The ULTIMATE Guide to Visiting Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC (2023)

The first thing you may be wondering about when planning your trip to the zoo is what admission is like. Do you need to buy tickets in advance? What’s the best plan for a family? We’ll answer all of that for you below!

There are a few options for admission to Riverbanks Zoo depending on how often you plan on visiting. They have general admission pricing for infrequent visitors and year-round memberships if you plan on being a regular visitor.

If you think you’ll go more than once in a calendar year, the membership may be worth it! Check out the details below.

General admission tickets to Riverbanks Zoo can be purchased in advance on the Riverbanks Zoo website. We recommend purchasing tickets online to receive free parking. If you purchase tickets at the gate you will have to pay the $5 parking fee. Plus, you’ll have to wait in a separate line to buy tickets before you can enter the gates.

General admission ticket pricing as of August 2023 is as follows (please check the Riverbanks Zoo website for the latest pricing):

• Adults: $24.99 plus tax
• Children (ages 2 – 12): $21.99 plus tax
• Children (under 2): Free Admission
• Military: $22.99 plus tax
• Senior Citizens: (Ages 62 and up) $22.99 plus tax

As you can see, the general admission tickets can add up quickly for families or if you are planning to visit multiple times per year. If this sounds like you, the annual membership is a great option!

There are several membership packages to choose from starting at $59 for an individual, $129 for a family or $229 for a package that includes unlimited rides. You can find all the details about the memberships here.

Free Fridays in January and February for residents of Richland and Lexington County in South Carolina.

Toucan Tuesdays during summer for two for the price of one admission with a donation of two cans of nonperishable food.

The Layout of Riverbanks Zoo

The Riverbanks complex is broken into two areas: the main zoo (the east campus) and the Botanical Garden + Waterfall Junction (the west campus.) The Saluda River divides the two sections.

Accordingly, there are two entrances to Riverbanks Zoo: one on each side of the campus. This makes the zoo easy to get to no matter which direction you are coming from. It’s also good to know in advance so that you can plan the best trip for you and your needs.

But you don’t need to worry too much about which entrance you use because you can easily get across the park when needed. You can either walk between the two sides of the zoo or take the complimentary tram that runs between the main zoo and the Botanical Garden.

If you use the main entrance and want to pop over to the Botanical Gardens and Waterfall Junction area of the zoo, you can either walk across the bridge in the middle of the park or take the tram.

Stroller Rental At Riverbanks

Did you know that you can rent strollers at the zoo? Single and double strollers are available to rent by the main entrance. Prices range from $10.00 to $13.00 with a $5.00 deposit.

Renting a stroller is a great option if you are traveling and don’t have room in your car for a stroller. Or maybe your kids are a bit older and don’t use a daily stroller. But trust us, it’s great to have when your kids’ legs suddenly stop working…

We wanted to call out parking at the zoo because this is always a concern for first-time visitors. The main entrance has a large primary lot and an overflow lot. The lots have been known to fill up during especially popular times, like spring break!

Parking attendants are typically present during peak hours and weeks. They will direct you to the primary or overflow lot depending on how full they are. Be warned that we have seen days where they close off the parking lot after 11am due to it filling up.

Our recommendation is to arrive early in the morning. Not only will this prevent a long walk or wasted time circling the lot, but early mornings are when the animals are most active! They tend to get a bit sleepy and lay low in the afternoons, especially when it’s hot.

You may be wondering what kind of animals you can expect to see at Riverbanks Zoo. We are happy to share that you’ll find everything from silly otters to hornbills, koalas and a whole gorilla family.

Riverbanks Zoo has over 3,000 animals that represent over 400 species around the world. While we won’t name them all, we’ll give you an idea of the types of animals you can expect to see at the zoo.

The larger animals include lions, a tiger, sea lions, grizzly bears, kangaroos, giraffes, zebra, gorillas and rhinos. There are also koalas, a sloth, otters, emus and several varieties of monkeys around the campus.

Riverbanks Zoo

As far as birds at Riverbanks go, there are flamingos, penguins, a toucan, hornbills, kookaburras, lorikeet and even a king vulture. You can even opt to feed the lorikeets with Explorer Credits.

The zoo completed updates to the Aquarium + Reptile Center in 2023. Here you’ll find a coral conservation lab, snakes, a leopard shark, lionfish and moon jellies.

Riverbanks Zoo

Reptiles at the zoo include alligators, a Komodo dragon, a snapping turtle, king cobra and galapagos tortoises. The reptiles are scattered around the zoo in various habitats and are also located at the Reptile Center.

