Old Bear Dens,

Playstead Road, Boston, MA 02119

"First time I was 7yr.old 65 yrs. Ago I still enjoy it the Bears are gone about 40 yrs. Ago May have animals @the smaller zoo off Blue Hill Ave Watch your kids. Don't go walking outside of Zoo Bad neighborhood"

"The most famous ruins of the Franklin Park Zoo are these bear dens at the top of this hill. The area is part of the Franklin Park cross country course called Long Couch Woods. These bear dens were part of a design created by American landscape architect Arthur Shurtliff, which he completed in 1912. The bear cages have intricate carvings and strong metal bars proved pricier than expected. As the zoo became financially bereft in the 1950s due to low attendance, the city-run Boston Parks & Recreation Department, which managed the zoo at the time, got rid of the bears and closed the exhibit. By 1958, when the state-run Metropolitan District Commission, now known as the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), took over the zoo and cut off that piece of land. Today, this is a great photo opportunity for people who like abandoned urban architecture."

"I just love visiting abandoned places. It's like stepping back in time. There was plenty of parking when I went but there might not be on game days. It was a short walk from the parking lot. There are a lot of trails in this area and there were more empty dens than I expected. This is just a nice quiet area to walk and enjoy nature. To the right of the parking area there are also more trails. Not sure if there were structures here at one point but there are remains of stone walls and stair cases."

"unique abandoned spot. cool place to skate or take pictures. you can park along the street and it's a short walk through the woods on a gravel path"

"Setting free the bears! I guess someone did already. A very nice place to take a walk. Must have been less nice for the bears of Franklin Park Zoo to be caged there decades ago."