Riverbanks Zoo, from Wikipedia
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The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden (170 acres) is a large zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden located at 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
History
Riverbanks Zoo has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973, and dates back to the early 1800s with South Carolina's textile industry and the American Civil War.
Geography
The Zoo is located on 170 acres (0.7 km²) along the Saluda River in Columbia, SC.
Natural history
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is South Carolina's largest gated attraction, averaging 1,000,000 visitors each year. Riverbanks is also a four-time winner of the Southeastern Tourism Society's Shining Example Award as the southeast's top tourist attraction and a two-time winner of the SC Parks Recreation and Tourism Governor's Cup Award as South Carolina's Leading Attraction. Riverbanks is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Zoo is home to over 3,000 animals, with extensive collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Recent additions to the Zoo include exhibits for African elephants, gorillas and koalas. The Birdhouse at Riverbanks (opened 2002) was given a Significant Achievement Award by the AZA as one of the best new zoo exhibits in the United States and features an incredible display of king, rockhopper and gentoo penguins.
Botanical Garden
Riverbanks also has a large botanical garden (70 acres) with more than 4,200 species of native and exotic plants. A trail system is available to visitors which allows them to explore several kilometers of bottomland and upland mixed hardwood forests in search of the myriad of native wildlife that call the Zoo and Garden home.
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