Best Zoos in Southeast? (or at least East minus New England)

H

HJoe

Member
Hello! Although I've been a long-time visitor (lurker, more like) here this is my first post as I figure you guys would definitely be able to help me out here.

Planning a brief getaway to somewhere within at least a day's driving distance - I live in Georgia, not far from Atlanta - and wanted to know if there were any zoos within those areas worth checking out? The initial plan was actually to check out the Smithsonian but that's obviously out of the question for now :P I can manage as far north as there or possibly Ohio/Indiana and as far west as Arkansas/Missouri - and of course mostly anywhere in Florida. Can't go too far north, the Bronx is sadly out of the question.

It's preferable if the zoo in question has other attractions worth checking out around it as well. Good natural history museums and aquariums are a big plus (although as a Georgian I've definitely been spoiled by our aquarium, haha). Thanks!
 
Well if you're willing to go to Ohio then I'd definitely suggest going to the Cincinnati area! The Cincinnati Zoo might not have the best exhibits around but they certainly have an amazing collection (particularly Sumatran Rhinoceros, Cape Genet, Banded Palm Civet, Little Blue Penguin, Grey's Crested Guenon, and Siberian Lynx for me!), especially if you're not that experienced in the zoo-visiting field. When I visited the area last Summer, I stayed for four days total and visited the zoo twice (though it's not needed, I just wanted to), visited a nice museum on slavery both in the past and present, and had a nice visit to the very nice Newport Aquarium (not as good as Georgia, but still a good one). What I did was stayed in the Newport area of Kentucky which has a $1 trolley that'll take you to the museum and the aquarium on a set route. They also had a stop at the hotel we stayed at (I can get the name if you need it). To get to the zoo from there, though, you need to take a bus that takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get there and back (maybe a bit less). It sounds worst than it is, the ride doesn't feel that long and the bus drops you off right at the zoo! You need to get there early, though, if you want to see the rhinos as they go inside as the day progresses and it gets hotter. That was mid-July, though, so I can't tell you how they are now.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have!

Hope this helps!:)

~Thylo:cool:
 
Atlanta (Pandas)
Jacksonville
Tampa
Nashville (Relatively newer Zoo)
Birmingham (Bull Elephant Herd)
Knoxville

should all be within a decent drive.
 
tschandler71 said:
Atlanta (Pandas)
Jacksonville
Tampa
Nashville (Relatively newer Zoo)
Birmingham (Bull Elephant Herd)
Knoxville

should all be within a decent drive.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing he's probably been to Atlanta already. And if not, he says he lives near by so he could make a visit relatively easily if he wanted.

Now I haven't heard of Atlanta being a great zoo and it mostly has species you could see almost anywhere else but it does have Giant Pandas and Raccoon Dogs so those could be of interesting to you.

Lowry Park is another great zoo but I got confused a bit when I went and it turned into a bit more of a stressful day with the heat and all. I was also on a time limit, though, so it could have just been that.

~Thylo:cool:
 
Busch Gardens is expensive, but has some nice exhibits. The hoofed stock collection is amazing. You could hit up Lowry Park while you're in the area as well. Possibly even DAK if money isn't an issue.
 
Some thoughts:
Jacksonville Zoo then Tampa for the aquarium (if all you know is Georgia Aquarium then you need to see another one!)

or,
Chattanooga Aquarium then Nashville Zoo or even Louisville Zoo
 
I would recommend this road trip. Its about 14 hours total driving from Atlanta:

1. Discovery Place (Charlotte, NC) - if you have time.
2. North Carolina Zoo (Asheboro, NC)
3. Greensboro Science Center (Greensboro, NC)
4. Virginia Museum of Natural History (Martinsville, VA)

https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf...gl=us&ei=WspeUvjBNcXnkAe04YHoBA&ved=0CIoBELYD


Here are some other options:

Jacksonville, FL - Zoo, St Augustine Alligator Farm, Marineland

Orlando, FL - DAK, DAK Lodge, Sea World, EPCOT Living Seas, Orlando Science Center

Tampa, FL - Lowry Park Zoo, Florida Aquarium, Busch Gardens

Norfolk, VA - Virginia Zoo, Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Aquarium

Knoxville, TN - Zoo, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies (Gatlinburg, TN), East Tennessee State University Natural History Museum (Gray, TN)

New Orleans, LA - Audubon Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Insectarium

Chattanooga, TN - Zoo & Tennessee Aquarium
 
Thanks so much for the input guys!

North Carolina Zoo has actually been on my mind a lot. It looks exactly like my kind of zoo, beautiful and naturalistic and well-kept together... only downside is that I'd probably be dragging my feet before we were halfway through, haha. The stunning exhibits look worth it, though.

I've been leaning towards Tampa, though, to check out Lowry Park as well as pay a visit to the Big Cat Rescue center (they take in exotic felines from people who shouldn't be owning them, circuses and the like - check them out on Youtube, their residents cover almost the entire cat family plus viverrids and they all have a lot of personality!). Busch Gardens is a possibility but I was never one for the noise level and crowds there.

Still under consideration so anyone else feel free to throw ideas out there!
 
I am curious to why Jacksonville is rated so highly by some people. I have never been there and I am only aware of Range of the Jaguar being the top exhibits. I might be visiting it this November, and having looked at the zoo map it seems quite small. Looks as big as the Brevard Zoo.
 
I don't understand why anyone would recommend Knoxville zoo. Of the 50+ zoos I've been to its easily the worst. Bad exhibits, junk from torn down exhibits all over and by far the worst reptile exhibits I've ever seen. A bad pet store exhibits reptiles better. Foggy bubbles that u can barely see into do nothing for me, plus it's strangely outdoor.

I haven't been to many southern zoos but I was shocked by Montgomery zoo. Very nice zoo IMO. Some gorgeous exhibits. Atlanta, Louisville, cincinnati, Nashville are all in my top 15.
 
Well as it turns out we're heading north anyway, the Smithsonian's reopened everything :D Regardless all the feedback was much appreciated.

I only visited the Montgomery Zoo once when I was fairly young but I remember it being a very fine zoo. There was a wide-open American prairie exhibit with elk and deer and bison that I remember being very impressive in particular, as well as (I think, it's been years) a similarly huge pasture for African savanna hoofstock. Great reptile house too.

Zoo Atlanta has been a frequent destination of mine for years and it's the one zoo I know inside out so it's odd for me to talk about it in relation to others, but I'd agree that it's very solid all around. The gorilla exhibit is said to be among the top in the country and I'd believe it, they're almost always active out there and never look bored. The pandas never really catch my interest though, I was honestly far more excited to have a look at the new bush dogs and tanuki on my latest visit. Two primitive canids ultra-rare in American zoos just 45 minutes away from home, I couldn't be happier!
 
If you are in north Georgia there is also Birmingham Zoo and a 20 acre Big Cat rescue called Tigers for Tomorrow in northeast Alabama.
 
Since you mentioned Missouri, I'll invite you to come up to Saint Louis. We've got a record 5 new Somali Wild Ass foals, as well as the baby Okapi, Grevy's zebra, Banteng, Bactrian Camel, etc. And with it being chillier, it's a lot less crowded this time of year.
 
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