Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

🐘🐒🦒 Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is truly one of Columbia’s greatest treasures. Whether you are visiting in the summertime 🌞 or during the holidays 🎄, it is always a wonderful experience. The zoo is beautifully maintained, easy to walk, and thoughtfully laid out with a great mix of animals 🐯🦓, shaded paths 🌳, and stunning garden areas 🌸 that make the visit enjoyable for all ages. 🦁🐼 In the summer, it is a perfect place to spend the day. There is so much to see and do, from the animal exhibits 🐊🐧 to the peaceful botanical gardens 🌺, with plenty of spots to slow down, take photos 📸, and enjoy the scenery. It is educational 📚, relaxing 😌, and fun 🎉 all at the same time. 🐾 One thing I really appreciate is how Riverbanks gives back to the community. The free Fridays in January for local residents are such a generous offering and a wonderful way for families and individuals to enjoy the zoo together. ✨🎄🦌 The Christmas lights were absolutely magical this year. The entire zoo was transformed into a glowing winter wonderland, with beautifully designed light displays that were festive, joyful, and incredibly well done. Walking through the lights felt peaceful and special, and you could really see the care and creativity put into every detail. 🦜🌿 Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a place you can visit again and again. No matter the season, it never disappoints, and I highly recommend it to both locals and visitors looking for a memorable experience in Columbia.

We loved this zoo so much that I had to get season passes, which are so affordable for a family and have a lot of great perks. So much to do here for the entire family. The gardens are amazing and I love getting my steps in looking at the scenery. This zoo is also very walkable and accessible which we can appreciate. I recommend for all ages

Absolutely wonderful ❤️ a clean zoo with active animals. All the animals were playing and enjoying their life. Also wonderful add on excursions like giraffe feeding, carousel ride or train ride and even more for all ages. Plus You are so close to the animals it feels like they are almost close enough to touch in some places. Makes it a really intimate experience. The café has great food. This is a full day experience so plan accordingly.

Took the oldest son and my grandson. The zoo was enjoyable, as always. The sky tram (NEW) was very nice and beat the old golf-cart style tram up the steep hill. There were very cool lego statues in the garden area so that made the trip up the hill worth it (I am not a flower guy). The seal tank was new to me and pretty cool.

Beautiful clean zoo. Team is always helpful and friendly! Enjoyed the tram ride. Some exhibits were closed and animals were not very active but great family day out. Highly recommend going to the bird area where you can give them some nectar. It was a fun experience. Overall great park.

Went down for the Wild Lights exhibit and it was so gorgeous, they’ve truly outdone themselves. BF says they used to have a different light setup, but they’ve added moving animal displays and such. It was beautiful to walk through. I will say the majority of the animals were hidden away, so we only really saw some of the indoor lemurs and a kangaroo, as well as the sea lions. Def go during the day if you’re interested in the animals, because you’re mostly just going to see lights at Wild Lights. 1000% worth the price.

I can’t believe this place is only an hour and a half from my house—how have I never been here before? I was absolutely blown away from top to bottom. The entire zoo is incredibly elaborate, and you get to see every type of animal, bird, reptile, and fish you can imagine. It was truly unbelievable. I saw stuff i never saw before and I am a zoo addict. The closeness to animals was amazing. Every animal looked happy and well cared for, and the enclosures were spotless. The price was very reasonable, and the staff was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. I’m still shocked by how many different animals you can see here. Five stars doesn’t even come close to doing it justice. If you’ve never been, you need to go. I visited at a time when there was almost no one there, but I’ve heard it can get busy, and annoying —so definitely try to pick your timing. Either way, it’s worth every minute and penny. Im coming back this week with my little brother sponsor.

We absolutely love Riverbanks! Just renewed our yearly membership! We go all year long! Highly recommend this zoo for anyone with kids in the area. There are tons of educational experiences. We feel like we see something new everytime we go, and we've been 10+ times.

Ode to a Zoo There was a zoo I barely knew. Where animals crawled, ran, and flew. The apes swung around, the lions roared, the kangaroos jumped, the toucans soared. I thought to myself, what a cool place to live. I wonder if the rhino has any space to give. But the staff, though so friendly, were quick to point out that most residents are predators with teeth and a snout. So I viewed all the gardens and enjoyed a meal, but at the end of the day I said goodbye to the seals. I drove back home, Augusta is not too far from there, and thought to myself I missed the grizzly bear.