If you look at the zoo with a bird’s-eye view you’ll see that it’s a large oval that has a path right down the middle. Because of this, it’s easy to think of the various habitats as three different sections: the left, the right and the middle.

The main zoo entrance is located at the top of the oval, so when you enter you can either loop around the edge to the right, head in the other direction and loop around to the left or walk straight down the middle.

We’ll give you an idea of all the exciting animals you will see in each area below, starting with the loop to the right because it seems to be the most popular route.

You will immediately find some exciting animal habitats if you head right after entering the zoo. The first few animals to greet you will be river otters followed by grizzly bears. Once you get your fill of the cuteness of the otters and the grandness of the grizzlies, you’ll probably hear some primates calling you to move along.

As you walk down the sidewalk you will next see the baboon habitat on your right and the siamangs on the left down the hill (these are the really loud ones!)

You will also find the koala house near the Siamang Island enclosure. This is where you can check out the sleepy koalas eating eucalyptus. It’s also a great spot to stop for a picnic lunch because there are several tables here and you can enjoy the Siamangs while relaxing for a bit.

Past the primates, you are really in for a treat with two big cat habitats. First, you’ll see a lion pride playing together or enjoying the sun. We heard the dad roar once and it was… wild! After that is the tiger enclosure where you’ll have to use your keen eyesight to spy the Siberian tiger.

At the end of this section, you will arrive at Carousel Plaza, which has plenty of activities for little ones. You’ll find a playground, the Feed the Lorikeets enclosure and the main attraction: the carousel! All attractions require Explore More Credits which are explained in detail in our attractions section.

The bridge across the Saluda River to the botanical gardens is also located in this area. You can cross by foot or take the tram.

To continue the loop you can walk around the back of the koala house. Don’t miss the Komodo dragon habitat when you do this! You’ll meet up with the center walkway near the Riverbanks Farm if you go this way.

No matter which way you go, you’ll eventually end up back at the center of the zoo. It is a loop, after all! Here you’ll find four exciting complexes full of diverse wildlife. See below for details on each!

Sea Lion Landing

Sea Lion Landing is a reproduction of San Fransico’s Pier 39. It features a large tank habitat with California sea lions and harbor seals.

You can watch the seals swim underwater from the side of the large tank. You can also watch them get fed and do their tricks at the daily sea lion shows. There’s seating for the shows in the amphitheater at Sea Lion Landing or you can walk around to the observatory deck on the side for a different perspective.

Aquarium Reptile Complex

Beyond Sea Lion Landing you will find the Aquarium Reptile Complex which is home to a vast array of snakes, reptiles, fish and other deep-sea species. It was recently renovated and has a variety of exhibits inside, from a temperate and tropical rainforest to a desert biome.

Riverbanks Zoo

The climate seems to change as you pass through, which is one of the coolest parts of the complex.

You’ll start in the rainforest (don’t miss the anaconda!!) and then head into the desert. This is where you will spot rattlesnakes and burrowing owls. After that, you’ll move into a variety of land and sea habitats with a king cobra, sea urchins and even chocolate chip sea stars!

The aquarium is also another fun spot, especially when it’s hot out and you just want to stay indoors for a bit.

Finally, there are a few new labs where you can get a close-up view of the work Riverbanks is doing. We love the coral lab that features colonies of coral rescued from Florida. There’s also a terrestrial lab where you can view endangered reptiles and amphibians.

Just outside the reptile complex, you can see a group of Galapagos Tortoises grazing in the grass.

Birdhouse at Riverbanks

You will find the Birdhouse at Riverbanks across the main walkway from Sea Lion Landing and the Aquarium Reptile Complex. The flock of flamingos out front is a big clue you are there.

Riverbanks Zoo

The penguin area is the first habitat you’ll find inside the birdhouse. Friendly warning: it’s a little smelly!! There are several other habitats in the birdhouse, including the Asian Trek with a rhinoceros hornbill and the Savanna exhibit with an African bee-eater and the South American motmot. Your kids will love the Safari-themed Savanna camp with a few fun games and learning experiences.

Riverbanks Farm

Another fun spot in the center of the zoo is Riverbanks Farm. This area is home to goats, pigs, alpacas, bunnies and many other farmyard animals. Your kids will love walking through the big red barn and seeing all of their favorite farm animals up close.

The final area of the zoo we’ll highlight is the ‘loop to the left’ from the main entrance. This area starts with the gift shop and it’s also where you can rent a stroller.

