Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Love the zoo! It's just great.I've been going there since i was born! The botanical garden is beautiful! more

What a great place to take the family. The zoo is always well-kept and very clean. My favorite part is definitely the elephants. The botanical gardens are really nice too. And, if the weather isn't too hot, I highly suggest walking up to the botanical gardens. The Christmas time Winter Wonderland w/ lights is pretty good too. Nice and festive. I definitely suggest getting an annual pass, especially for out of town guests. more

So much to say about this Zoo. Not only is it a Zoo, but the Gardens are just as fun to look at. They have a lot of other after-hours events to go to (and not just for the kids either). Check out their web site, then go to the "plan your visit", then go to "Featured Events". They have wine tastings and special tours. Boo at the Zoo: your kids get to wear their costumes more than once a year. They have a trick-or-treat trail, 3-D spooky movie, hobgoblin express, monster mash dance floor, and the marry-go-round. Tip: Make sure to buy your tickets in advanced. The lines can get very long on popular nights and if you have your tickets, you can walk right in. Lights before Christmas: Haven't done this yet, but will be this year. Memberships: If you go to the zoo a few times a year, check out the membership to the zoo. You will get discounts on all the featured events and you will get free tickets every time you go to the zoo, including free guest passes and free tickets to the Lights before Christmas. more

I don’t think I have ever been to this Columbia, SC zoo when half of the animals were not out of viewing range. Exhibits are always closed for repairs, but based on many of the displays in which the animals are visible, however, you are probably better off not seeing the rest. Polar bears perched on 110 degree rocks and penguins living on fake ice overlooking an oversized aquarium of murky water are just a few of the other problems with this zoo. more

I love, love, love Riverbanks Zoo. I have been countless times with my family members and always have a great time. My 4 year old nephew never tires of it. Make sure you take the tram to the Gardens, it'll add to the adventure for your kids. The prices are kind of high for a one day trip, but if you live near the Columbia area, the family year long memberships are well worth the price. more

This is a wonderful Zoo just a few hours north of Charleston in Columbia, SC, just off I-26. This is a great place to take the family and spend the day--everyone of all ages will love the wonderful exhibits and variety of animals shown here. There is a wonderful "rainforest" exhibit which allows you to watch uncaged animals (I don't know how they keep them in their areas, but they do, and without cages), and every 15 minutes or so, a light shower occurs in the area (with thunder and lightning effects) to really give you the feel of a rainforrest. Muggy and humid and moist, but enjoyable nonetheless. more

I don't mind the drive from Charleston to Columbia to go to this zoo. I've been to better Zoo's, of course, but for South Carolina this isn't too bad. The only bad thing is that it seems that in all the years I've been going there (which are many years) it seems like all of the exhibits are never open all at the same time, which can be a bummer if you're planning on making a day trip out of it. I like the rainforest exhibit, though. It rains in there and you can see alot of different wildlife. more

We've lived many places and this is one of our favorite zoos. It's not huge, but a nice size. One thing that stands out is that it is always landscaped so beautifully and clean. The animals are well taken care of and in friendly environments. They have a beautiful botannical garden and you can ride the tram from the gardens to the zoo. You see both for one admission. However, a yearly pass is very reasonalbe for a family and with our family (2 adults, 1 child) just two trips "pays" for the pass. They have homeschool programs during the school year, too. more

I'm not one of those animal rights activits that think zoos should be outlawed. In fact, I love zoos. However, Riverbanks makes me cry every time I see the Polar Bear exhibit. Why? Well, firstly, Columbia is quite hot in the Summertime--I'd assume muc hotter than the artic circle gets during its summer. Secondly, the bear is given a peice of white styrofoam as a pretend ice-block to play around with. For some reason, that just makes me really sad. Oh and the bears don't look too happy either. Of course, they're in weather that's about 9x's hotter than their normal climate. I suppose I'd be a little cheesed off if I were them too. I do like the giant tortise they have there. It's quite friendly and will follow you around without any provocation. The monkeys are funny, although the monkey house should be rated "R" because of some of the monkey hi-jinx I've seen occur there. Parents, be warned! If you go to the zoo between May - October, make sure to bring sunscreen and lots of water. It gets REALLY hot in Columbia, so don't get dehydrated or sunburnt! Like every other zoo in existance, I've never been to Riverbanks when all exhibits are open at once. I think that's one of the signs of the end of times, so perhaps I shouldn't want all the exhibits to be open at once. Oh and the pengin house is kind of miserable looking too. THe penigins are segregated behind this fully-glassed enclosure. The room itself is kind of steamy, but I'm sure (I hope) that the parts the penguins live in would be better temperature controlled. There's a rainforest walk through where you can see animals and they even make it rain, complete with thunder and lightening effects. THAT is pretty interesting. The exhibit is laid out so that the animals have cover, but aren't so covered that you can't see them. Lots of birds and monkeys! more

If you are looking for a wonderful attraction for some good family fun, then Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens is the place for you. The animals are always entertaining and you can feed the giraffes, birds and the animals in the petting area. Your children can enjoy a pony ride and many different places to eat. They have a wonderful souvenir shop and 3-D theater. more

Riverbanks is a great zoo to take the kids to and enjoy a day out. They have remodeled so much of the zoo and made it so much nicer. There is a huge area with gorillas that is awesome. Usually the gorillas are right there looking at you while you watch them. It is cool. The zoo is laid out really well, taking you to different areas that represent different countries of the world. At Halloween there is something called Boo at the Zoo for the kids. At Christmas they have lights up around the zoo and snow blowing. It is really nice. There are also other events held throughout the year here. You will truly enjoy your visit. more