My family visited the zoo today, and I cant express what a lovely express experience it was. The zoo is as much a park showing off the best of Florida as it is an animal exhibit, and my family was never at a loss for a beautiful meadow or wild animal to view.I also want to say that I was quite pleased to see a zoo manager confront two people who werent wearing masks. Despite a lot of anger from these grown children, she stood her ground, looking out for the well-being of the rest of the zoo attendees. For that, I cannot thank her enough.

If youre looking for a big city zoo this isnt the place. But if youre looking to spend part of your day enjoying Florida nature and some really cute animals youll enjoy it! You can feed the giraffe, which is pretty cool, and some of the petting area animals. (The llama is funny) Overall an enjoyable experience.

Its a smaller zoo, but one of the most natural looking zoos Ive ever been to. They have a nice selection of animals (from giraffes and cheetahs to crocodiles and macaws) and a few that I had not seen at any other zoo (Indian rhino and fossa). The ground is mostly wood instead of hard cement and between exhibits are tons of trees and natural-looking land (like a marsh or forest). You can do the whole zoo in about 2 hours.The staff is SO nice. The keepers are excited to chat with you about the animals and everyone else is just super friendly.Its a little pricey for a zoo of that size and their map isnt the easiest to read (we got turned around a few times).

We arrived at open. I dont recommend arriving at open as they do not have all the exhibits up and going until closer to 930. We enjoyed seeing the many different animals, and liked how close you could get to viewing the rhino, however, felt a few others like the cheetah could have been in larger enclosures

Great place to take younger kids. Lots of animals to see and feed. Splash park and playground upon entrance. Recommend getting there early at opening while not crowded and leaving for lunch before nap time.

Go for the experience. This is a small zoo. There are butterflies all over. Great for little kids. The do try to keep people to keep their distance. A few places were closed. Never saw the Rinos. The bears we fun to watch. We were there about an hour.

It was nice seeing the animals even though we couldnt find the leopard (neither could the associate). More crowded than anticipated and there wasnt much enforcement of mask policy. Most guests wore them but took them off after entering which I didnt like, and there were no associates roaming to enforce social distancing either. Overall a nice visit but I wouldnt go back until covid clears.

The animals are well cared for. The grounds are lovely. The splash pad was a fun place for the kids to cool off. The area for petting and feeding goats and llama was adorable.

You have to wear masks in most of the park, there are some places where there are signs that says you can take your mask off. Very clean zoo, I enjoy it. Its small but fun

Small zoo that can be seen in 1.5 hours depending how fast you go through. Neat to see the animals though. Lots of cool flowers and plants throughout. The park has discounts available.

ABSOLUTELY love this zoo. Its not too big. Clean, wonderful staff. The extra fun stuff is great too. Splash pad, sling bounce etc., Well worth it.

Very good experience for the kids and spend it with the family. It is a small zoo although it has a lot of land. I loved the splash pad so that the children can cool off after the walk. The only thing that would be missing in more shady areas for one to be able to take a break from the heat and sun. The rest was very good, everything clean and the animals very well cared for.

Great place to visit during covid. They have a mask mandate and social distancing is encouraged so your mouth breathing fellow citizens will have to be a decent human whether they like it or not. My toddler got to feed lettuce to a giraffe and it made his day.

We had a great time, even with the impacted operations. Going in the morning, social distancing was no problem at all and we often found ourselves alone with many animals.Its definitely not a huge zoo, especially compared to Tampa, Brevard, or Miami, but given the convenience, it has enough to see for the cost. Giraffes, cheetahs, a black bear, a Indian Rhino, on top of many smaller animals. It could use more, but with support, more could happen.It is in a great location, just off of I-4, and has beautiful trees and gardens throughout. Shade is not a problem and a very solid splash pad is available for kids.If you go, dont miss the small insect zoo just before the zoo entrance. They had a good amount of bugs, frogs, and other reptiles inside and its air conditioned. During our time, we had no issues going inside any buildings and were at points the only group inside.The zoo is beautiful, well kept, and promising. A couple hours is enough to see it all with time to spare.Overall, as long as you dont set too high of expectations, youll have a great time!