This is a great place to go for anyone and has attractions for all ages. The zoo is enormous and takes a few hours to see everything, but it's sectioned off nicely so that you can hit what interests you most if you have limited time. The animal exhibits are clean, roomy, and the animals seem well cared for. The feedings are especially fun and a really neat way to engage with the animals - kids love this, but i think i had as much fun as they did! Apart from animal exhibits, there's a variety of ways to entertain kids and wear them out, such as a mini petting zoo, a mini farm where they can gather fake eggs and rake hay, and a splash pad. We went on a cold weekend and the crowds were insane. I shudder to think what it's like in the summer or on a holiday weekend. If at all possible, I'd try to come when schools are in session!

We have been to the Riverbanks Zoo a few times and love it! We have been in both the summer and the fall. During the fall, we were able to see every animal. We went early in the morning and it was pretty amazing. I love that the zoo is very walkable. The concrete is smooth so if we take my handicap mom, she doesn't have an issue with her wheelchair. We highly recommend the zoo and garden because there is something for everyone! All types of animals, a few shows, trails, flowers, and the food isn't bad either!

Great little zoo in the heart of Columbia, SC. We live about an hour away and decided to buy a membership since price wise - it would pay for itself in 2 visits. Great animal exhibits! They also have a train ride, carousel, goat petting area, and so much more for little ones. Feeding the giraffe is one of my toddlers favorites. They make it very easy to access extra fun activities with a prepaid card you can bring every time and reload. Perfect day to just be outside in fresh air and enjoy family fun.

Brought the family to the zoo and we were disappointed to see almost half of the big animals weren't out. This was around 2pm. There were a lot of empty exhibits. We also found that we needed ti pay extra to go into a lot of places like the petting zoo and to see the giraffes. After paying 80 dollars for admission of 3 people and then spending 60 dollars on lunch, I don't understand why we needed to pay extra to see all of the animals. They have a good selection, but it isn't very "user friendly" when it comes to which way to go to see certain things. I'd suggest a good start and end point instead of a bunch of different entrances and exits. And be aware that you will probably spend almost 200 dollars to just be in the park

This is truly one of the real treasures for all zoo lovers. The zoo has a wonderful selection of animals wh8ch includes an aquarium. Kangaroos and koalas makes this zoo special. Walking is easy and the plentiful shade from trees made for a very comfortable walk even in the August heat. You get to feed the giraffe for only $2.

My family and I love coming to our wonderful zoo. It's beautiful there and easily walkable in a couple hours at a leisurely pace. The gorilla exhibit, with the wild cats and primate area are my favorites. Along with the 3 huge rhinoceros they have. I've seen those 4,500 lb beasts run and it's amazing because you can feel them stomping around while observing!

We are going to this location many times over the years while my kids were growing up. Sometimes the animals have been very active but most of the time they are pretty lazy. The people that work in the front office will talk to you but typically don't smile. As we are members it makes it easy to get in and see everything but make sure you bring some snacks because the food is rather High.

I liked my visit to SC's premier zoo but the cost for a family of four is right at $100. I've been to many zoos and this one is good, but I wasn't wowed by the experience. My kids enjoyed it and it was neat to see a few new animals I'd never seen before. I would have liked to have seen more zoo keepers talking to guests about the animals. The way they do the extra experience cards where you have to go to a kiosk and load the card before you go to the experience was confusing for new guests. I'm sure that was to cut down on the lines at the feeding areas but it wasn't explained well. There's also a garden which is unique to this zoo but to be honest most people come for the animals, not the plants. Anyway I think for the money it didn't win me over. The Greenville zoo although smaller is a better cost to experience ratio and there's a great park right next to the zoo. I'll have to give Riverbanks another shot and update this review in the future.

Christmas lights are better this year. It was a bit cold but a great outing with the family. Hot chocolate and a fresh pretzel were very warming to acold body. Take a look at the pictures and see for yourself.

We really loved the zoo! The gardens and animals and their efforts towards conservation let us feel great about supporting them. We got a membership so we didn't need to worry about paying for every little ride and feeding thing. We plan to go back to check out some of the shows.

We loved the zoo. It was a beautiful day and our granddaughter had an amazing time. We also appreciate the military discount.

Great time ! Reasonable admission , nice employees , lots of bathroom facilities. Very nice for the price !

Well kept zoo with many animals both common and exotic. My only complaint is that they charge for everything extra. Feeding the giraffes, the birds, riding the train or carousel and playing on the ropes course will all cost you extra. Seems a bit much after paying eighty bucks to just get the family in. Still a fun zoo.

The Zoo at night lights is fantastic! Grab some hot chocolate and stroll around all the Chinese lanterns.

