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Jacksonville
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Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens

Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens: Hours, Address, Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens Reviews: 4.5/5

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Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens

See all things to do
See all things to do
Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens
4.5
3,230
#6 of 173 things to do in Jacksonville
Zoos
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
This 73-acre park is the only zoo in Florida's northeast. With over 2000 animals and 1000 plants, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is 1 of only 7 zoos in the United States with an animal wellness team who help to provide the very best care for our animals.
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Tours and Tickets

Popular mentions
4.5
3,230 reviews
Excellent
2,091
Very good
878
Average
174
Poor
54
Terrible
33
Brittany W
9 contributions
Highly Recommend- Fun couples date
Sep 2021 • Couples
Definitely recommend this place for couples! My boyfriend and I had so much fun seeing all of the animals. The place was clean and well kept. Definitely worth a visit and not too expensive either! Highly recommend!
Written September 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
reneemarie31
Baton Rouge, LA85 contributions
Lovely zoo
Jun 2021
An excellent zoo. Fun animal encounters. Wide variety of animals. Everything was very nice. We had an enjoyable visit.
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jordan W
1 contribution
Wast worth the money
Jul 2021 • Family
We had heard lots of amazing reviews about this zoo and it was a must see from many of our friends. It was definitely over hyped. While the animal attractions were nice, there were several that were slides, only one place on the entire zoo to get something to eat (it was packed and they messed up the order), you could only do the extras if you bought the full experience package (it also had this posted online) all the extras combined weren’t worth the additional $50 we had to pay. The train ride (which was the sole reason we got the full experience package) was less than 20 minutes round trip and you could barely see any of the animals. Additionally, the train conductor kept pointing out different animals and giving us there history even though they weren’t there or were no longer on display. The second half of the train ride can be summed up with “there are lots of animals behind these trees blocking the view that you will not be able to
See”. I have been to numerous smaller zoos that cost way less to get in, but we’re many times more fun. Just my recommendation, but don’t visit here unless you’re just wanting to be able to say you did. Also brings your own drinks and food so you don’t have to wait in a long line at the 1 restaurant they only to be disappointed.
Written July 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
David K
Cleveland, OH1,417 contributions
During Covid a nice outside activity: but remember to wear a hat because of the sun
Jun 2021
One of the special things about the Jacksonville Zoo is that it takes advantage of being in a semi-tropical climate by placing animals in environments that match their natural habitats. The extensive series of overhead boardwalks and lush plantings reinforce the "in the wild" feel. Though it's not a large zoo, as zoos in cities go, it more than makes up for it in imagination and presentation.

Covid protocols were minimal when we were there (early June). Most people weren't wearing masks. And there was precious little social distancing. However, vendors weren't accepting any cash. Rather they were only taking credit or debit cards, even for small purchases like a bottle of water.
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Mark G
2 contributions
Not bad but not world class
Feb 2021
Growing up in Chicago I am used to larger zoos but this was overall an OK experience. Good for the kids but not so much for adults.
Written June 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Larry E
4 contributions
Great way to spend a day.
Jun 2021
So much to see here. The zoo is really well cared for. It has several great shops for gifts and snacks. The kids love the splash pad and train.
Written June 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
JaredandCrystal Paul
Panama City Beach, FL145 contributions
Great zoo
Jun 2021 • Family
Great zoo with plenty of animals. Went with family (14 & 11 yo) and we all had a great time. Purchased tickets online ahead of time.
Written June 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Don B.
Jacksonville, FL1 contribution
Jacksonville has a fantastic Zoo!
May 2021
Jacksonville has an amazing zoo and gardens and they have special events that highlight the beauty of the zoo and gardens several times a year. This coming summer is "Illumizoo". We were fortunate last night to a preview of the event. It was amazing and It was beautiful. Even though I know the zoo well, the lights and music transformed the zoo into something completely new around every corner. This event has interactive attractions for everyone or you can sit quietly and enjoy the beauty and serenity at the Asian Gardens or in the Bamboo garden. Also, the event is completely wheelchair accessible. I used a manual chair for our visit and no problems at all. Whatever your plans are for the summer, include a Friday night at the zoo for this event. Make it a date night. My wife and I loved it. Check jacksonvillezoo.org for details.
Written May 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
williamW131313
Tallahassee, FL38 contributions
A zoo above zoos
May 2021 • Family
Wow! Talk about a zoo that’s amazing. I’m not from Jacksonville so this was a-little bit of a ride but oh boy was this truly worth it. The amount of animals this zoo had was on par or even better than Sea-world or bush gardens hands down. Personally I enjoyed this zoo better than both those parks. First of all, in many zoos I’ve been in the animals aren’t active or engaging. The animals in this zoo were moving around and doing things which really cool and new. Also when I visited a lot of the birds where having their young hatch or protecting their eggs so the animals might have been more active due to that. If that is the case than I would highly encourage you to visit during May. The employees at the park were super kind and the zoo keepers answered all my questions and were always willing to help my family when we couldn’t agree on the correct way to pronounce the names of different animals. Over all this zoo was hands down the best zoo I have ever gone too and will probably be the high light of this vacation year. If any one wants to go on vacation but doesn’t want to leave Florida I highly suggest you visit this zoo.
Written May 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Richard R
Grand Junction, CO247 contributions
Fun at Zoo!
May 2021 • Friends
Great Zoo, lot's of displays, viewing of animals was very good. We were able to see all the animals, most were active. COVID restrictions were in place, but it was still easy and enjoyable.
Written May 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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