My little girl 3-12 years old, has decided she loves porcupines. Closest zoo I found with porcupines, over 2 hour drive from my home. So I called and left a message to make sure they were available to see, I received a call a little later and was assured they were. The following morning I received another call and was told that someone would meet me at the exhibit to insure my little girl wouldn’t be disappointed. She brought some food and spent a lot of time feeding them, explaining them and even had some porcupine hair and quills for us to experience. Awesome zoo, awesome people, awesome porcupines and best reptile and amphibian exhibit I’ve ever seen.

A perfect place to take the kids. Its the perfect size to spend a few hours. Staff is super friendly and currently they are taking lots of precautions with covid. Always an amazing time.

What a great time spent at the zoo. Lots to enjoy watching the different animals.Feeding giraffes and the cheetahs. Great place to get some walking in while talking in some views of natural wildlife.

The zoo itself is amazing. So many animals to see, I really enjoyed going here with my family.

A wonderful day with the kids at the zoo is waiting for you! Been here many times over the years with the kids at various ages and they always had a great time. Cant go wrong here. Try the zip lines and train ride!

Tbh going to this Zoo made me depressed. maybe its covid 19 maybe its just a sad Zoo. employees were all zombie looking and animals were almost non existent and looked either bored or pacing back in forth (small enclosures.) I wont be going back. Go once and see for yourself.

Really great family friendly place with nice staff members and social distancing possibilities.

Asian Lantern Festival in December, 2019 at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, FL is amazing! Great family fun each evening and bring your walking shoes. The dragon is 30 feet high and 1000 feet long! Beautiful Asian music from the boardwalk and live music performers also along the friendly and well staffed boardwalk path. Wheelchair rentals, gift shops, and full concession cafe are available. A fantastic evening out and well worth the drive!

My 10 month old son and I went for the first time and we both had a blast here! He absolutely loved the water park!!

Fewer animals than they had 20 years ago but my grandson and I had a very good time.

Small Zoo that is kept in great condition. I was very impressed with the condition of the animals. They are quite healthy judging by the fullness of their bodies. Their coats or plumage are healthy and clean. Congratulations to the management and workers who take care of this Zoo.

I love this zoo. Its not super big so if youre looking for something extravagant, its not the place for you. But the experience I think is more personal BECAUSE its not so big. The petting zoo part next to the giftshop is great. Andre the Llama was totally down to be pet and pose for picture. And the splash pad towards the end is a great way to cool off on a hot Florida day.

Beautiful variety of gardens, walks, and wildlife. Multi-generational adventures. Café and gift shop. Hydrate and use sunscreen!

Nice little zoo. Lots of beautiful flowers and foliage. Walkways in complete shade. Beautiful animal enclosures and a different variety of animals from other local zoos.

A wonderful place to take the kids! I live in St Augustine but have been coming to the central Florida zoo since I was a kid.We just took our 3y/o for his birthday and he loved it! Highly recommend!

This was a shockingly large zoo, especially being relatively hidden from view. It certainly blew away my expectations and found the experience amazing. Animals appear extremely cared for and the animal care-takers themselves seem to genuinely care for them. Will be back many times!

This Zoo does have a very nice range of animals to discover. Defiantly though this park Shines in the entertainment for our younger crowd. With playgrounds scattered and even a waterpark this Zoo is sure to Wow you and your family. And if your hungry be sure to stop in at the incorporated Sonnys Restaurant built in! Lastly the giraffe feeding is truly beautiful and very worth.

Great night at Sunset at the Zoo. Not crowded, adult beverages for the stroll to see the animals followed by Sonnys BBQ with live music.

If there ever was a good time to go out and get some fresh air, see exotic animals, and enjoy nature, now would be the perfect time. It was not crowded at all and my 2 year old absolutely loved the playground and the water splash areas. Great experience!!!

Great experience. Animals are well cared for, the zoo is nicely appropriated, and staff is very friendly. They are taking CDC recommended precautions seriously, must have a mask.

Took the grandsons,we really enjoyed it. Loved the black bear and the giraffes. Had a great time! Very nice!

