Spring Break is a great time to take the family on a day trip to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, and that’s just what we do every year! Exotic animals, beautiful fauna and flora, and a magical butterfly experience await visitors, but there’s more! A stingray petting pool, a children’s Play Park and Splash Ground, a train ride, and giraffe feeding among many other exhibits are sure to offer fun and excitement for young and old alike. With so many things to see and do, it’s easy to spend an entire day at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens!
The Animals
There are so many animal exhibits to visit at the Jacksonville Zoo, and it strives to maintain as natural an environment as possible for these animals. We always begin our day’s journey with the African Loop and work our way around the zoo. This way, we know we won’t miss any of the exhibits.
The African Loop — A 1,400 foot boardwalk takes visitors through the Plains of East Africa to experience animals, such as cheetahs, zebras, rhinoceros, ostriches, warthogs, antelope, and bongos, roaming in a large, open environment, and if you’re lucky like I was during our last visit, you’ll even get pooped on by a low-flying bird! Following the boardwalk is the reptile building, where some of the world’s deadliest snakes are living. Before leaving the Plains of East Africa, guests can also enjoy watching elephants cool off in their 275,000 gallon pool, lions stalking a one-acre landscape, or two highly endangered leopards lounging in the shade. Angola colobus monkeys also enjoy entertaining crowds by leaping through the trees near the entrance of the lion exhibit.
Stingray Bay – This unique,interactive exhibit, lets guests feed and pet live stingrays swimming freely in a shallow pool, similar to Sea World’s exhibit. There is a $2.00 admission fee to enter, and stingray food costs extra.
Giraffe Overlook – One of the most fun exhibits at the Jacksonville Zoo, and certainly my favorite, is the Giraffe Overlook, which features an elevated platform where guests can come eye-to-eye with these beautiful, gentle animals in their 2.5-acre home. For $3.00 guests can hand-feed the giraffes who come right up to the railing. This is, by far, one of the best experiences at the zoo and something our son loved!
Range of the Jaguar – Zoo visitors will be taken to the edge of a rainforest and an abandoned Mayan temple as they visit the “two-time national award winning South American exhibit” of the jaguars. In addition to jaguars, guests can see giant anteaters, howler monkeys, unique fish and reptiles, pygmy marmosets, and more.
Australian Adventure – This exhibit, sponsored by Outback Steakhouse,features kangaroos, wallabies, a cassowary, and beautifully colored lorikeets in a free-flying aviary where guests can feed the birds for $1.00. If you have a fear of birds, this may not be the exhibit for you!
Monsoon Asia — Aside from tranquil gardens, koi ponds, a Lotus pool, and Moon bridges, zoo-goers can visit the komodo dragons housed in the Monsoon Asia exhibit.
Tuxedo Coast – Located inside the Play Park, Tuxedo Coast is home to several different species of penguins, which can be viewed up-close and personally.
Great Apes – The Great Apes exhibit is home to ring-tailed and black-and-white ruffed lemurs, colobus monkeys, mandrills, the Western Lowland gorilla, bonobo, and siamangs.
Wild Florida – This exhibit features 2.5 acres of wetlands and is home to native plants and animals of Florida, such as alligators, black bears, whooping cranes, bald eagles, bob cats, Florida panthers, white-tailed deer, and owls. Guests can also visit the Reptile House of Wild Florida. Alligators are fed every Saturday at 2:15 p.m. from mid-March through November.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is not comprised of just animal exhibits and botanical gardens. There are several attractions designed with children in mind. The Play Park and Splash Ground are 2.5 acres of fun for kids. There are two child’s-height mazes, a rock wall and playground, an animal care area where kids can groom and pet pygmy goats, and a large tree house that is ideal for climbing. Then, when kids are ready to cool off, they can enjoy the 4,000 square foot splash ground, where they can run around, climb on, and be sprayed by whales, manatees, and other sea life squirting huge streams of water. The splash ground is open from mid-March to the end of September, weather permitting, starting at 10:00 a.m. each day. There is no separate fee for this cool attraction! Rinsing off in the outdoor shower is required before entering the splash ground, and diaper-aged children must wear swimming diapers. Outside the play park is a full-sized carousel. Be prepared to pay $2.00 per rider over the age of two.
Butterfly Hollow is the newest exhibit at the zoo, and it is definitely one of the most magical for children. We loved wandering through this 8,500 square foot exhibit full of hundreds of butterflies, garden paths, arbors, water features, and garden gnomes and fairies. Several times different butterflies landed on us, and we got a very up-close look at these delicate creatures. Butterfly Hollow is only open March 9-September 30, starting at 9:30 a.m. each day. The cost is $2.00 to enter the butterfly exhibit.
Finally, visitors can see the zoo aboard the Zoo Train, which transports visitors around the entire perimeter of the zoo and makes stops at the Kid’s Shop and Main Camp, where guests can disembark and explore the zoo at their own pace. The cost is $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for kids, and is good all day, weather permitting.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is a fun day trip for the whole family! It’s available for birthday parties, private events, and offers youth camps. For more information, visit http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org. The zoo is open 364 days a year (excluding Christmas Day) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is located at 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, Florida 32218. Since admission prices vary, visit the zoo website for specific pricing information.
