Benson's Wild Animal Farm
Encyclopedia
Benson's Wild Animal Farm was a long-running private zoo
and amusement park
in Hudson, New Hampshire
. It closed in 1987, after having been renamed New England Playworld for its final year. The state of New Hampshire acquired the property in 1989, and transferred it to the town of Hudson in 2009. It is being developed as a public park and nature area.
John Benson's career started at Lexington Park in Lexington, Massachusetts
in the early 1900s. Although he was not the owner, he ran the amusement park, which was filled with all sorts of exotic animals, a theater, a women's resting building and other facilities. The women's resting house remains and is now a home. At the time trolley
s took Boston
ians from Massachusetts Avenue
to Bedford Street and dropped them off at the park's entrance, located on the Lexington and Bedford
town line. The park finally closed in 1921.
Benson then went to New Hampshire to open his own animal park. After opening to the public in 1926, Benson's was expanded in 1932-33 with the addition of a permanent Wild Animal Circus. A special "Jungle Train" ran from Boston to Hudson on Sundays, with admission to Benson's included in the ticket price. By 1934 the parking lot could accommodate 5,200 cars. In 1940 animal trainer Joe Arcaris began his association with the zoo, performing acts with lions and other animals till the late 1970s.
Benson died in 1943, and Boston Garden
Corp. bought the property the next year. The park was closed to the public during WWII
, and re-opened in 1945. Starting in the 1960s, it went into a period of decline in maintenance and attendance. It was sold in 1979 to Arthur Provencher, who reversed its decline for a while with an influx of money. However, the farm remained unprofitable.
Toward the end of its existence as a zoo, it had a wide variety of animals, including trained lions, bears of several different species, llamas, a gorilla, elephants, monkeys, and many kinds of birds. With declining finances in the 1980s, the park added features to add family interest. After an unsuccessful association with outside investors, Provencher filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1985. In 1987, he changed it to an amusement park, whose full name was "New England's Playworld Amusement Park and Zoo," notable for a huge statue of Mighty Mouse
. This change failed to stem the decline, and the park went out of business at the end of the 1987 season.
Benson's Wild Animal Farm reopened in May 2010 as a town park for recreational use. There is no admission fee. Work is being done to rehabilitate the park's trails and remaining buildings, including the removal of invasive plant species, and to establish a regular police presence. The Old Lady in the Shoe, the elephant house, gorilla house and other structures have and are being repaired after decay and vandalism. An official grand opening and re-dedication was held September 2010.
as a publicity stunt. He is included among serious candidates and presidents on a "presidential primary trading cards" collection authorized by the state library.
Colossus moved to the Cincinnati Zoo in 1993, after spending some time at the "ZOO" in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He died April 11, 2006, at age 40, while under anesthesia during dental work.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
and amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
in Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 24,467 at the 2010 census.The primary settlement in town, where 7,336 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Hudson census-designated place and is located at the junctions of New Hampshire...
. It closed in 1987, after having been renamed New England Playworld for its final year. The state of New Hampshire acquired the property in 1989, and transferred it to the town of Hudson in 2009. It is being developed as a public park and nature area.
History
The zoo was founded by John Benson in 1924 as an animal-training center, and was opened to the public in 1926 with animal exhibits, a miniature train, games and exhibits.John Benson's career started at Lexington Park in Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
in the early 1900s. Although he was not the owner, he ran the amusement park, which was filled with all sorts of exotic animals, a theater, a women's resting building and other facilities. The women's resting house remains and is now a home. At the time trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s took Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
ians from Massachusetts Avenue
Massachusetts Avenue (Boston)
Massachusetts Avenue, known to locals as Mass Ave, is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts, and several cities and towns northwest of Boston...
to Bedford Street and dropped them off at the park's entrance, located on the Lexington and Bedford
Bedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
town line. The park finally closed in 1921.
Benson then went to New Hampshire to open his own animal park. After opening to the public in 1926, Benson's was expanded in 1932-33 with the addition of a permanent Wild Animal Circus. A special "Jungle Train" ran from Boston to Hudson on Sundays, with admission to Benson's included in the ticket price. By 1934 the parking lot could accommodate 5,200 cars. In 1940 animal trainer Joe Arcaris began his association with the zoo, performing acts with lions and other animals till the late 1970s.
Benson died in 1943, and Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
Corp. bought the property the next year. The park was closed to the public during WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and re-opened in 1945. Starting in the 1960s, it went into a period of decline in maintenance and attendance. It was sold in 1979 to Arthur Provencher, who reversed its decline for a while with an influx of money. However, the farm remained unprofitable.
Toward the end of its existence as a zoo, it had a wide variety of animals, including trained lions, bears of several different species, llamas, a gorilla, elephants, monkeys, and many kinds of birds. With declining finances in the 1980s, the park added features to add family interest. After an unsuccessful association with outside investors, Provencher filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1985. In 1987, he changed it to an amusement park, whose full name was "New England's Playworld Amusement Park and Zoo," notable for a huge statue of Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead...
. This change failed to stem the decline, and the park went out of business at the end of the 1987 season.
Benson's Wild Animal Farm reopened in May 2010 as a town park for recreational use. There is no admission fee. Work is being done to rehabilitate the park's trails and remaining buildings, including the removal of invasive plant species, and to establish a regular police presence. The Old Lady in the Shoe, the elephant house, gorilla house and other structures have and are being repaired after decay and vandalism. An official grand opening and re-dedication was held September 2010.
Colossus the gorilla
Colossus, a 500-pound silverback who was called one of the largest gorillas ever held in captivity, once ran for president in the New Hampshire primaryNew Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
as a publicity stunt. He is included among serious candidates and presidents on a "presidential primary trading cards" collection authorized by the state library.
Colossus moved to the Cincinnati Zoo in 1993, after spending some time at the "ZOO" in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He died April 11, 2006, at age 40, while under anesthesia during dental work.
In popular culture
- In Dane CookDane CookDane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
's Rough Around the Edges, the author states that when he was a kid his dad always promised to take him to Benson's, a promise he never kept. When confronted by his sad children, his dad would ironically say: "Hey, Benson's isn't going anywhere!"