Went to Sunset at the Zoo. So fun & relaxing. Enjoyed the animals, food and live music.

Is a very nice Zoo. I read some negative reviews but what do people expect for $20. If they want more then go to Animal Kingdom and pay like $100. The staff was nice and is a plus that the kids can cool down on the water splash. The only thing I did not like it was that the bears did not have enough shade and they had a fan but it was very far away. Please get the bears more shade! Other than that we really liked it.

Its a beautiful walking zoo with lots of trees and a splash pad for the kids.

Love our little zoo in Sanford. The staff is putting a lot of effort into creating a good home for the animals and a fun experience for the visitors. Love the after hour events!

The zoo had great precautions for Covid while creating a wonderful experience to see the animals. My 1.5 year old daughter had a wonderful first time at the zoo! Thank you!

Very nice and relaxing. Enjoyed seeing all the animals. My roommate even got to feed a giraffe.

Nice small zoo. Not too crowded the day we were there so a very leisurely wander through with two small kids was great. They have an Asian lantern festival in December and January. They were in the process of removing them the day we were there so a couple of exhibits were closed, but the lanterns looked like they would be fun to see light up at night. Water park and playground were fun for the kids also.

Its a great place for a day trip. Nice to relax and walk around and see interesting animals from around the world.

Its a nice little zoo. It doesnt take long to go through the whole area, and its pretty clean. Not too much interaction goes on but theres the occasional animal feeding interaction going on throughout the zoo. There arent too many places with fans or cool air for summer, so its good to bring some water or know where to take a break. Theres also two playgrounds I noticed; one is a water playground and the other is standard. Overall, its pretty good. The only thing you might be irritated with is if youre eating then you attract squirrels so be mindful of them.

Was really nice. We did the two hour class and loved it for homeschoolers. Instructers very knowledgeable and nice. Kids enjoyed very much.

*If I could leave -5 stars I would*Dino,We met earlier on the afternoon of 9/10/20 (I just now realized I was mainly speaking with you the entire time) and I just wanted to briefly express again my disgust in how the situation with my family was handled. To begin with, Jessica Johanson, your Guest Services rep, was clearly looking for a confrontation. I have zero reasons to lie at this point and I gain nothing from it. When she asked everyone to put on their masks, we put on our masks. I turned around, looking into the direction of the giraffes and when I turned back around, she was still standing there, staring at me. At this point I asked her to leave me and my family alone - this was obviously extremely triggering for her, as her next reaction was to get on her walkie-talkie for backup. She then told us we had to leave, so we proceeded to leave. As this wasnt bad enough for my 5 year old to see, apparently everyone who was working at the Zoo had to follow us out. Granted, I get it, Im sure you have certain protocols for certain insane hypothetical situations, but this was poor discretion on everyones part. No one was a threat and everyone was walking out, but yet 8+ people needed to be around us.I also wanted to mention that one of the officers that spoke to me, stated that there was arguing back and forth. Yes, there was, after we were already thrown out of the Zoo. Again, this needs to be hammered in - we complied, but Jessica lingered, seemingly wanting to get into a confrontation. I wanted to be left the hell alone. I do admit, some immature words were stated (not by me or the individual who paid) and a few of us apologized on his behalf - but it needs to be noted for the record that those words were used, after we were already kicked out. Still doesnt make it right/acceptable, because it is not, but it does give the situation proper context.Lastly, I just wanted to point out the extreme hypocrisy your staff and even yourself either stated or did while we were at the Zoo.1). About every 10 feet or so inside the Zoo, we all are reminded to social distance. Well, your employees didnt practice that, as I have pictures of them congregating together. Also, I found it interesting that one employee, Stephanie Williams (Zoo Director), while escorting me out, was probably no more than a foot away from me and I asked her why she wasnt social distancing from me and her reply was laughable, Well, because I am wearing a mask. Now, obviously you are a reasonably intelligent man Dino, therefore, I dont need to flesh out as to why that statement is beyond contradictory to just about everything the Zoo and the entire World is doing right now. Maybe take down the silly signs if that is the case, people are wearing masks inside the Zoo, correct? Therefore, by this logic that Stephanie used, one doesnt need to social distance. Although I greatly differ from probably everyone on your staffs outlook in regards to how Government is handling the Covid19 situation, I do respect consistency in logic and reason, even if I do disagree.2). Before Jessica approached us, my family and I were actually having a conversation with one of your employees at the giraffe exhibit. The conversation was totally normal and pleasant. However, looking back...she WASNT wearing a mask and she was helping out the giraffes. Now, I do reflect Dino that you were attempting to inform me that the mask wearing was not only protection for me and others, but for the animals. My suggestion, have your team follow the strict rules you want to enforce so badly (to the point of wasting the time of men with guns escorting us off the property) and get those giraffes tested for Covid stat. Again, I would respect the consistency.

