Zoos Of the Carolinas

One of our favorite things to do when we travel is find neat things that families can do with small children. Before having kids we ventured all over, sometimes with an itinerary, sometimes without - but we were never looking for things to do. Once we had children we realized those days of not having activities planned all day were over. On one of our first trips with our daughter, who was just a few months at the time, it really hit us that there are so many things we used to enjoy that are just not kid friendly. We want our children to be able to enjoy a vacation just as much as we do, and we want to do so without the stress of being in a non-kid friendly environment.

We realized pretty quickly that the zoo is always a safe bet when traveling with kids no matter the time of year it is and we have found some pretty incredible ones throughout our travels. Since we are from the Carolinas, we decided to put a list together of the coolest ones we have found close to home, some we never even knew were here until we had kids!

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Greenville Zoo

150 Cleveland Park Drive, Greenville, SC 29601

• Hours: (March 5 thru October 31) 9am – 5pm; (November 1 thru March 5) 10am – 5pm

• Admission Price: Adults - $14, Children (3-12) - $11; Children 2 and under - Free

Know before you go:

• Strollers permitted; Paved paths

• Outside food/drink permitted

• Easy-Moderate walking

• Advance tickets not required but tickets are $2 cheaper when purchased online

Located right in the heart of downtown Greenville lives the Greenville Zoo. The Zoo is open year round except major holidays and the first two weeks in February for annual maintenance. The Greenville Zoo has been around for more than 50 years and has over 90 animal species. We enjoyed this beautiful zoo with our toddler and she had a blast. Our favorite part about this zoo is that it feels more like a stroll in the park and it’s absolutely beautiful. Even on its busiest days you would never know – due to the zoo’s layout it always feels very spacious even though the zoo itself is not that large. Even with its location being downtown the zoo has two spacious parking lots on site and even a park before the entrance for kids of all ages! We cannot recommend this zoo enough!

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia, SC 29210

• Hours: 9am – 5pm (Subject to change; check website before visiting)

• Admission Price: Adults (13-61) - $21.99; Children (2-12) - $18.99; Children under 2 – Free; Parking - $5.00

Know before you go:

• Strollers permitted[; Paved paths

• Outside food/beverages/coolers NOT permitted

• Moderate - Hard walking but suitable for small children; There are trams that take guests from the Zoo side to the Water Park side

• Advance tickets not required but can be purchased online

The Riverbanks Zoo & Garden pleasantly surprised us! We took our toddler there in the summer and were expecting a normal trip to the zoo but got so much more. This Zoo is home to over 2000 animals, a beautiful botanical garden, an aquarium, a water park, and multiple walking paths. All of those items are included in the zoo’s General Admission ticket. There is also a train for smaller kids, a “Sky High Safari” rope course for older kids, a petting zoo farmyard, a carousal, and a rock wall for additional costs. Since this zoo is so large, we recommend planning on spending the entire day here if visiting. If taking small children we recommend starting with the zoo in the morning then heading over to the food zone for lunch before the waterpark. If your kids still nap or like to nap in their strollers you can take some of the various walking trails or walk to the water park (its a trek), while they sleep, and do the water park when they wake up. If you are exhausted and are no longer interested in walking, there are shuttles that take guests from one side of the zoo to the other.

North Carolina Zoo

4401 Zoo Pkwy, Asheboro, NC 27205

• Hours: April thru October 9am – 5pm; November thru March 9am – 4pm

• Admission Price: Adults (13-61) - $15; Children (2-12) - $11; Children under 2 – Free

Know before you go:

• Strollers permitted; Strollers available to rent (single and double); Paved paths

• Outside food/beverages NOT permitted but refillable water bottles permitted

• Moderate - Hard walking but suitable for small children

• Advance tickets not required but can be purchased

North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, North Carolina is probably the best known zoo of the Carolinas. This zoo is massive, in fact, it’s the largest zoo in the world stretching over 2600 acres and housing 1700 animals. We have visited this zoo so many times and it never disappoints. We do recommend wearing comfortable shoes because the zoo covers 5 miles and typically takes an entire day to get through – especially with kids. There are a few play spaces near the food and gift shop stations, a carousel, and a treehouse that is all included in the price of general admission. During the holidays the zoo typically does different events so be sure to check out their website to see what activities they have to offer. We personally love “Boo at the Zoo” – this is typically an event they host on the weekends in October where you can dress up and Trick or Treat throughout the zoo!