I visited Riverbanks Zoo on Friday with my summer camp students. The variety of animals provides an exciting experience for visitors of all ages. The friendly and knowledgeable staff also made learning about the zoo animals a fun and engaging visit. The otters swimming playfully, the gorillas and bears relaxing in their habitats, the majestic lions and graceful giraffes were my personal favorites. Overall, I highly recommend Riverbanks Zoo for anyone looking to enjoy a day surrounded by incredible wildlife.

Nice outing on a Saturday especially before all the people start pouring in (roughly 11am). Some exhibits were closed or in progress so that was a bummer. Everything is basically a straight shot as far as walking goes. The animals also like to hide so that happens from time to time . Overall would come back.

A great activity located in the heart of the state. A few things we learned after our visit: 1. Go early and enjoy the first part of the day. It gets busier as the day goes on and parking becomes even more difficult. 2. If you purchase your tickets online, you don't have to pay for parking 3. Kids under 2 get in free 4. Extra add ons require additional tickets such as the merry go round, ropes course, climbing wall, feeding the giraffes, etc. 5. Plan accordingly to get into the reptile house as it the last group to enter is before the closing time of the zoo. Lots of fun and a great place to visit for all ages.

I haven't visited a zoo in awhile, so this was a nice day trip from when I was staying in Charlotte. The zoo is very vast and laid out in a wonderful way. At the ticket booth, you can purchase an Experience card, and use it for special things like feeding the farm animals, going on an adventure course, riding on a carousel or a kiddie train, and so on. We got to see many animals in lovely and well maintained habitats. I really enjoyed getting to watch the lions, kangaroos, monkeys, birds, and gorillas in action. There was even a little petting zoo area with super cute goats and alpacas. The definite highlight was getting to feed Bruce, the Giraffe. He was super friendly and sweet. I was given a handful of leaves and he ate them right up. I saw and felt his long tongue grabbing the food. This was an interesting feeling, but fun nonetheless. We started to get hungry around lunch time but noticed the food spot with menu of tasty sounding burgers were closed. At this point, we were near the carousel and there were only slushees and snacks nearby. The zoo's restaurant was a bit out of the way, so we made do with what was around us and continued onto the garden portion of the park. We walked across a bridge with beautiful views of the water, then waited for the shuttle to take us to the garden. The garden was on the small side, but there were gorgeous fountains, elegant glass art, as well as colorful flowers all around. There was also an amazing vegetable garden and we were allowed to pick whatever we wanted from there, which was an awesome treat. I decided to take a fresh fig from the fig tree. All in all, my friends and I enjoyed our time here. The staff were all pleasant and knowledgeable. I just would have liked there to be more food options.

This is my second day in a row coming out here. I've been volunteering at "Boo at the Zoo" and I've been handing out candy to kids. I've been to the zoo a few times before and it is a very nice zoo. Nicer than any other zoo I've been to before. There are so many animals to see here. The exhibits are amazing and allow for closer encounters to see the animals very well. I've seen the Lion enclosure and that time the lion was up high where he could be seen well. Watching the flamingos was another nice exhibit. This is my last night volunteering out here, but I think I may try again next year. The kids are so cute in their little costumes.

Had a fantastic time at the zoo! The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. Will be going back!

We really enjoyed our visit here! Was a warm and welcoming entrance and lots of signs to help navigate! Parking is $5 and entrance was $25pp per adult and well worth it. We could see many animals up close and overall the whole zoo was clean and well kept! The food and beverage places were fairly pricey but that's to be expected I guess. The tram line for the botanical gardens was super long so we chose to walk the 1/3 mile but no one tells you it is straight uphill! We were fine but lots of folks in wheelchairs or electronic scooters were stuck. Great day, the aquarium was a huge surprise and really enjoyed our trip!

Yall, as an adult woman.. I love the zoo lol. I think even more now that I have a child to share the fun with. My daughter had a school field trip there today and with it being only about 25 minutes from home, this is her 4th time going and my 2nd. Being with a group is kind of a bummer because she can't do the things she wants because it wouldn't be fair to other kids who didn't have their parents there or don't have money to do attractions. Nonetheless, she had an amazing time seeing the animals and being with her friends. She said her favorite were the flamingos, penguins and giraffes. Let me tell you the giraffes came close to eat and they are just beautiful. In late October, it was about 75 degrees and sunny so the weather was perfect. A lot of food places were closed because we went early and they were doing some construction so some areas were closed. But the staff keeps everything really clean and make the zoo very enjoyable. I think everything is overpriced but it's just like any other fun place or entertainment facility and I get it. People are still going to buy and I did . My daughter found this snow globe from the gift shop that she would not let go of so of course I got it. I'm definitely going to

Prices are extremely too high being that you have to pay so much to enter the zoo. I do understand the economy sucks right now, but there are certain things that we as a whole could cut down on and not charge so much for like a slice of pizza at the zoo should not cost $10 and then another four dollars for a drink that you do not get a free refill on.

