The most famous ruins of the Franklin Park Zoo are these bear dens at the top of this hill. The area is part of the Franklin Park cross country course called Long Couch Woods. These bear dens were part of a design created by American landscape architect Arthur Shurtliff, which he completed in 1912. The bear cages have intricate carvings and strong metal bars proved pricier than expected. As the zoo became financially bereft in the 1950s due to low attendance, the city-run Boston Parks & Recreation Department, which managed the zoo at the time, got rid of the bears and closed the exhibit. By 1958, when the state-run Metropolitan District Commission, now known as the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), took over the zoo and cut off that piece of land. Today, this is a great photo opportunity for people who like abandoned urban architecture.