Travel | Jacksonville Zoo

So in case you don't follow me on social media (@estherlaurien on twitter and instagram!) I am currently in Jacksonville, Florida for two sweaty weeks visiting my sister and her family. She just had a third baby girl in May, so I am loving snuggling with her and running around with the older two (ages 7 and 3). Naturally, we all love the zoo and Jax has a really nice one to boot!

I thought I would just give a little bit of an overview over what the Jax Zoo has to offer. First off, since it's in Florida it's open pretty much all the time. Besides having an awesome array of animals to look at, they also have "experiences" that involve things like:

• Airboat and kayak rentals
• Behind the scence tours
• Bird Watching
• Butterfly Hollow
• A Play Park and Splash Pad
• Stingray Bay

...and so many more. Some of them cost extra, some of them don't. If there is something that catches your eye, I suggest looking into it before going so you can see if costs more or not.

Obviously the main attraction at a zoo is the animals. Jax certainly has a ton of those, broken down into about 12 different exhibits.

• Titanoboa: Prehistoric mega snake
• The newest exhibit with lots of large snakes.
• Wild Florida
• 2.5 acres of natural wetlands that are home to native animals like: alligators, black bears, red wolves, whooping cranes, bald eagles, bobcats and more.
• River Valley Aviary
• Home to exotic birds such as: yellow-billed storks, white-bellied bustard, southern screamer and many, many more. 
• Range of the Jaguar
• This exhibit is set up like an abandoned Mayan temple, with breathtaking views of the jaguar. You can also see poison dart frogs, pygmy marmosets, anteaters, otters, turtles and more.
• Plains of East Africa
• This exhibit consists of a 1400 foot long boardwalk and open air environments for animals such as: warthog, bongo, cheetah, rhino, elephant, lion and more.
• Monsoon Asia
• A tranquil garden inspired by Asian culture with a Moon Bridge, Koi Pond, Lotus Pool and waterfalls. There is also a Komodo Dragon exhibit.
• Great Apes
• There are 3 types of primates in this exhibit: apes, monkeys and prosimians. All are seen in this exhibit.
• Giraffe Outlook
• An elevated viewing platform so you can get eye to eye with giraffes!
• Australian Adventure
• Includes views of animals like the: red kangaroo, wallaby and cassowary.
• Land of the Tiger
• This is a stunning 2.5 acre exhibit with innovative trails for the three Malayan and two Sumatran tigers that call this home.
• Save the Frogs: Amphibian Conservation Center
• This allows visitors to see some threatened amphibians, hear the sounds of some that are already extinct and to learn about what they can do to help.
• Stingray Bay
• You can pet and feed stingrays (for an additional cost). Houses 5 different types of stingrays and a horseshoe crab as well.

If you ever find yourself in the Jacksonville area and have a day to kill, this zoo is the place to go. Word of advice though: $4 zoo day seems like a great idea, but trust me - the chaos that ensues is NOT worth it.