I have been visiting this zoo since I was a little boy, now i’m grown with children of my own and am still enjoying as are they like it’s my first time. They have done a lot to keep this place fun and relevant. I appreciate all the work that’s gone in. Wonderful place to spend the day with your family or friends. I highly recommend it, not pricey for a days worth of fun

Our two toddlers had a blast wearing costumes and getting candy. Everything was very safe and clean despite good crowds.

It is great, even with covid around everyone was wearing a mask. Staff was great.But the animals were the best to watch.Will go back

Nice and peaceful place. Ideal for kids...

Not a bad smaller zoo. Most of the pathway throughout the exhibits were treated wood decking all of which could have used a good pressure washing. Many of the older benches were very low making it harder for folks with knee problems to get up.The small gauge train is kinda neat for the smaller crowd. Not a large assortment of animals, but not bad for the size of the park. Prices are reasonable with senior and military discounts.

Recommend going on a weekday to avoid (Covid-19) crowds. Some shade with the trees canopy, but still hot to spend all day at end of October. Really nice for young kids (with 3 yo), has a playground and splashpad. A lot of the animals were napping mid-day but still fun to see. Hand sanitizer stations all through the park. Lots of tables to eat at and occasional open area pit stops where you can take off your mask. Bears, giraffes, leopards, birds, rhino, snakes, lots of animals here!

Awesome place, beautiful animals.

IF YOU ARE VISITING THE ZOO PLEASE MAKE SURE NOT TO BRING IN BAGS OR CALL IN ADVANCE PRIOR TO ENTERING...THE ENTRANCE EMPLOYEE MADE IT A BIG DEAL MY WIFE AND I HAD A SMALL BAG FOR MY 2 YEAR OLD SONS MILK BOTTLES ...I HAD WALK BACK TO MY CAR TO TAKE THE SMALL BAG TO BE ALLOWED IN....WHEN WALKING BACK I NOTICED HE ALLOWED OTHER VISITORS WITH LARGE BAGS IN WITH NO PROBLEM....I FEEL IF YOURE GOING TO INFORCE RULES DO IT FOR ALL NOT JUST SOME....DEFINITELY NOT RETURNING AFTER THIS!!!!

This zoo is awesome! There are many animals to look at and learn about. The staff is amazing!

Beautiful local zoo. Small enough that youre able to see everything in one day but still has a lot to offer.

Worse zoo ever. Drove 1 hour 20 minutes no animals were out. They said there were tigers and loins..none of those. There was hardly no staff none of the exhibit buildings were open. We ended up only seeing about 6 animals. There was no feeding animals and no animal encounters as posted.

My two sons’ and I have visited many amazing zoos in the past.Our family loves visiting the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Florida.My Youngest son Rain wants to be a Zoologist after he graduates from high school.Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens has some of the most beautiful zoo animals in the world.This amazing zoo has the most breathtaking botanical garden located north of Orlando, Florida.The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens is near the intersection of I-4 & Hwy 17-92 near the city of Sanford.This awesome zoo has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 2011.

Beautiful place to enjoy a day out with family and friends!

Amazing place! Me and my husband had SO much fun! Very polite staff, nice and clean place, very interesting for adults and, of course, for children.

Nice zoo. Good collection for its size. Nice play areas for the kids. Includes a “splash zone” area.

Best place for a relaxing date. You can also feed the giraffes it was really fun!