Lazy 5 Ranch

15100 Mooresville Rd, Mooresville, NC 28115

• Hours: (Monday thru Saturday) 9am – one hour before sunset; (Sunday) 12pm - one hour before sunset

• Admission Price: Adult (12-59) - $15; Children (2-11) - $11; Children under 2 – free; Feed Buckets $3 each

Know before you go:

• Cash or NC Check ONLY - no cards accepted

• Wagon rides available by reservation

• Outside food/beverages permitted but CANNOT be given to the animals

• Lazy 5 is not responsible for any damage that may occur to your vehicle by animals

• Everyone must stay in their car

The Lazy 5 Ranch is an absolute favorite of ours! They are a privately owned zoo that provides a drive through experience where you and your family are able to feed the animals that live there. You can choose to drive your own vehicle or be taken on a wagon ride – we recommend the wagon ride for large groups or families so everyone can be involved in feeding the animals. Something we love about the Lazy 5 Ranch is that they help with the recovery of endangered species – some of those species include the Grevy Zebra, Scimitar Horned Oryx and Ring-tailed Lemur. The ranch is open year round and because the animals are free to roam, you get to see them interact with each other, play, sleep, and eat! At the end of the drive there is a playground for kids and depending on the time of year also hot chocolate, cider, etc. The exhibit itself takes a few hours to get through, if you are coming from out of town and want to plan a whole day in Mooresville there are family fun attractions close to Lazy 5 Ranch including Pit Indoor Kart Track, Patterson Farms, and Queens Landing boat ride.

Conservator’s Center

676 E. Hughes Mill Road, Burlington, NC 27217

• Hours: Depends on tour

• Admission Price: Depends on tour

Know before you go:

• Strollers NOT permitted

• Book online - reservations are required

• Easy walking but not paved paths

• Some tours are age restricted - be sure to pick the appropriate one for your family

Another animal recovery center is the Animal Park at the Conservator’s Center in Burlington, North Carolina. The Conservator’s Center is home to over 70 animals and more than 21 species. All of these animals have either been rescued from individuals who have tried to raise exotic animals on their own, animals living in unacceptable conditions or animals from zoo’s around the US that need to be rehabilitated. Guests are able to walk through the park and get pretty up close and personal to some rare animals. There are also ample opportunities to volunteer at the park and get an inside look at how the owners and staff care for all of the animals that call the Conservator’s Center home. All tours are guided and you can choose whether you want to go during the day or at night to see the animals! The night time tours are called Twilight tours and are such a neat experience!

Greensboro Science Center

4301 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro, NC 27455

• Hours: 9am – 5pm

• Admission Price: Adults (14-64) - $19.50; Children (3-13) - $17.50; Children 2 and under - Free

Know before you go:

• Strollers permitted; Outside paths paved

• Tickets available at the gate or online

• Outside food/beverages/coolers are PERMITTED

• Easy walking but LOTS of walking - comfortable shoes recommended.

Last but not least is the Greensboro Science Center. In the last few years the Science Center has expanded and updated and is so much fun for kids and adults! The Science Center is a combination of a kid’s museum, aquarium and zoo. The Zoo has so many different animals and even includes a petting zoo with farm animals. There are play places throughout the outside zoo exhibit including a farm playhouse, dinosaur treehouse, and climbable animal statues. During the winter months the Zoo area of the Science Center turns into Winter Wonderlights and is truly a magical – we recommend checking it out if you’re in the area. Note – the Science Center itself is positioned right next to a park so you can make this an all-day experience if traveling with kids.

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Have we missed any cool Carolina Zoos or Conservation Centers? Let us know, we would love to check them out! Keep an eye out for more kids friendly travel ideas coming soon!

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