Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
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Our take
By Matt Spaulding, Founder and writer
This is the slower, cheaper half-day for when the theme parks have worn everyone down. Central Florida Zoo packs 350-plus animals into about 23 acres in Sanford: giraffe feeding, rhino and tortoise encounters, clouded leopards, cheetahs, and a large reptile house, plus a splash ground for when the kids overheat and a ZOOm Air ropes course strung through the trees. It's self-guided, and most families are through it in 2-3 hours. General admission covers the gate and the botanical gardens, and that's the scope of it: a compact regional zoo you can treat as a morning rather than a full day. A few things to plan around. In peak summer it runs 8am to 3pm, so it's strictly a morning trip, and midday July heat means thin shade and sleepy animals. The marquee extras (giraffe feeding, the train, the aerial adventure course) aren't in general admission, so budget for them separately if the kids will want them. And it sits about 35 minutes north of the theme-park corridor, so factor in the drive each way. It suits families with young kids, anyone who prefers actual wildlife to rides, and travelers who want one quieter, lower-cost day between park marathons.
Quick facts
- Best for
- Families with young kids, wildlife lovers
- How long
- 2-3 hours, self-guided
- Where
- Sanford, ~35 min north of the parks
- Included
- Zoo + botanical gardens entry
- Costs extra
- Giraffe feeding, train, ropes course
- Summer hours
- 8am-3pm, mornings only
- Parking
- Free
Where it is
3755 W. Seminole Blvd, Sanford, FL 32771 (Seminole County, ~35 min north of the Orlando theme parks)
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Check tickets →Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens FAQ
How long do you need at Central Florida Zoo?
About 2-3 hours. It's a self-guided, roughly 23-acre regional zoo, so most families see everything in a half-day and treat it as a morning trip.
Does admission include the giraffe feeding?
No. General admission covers zoo and botanical garden entry only. Giraffe feeding, the train, and the ZOOm Air aerial adventure course each cost extra.
How far is the zoo from the Orlando theme parks?
About 35 minutes north, in Sanford. It's an easy drive, but plan on a car each way: the zoo sits off the theme-park transit corridor and isn't within walking distance.
What time does Central Florida Zoo close in summer?
Summer hours run 8am to 3pm, so this is strictly a morning trip. Go at open: midday July heat means thin shade and sleepy animals, and the gate closes before the afternoon is over.
What animals are at Central Florida Zoo?
More than 350 animals on about 23 acres, including clouded leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos, tortoises and a large reptile house. There's also a splash ground for when the kids overheat and a ZOOm Air ropes course strung through the trees, though the ropes course costs extra. Admission covers the zoo and the botanical gardens.
Is Central Florida Zoo worth the trip?
It's the slower, cheaper half-day for when the theme parks have worn everyone down, and it works best framed that way. Expect a compact regional zoo you can walk in 2 to 3 hours and treat as a morning. The short summer hours and the paid add-ons are the two things that trip people up, so plan an early start and budget for the extras.