It's expensive but a wonderful place I would recommend for a 1-20 year old it has giftshops, and an aquarium. Wonderful animals

We have a membership and it's great, we go often to get our money worth. It has many interactive things but can add up very fast without a membership. The new aquarium is great and I hope other parts get updated. Haven't been to the splash pad but can't wait to go. We got the food here and the chicken tenders and fries are the safe bet. We got the pizza and it was raw, and still very doughy, we had them remake it and it had less doughy spots...so just avoid it.

This was such a magical place!! The facility was clean, and all of the animals looked well taken care of and happy. My favorite part was the gorillas. So much personality lol I had a wonderful time spending the day here with my family!! Must visit if you're in the area

Super cute zoo! We came on a weekday since we had time to kill. Admission is $20, which is a steal.. being from cali...our zoo costs over $50! The zoo was charming and a lot more interactive. It wasn't infested with crowds and there was shade everywhere so it was pleasant to walk through. There was a kangaroo walk through exhibit that allowed you to interact with kangaroos as long as they came up to you. There were plenty of "indoor" exhibits which was really nice. There is a carousel and I believe a train in the farm area, which we weren't able to see. We made it across the bridge to the garden and took the tram up. There is waterfall junction which was closed for the season. But it looked like a big water park for the kids. The garden was pretty despite them draining out the fountain. Over all this is a good day activity as there is a lot to see!

This is a place we have visited over and over again! We are so glad to see the upcoming changes that are taking place and can't wait to visit again! I enjoy going kid free and with my camera in hand. I especially enjoy the garden area and the walk back down to the zoo. The food service is mediocre and bit over priced. What makes it mediocre is the lack of seasoning. I mean we are in the south bring on the comfort food and seasonings.

We swung by to fill some time before a concert. I always love seeing the animals and the improvements Riverbanks has made since my previous visit.

Great day at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. The garden is beautiful. You can walk over yourself or be taken over to the garden from the zoo on the tram. I was surprised by how much there was to do for kids in the garden.

Absolutely love this zoo! Perfect for a day trip from Charlotte. So big it's easy to spend a good amount of hours here. I went to their fundraiser event and it was awesome. Fun to see the zoo in action at night and no kids.

What a wonderful zoo and gardens. The zoo is easily walkable with plenty of activities guaranteed to tire out children, like the climbing wall, and various playgrounds. You can take a stroll through the gardens if n one side or go see the animals on the other side. We liked the variety of animals at the his zoo. There is a nice big gift shop but it seems to cater to young children more than adults. If you want something for everyone in the family, this is a great option.

Absolutely love going to the Zoo. It's always a pleasure when Jaylen is working. No matter where he is working he is always smiling and is super nice to my son. We encounter a lot of staff at the zoo when we go but Jaylen always stands out. Very nice and informative. If they had more staff like him the experience would be so much better. You can tell he enjoys his job. The animals are great as well.

No where did it show that you had to leave the park before the lights on their website this year. The past 10 years we have bought general admission tickets to see the animals then stayed for the lights and Santa. This year you can't do that so now we are out $240 because we had to leave the park at 4 just to come back in at 5 to see the lights and Santa.

Botanical Hardens are beautiful and peaceful. Love the zoo, especially the sea lions, the Bears and the koalas

The zoo was awesome. Loads of beautiful animals. The flamingos were especially awesome. All of the animals were well taken care of. Their habitats were appropriate for their size. The zoo is also laid out in a very simple way to understand. My granddaughters loved everything. Especially the I've cream! My favorite animals were the Rhinos and lions. They were massive. There is also a carousel and a tram to take you to the botanical gardens where you will find an awesome park with a splash pad food trucks and beautiful trails. We live in Charleston and the drive took two hours. We left at 7am and got to the zoo at just about 9 when they open. Highly recommended!!!!

I've been to the Riverbanks Zoo several times over the years. They always have different events going on. My favorites were the Brew at the Zoo, which they give you a little souvenir glass to drink different beers and wines as you walk through the zoo. I also enjoyed the Christmas Lights at the zoo. They have firepits where you can roast marshmallows and drink hot cocoa. I think the pricing is pretty reasonable. For the events, it is highly recommended you get tickets in advance. Especially for Brew at the Zoo. They do sell out of tickets.

