About
The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a 116-acre zoo and botanical garden located north of Orlando, Florida in Sanford. As a not-for-profit organization, it is a leader in conservation, providing experiences that inspire actions on behalf of wildlife.
About Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
I appreciated the effort and educational aspects of the Central Florida Zoo, but as an animal lover, I honestly left feeling a little disappointed. Some of the enclosures felt small and gave more of a ‘caged’ feeling than a natural habitat environment, and several animals didn’t seem very active or enriched during my visit. The zoo also has fewer large animals than I expected. In my opinion, it’s probably best suited for younger children and families looking for a smaller, simple zoo experience. The staff was friendly and the grounds were fairly clean, but I personally hoped for more spacious habitats and a stronger focus on animal enrichment and overall atmosphere.
We attended the Asian Lantern Festival light show at the CF zoo. What a wonderful display! So many colorful experiences. Parking was free. I heard a worker explain that it took over 30 days to set it up.
It was a beautiful day at the zoo. I thought it was going to be bigger but overall it was a good day. The animals were active and really seemed to enjoy the kids. Alot of schools had their field trip today . So arriving early was good. Only thing that was disappointing was that we couldn't ride the train .
We went on mother's day when they had mom's get in free. Was kind of pricey for just one child. Still $20. We went earlier in the day, it did get more and more crowded. It was nice though. Clean, well kept. A child was lost while we were there and they seemed to have a system in place and handled it calmly and you could see staff as we walked around on alert and all communicating.
The Sanford Zoo is a must do while in town! My fiance wanted to go for her birthday and I had not been back since I was a kid so I was a little worried. I was extremely pleasently surprised! The exhibits were really nice, the activites were priced well, and the snacks were well priced, satisfactory, and filling. The staff was welcoming and simply amazing in every way. Special shout out to Kelton at the grass feeding attraction for being hilarious, kind, and really making our trip extra special. I loved every second of it and I will be coming back for Brews at the Zoo!