360 Travel Series: Riverbanks Zoo
Looking for a perfect field trip for the family? A short ninety minute drive will take you to one of South Carolina’s most popular destinations!
Riverbanks Zoo, established in 1974, is home to over 3,000 animals and 5,700+ varieties of plants. Its’ mission is “to create meaningful connections and inspire actions that will have a lasting impact on conservation.” The one hundred seventy acre site is on the National Register of Historic Places. Structural remains dating back to the 1800s and the Civil War can be found on the grounds. Be still my home school teacher heart!
Riverbanks Zoo has always been a favorite attraction. It’s even more exciting now that the newly refurbished Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center has opened. A Zoo fixture since 1989, the Center underwent a major overhaul thanks to the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation. “The Boyd Foundation creates, supports, implements, and promotes outdoor recreational opportunities and facilities, the appreciation of wildlife, beautification of urban areas, educational programs and enhancing the quality of life of the citizens of Columbia.” This special sponsor has enhanced the Riverbanks experience for everyone who walks through the gate.
A stroll through the newly renovated Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center introduces you to birds, snakes, and many scaly friends. There’s even an exhibit where a Giant Pacific Octopus, named Susan, will swim. Our boys were glued to the floor in front of a habitat for turtles where one waved to them over and over. Seriously, he lifted his arm and put it on the glass! Pro tip: Lizards and their friends thrive in warm, humid climates. You may want to dress for the tropics when touring the Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center. Although, it could have been me. At 45, I’m always hot.
Conservation work has always gone on behind the scenes at the Zoo. Renovations have allowed much of this work to be shared with the public. With corals dying in Florida reefs, Riverbanks operates a Coral Conservation Lab visitors can now see, up close and personal.
Exhibits house animals from all over the world. There are tiny birds from China, colorful Coconut Lorikeets from Australia in addition to birds from Indonesia, Antartica, Mexico and Argentina. We learned all sharks don’t live in salt water. The Leopard Shark lives in shallow waters from Oregon to Mexico. Lions, tigers, and bears… oh my! You’ll even find kangaroos, gorillas, rhinos and giraffes. The giraffes were a huge hit! Guests can reserve a time to feed them. While you’re doing that, also make a reservation for your little ones to ride the train and visit the goat farm.
You don’t have to have a green thumb to enjoy the Botanical Gardens. There’s always something blooming. Younger members of your group will enjoy tree houses and a dinosaur bone dig. Waterfall Junction opened in April 2016.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of all there is to experience at Riverbanks Zoo. Contact us through social media if you have specific questions when planning your trip! Click here for more details.
Check out more of the 360 Travel Series with our editor Andrea Beam here.
