Florida: Zoo List

TinoPup said:
Lubee and White Oak are both tour-only, with tours being minimum $100; not sure if that qualifies as expensive or not. I've been working on a google map of east coast places and have color-coded markers for ones that are only open certain days, or are tour-only.
Click to expand...

That would most definitely count as expensive and I was extremely fortunate to have a free tour of White Oak back in 2008. The list of 119 zoos that I posted is clearly a work in progress as there are many others that you suggested that could be contenders as proper 'zoos' and some on the list I'm doubtful about due to their lack of visitor accessibility (like Lubee and White Oak). For instance, the swim-with-the-dolphin places are ones that I always debate over and I'm continually tempted to omit them from any 'Florida Zoo List'. But then again, if I'm going to count all of the dozen or more 'wolf sanctuaries' in the USA then I suppose that the dolphin facilities should probably be included as well. Defining what is a 'zoo' is a never-ending grey zone.
 
I agree, it's always a tough debate, even for personal lists. Another issue is when does a petting zoo/farm cross the bridge to be included? For me, it's having several wild species, or one major species. Ex bison, zebra, and white-tail, or wolves. I also don't count places that are just butterflies, but I know others do and understand that reasoning.
A lot of the dolphin facilities are now adding in a few other species to increase visitors/income, especially sloths.
 
snowleopard said:
Thanks to the excellent work of @TinoPup , I've been able to expand the list of Florida zoos to a whopping 119 establishments. There are many more captive wildlife facilities in the state, but I've been a little picky in assembling a list of 'accessible' locations. I haven't included anywhere that is only open for one or two days per month, or is almost entirely farm animals, or has extremely limited and expensive private tours, or is an outreach center that visits schools and businesses, etc. The 119 zoos below are all ones that are open to the public on a daily basis or are easily accessible via pre-booked tours and therefore it wouldn't be difficult to visit any of these zoos on a long Florida road trip.

119 Florida Zoos:

Alligator Attraction & Wildlife Learning Center (Madeira Beach)
Aquatica Orlando (Orlando)
Arnold’s Wildlife Rehab Center (Okeechobee)
Audubon Center for Birds of Prey (Maitland)
Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge (Orlando)
Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary (Sarasota)
Big Cat Rescue (Tampa)
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature (Bradenton)
Boyett’s Citrus Attraction (Brooksville)
Brevard Zoo (Melbourne)++
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (Tampa)++
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary (Jupiter)
Butterfly World (Coconut Creek)
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium (Fort Myers)
Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation (Gainesville)
Catty Shack Ranch (Jacksonville)
Central Florida Animal Reserve (St. Cloud)
Central Florida Zoo (Sanford)++
Clearwater Marine Aquarium (Clearwater)
Conservancy of Southwest Florida (Naples)
Croc Encounter (Tampa)
Dade City’s Wild Things (Dade City)
Daggerwing Nature Center (Boca Raton)
Discovery Cove (Orlando)++
Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Lake Buena Vista)++
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Lake Buena Vista)
Dolphin Connection (Duck Key)
Dolphin Research Center (Grassy Key)
Dolphins Plus: Bayside (Key Largo)
Dolphins Plus: Marine Mammal Responder (Key Largo)
Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Zoological Park (Crestview)
Everglades Alligator Farm (Homestead)
Everglades Holiday Park (Fort Lauderdale)
Everglades Outpost Wildlife Rescue (Homestead)
Everglades Safari Park (Miami)
Everglades Wonder Gardens (Bonita Springs)
Flamingo Gardens (Davie)
Florida Aquarium (Tampa)++
Florida International Teaching Zoo (Bushnell)
Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters (Marathon)
Florida Museum of Natural History: Butterfly Rainforest (Gainesville)
Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center (Stuart)
Gatorama (Palmdale)
Gator Golf Adventure Park (Orlando)
Gatorland (Orlando)
GatorWorld (Wildwood)
Genesis Zoological Center (Auburndale)
Giraffe Ranch (Dade City)
Golf N Gator (Cape Canaveral)
Green Cay Nature Center (Boynton Beach)
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park (Fort Walton Beach)
Gulf Breeze Zoo (Gulf Breeze)
Gulf Specimen Marine Lab (Panacea)
Gulf World Marine Park (Panama City Beach)
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (Boca Raton)
Hardee County Wildlife Refuge (Zolfo Springs)
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park (Homosassa)
IMAG: History and Science Center (Fort Myers)
Island Dolphin Care (Key Largo)
Jacksonville Zoo (Jacksonville)++
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Visitor Center & Aquarium (Key Largo)
Jungle Adventures (Christmas)
Jungle Island (Miami)
Key West Aquarium (Key West)
Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory (Key West)
Lion Country Safari (Loxahatchee)++
Lions, Tigers & Bears, Inc. (Arcadia)
Loggerhead Marinelife Center (Juno Beach)
Lubee Bat Conservancy (Gainesville)
Marineland Dolphin Adventure (St. Augustine)
Marine Science Center (Ponce Inlet)
McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary (West Palm Beach)
Miami Seaquarium (Miami)
Monkey Jungle (Miami)
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium (Sarasota)++
Naples Zoo (Naples)++
Obloy Family Ranch (Merritt Island)
Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary (Punta Gorda)
Ostego Bay Foundation (Fort Myers Beach)
Palm Beach Zoo (West Palm Beach)++
Panther Ridge Conservation Center (Loxahatchee)
Peace River Wildlife Center (Punta Gorda)
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (Miami)
Reptile Discovery Center (De Land)
Reptile World Serpentarium (Saint Cloud)
River Center (Jupiter)
Safari Edventure (Miami)
Safari Wilderness (Lakeland)
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo (Gainesville)++
Sarasota Jungle Gardens (Sarasota)
Save Our Seabirds: Wild Bird Learning Center (Sarasota)
Seacrest Wolf Preserve (Chipley)
Sea Life Orlando (Orlando)
SeaQuest Aquarium (Fort Lauderdale)
Seaside Seabird Sanctuary (Indian Shores)
Sea Turtle Hospital (Marathon)
SeaWorld Orlando (Orlando)++
Shell Factory & Nature Park (North Fort Myers)
Single Vision (Melrose)
Smooth Waters Wildlife Park (De Leon Springs)
South Florida Science Center and Aquarium (West Palm Beach)
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (St. Augustine)++
St. Augustine Aquarium (St. Augustine)
St. Lucie County Aquarium (Fort Pierce)
Suncoast Primate Sanctuary (Palm Harbor)
Tallahassee Museum (Tallahassee)
Tarpon Springs Aquarium (Tarpon Springs)
Theater of the Sea (Islamorada)
The Seas with Nemo & Friends (Epcot at Lake Buena Vista)++
Tree Hill Nature Center (Jacksonville)
Two Tails Ranch (Williston)
White Oak Conservation Center (Yulee)
Wild Florida (Kenansville)
Wildlife Survival Sanctuary (Spring Hill)
Wooten’s Animal Sanctuary & Alligator Park (Ochopee)
Zoological Wildlife Foundation (Miami)
Zoo Miami (Miami)++
ZooTampa at Lowry Park (Tampa)++
ZooWorld (Panama City Beach)


