The 10 Best Zoos & Aquariums in South Carolina, United States

February 23, 2022 Marianna Hollaway

South Carolina has some great beaches along its eastern coast. Among the most notable of these is Myrtle Beach, the hub of the grand strand and the largest resort on the east coast of South Carolina. This silky stretch of white sand is great for water-sports such as sailing and surfing. South Carolina is also regarded as one of the top golfing destinations in America. South Carolina has some notable historic towns which are worth visiting such as Charleston.
Restaurants in South Carolina

1. Sea Lion Landing

500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia, SC 29210-8014 +1 803-779-8717 http://www.riverbanks.org
Excellent
77%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 30 reviews

Sea Lion Landing

2. Edisto Island Serpentarium

1374 Highway 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438-6816 +1 843-869-1171 [email protected] http://www.edistoserpentarium.com/index.cfm
Excellent
68%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 202 reviews

Edisto Island Serpentarium

As The First True Serpentarium In South Carolina, This Facility Is Dedicated To The Recognition, Preservation And Study Of The World Of Reptiles. We Provide Educational And Exciting Displays Of Reptiles Both From Around The World And Native To The Region.

Reviewed By Bk5098 - Chapin, United States

Excellent learning experience for kids and adults. Staff is friendly and helpful and knowledgeable. Interesting snakes and alligators! Well maintained to preserve in their natural habitat

3. Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden

500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia, SC 29210-8014 +1 803-779-8717 http://www.riverbanks.org/
Excellent
71%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,895 reviews

Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is home to nearly 2,000 animals that represent more than 350 species from around the world. A visit to the Zoo will play host to an array of wild adventures from a diving expedition on a Pacific coral reef to a safari through the plains of Africa to an interactive Outback encounter with a flock of sociable lorikeets. The Botanical Garden boasts 70-acres of unparalleled beauty and is considered one of the America's best public gardens. Dramatic and themed gardens showcase more than 4,300 species of native and exotic plants, providing a living classroom for gardeners and non-gardeners alike. The Garden also is the gateway to natural river views and spectacular valley overlooks. In addition, guests can view structural remains dating back to the early 1800s with South Carolina's textile industry and the Civil War.

Reviewed By lordv187

My Fiancee and I visited this Zoo because she has never been to one. She was incredibly impressed with how well the animals were taken care of, the cleanliness, and the helpful staff. Prices were decent for a Zoo...$40 for us both and that included the Botanical Garden. They offer a military discount and student discount for $17.95 Kids price is $16.95 and under 2 is free. Now if you're from Europe it's not your usual Zoo with more open enclosures for the animals but it still offers plenty. The have a Sea Lion show which is free!, Giraffe feeding $3, and farm animals which you can feed...the food is in candy dispensers. Highly recommend if you're looking for an event for your kids.

4. Reptile Lagoon

3346 Highway 301 N, Hamer, SC 29547-7400 +1 843-774-2411 https://www.facebook.com/reptilelagoon/
Excellent
80%
Good
10%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 10 reviews

Reptile Lagoon

Reviewed By alexandrah402

I've been coming to SoB since I was a child. I don't remember us ever doing the Lagoon. This time my fiance and I decided to go. We stopped on our way to Myrtle Beach for the night, and had the day to spend in SoB. Let me just say, I was super impressed with the facility. Not one exhibit or cage was empty. They had alligators, crocodiles, turtles, and snakes galore!!! TOTALLY worth the $8 per adult.

5. Eudora Farms

219 Salem Ln, Salley, SC 29137-9344 +1 803-606-6325 [email protected] http://www.eudorafarms.net
Excellent
65%
Good
19%
Satisfactory
16%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 37 reviews

Eudora Farms

Reviewed By Explore144451

WE live about an 1-1/2 hours away. We arrived about 10:30 am and there was not a line. It was a regular week-end, so it was probably better than a holiday week-end. Not too crowded. We moved along at a very slow pace which allows us to get a good view of the animals. We purchased a bucket of carrots. My Great Granddaughter really enjoyed feeding the animals. Those only lasted but half way around. I think they were over priced for the amount of carrots we received. I will say you will not enjoy it as much if you do not purchase the carrots to feed the animals. They had a very good variety of animals. It was much larger than I thought it would be. The admission price is reasonable and worth it. I wish they had had a brochure to give you that had a picture and name of the animal. It would have made it easier to identify them. The comments are correct about having a Port-a-pottie. Use it before you start the tour. If you don't want to use one stop in a town before you reach the farm. I did not see any service stations or other places along the way to use the bathroom except in the small towns.

6. Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

1110 Celebrity Cir, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577-7465 +1 843-916-0888 [email protected] http://www.ripleyaquariums.com/myrtlebeach/
Excellent
46%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
18%
Poor
5%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 8,989 reviews

Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Glide on 330ft moving path beneath the Dangerous Reef! TOUCH sharks, stingrays, hermit crabs & jellies! Experience a world of eels, colorful fish, mermaids & poisonous predators! NOW OPEN - PEARL HARBOR EXHIBIT! Ripley's Myrtle Beach offers 5 unique attractions open 365 days a year. Don't miss all the fun!

Reviewed By GORYANA - Buffalo Grove, United States

This place is great! Kids had blast - so much to do and to see! Mermaid show, horseshoe crabs and jelly fishes to touch, stingrays to feed, giant sharks swimming over your head... Worth visiting!

