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Florida Zoos, Animal Parks, Adventures, and Petting Zoos

Animal Kingdom |Zoo Miami | Zoo Tampa | Central Florida | Palm Beach | Brevard | Jacksonville


florida zoo signFlorida Zoo Accreditation

Florida zoos and petting farms in Florida are regulated by the State of Florida. Major zoos are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA.) AZA accreditation recognizes institutions that meet the highest professional standards for animal welfare, scientific education, and staff training. A visit to a Florida zoo will introduce your children to animals and they will benefit from being able to interact with the animals. Kids love to see and touch the baby animals.

Zoo Regulation by The Federal Animal Welfare Act

Animal exhibits open to the public must be licensed whether they are owned by states, counties, or other local governments; corporations; foundations; or private individuals. Furthermore, petting zoos with regulated animals must be licensed and are subject to regulations within the Animal Welfare Act that protect animals and the public.

Independent Petting Zoos and Farms

All independently operated for profit zoos are regulated by the State of Florida regarding the health and wellbeing of their animals. These include Bush Gardens, an African themed animal park in Tampa, FL, Gatorland in Orlando, Jungle Island in Miami, and Lion Country Safari.

Jungle Island in Miami, features a close up encounter with animals as well as a petting zoo encounter for the younger set. Birthday parties, field trips, and even weddings are popular at Jungle Island.

Lion Country Safari, near West Palm Beach, is Florida’s only drive-through safari and walk-through amusement park invites you to spend the day on safari with over 1000 animals.

Gatorland, located in Orlando, FL is a favorite among Florida residents and visitors alike. Gatorland features alligators and crocodiles of all sizes. You will also find wild cats, snakes, and tortoises plus a barnyard petting zoo where animals can be hand fed. And, don't miss the live animal shows and the Scream'n Gator Zip line.

Aquariums in Florida

The Miami Seaquarium, Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters, Key West Aquarium, Discovery Cove and Sea World in Orlando, Tampa's ZooQuarium in Tampa, Tarpon Springs Aquarium, St. Augustine Aquarium, Gulf World Marine Park at Panama City Beach, FL and the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Destin, FL.

The Miami Seaquarium

The Miami Seaquarium is a renowned oceanarium located on Virginia Key in Miami, Florida. Since its opening in 1955, it has been a popular destination for visitors of all ages. The Seaquarium is home to a diverse range of marine life, including dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and various fish species. It offers interactive exhibits, educational programs, and captivating presentations, such as the Dolphin Odyssey and animal encounters. The facility is dedicated to wildlife conservation and rehabilitation, particularly focusing on manatees and sea turtles.

Sea Life Orlando Aquarium

Sea Life Orlando Aquarium provides an immersive underwater experience with its 360-degree ocean tunnel, where visitors can walk through and be surrounded by sharks, rays, and other sea creatures. The aquarium emphasizes marine conservation and offers interactive exhibits for children.

Florida Zooquarium in Tampa

At the Zooquarium in Tampa you will meet Florida marine life in natural habitats including a coral reef inhabited by tropical fish and a wetlands trail featuring playful otters and wading alligators.

The aquarium is renowned for its interactive exhibits, including a touch tank with stingrays and horseshoe crabs, and a unique "Journey to Madagascar" exhibit featuring lemurs and chameleons.

Or take a dolphin cruise to see these entertaining mammals playing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure (St. Augustine, FL)

Marineland Dolphin Adventure, located in St. Augustine, is one of the oldest marine parks in the world. It offers unique dolphin encounters and educational programs, allowing visitors to learn about these intelligent creatures up close.

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park (Fort Walton Beach, FL)

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park features daily dolphin and sea lion shows, as well as exhibits showcasing a variety of marine life, including sea turtles, alligators, and tropical fish. The park is dedicated to marine animal rescue and rehabilitation.

Gulf World Marine Park (Panama City Beach, FL)

Gulf World Marine Park offers a variety of interactive programs and educational shows, including swimming with dolphins, sea lion encounters, and stingray feeding experiences. Gulf World is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine mammals and sea turtles through its non-profit organization, the Gulf World Marine Institute.

Port Canaveral (Brevard County, FL)

A new aquarium featuring native Florida aquatic life such as manatees, dolphins, and native fish is planned for Port Canaveral on the Space Coast of Florida. The outdoor areas will include water walkways and even water play areas for youngsters.

Best Florida Zoos

Several Florida zoos rank among the top zoos in the nation. Additionally, all have quality petting zoos that provide a fun and educational experience for all kids. The top Florida zoos are accredited by the American Zoological Society and as is indicated on their respective websites. It is hard to say which Florida zoo is best since each offers a distinct environment. For example, Zoo Miami is the largest zoo in Florida, and offers a wide variety of animals from all continents.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens Sanfor FL (near Orlando)

The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, located in Sanford, FL, is a beloved destination for families and nature enthusiasts. Spanning 116 acres, the zoo is home to over 350 animals, including endangered species like the Indian rhinoceros and clouded leopard. Visitors can explore lush botanical gardens, a splash playground, and a thrilling aerial adventure course.

The zoo also focuses on conservation and education, offering programs like animal encounters and wildlife camps. With its blend of exotic wildlife, beautiful gardens, and interactive experiences, the Central Florida Zoo provides a fun and educational outing for all ages.

Brevard Zoo (Florida Central East Coast - Also home to Port Canaveral cruises and Kennedy Space Center

 The Brevard Zoo is a must see for people visiting Florida's Space Coast. Winner of numerous zoological awards, this zoo also acts as marine animal rescue center for sea turtles and other sea creatures. Recovered sea turtles are released back into the wild along the Space Coast's 72 miles of beaches. During the nesting season, these same beaches are a destination for sea turtles to lay hundreds of eggs that later hatch and send baby turtles back to the sea.

