Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens

Activity Overview

The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens are located in Sanford, Florida, a short 30-minute drive north from Orlando. This large family attraction features over 200 different animal species, an aerial adventure course, a splash playground, a children's zoo, and a herpetarium that contains the region's largest collection of reptiles.

If your child loves animals, then the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens is sure to be a hit with them. There's tons to see and do, including feeding giraffes, petting goats, and flying through the air on zip lines!

Things to Do

• Explore the zoo and see all your favorite animals! You'll see monkeys, lemurs, leopards, llamas, otters, and tortoises, as well as exotic animals you may never have heard of before. Don't miss the fossa, a recent addition that has a tail like a monkey, claws like a cat, and ears like a weasel!
• Cool off in the summer heat with a trip to the Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground, which is included in the admission price. It has fun water features like tunnels and a bucket dump as well as toys that look like animals.
• If your teen loves thrill rides, take them to the ZOOm Air Adventure course, where they can explore a forest canopy while moving from tree to tree using zip lines, rope bridges, and more!

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens Insider Tips

• Take little ones to the Barnyard Buddies Children's Zoo after 11:00 a.m. any day to feed the friendly animals, including alpacas, pygmy goats, and zebus.
• Make it a day to remember with a camel ride or a rhinoceros encounter - both kid-friendly animal experiences are offered every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for between $5 and $15.
• The whole family can learn even more fascinating facts about the zoo's animals by using their free audio tour. You can download it to your mp3 player before you arrive or listen using your cellphone during your visit. Learn more here.