I havent been to many zoos, but this on is more interactive with zip cording through trees, moth and butterfly exhibit, along with poisonous animals on display. But the real reason we went was for the Asian Lantern Festival which ends in January. Its a beautiful stroll through the zoo and garden starting at 6. Mind you bring some mosquito repellent, this is central Florida after all. Also its not free but not expensive and definitely worth seeing. Kids will enjoy. Ive attached some pics of these hand made lanterns for your enjoyment.

I loved this place everything clean, good proceso

Don’t waste your time or money, barely any animals, nobody there to really help, the kids splash area is limited because of COVID, I will never go back and I don’t recommend... at least for ME and my family we were disappointed. We would have liked to see more animals or attractions And a friendlier staff, Sorry if I sound harsh but they need to better their service. Not much to see and do.

Its not the biggest zoo or the coolest youve ever been to, but for what it is, this place is great.

Went downhill over last ten years. Sad to see bears in such a small enclosure. Not much to see, train broken, and they call themselves a theme park, so with it being located in a very moist, humid area, the mandatory mask is absurd. No one there. Very dreary, and just felt depressing, so we wont be back.

A great place to learn about the natural world around us. Our zoos are hurting now more than ever, but the Central Florida Zoo remains clean, friendly, and vigilant about social distancing. Please consider the zoo for your next outing. In groups smaller than ten of course :-)

They didnt have to many animals and there was just alot if open space to make it seem bigger

Great family activity and with a toddler and grand parents. Outdoor zoo with a variety of animals. There are animal encounters and presentations throughout the day. In the summer there is a ok water area for the kids. Food... I recommend eating before, bringing snacks and planning to eat after. If your not expect hot dogs and chips. Of course like any Florida excursion there is access to beer, hard seltzer and wine. Open space areas where you can spread out to take off your mask. Plenty of rest areas to have a seat. Lastly with Covid I appreciated seeing workers wipe down the glass for animal exhibits but there was not hand sanitizers for public access so bring your own.

Absolutely awesome zoo! Only 20 bucks to get in and a mini water area to cool off at! The animals are well taken care of and exhibits are spacious. Glad to see the zoo is having a lantern exhibit at night looks neat!

The zoo is perfect for a small child. We came and spent around 3-4 hours with our 2 year old son. They also have a scale sized train that goes for a ride around outside of the zoo. For my son, my wife and myself I paid 8$ which was totally worth it with how much my son loved the ride. He was excited to see the different animals and he loved the reptile house. There is a small sand pit area for the children to play in as well as a small water park that the other children loved. When you pass the water park area there is a feeding/ petting area. Watch out for Andre the llama. He will try to keep all of the food to himself.

So many cute animals!!! A great place to go with family, friends, significant others or even by yourself! They even have cute little statues to take pictures with or of. Theres also a butterfly bench that makes it look like you have wings when you sit down!

Really great place to visit. Unfortunately it was raining when we visited, but we still had a lot of fun! We saw so many different animals and the gardens are beautiful! We are definitely going back to visit again!

Nice little zoo! Some exhibits werent open, but I believe the prices were discounted because of it. We only had one encounter with a staff member and that was at the otter exhibit. She was extremely nice.

Zip Line was amazing!! Big props to William for guiding us through the zip line courses safely. We had a blast!

Nice zoo to check out. Was there a little over 2 hours.

This zoo was so small! They have no elephants, no tigers, no lions, no kangaroos & more! But they do let the kids feed the animals so of course you have to buy the food which I thought was awesome. They have a train ride, zip-line, bungee jumping, & a water park area. They did have some cheetahs, cougars, a jaguar, a few different monkeys, rhinos, bears, giraffes, tortoises, warthogs, llama, alpaca, goats, donkeys & I believe that was it. Of course they have their reptile enclosure buildings but from being out of town I expected more coming here but this was the only zoo close to Orlando. I liked that the walking trial made you feel like you were in the wild with the animals.

Great place for kids..dont forget the splash park..Bring clothes lol

It was my first time. Went with family that was visiting. We had a great time.

Very nice small zoo that was great for a day out!

Fun activities with kids, water spout playground, bungee jump for kids, good animal visibility, giraffe feeding, zipline for adults and separate line for kids over 5.

