Lookout Farm, South Natick, MA

Let me begin by saying that my visit here was several years ago, and since then the operation has been revamped and changed it's name from "Marino Lookout Farm" to "Lookout Farm."
The train that runs through the orchards is a delight for the kids. You can board/reboard however many times you like - getting off to pick a particular variety of pear or apple and then hopping back on the next time a shuttle comes by.
At the end of the train ride is a playground including a tree house, hay bale maze, and a bee house with plexiglass viewing windows. They offer other attractions, such as a petting zoo, seasonally. The petting zoo was open at the time of our visit, but little can be drawn from so far back.
In short, this is on my list of places to return to, and we had a WONDERFUL time the first time around. If anything, I suspect that the grounds have been improved.

Lookout Farm

Ecotarium, Worcester, MA (Update)

Our recent visit (June 2009) was a lot of fun. I found that exhibits had been changed/renewed since our last visit, sometime in the midwinter of 2008-2009.

We got to see the polar bear. The tree canopy was still not open. The person I spoke with said that there are pretty strict weight and height limits so my kids might not be eligible to do that yet anyways. We'll be back there soon - after several visits I am even more convinced of it's lasting interest. The boys played on the pirate ship in the toddler area for a good 45 minutes, a feature that had barely caught their eyes previously. There are plenty of corners to discover here.

Original Post:
We are very happy to have discovered the Ecotarium. Our admission is free with our membership pass to the Springfield Museums. After gaining admission at the front gate, the parking is free.

The museum itself is an interesting building with an eclectic array of exhibits. You'll enter at the top level, right by the gift shop. The shop is nice and they do have some smaller items. When we get our kids a treat we tend to want to spend $1 or so.

Walk down a curved staircase to the second level. More animal stuff, some dino stuff, a presentation area - on our first visit we saw an excellent owl presentation.

On the ground floor, there are live animals in the aquarium/terrarium area, lots of fun weather related exhibits. My husband's favorite feature is a tidal pool camera; by turning a dial you can watch hours of sea activity in mere moments. It is really cool to see the starfish and sea urchins moving in time lapse.

From the ground floor you exit to the grounds. This is the reason that the compound is such a wonderful destination. There are more animals in small, self contained buildings and environments throughout the grounds. We haven't seen the polar bear (!) but it has been fun to explore the trails.

The playground is fine - the rope ladder is an interesting feature & the sandbox is large.

There is a train - tickets are several dollars. We haven't gone yet.

The snack bar that is open only a few hours a day, so bring your food.

Ecotarium

Trolley Museum, Shelburne Falls, MA

This small museum has model train sets which function, history and hobby items. The treat is the real, working trolley car outside which you can ride in - the trip is short but exciting for toddlers. My visit was around 2006/2007 - when we go back I'll add some updated information.

Opening Day for 2009 is May 23rd.

Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum

Lupa Zoo, Ludlow, MA

Update:

My recent visit here was excellent. The zoo has put a lot of work into improving the landscaping, the insides and outsides of the enclosures, the seating areas. Even the signage directing you around looked fresh and was helpful. The playground had been reinvigorated, too. In all, the facility looked so well cared for, and the attention to detail was remarkable. I was so impressed, especially with my memory of a previous visit around 2006.
I highly recommend visiting here.

Original Post:

There is plenty of parking here, right when you pull in. Pay at the gate and buy food if you care to.
Once you're in, wander where you will. They have a very wide variety of animals.
This is not the most wonderful zoo in the world. Some cages are so thick with bars and mesh that the animals can't be seen. Some areas are not cared for or are stinky. However, compared to the higher profile Southwick Zoo, Lupa compared favorably in these areas. All zoos are smelly, and all except for a prize few have too many bars on the cages.

A small train ride is adjacent to the giraffes, who have their own viewing area up a staircase.

You can leave Lupa Zoo feeling nickle and dimed, as there are separate charges to enter, for animal food, for seeing the giraffe, for the giraffe food, for the train ride.... catch the drift? On the other hand, the admission price is really reasonable, compared to similar attractions.

Bring a lunch.

Restrooms are located in the main zoo building. As far as I know this is the only restroom location, so use it the first time you pass or you may be backtracking quite a bit.

Lupa Zoo

Southwick Zoo, Mendon, MA

My visit here was two summers ago, on a hot hot day. The zoo was less impressive than I remembered it, having gone there as a child. However, the large visitor/science center was great, volunteers were holding millipedes and snakes; there were a lot of activities. If I return to this zoo I'll spend more time here. There were some charming features like a wooded area with a stream. My kids enjoyed the fox that they glimpsed through the trees.

There was a dinosaur section with large dinos you could ride, as well as an excavation area. Adjacent to this was an amphitheater; on the day of our visit a really awesome bird show was taking place but they were too young to go in at that point - specifically because a sign by the entry said that loud noises scare the birds.

The sea otters put on a wonderful show for us. A seating/vending/ride area had a train and a couple of other things that ranged from coins to a couple of bucks for the train. Waters were $2.

Parking was free, but the lot was pretty packed. Lots of buses, too.

Southwick Zoo

Lupa Zoo

Lupa Zoo (my post)

Palmer Library, Palmer, MA

Located on the main drag in Palmer, this library has one of the most beautiful childrens' areas I've seen. There is ample space for kids of all ages, including a separate room filled with toys and art supplies. A toy train runs along a track in the ceiling (ask a librarian to turn it on for you). A large saltwater fish tank provides entertainment. There are several dozen computers, so that you can actually check your email while the kids play.

Palmer Library

Look Park, Northampton MA

Look Park is beautiful. You'll have to pay a $4 fee per car as you enter. Then you can park wherever you like. There are a LOT of activities here.

Water pad: instead of a wading pool, they've created a concrete "pad" with motion detectors which are linked up to a couple dozen different fountains which randomly turn off and on. Though it seems like kids would fall, they rarely do. Plenty of benches and chaise lounges encircle the pad. Many are under small pavillions providing shade. Bathing suit activity. Fenced in with two points of entry/egress. Free.
Petting zoo: Corn from a little machine costs 50 cents. A path leads through a wooded area lined with animal exhibits. Bald Eagles, sheep, owls, mountain goats, peacocks, chickens, more. The animals are well cared for, but the area is not too fancy.

Three playgrounds (small, large, and extra large):

The small playground is located right outside the petting zoo (convenient distraction!) and near the train station.

The large playground is on the other side of the park, near a pavillion, a stream, and some restrooms.

The extra large playground is right next to the water pad and restrooms and has a toddler structure, two other large structures, and swings.

River running by for rock throwing.

Train: Each ticket is about $2, the ride is cute - 10 minutes maybe? The kids LOVE it.
Paddle Boats: The rental fee is not ideal, but the ride is fun.
Picnic Areas with BBQ (rental fee), several pavillions for rent.
Restrooms are located near the water pad and are ok.