Benson's Wild Animal Farm facts for kids
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| Location | 27 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, New Hampshire, United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°46′00″N 71°24′20″W / 42.76667°N 71.40556°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Closed | 1987 |
| Slogan | "The Strangest Farm on Earth" |
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N.H. State Register of Historic Places
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| Designated: | April 29, 2002 |
| Listed buildings: | Bush Hill Road Barn Office and Kitchen Hudson Center Railroad Sta. |
Benson's Wild Animal Farm was a special place in Hudson, New Hampshire, United States. It started as a private zoo and later became an amusement park. It first opened its doors to the public in 1926. The park closed in 1987, after being called New England Playworld for its last year. In 1989, the state of New Hampshire bought the land. Then, in 2009, it was given to the town of Hudson. Today, it is a public park and nature area for everyone to enjoy.
History of Benson's Farm
The animal park was started by a man named John Benson in 1924. He first used it as a place to train animals. In 1926, he opened it to visitors. The park had animal exhibits, a small train, games, and other fun displays.
John Benson was born in England around 1871. He moved to the United States when he was young. Before Benson's Farm, he worked at Lexington Park in Massachusetts. That park also had many exotic animals and a theater.
In 1932 and 1933, Benson's Farm grew bigger. They added a permanent Wild Animal Circus. A special "Jungle Train" would bring people from Boston to Hudson on Sundays. The train ticket even included entry to the park. By 1934, the parking lot was huge, holding over 5,000 cars. In 1940, a famous animal trainer named Joe Arcaris joined the zoo. He performed with lions and other animals for many years.
John Benson passed away in 1943. The next year, some business people from Boston bought the park. The park was closed during World War II. It reopened in 1945. Starting in the 1960s, the park began to have problems. It needed more care, and fewer people visited.
In 1979, a new owner named Arthur Provencher bought the farm. He tried to make it better by investing money. However, the park still struggled to make a profit. In the 1980s, as money became tighter, the park added more family attractions.
In 1987, the park changed its name to "New England's Playworld Amusement Park and Zoo." It was famous for a giant statue of Mighty Mouse. But these changes did not help, and the park closed for good at the end of 1987.
In 2002, three buildings at Benson's were recognized as historic places. These were the Bush Hill Road Barn, the Office and Kitchen, and the Hudson Center Railroad Station. The railroad station was moved to Benson's by the town of Hudson.
Colossus the Gorilla
"Colossus" was a very large silverback gorilla. He weighed about 500 pounds and was one of the biggest gorillas ever kept in a zoo. Colossus lived at Benson's Wild Animal Farm for about 20 years, from the 1960s until 1987. His real name was Tony.
Colossus once "ran for president" in the New Hampshire primary. This was a fun way to get publicity for the park. He even appeared on special presidential primary trading cards. After Benson's closed, Colossus moved to the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Florida. In 1993, he moved to the Cincinnati Zoo. Colossus passed away on April 11, 2006, at 40 years old.
Benson's Park Today
Benson's Wild Animal Farm reopened in May 2010 as a town park. Now, it's a place for people to visit and enjoy nature. There is no fee to enter. Old buildings like the Old Woman's Shoe, the elephant house, and the gorilla house are being fixed up. A big opening celebration was held in September 2010.
9/11 Memorial
On September 11, 2011, a special memorial was opened at the park. It remembers the sad events of September 11, 2001. A piece of steel from the World Trade Center is part of the memorial. There are also markers that show a timeline of that day's events. The path through the memorial is shaped like the flight path of Flight 175.
