Beardsley Park
1874 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
From Rt 15 (Merritt Parkway)
From New Haven: Take Exit 52 (South to Bridgeport) to Rt 8 & 25. Proceed to Exit
5 (Boston Ave). At the end of the ramp, bear right and go to the 5th traffic
light. Turn left onto Noble Avenue and proceed to the Beardsley Park entrance on
the left. Follow the signs to the Zoo entrance on right.
From New York: Take Exit 49S (Bridgeport) to Rt 25. Proceed to Exit 5 (Boston
Ave). At the end of the ramp, bear right and go to the 5th traffic light. Turn
left onto Noble Avenue and proceed to the Beardsley Park entrance on the left.
Follow signs to the Zoo entrance on right.
From I-95 (CT Turnpike)
Take Exit 27A to Rt 8 & 25. Proceed to Exit 5 (Boston Ave). At the traffic light
at the end of the ramp, go left to the 4th traffic light. Turn left onto Noble
Avenue and proceed to the Beardsley Park entrance on the left. Follow signs to
the Zoo entrance on right.
History:
1878 -- wealthy cattle dealer James Beardsley donated over 100 acres to the city of Bridgeport.
1884 -- Central Park, New York designer, Frederick Law Olmsted, created a rural park.
After the Park was created, famous showman P. T. Barnum would exercise the animals of his circus company in the Park.
1920 -- Bridgeport Parks Commissioner, Mr. Wesley Hayes, campaigned for a City Zoo within the Park. The Barnum and Bailey Circus donated some of their retired animals to the zoo.
1997 -- the Connecticut Zoological Society purchased the zoo from the city to run it as a nonprofit institution with assistance from the State of Connecticut and the City of Bridgeport.
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