++ 17 zoos in Florida are AZA-accredited
Aquariums are in bold
Click to expand...
Santa Rosa Ranch (Jay)
Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida (Pensacola)
Bear Creek Feline Center (Panama City)
St. Andrews State Park (Panama City)
Morningside Nature Center (Gainesville)
Nature Center (Fernandina Beach)
St. Augustine Wild Reserve (St. Augustine)
Ears Animal Sanctuary (Citra)
Skunkie Acres (Citra)
Ocala Petting Zoo (Ocala)
Trout Lake Nature Center (Eustis)
CARE Foundation (Apopka)
Wekiwa Springs State Park (Apopka)
Orlando Science Center (Orlando)
Oakland Nature Preserve (Oakland)
Crystal Springs Preserve (Zephyrhils)
George C McGough Nature Park (Largo)
Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary (Wimauma)
Hobe Sound Nature Center (Hobe Sound)
Parrot Outreach Society (Punta Gorda)
31 Produce (Alva)
MacArthur Beach Nature Center (North Palm Beach)
Okeeheelee Nature Center (West Palm Beach)
Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Sanibel)
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (Sanibel)
Sawgrass Nature Center (Coral Springs)
Fern Forest Nature Center (Coconut Creek)
Bonita Nature Place (Bonita Springs)
Discovery Reptiles (Naples)
Secret Woods Nature Center (Fort Lauderdale)
Anne Kolb Nature Center (Hollywood)
Gator Park (Miami)
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station (Miami)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center (Key Biscayne)
Pinecrest Gardens (Pinecrest)
Bill Sadowski Hammock Preserve (Palmetto Bay)
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary (Tavernier)
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center (Key West)
 