The zoo is clean, it has a lot of shade, lots of tree, but you can hardly see the animals, they don’t have much to see, not like in the pictures. The little animals they got, hardly come out, they hiding, sleeping, hot, and tired; it’s almost sad. I gave it 3 stars cuz the place is beautiful and cool.

Took our granddaughter here and though we enjoyed it there arent a lot of exhibits to see. Many animals were not viewable either. Her highlight was the splash pad.

Took my granddaughter and had a great time. Clean with nice boardwalk for most of the park.

Family night was nice. Unfortunately, there were no crowd control. There were several people in very small areas which it could be controled by staff and how many people can be in a small area. Also, after getting in, several people NOT wearing their masks, once again, no staff was enforcing this. Sad but true.

Great homeschool family programs. And the most reasonable mask policy out of anywhere weve been lately. Fantastic zoo.

Small quaint zoo. You can do the whole zoo in about 2 hours. Staff is friendly. Cages are small and not a lot of animals, but what they have they do well. The zoo camps they offer are some of the best I have seen. That is the main reason we have a pass.

Friendly staff, visually appealing, clean, fun splash pad, giraffe feeding & meet rhino experiences.

Awesome family environment. Many opportunities for interaction. The kids (Elementary age) loved it and were so excited about the many rope courses and zip lining options. The train was also a hit. The animal enclosures allowed for good views and the playground was great. There is also a Sonnys on site!

Asian Lantern Festival has great lights display put together by craftsmen from Sichuan, China. A great evening outing place in this holiday season!

We adore this local to us zoo! We always renew our annual pass and it’s a great place to just swing by with the kids to check in with the animals and have some fun. The education is great too with the bear exhibit!

Not really crowded and a good experience

They did a great job during this time. They made sure to constantly sanitize and made sure everyone had on a mask. All of the tables were spaced apart. We really enjoyed ourselves.

The zoo is decent but my review is based on the harsh and strictly reinforced mask policy. For an outdoor zoo and 90 degree temps this is just unrealistic. Kids don’t have to wear masks but adults do and I was told it was “for the protection of the animals” So don’t go until the County comes around and lifts the mask mandate cause your choice will be heat stroke or being kicked out! Oh wait except for the kids splash pad. That’s the one place in the zoo where there is no mask reinforcement or social distancing. I appreciate their inconsistency and we’ll likely just come to the splash pad until November

Central Florida Zoo went above and beyond my expectations. When we arrived (10:30am) there was ample free parking which is rare these days! The young man at the ticket counter was very pleasant to talk to and was extremely patient with our disorganized group of 9. The walk into the Zoo was nice. Not too crowded, nice shady trees, beautiful artwork!We walked around for a couple hours and still didnt see everything they have to offer. Theres a very large variety of animals and reptiles! Our group consisted of small children and the elderly so we were happy to find there are plenty of benches, shaded places to rest and bathrooms throughout the park.Theres a Sonnys BBQ restaurant and quite a few concession stands, both were pretty reasonably priced for a Zoo! My son and niece really enjoyed the playground and splash pad as an added bonus. Even with the 115 heat index today, we had a fantastic time and will visit this place again.

Its really nice to be able to go to the zoo for adults only except for the fact that most animals are not available is the only thing that I felt was unfair its more of a hangout for adults but it was still nice to be able to go and see some animal

Had a wonderful afternoon at the zoo. Although we did not adventure into the zoo itself we had an amazing adventure on the zip line and brought a picnic. Definitely had a fun day!

Extremely disappointing! I was personally attacked by a rude staff. They are making you were a mask to protect the animals! Ridiculous. Its 80 degrees out, sun and by the way there is NO scientific evidence that animals contract covid 19. So disappointing.

Good little zoo. Decent exhibits. Really enjoyed the herpetology exhibit. The otters were a favorite as well. There is a splash pad for the kids and Sonnys BBQ onsite.The only thing negative is that some of the predators looked a little bored. The bears and the big cats (leopard and cheetah) were just pacing back and forth like they were bored out of their minds. It was a little depressing seeing such beautiful creatures relegated to small spaces.