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All 45 Columbia Attractions »

Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden

500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia, SC
Ranked #1 of 40 attractions in Columbia
4.5 of 5 stars 230 Reviews
Type: Zoos, Gardens, Nature/ Wildlife Areas
Activities: Hiking
Description: A popular zoo best known for its beautiful butterfly gardens and family-friendly atmosphere.
Useful Information: Activities for young children, Activities for older children
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230 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    169
    51
    8
    1
    1
Date Rating
Charlotte, North Carolina
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 27, 2012 NEW

1) Price is cheap and worth 2) Clean and not really smelly 3) Many animals 4) Toilet clean also 5) Landscaping good, not very hot because tree shield 6) Stroller rent are available 7) Food selling there not nice and expensive More

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Greer
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

Such a wonderful zoo. Riverbanks is clean and offers hours of fun. There is a place to feed the giraffes, you can go into an enclosure and feed birds. There is a part of the zoo where you can get up close to gorillas. My kids enjoy that area and the penguin area. We could spend hours just staring at... More

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Columbia, SC
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

Our zoo is better than your zoo! Take the kids, grandma and everyone to enjoy a day at Riverbanks. You won't be disappointed. The animals are close-up and the place is spotless. Little ones especially like the farm exhibit and riding the train and carousel, More

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See 5 more reviews by happycouplesc for Columbia
Martinez, Georgia
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2012 NEW

It was a very good tour for our church group. we really enjoyed the clean and helpful staff. the Zoo was very clear and the well taken care of. More

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Vonore, Tennessee
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2012 NEW

Riverbanks Zoo is one of the best zoos I've visited. Animals are in realistic looking settings with lots of opportunity to get photos. Most pathways and several seating areas are shaded, helping visitors escape the muggy SC heat. No areas seemed crowded although we visited on a day with several school groups in attendance. Tips: Feed the giraffes or lorikeets... More

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See 2 more reviews by Christie411 for Columbia
Stuart, Florida
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 21, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I visited this zoo with my fiance on my way home from Garden City Beach last summer. My main reason for visiting was to see the koalas. Our admission was around $12, I appreciated that there was ample parking space & we weren't struggling to find a spot. I loved all the different exhibits, my favorite part was feeding the... More

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Leesville, South Carolina, United States
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2012

We have been members for over 20 years. Good family outing. Lots of shade and the exhibits are excellent. More

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South Carolina
Senior Contributor
48 reviews 48 reviews
Reviews in 29 cities Reviews in 29 cities
35 helpful votes 35 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2012

I thought we'd spend 3 hours max at the zoo, figuring that the kids were getting "too old" for a zoo. We ended up spending the better part of the day. Granted the weather was wonderful, which helped as well. The zoo is a great size, and most of the animals are readily visible. Be sure and take in the... More

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See 2 more reviews by ModerationForMe for Columbia
Charlotte
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012

We took the kids for a day trip to the zoo..we all had a good time..it is so much to see..the kids really enjoyed themselves.. More

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south carolina
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Riverbanks Zoo is the perfect family outing. It is easy to get to, not too expensive, fun for the kids and interesting for the parents. It only takes a couple of hours to see the animals, ride the carousel, and sit while the kids enjoy the playground. There isn't too much stuff to buy and it isn't too crowded. You... More

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