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Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia

4.6
#1 of 89 in Things to do in Columbia
Must see · Zoo · Zoo / Aquarium
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With over 2,000 animals, and 1 million visitors per year, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a two-time winner of South Carolina's Leading Attraction award. Here you will see mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish from all over the world, and be able to walk through themed botanical gardens. From planes of Africa and Australian wilderness, to 1,900 sq m (20,000 sq ft) Aquarium Reptile Complex, you will meet animals such as sharks, bats, elephants, and koalas. Walk through the gardens and forest trails, see more than 4,200 species of plants, and learn about Earth's diversity and what we are dingo to preserve it. Both picnic areas and cafes are available. Make Riverbanks Zoo and Garden a centerpiece of your Columbia vacation itinerary, and find what else is worth visiting using our Columbia day trip tool.
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Riverbanks Zoo and Garden reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
2,939 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • View the animals, ride the “animals” on the carousel, climb the rope course or the rock tower, feed the giraffe. It’s all here to enjoy. Strollers and scooters to rent for the day to make this... 
    View the animals, ride the “animals” on the carousel, climb the rope course or the rock tower, feed the giraffe. It’s all here to enjoy. Strollers and scooters to rent for the day to make this...  more »
  • Our Family went here this past Summer and we had a great time. We also enjoyed the Botanical garden as well. The zoo has good food fun animals to see and nice gift shops. 
    Our Family went here this past Summer and we had a great time. We also enjoyed the Botanical garden as well. The zoo has good food fun animals to see and nice gift shops.  more »
Google
  • Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is fabulous! We absolutely love it here and have been visiting regularly for 10+ years. The animal variety is second to none. The layout of the zoo flows very nice to ensure you can enjoy each stop to see all that it offers during your visits. The staff do a great job of keeping the zoo very clean and safe. They are very, attentive, and provide excellent service every time we are there. The expansions keep coming and continue improving and evolving this Zoo into one of the best visits you and your family can make. If I was going to provide a critique, I would recommend more fans through out the park. South Carolina (especially in the midlands) can get very hot and humid during the summer months and that heat can make visiting the park a less than pleasant experience if you are not use to the heat down here (heck even if you are 😂). More fans through out the park would add to the already amazing atmosphere and help create some more much needed cool zones through out. One last add. Please visit during the Halloween and Christmas events. They are fantastic and highly recommended. For adults the Brew at the Zoo is one of the best attractions around. Enjoy!
  • Riverbanks zoo reminds of Animal Kingdom set in good old Disney World without the financial hard ship going there. Riverbanks is simply an amazing zoo. I would recommend setting aside 3-4 hours to see everything, this of course is set with a two old in mind. We stopped and saw just about everything and even petted some very friendly goats. Some stuff does cost extra, $20 on the zoo card will be more than enough for two children.The giraffe feeding stops at 1:30pm so if that is on your agenda I would get in line early. We went on a Sunday and the crowds were not too bad. We will definitely become frequent visitors. 10/10 I highly recommend.

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