drill said:
Santa Rosa Ranch (Jay)
Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida (Pensacola)
Bear Creek Feline Center (Panama City)
St. Andrews State Park (Panama City)
Morningside Nature Center (Gainesville)
Nature Center (Fernandina Beach)
St. Augustine Wild Reserve (St. Augustine)
Ears Animal Sanctuary (Citra)
Skunkie Acres (Citra)
Ocala Petting Zoo (Ocala)
Trout Lake Nature Center (Eustis)
CARE Foundation (Apopka)
Wekiwa Springs State Park (Apopka)
Orlando Science Center (Orlando)
Oakland Nature Preserve (Oakland)
Crystal Springs Preserve (Zephyrhils)
George C McGough Nature Park (Largo)
Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary (Wimauma)
Hobe Sound Nature Center (Hobe Sound)
Parrot Outreach Society (Punta Gorda)
31 Produce (Alva)
MacArthur Beach Nature Center (North Palm Beach)
Okeeheelee Nature Center (West Palm Beach)
Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Sanibel)
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (Sanibel)
Sawgrass Nature Center (Coral Springs)
Fern Forest Nature Center (Coconut Creek)
Bonita Nature Place (Bonita Springs)
Discovery Reptiles (Naples)
Secret Woods Nature Center (Fort Lauderdale)
Anne Kolb Nature Center (Hollywood)
Gator Park (Miami)
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station (Miami)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center (Key Biscayne)
Pinecrest Gardens (Pinecrest)
Bill Sadowski Hammock Preserve (Palmetto Bay)
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary (Tavernier)
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center (Key West)
Click to expand...
Wow.
 
Some of those don't meet what snowleopard is looking for. Bold are ones that I think can be added:

Santa Rosa Ranch (Jay) – Cows only
Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida (Pensacola)
Bear Creek Feline Center (Panama City) - $100+ for tours
St. Andrews State Park (Panama City) – small aquarium tank
Morningside Nature Center (Gainesville)
Nature Center (Fernandina Beach) (assuming you mean Omni Amelia Island Nature Center?)
St. Augustine Wild Reserve (St. Augustine) – only do pre-booked tours on certain days
Ears Animal Sanctuary (Citra) – Tours are one day a month
Skunkie Acres (Citra) – open 3 days a week
Ocala Petting Zoo (Ocala) – farm animals, camels, a zebra, a squirrel monkey
Trout Lake Nature Center (Eustis)
CARE Foundation (Apopka) – minimum $100 for tours
Wekiwa Springs State Park (Apopka) small local species
Orlando Science Center (Orlando)
Oakland Nature Preserve (Oakland) fish and turtles
Crystal Springs Preserve (Zephyrhils) a few reptiles and amphibians
George C McGough Nature Park (Largo) birds of prey
Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary (Wimauma) – only do 2 tours on Saturdays, and the first Sunday of each month
Hobe Sound Nature Center (Hobe Sound)
Parrot Outreach Society (Punta Gorda) – this is an adoption center, not a place to go look at species
31 Produce (Alva) – farm animals
MacArthur Beach Nature Center (North Palm Beach)
Okeeheelee Nature Center (West Palm Beach)
Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Sanibel)
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (Sanibel) – Nature center is currently closed, I can’t find anything on them having animal exhibits?
Sawgrass Nature Center (Coral Springs)
Fern Forest Nature Center (Coconut Creek)
Bonita Nature Place (Bonita Springs)
Discovery Reptiles (Naples) – traveling zoo
Secret Woods Nature Center (Fort Lauderdale)
Anne Kolb Nature Center (Hollywood)
Gator Park (Miami)
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station (Miami)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center (Key Biscayne) – a couple of small tanks
Pinecrest Gardens (Pinecrest) – farm animals only
Bill Sadowski Hammock Preserve (Palmetto Bay)
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary (Tavernier)
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center (Key West) – this is Mote Marine Lab, which is already listed/AZA
 
Interesting note about Pinecrest Gardens, it's the former home of Parrot Jungle.
 
new herptile facility, Ty Park's (millionaire) Iguanaland, Punta Gorda, Florida by appointment. A video preview on Kamp Kenon website.
 
There is a local farm sanctuary near where I live called HAPPI Farms. They are mostly domestics, but have a couple of farm exotics like Emu, Mallards, wild-type Muscovy Ducks, Bobwhite and Rock Partridge, as well as what I imagine are rescued pets like Sulcata and Red-footed Tortoises, Pond Sliders, Blue-tongued Skink, Pygmy Hedgehog, Degus and Florida Kingsnake. I wouldn't consider it a zoological facility personally, but with some of the places that were added to this list, it might be to some.
 
Horse Power for Kids in Oldsmar (outside of Tampa) definitely meets the criteria. They have a load of domestics, but also dromedary camel, white tail deer, sloth, bats, tortoises, domestic and exotic birds, capybara, fossa, ring tailed lemur, ruffed lemur, kinkajou, fennec fox, emu, zebra/donkey hybrid, wolf/dog hybrid, red fox, etc.
$12 and open daily.
 
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