Want to see animals with the kids? Best Zoos IN Charlotte, NC!
Who doesn’t love a day trip to the zoo? Charlotte hosts some smaller zoo options, but there are really two main zoos within a few hours of Charlotte if you want a great experience with a ton of different animals and fun activities for your kiddos! Let’s explore the BEST zoos in Charlotte, NC.
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina | Zoos in Charlotte, NC
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a great place to visit! I have been there several times with my own kiddos and they always love it! If you have toddlers or babies and young children, I would recommend Riverbanks because the exhibits are a little closer together so it’s less walking for the little ones!
The zoo is divided into four different animal groups- birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles!
There is an aquarium which is always the toddler favorite! The fish are brightly colored and the aquariums glow and your kids can get right up close and personal to those tanks. In the mammal sections, they do have tigers, sea lions (my favorite!) koalas, rhinos, lions, and gorillas. (Just a small list from the mammals section!) Birdwise- they have both penguins and flamingos, as well as ton of other smaller birds. There are a lot of great animals at the Riverbanks Zoo, and your child will have a blast exploring! The zoo also offers a playground and a splash pad for the kids to cool off if it’s a hot day!
Children younger than 2 are FREE (yay!)
Ticket prices are $20+ per person depending on age, and there is a parking pass required.
North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro… ZooS in Charlotte NC
The North Carolina Zoo is the largest natural habitat zoo. The animals have large enclosures and are very spread out, so be prepared to do a lot of walking! (Would recommend bringing a wagon for the little ones!) This zoo has a ropes course for kids, a playground, and a carousel in additional to the large variety of animals that it showcases! It really is an awesome zoo in Charlotte, NC.
Their zoo animals are all classified by continent. On the North America side, there are wolves, bison, grizzly bears, black bears and a swamp habitat. They also have an African based habitat full of ostriches, giraffes, zebras, and hogs as well as a flamingo habitat too. The North Carolina Zoo is open year round, only closed on a few major holidays. They also have all of their feeding times listed on the website, so if you want to come during a time when zookeepers feed (or feed an animal yourself), check their website for times!
Tickets and pricing start around $13 and there is no parking fee. They also offer shuttles depending on where you park!
How to Choose… which Zoo in CHarlotte NC!?
You can’t go wrong with either zoo choice. If you have older kids full of energy, I would suggest the North Carolina Zoo because it requires a lot more walking which is greta to tire them out! If you have little ones that are just walking, The Riverbanks zoo might make more sense for you since those little ones have trouble making long treks sometimes!
Happy zoo visits!