Notably, this zoo also offers a more intimate experience that includes a giraffe feeding station, a hippo canoe adventure, and tree top zip lines.

Zoo Tampa at Lowery Park (Tampa, FL)

ZooTampa at Lowry Park is a popular family attraction located in Tampa, Florida. It is known for its lush, tropical setting and naturalistic habitats that provide up-close connections with animals from around the world1. The zoo is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and caring for animals, and offers personalized experiences that connect people with wildlife in fun and immersive ways.

Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park (West Palm Beach, FL)

The Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach, FL is a non-profit zoological organization is home to over 500 animals, many of which are endangered species, within 23 acres of lush tropical habitat. The zoo offers a variety of interactive exhibits and educational programs, including the opportunity to meet koalas, tigers, jaguars, and macaws.

Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens (Jacksonville, FL)

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is a 100-acre zoological park located in Jacksonville, Florida. It is home to over 2,000 animals and 1,000 rare plants, making it one of the largest zoos in the state. The zoo is known for its immersive exhibits, such as the Range of the Jaguar, which features a variety of South American animals, and the African Savanna, where visitors can see giraffes, zebras, and elephants.

Petting Zoos in Florida

boy with baby goatLet your children experience hands-on contact with tame animals such as dwarf goats, llamas, mini horses, calves, rabbits, chickens, and other docile animals at the Jacksonville Zoo. In Orlando, visit the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens featuring educational programs for kids.

Affection Section at Animal Kingdom

The Disney World Petting Zoo at Animal Kingdom is known as the Affection Section, where you will encounter a variety of adorable animals at the only petting zoo at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Zoo Birthday Party Rentals

(Check with the individual zoo to determine current options.)

Many families celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, with a birthday party at the petting zoo. Many zoos and petting zoos offer birthday party rental packages in facilities set aside for this purpose. There are few birthday party celebrations that can compete with a visit to the zoo and being able to interact with petting animals.

Some birthday party venues offer packages including catering, party favors, and decorating. Others are more bare bones with the customer supplying the food and decorations.

Visit a Florida Zoo | Florida Petting Farms

giraffe faceA Florida zoo offers diverse animal experiences for all ages, ranging from riding a dolphin at Florida's Discovery Cove in Orlando to cuddling a baby goat at the Brevard Zoo petting zoo in Melbourne. World famous Zoo Miami has a petting zoo you don't want to miss and the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach is a must see zoo for kids of all ages.
And don't overlook Zoo Tampa with it's very special petting zoo.

Sleepover at Busch Gardens in Tampa for groups of 20 or more. Sleepovers include dinner, breakfast, a Camp t-shirt and water bottle for each participant. Venues vary based on the theme of the sleepover and the group size. Additionally, a special Birthday sleepover is available that includes a birthday cake.

Florida Panhandle Zoos

The Florida Panhandle hosts four unique zoos that are small but provide more intimacy with the animals than larger zoos. These include the Gulf Port Zoo, ZooWorld, Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, and Emerald Coast Zoo.

Florida Wildlife Sanctuaries

Florida hosts several important wild life sanctuaries for Florida wildlife and other wild species. These include the Big Cat Sancturay in Jacksonville that is home to lions, tigers, cougars, and other large cats and the Chimp Sanctuary in Jupiter, FL.. The sanctuaries listed here are visitor oriented in addition to providing rescue, rehabilitation, and habitat for wild animals. Florida Zoos also provide wildlife rescue such as the sea turtle rescue program at the Brevard Zoo.

Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary for Big Cats Jacksonville, FL

Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. “Our mission is to provide a safe, loving, forever home for endangered big cats, and to educate the public about their plight in the wild and captivity." Our primary focus is in the rescue of cats from serious situations. Once an animal is taken in at Catty Shack Ranch, they have a loving forever home for life.
We do not breed, sell, or trade any of our animals. Our current residents include tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, bobcats, servals, caracals, and foxes. 
Night Feeding Tours: Night feedings are held for the public on Friday and Saturday only. Self-guided tours start at 6pm and the feeding starts at 7pm. Admission for feedings is $45 for adults (age 12 and older), $20 for kids 3-11, and free for kids 2 and younger. Our cats wake up and get excited about feeding time – so be prepared to hear them roar and see them play with each other and their toys.

Save the Chimps Fort Pierce, FL

Save the Chimps is one of the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuaries in the world1. Save the Chimps provides lifelong care for chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, the pet trade, and the entertainment industry. The sanctuary offers spacious, naturalistic habitats where the chimpanzees can live out their lives in a safe and nurturing environment.
The sanctuary spans over 150 acres and offers spacious, naturalistic habitats where the chimpanzees can thrive in a safe and nurturing environment. The sanctuary is not open to the public, but can ve visited through several ticketed events that are oulined on their website, Save the Chimps.

EARS Citra, FL

EARS stands for "Exotic Aninmal Rescue Society" and specializes in caring for previously malnourished, abused, and abandoned big cats and other exotic animals. Animals include Lions, Ligers, Tigers, (Orange & White) Bears, Leopards, Bobcats, Cougar, Monkeys and more! Visitation at EARS is limited to scheduled tours on the first Saturday of each month. This is a slow moving guided walking tour on 35 acres of land. We educate the members on how the animals came to EARS and information about animal habitat in the wild. PLEASE NO PHOTOGRAPHYSee EARS website more details.

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