Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Very nice zoo ! Gardens were beautiful as well ! Children's garden was large. There is also a hiking trail on the way to the gardens . It is paved & the first part is wheelchair accessible , tho bumpy.

Not the biggest zoo you'll ever go to, but the ticket price is very reasonable. You can definitely spend a good four hours just in the zoo section without even checking out the gardens .

Parent tip: if you don't have money for your kids to buy animal food just look down. You'll find tons of lettuce for the giraffes and food for the goats and alpacas. Score!

beautiful zoo ! great penguin, koala, and meerkat exhibit . take the kids on a nice day and enjoy! also makes a great date! just avoid in the summer, HOT!

Sadly, the elephant exhibit closed in November 2019. The elephant Robin died peacefully of natural causes and the remaining elephant Belle was moved to the Milwaukee zoo to join other elephants.

This is basically the only thing to do in Columbia. But it's actually a good zoo . The tortoises are VERY BIG.

Better than expected, great zoo . A lot of reptiles and monkeys. The admission was at a reasonable cost . Set aside an afternoon for this place. Also you can walk around with the kangaroos Read more

Also, you aren't the only guest who wants to feed a giraffe . There has to be enough for everyone. They aren't fed all day in order to keep them healthy. Take responsibility and know the schedule.

Changing table in the woman's RR, be switch inside a larger stall ......dang why does it have to be at entrance, for my girls private moments to be notice by all entering the RR.....Not Cool,

Go early in the morning on weekends. It turns into a real zoo later in the day.

They have cute animals and stunning gardens and there's fun for every age

Such a great zoo , amazing how much it's grown the past few decades.

Giraffes are not hamsters . It costs a lot of money to house, feed, exhibit , and vet several of these large exotics . The $2 for a handful of greens goes directly toward their care.

This is a great little zoo with a variety of animals and a very friendly staff . Boo at the Zoo in October is fun too!

Best zoo I've ever been to. Always upgrading for the better.

The three new exhibits are pretty sweet!!!

Large variety of great animals!! Perfect place to spend an afternoon

Great place to bring the kiddos....animals, pony rides , great gifts , toys , and food, and Face Painting !

Been here alot has a kid. Now I plan to take my son here. Awesome place for family trips

A great walking zoo ! Really looking forward to all the new exhibits opening in 2015!!

Go to the aquarium , the most peaceful and enjoyable place... The diver comes at 12:30 and 3:30

Best zoo ever!! Lights at Christmas are a great addition!!

Be sure to dress your little one in their costume for Boo at the zoo

Make sure to see the elephants, and the penguins, they seem to be the most active of all the animals. The rest of the bunch were just sleeping. We were there around 11am

Had so much fun here. Enjoyed the Christmas light show but most of the animals are sleep and put away during this event .

Everything

Come at 9am when the zoo opens! It's peaceful and the animals are usually very active. It's not too hot this early either!

Wonderful exhibits & beautiful gardens .

Make sure to make time for Sky High Safari - the high ropes course! SO FUN!

Be sure to see the new giraffe babies and the baboon baby is very cute and fun to watch.

Get here early and beat the crowd. Go feed the giraffes !

Small zoo with a lot of exhibits .

Very nice but very small for how popular this zoo is. Be careful you may be waiting in the parking lot to purchase tickets.

Come at 9am when the zoo opens It's peaceful and the animals are usually very active.

Feed the birds and make sure to stop by the kangaroo exhibit !

Wait until next year (2015) to go. They are doing a lot of construction as of 3/13/14. Quite a few of the animals are gone temporarily and the rest just look pathetic in their cages.

Great place to bring the family without breaking the bank !

Anytime we're back home we ALWAYS go. The bird house and aquarium are where we spend most of our time.

Loved the tortoises

Come enjoy this nice zoo

Wonderful time with Stefanie on a beautiful day in Columbia SC

Love those koalas!

I went here a few weeks ago. It was soo FUN but the lions was sleep when i came:(

Feed the giraffes

Feeding the lorikeets is definitely worth the $2. Feeding the giraffes is a rip off.

Come early to feed the giraffes and lorikeets !

If your going to see the lights take broad river to greystone to avoid the interstate bottleneck

Beautiful scenery

Had a wonderful day on a swing in the Botanical Gardens =)

The gardens were nice, but not much color while I was there. However, the zoo is amazing! Read more