We love being members of the Riverbanks Zoo. It is a great value and there is never a shortage of things to see and do. We love taking our daughter all throughout the year, and as she gets older we look forward to her participating in some of the educational activities they offer. Feeding the giraffes is our favorite activity so far. Just such a neat experience. Pack a picnic or eat from their many different restaurant choices. You really can't go wrong.

The Zoo is in a great location, the one thing that makes Me give this place a two stars is because the pictures are great but once you start walking around you realize that it looks more than a farm than a Zoo. Pablo Escobar had a better Zoo. The Rino, The Sea Lion and the Giraffes and one Bear very poor exhibit in my opinion

The only negative is the lack of larger size apparel in the gift shop. Otherwise, the zoo was clean, lines moved quickly, and the animals looked good. Definitely worth the cost of admission!

I only come here for Christmas bc it's a nice event, cheap and creates awesome memories. The decor is amazing!

Relatively small, but wonderful zoo! Very clean...staff is so knowledgeable! Really enjoyed seeing the gorillas being fed while trainer discussed their behavior and abilities.

My family and I were visiting from NC and decided to visit the Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Garden; there were 10 of us (8 adults, 1 toddler, and 1 infant). We were very excited about this visit as we read great reviews about it. We enjoyed the set up of the zoo. The animals are in close proximity to each other so it was relatively easy to navigate from one animal to the next. The botanical garden is a short distance away from the zoo section. The animals at the zoo were wonderful to see. Some of them were even interactive. There were some animals there that I had not seen at other zoos so it was refreshing. We were disappointed that there were not sufficient vendors/restaurants opened. Majority of them were closed and only a select few were available. Additionally, the botanical gardens were impacted by the cold temperatures so it was not worthwhile seeing at this stage. While we got to see most of the animals, there were some animals that were not available because they took them in the back to administer their medication etc. These things should be better managed especially when people are traveling from out of town to come to the zoo. The expectation from zoo attendees is that they are able to see all available animals that the zoo is hosting. Traveling from away to see the zoo and being told that animals were not currently available because they had to give medication etc. is not an acceptable response. The medication schedule should be in better alignment with the zoo hours for attendees. If the zoo is opened from 9 AM to 5 PM then all animals should be readily available between that time. It is perfectly understandable that animals operate in their own manner and in their own fashion but to have an animal not being available due to things within the operator's control should be managed better. There is a parking fee of $5; however, this is not regulated at all. The fee is charged when you purchase the ticket at the gate but there is no parking decal or anything to validate that you did indeed pay for this parking other than your receipt. This not being regulated opens a door for inequality and inefficiencies with people who paid for parking versus those that did not, and there are no checks and balances to confirm either. I rated our experience as a 3 because we felt that under the conditions listed above, the entrance costs of $21.99 plus tax/adult and $18.99 plus tax/child (2 - 12) should've definitely been reduced to compensate for (1) Closed Vendors, (2) Botanical Garden not up to par, (3) Animals being removed from display during peak visit times in order to administer medication etc. When we paid these costs, our expectation was that we would have a full zoo experience which we did not have. We loved the animals that we did get to see but we left feeling like we were owed a partial refund.

A beautiful well kept zoo. We have a membership and enjoy getting to go from time to time. I just wish there was a way to get a discount on a scooter for multiple uses. Makes the membership harder to use bc I have to use a scooter. But we still always enjoy our time when. We do go.

Beautiful, clean and fun! While the animal enclosures were on the smaller side, all looked well cared for and content. Quite the botanical gardens, too!

My kids and I always enjoy coming to Riverbanks zoo. Although it was raining when we first arrived there were plenty of animals out and about, frolicking in the water puddles and enjoying the mud. It seems we see something new each time we visit and the zoo is always upgrading its exhibits which is great to see. We have been to several zoos around the country, and Riverbanks definitely ranks among the best of them.

Riverbanks Zoo is a blast! They've got so many animals and the garden is beautiful. From the garden to the zoo their are other walking trails my boyfriend and I love to go down. The food at Tuskers is my favorite place to go. And the soft serve ice cream is my favorite treat. We go all the time and always will. Would highly recommend to anyone coming to Columbia on a trip or if you live here you should get the season pass, it's worth it.

Great zoo and good experience. Great spot to go to with family. They also have a splash park for the kiddos. Wish they had better food options.