Looking to get your family’s spring off to a great start? Throughout April school vacation week, connect with incredible wildlife and spend a memorable day with family and friends exploring Franklin Park Zoo.

Aussie Aviary opens for the season during April school vacation week. Stroll among hundreds of brightly colored budgies in this engaging, interactive space. Purchase a seedstick and the birds may land right on it! During April school vacation week, Aussie Aviary will be open 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., weather permitting. After April school vacation week, Aussie Aviary will be open on the weekends, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., weather permitting. Regular hours begin Memorial Day weekend when Aussie Aviary is open 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. weekdays, and 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. weekends.

Experience the thrilling 6D Rhino Rescue. Set in Africa, this motion simulator ride invites you on a high-speed chase alongside park rangers in their pursuit of poachers. You’ll encounter elephants, wildebeest and other wildlife on your adventure to reunite a baby rhino with his mother. Riders are fully immersed in a 6D experience. You’ll not only see stereoscopic 3D film through special glasses, but extra effects such as seat motion, wind and light add new dimensions to the viewing experience. The XD Theater’s state-of-the-art motion simulator seats are individually activated, processing up to 400 movements per second. Rhino Rescue tickets cost $5 (in addition to regular zoo admission). The ride accommodates 12 people and lasts four minutes. It's an experience not to be missed!

Join the Party for the Planet. On April 27, don’t miss the Party for the Planet! Franklin Park Zoo has teamed up with Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts to present a fun and engaging Earth Day celebration to raise awareness for the planet and all it has to offer! Learn how you can contribute to a healthy planet and preserve the Earth. The festivities, which will be held 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., will include opportunities to meet the zookeepers, plus animal enrichment activities, scavenger hunts, entertainment, eco-friendly exhibitors and much more!