You’ll spy Sea Lion Landing just ahead. After that, you’ll encounter a habitat with kangaroos and wallabies. The cool thing about this habitat is that you can walk through the kangaroo habitat and be right in the enclosure with the animals.

Gorilla Base Camp and the Conservation Outpost Tunnel

Once you’ve finished hanging out in the Australian bush you’ll be ready to move on to the Gorilla Base Camp. This is a 4,000-square-foot habitat that gives guests indoor and outdoor viewing opportunities of the troop of western lowland gorillas.

You can view these amazing animals from inside or from the other side of the habitat after you pass through the Conservation Outpost tunnel.

Speaking of the Conservation Outpost Tunnel, that’s your next stop! As you walk through the tunnel, you will see a range of small mammals, like a black-footed cat, golden-lion tamarin, tree kangaroo and various lemurs. There’s also a sloth here but he seems to always just be sleeping in his basket. Imagine that!

Rhinos, Zebras and Giraffes

Once you emerge from the tunnel, you’ll be ready to embark on what will feel like a safari. Along this stretch, you will encounter the exterior viewing area of the gorilla enclosure followed by the new white rhino habitat on the left. We were sad to see the elephants move on, but the newly remodeled habitat with the rhinos is so cool.

Moving on further you will reach the giraffes, where you can get up close and personal on the giraffe-height deck. You can even feed them for an additional explorer credit fee.

Beyond the giraffes, you will arrive a the zebra and ostrich habitat which is cool to see the two animal species together. The ostriches are surprisingly interested in people and may come over to the wall to check you out.

From here you’ll loop back to the center of the zoo and pass in front of the barn area.

In addition to the animals, the zoo has several other attractions worth checking out. Most of the interactive attractions at Riverbanks involve Explore More credits.

Explore More credits can be purchased in various places around the zoo. You’ll be given a reloadable card when you purchase credits that can be used around the zoo. Another option is to get an Explorer membership that comes with unlimited ride credits.

Spots & Stripes Railroad: This fun passenger train ride is great for young kids and is located in a wooded area near the Riverbanks Farm. Even if you don’t ride, it’s fun for kiddos to watch it drive around!

Endangered Species Carousel: The carousel has been a fixture at the Riverbanks zoo since its early days and is still a blast for kids to enjoy.

Sky-High Safari: If you are into heights and ropes courses, this attraction near the giraffes is for you! Here you will find a structure stretching several stories into the air that gives you an adventure and a birds-eye view of the zoo.

Wild Adventures Rock Wall: This rock wall located near the koala house and Carousel Plaza is a great spot to test out your rock climbing skills.

There’s a playground located near the rock wall. Unlike the other exhibits above, it doesn’t require Explore More credits to enjoy.

Experience the Farmyard: At the farmyard, visitors can enter the farm area where they can get up close and personal with the animals in a traditional petting zoo-style enclosure.

Feed the Giraffes: This attraction is a favorite at the zoo. You have the chance to feed giraffes by hand. It’s quite amazing how long their tongues are!

Feed the Lorikeets: The lorikeets are so colorful, fun and friendly. It’s always a blast to enter their space to feed them. Sometimes they even land on your arms and shoulders!

Mingle with Marsupials: The kangaroo and wallaby exhibit is unique in that you can walk right through the enclosure and get close to the animals. Even better, the Mingle with Marsupials experience is free with admission!

Admission to the zoo will not only give you access to the world-class Riverbanks Zoo but it also gets you into the beautiful Riverbanks Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden is an attraction that stands on its own two feet even without the zoo. It spans over 70 acres and with manicured gardens and nature trails.

You’ll find Waterfall Junction located in the Botanical Garden area of the zoo. It’s a 3-acre children’s garden with a 25-foot cascading waterfall, splash pad, dinosaur digging area and a giant treehouse.

Waterfall Junction is a totally unexpected experience and truly rivals some of the fun you’ll have on the other side of the park with the animals. Due to it’s size and popularity, we have a whole guide to Waterfall Junction to help make your visit exceptional.

There are several dining options available around the zoo’s campus. Note that hours vary and all of the restaurants may not be open when you are visiting.

Tuksers is the largest zoo restaurant and it’s located near the zebras and giraffes. There’s actually an alligator located at the bottom of it! And if you visited the zoo a long time ago, you may remember it as where Burger King once was.

There are also various snack bars and kiosks around the zoo serving ice cream, soft pretzels, popcorn and other snacks. Full disclosure– the food is park pricing. Like, $4 ice cream cones. Outside food is not permitted but this doesn’t seem to be enforced either.