[5] Located on a 7 acres (2.8 ha) campus, the zoo is owned and operated by the City of New Bedford, with the support of the Buttonwood Park Zoological Society.

The zoo has played a vital role in the conservation of endangered animals and is a participant in the Cape Cod Stranding Network and Species Survival Plan.

[6] In 1894, the Buttonwood Park Zoo was opened as a way to present New Bedford as a powerful and wealthy city.

[7] During the summer of its opening, the zoo consisted primarily of native animals including black bears, foxes and deer.

[8] From 1935 to 1936, the Public Works Administration, as part of President Frank D. Roosevelt's New Deal, renovated the black bear den at the zoo.

[7] In the early 1960s, the zoo began to acquire exotic animals such as asian elephants, leopards, lions and wallabies.

[8] New Bedford hired a number of architectural firms to develop the zoo, but the city failed to implement the plans.

The City of New Bedford funds staffing, operation, maintenance and capital improvements to facilities.