7. Greenville Zoo

150 Cleveland Park Dr, Greenville, SC 29601-3147 +1 864-467-4300 [email protected] http://www.greenvillezoo.com/
Excellent
37%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
17%
Poor
5%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 978 reviews

Greenville Zoo

Reviewed By Nana0464 - Greenville, United States

Lovely zoo - immaculate and great to enjoy with children and grandchildren. Very easy to walk and set up for all ages to enjoy.

8. South Carolina Aquarium

100 Aquarium Wharf Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC 29401-6300 +1 843-577-3474 [email protected] http://scaquarium.org/
Excellent
44%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
16%
Poor
5%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 2,305 reviews

South Carolina Aquarium

Fun, wonder and education come together at the South Carolina Aquarium. Get hands-on at the Touch Tank, marvel at the sharks in the Great Ocean Tank, come face-to-face with rays in the Shallows, or see our brand new state-of-the-art sea turtle hospital in Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery experience. Don’t miss our daily interactive dive shows and animal programs.

Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States

The South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina, may not be the finest aquarium in the United States. But it makes very good use of the space it has and it features several very interesting and educational exhibits for children and adults to enjoy and experience. Located at 100 Aquarium Wharf in historic Charleston Harbor, it opened in 2000 and is home to more than 10,000 plants and animals, including North American river otters, loggerhead sea turtles, alligators, great blue herons, owls, lined seahorses, jellyfish, pufferfish, green moray eels, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, pythons and sharks. The largest exhibit is the Great Ocean Tank, which extends from the first to the third floor of the aquarium and is the deepest tank in North America at 42 feet, holds more than 385,000 gallons of water and contains more than 700 animals. The facility also features a Touch Tank, where visitors may touch horseshoe crabs, Atlantic stingrays and other marine animals. The 93,000-square-foot building, which juts out 200 feet into Charleston Harbor, offers a state-of-the-art environmental learning center that encompasses the entire spectrum of the Southeast Appalachian Watershed as found in South Carolina--the Mountain Forest, the Piedmont, the Coastal Plain, the Coast and the Ocean. It also includes nine galleries featuring nearly 7,000 aquatic animals, from river otters to loggerhead turtles to sharks, in more than 100 exhibits. In addition, a rare albino American alligator, one of only 50 in the world, now calls the aquarium home and is part of the Blackwater Swamp exhibit. In 2012, the aquarium opened a new exhibit called "Madagascar Journey," featuring ring-tailed lemurs, tomato frogs and a Nile crocodile. In 2017, another new permanent exhibit debuted on the main floor--the Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery, which makes the real-life rehabilitation of sick and injured sea turtles visible to every visitor to the aquarium. It is one of the major contributions of the aquarium, which also utilizes its facilities to operate a Sea Turtle Hospital. Since 2000, the South Carolina Aquarium has rehabilitated and released over 250 sea turtles.

9. Waccatee Zoo

8500 Enterprise Rd, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588-6626 +1 843-650-8500 http://www.waccateezoo.com/
Excellent
34%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
8%
Terrible
25%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 631 reviews

Waccatee Zoo

Reviewed By thatgirl97 - Maryville, United States

We visited the zoo the second week of June on vacation. We enjoyed the animals, being able to feed them, and to be close to them. The animals seem well taken care of but some of the property needs a lot of maintenance. That did not dampen our visit though! Would recommend and we will visit again.

10. Hollywild Animal Park

2325 Hampton Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29385-9010 +1 864-472-2038 [email protected] http://www.hollywild.org
Excellent
34%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
15%
Poor
7%
Terrible
18%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 280 reviews

Hollywild Animal Park

Temporarily Closed This SC Upstate family-oriented tradition is celebrating 27 years and offering an unforgettable experience for children and adults alike! Drive through millions of lights, themes, music, and displays that transform the nearly 100-acre-park into a winter wonderland in celebration of the holidays. Be sure to allow plenty of time to stroll in "Santa's Village" to enjoy relaxed fun with family and friends. There, you can pet, feed, and admire dozens of animals, have your photo taken with Santa, warm your hands or roast marshmallows by the bonfire, and visit Mrs. Claus' attic for an incredible panoramic view of the lights. Snap that selfie with a zebra, camel, or one of many animals waiting to meet you. Finish your evening with a drive to the inspirational nativity area. For an additional fee per vehicle you can enter our Enchanted Deer Forest and hand-feed hundreds of animals (animal food provided) from the comfort of your car.

Reviewed By Odyssey243806 - Spartanburg, United States

I was hesitant after reading some reviews but decided to go anyway since it's rather close to me. Took teenaged kids. We had a blast. The lights were nice. The staff is friendly and the enchanted deer forest is well worth the extra 10 bucks. You get a bag of food and an option to buy extra bags, which we did to help with the donation for the park. The bison and cattle came right to us and we got to feed them, camel, zebra, and other animals. We had a convertible and decided to drop the top so everyone in the car could pet any animal from any side. The animals are not at all sick looking or bloated as some ppl claimed. They were perky, happy and omg so friendly. They were all free roaming and chose to come see ppl and grab a snack, none were forced. They all actually seem excited to get a treat. I am sorry some did not enjoy it but as for me and my family, this was a night to remember and we will be back next year.

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