoo operated as a free, city-managed park attraction and became deeply embedded in public life, drawing millions of visitors annually in its early decades. By the mid-20th century, the zoo began to decline due to financial strain, aging infrastructure, and changing standards in animal care. In 1958, control shifted to the Metropolitan District Commission, which modernized parts of the zoo but also isolated areas that were costly or difficult to maintain, including the Bear Dens in Long Crouch Woods. These enclosures were eventually closed and left to deteriorate, and by 1960 they were no longer in use. Over time, the site became overgrown and vandalized, with parts of the ironwork reportedly removed for scrap, leaving the Old Bear Dens today as one of the most recognizable abandoned remnants of the zoo’s early history. #masachusetts #usa🇺🇸

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Friday 29 May 2026 18:38:02 GMT