Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens Reviews

Very fun if you like climbing and zip lines. Highly recommend if so. It can be very hot so make sure to drink water!

This was the 1st time I have been here in years. Although much improved, it still lacks in some areas, most notable a cougar was in an outdoor section and the large fan in its area was not working in very hot & humid weather. The cat was panting heavily. Would like to see larger and updated areas for these animals.

Train ride was a circle around the parking lot....excellent staff, liked gift shop.

They didn t give me my refund they we re not good workers we didn t get to feed the giraffes cause they walked away and waisted our time! There was not many animals. It was like 8 animals tbh!

Greatest zoo around, I have a season pass but I can't use it because of my back wish they had electric carts for rent so for that I give them 2 stars.

Wonderful activities for children of all ages...even a 45 year old.

Too expensive for what they had to offer. The train and carousel were not on, was hoping for more.

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.

Had a great time on the zipline with my daughter great prices

We are annual pass holders for a few years and still love every visit!

Very good place to spend time with family. Zoo staff are very friendly. If you are family of four and live near to the place .. i suggest to take annual pass . You will break even in two visits .

All the animals look sad in, very small and enclosed

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.

All animals was exhausted & tired.. Not really a great experience. .

We visited here Labor Day weekend 2019. I have to say, this was probably one of the highlights of my trip to the area. I absolutely loved this Zoo, and so did my children. First, the parking is free. This is almost impossible to find in this area. Second, they're not a gimmicky type of Zoo. They have a gift shop, but it's not big and not the focus of it - the animals are. I LOVED the plethora of tortoises they had, and that they're given ample space and treated well. Everything was well laid out and we were able to traverse it in about an hour, looking at everything. The building that housed the snakes and lizards was awesome! We accidentally came during a live feeding and that was SO cool to watch. My kids were in awe. Just an absolutely fantastic, family-centric location. If you're on the fence whether to take your kids here if visiting the area, GO! I bet you both will have a great time for the price!!

Way too expensive for the few animals that were actually visible. The bears weren't out the otters weren't
out the monkey cages were being cleaned

The animals were better company than the guest I brought, per usual.

The animal habitats are well maintained and really enjoyed how interactive the zoo is. Also the snack bar has delicious food and not overly priced.

We loved it! Wow, how far the Central Florida Zoo has come in the last 15 years! We had a wonderful time. It was beautiful, well manicured and kept, adorable animals... Some amazing ones too! Highly recommend it. A lot more to do than in the old days!

What do I have to say, this is amazing. They are making a brand new place just for black bears! (:so excited!

Good group of animals but the zoo is small and you'll be done within 2 hours. Great kids location

Just love the nature, animals, the staff very friendly and knowledgeable, food was good, price very reasonable and the zip line was incredible. I definitely recommend going to the central Florida zoo

Good size, not to big not to small, friendly staff.

Beautiful place to spent with the family, love the Giraffe, feeding them was so cool.

Very nice. Many rare endangered species with many local animals as well. Feeding the garaffes was awesome, do it if you can.

The zoo was so much fun all the animals were very active and it was a great way to spend a weekend morning!

So many animals!! Unfortunately it rained when I visited but they have us a voucher to return within 6 months. Lots to see and an enjoyable experience. I only got to see the zoo. Next time I'll see the botanical garden also

Worst zoo I've ever been to. It was literally so small with so little animals that you could walk through it and look at everything in less than an hour. There are no lions, gorillas, zebras, or even seals. Basically it is all birds, cats (leopards, cheetahs) and then there were rhinos and giraffes. But every animal, ESPECIALLY the giraffes, had a very small space and it seemed like they would love a lot more space to roam. The zoo itself is also kind of old and not well kept up. My favorite zoo I've ever been to is the Ft Wayne Zoo in Indiana, that zoo is top of the line and huge; Central Florida Zoo cannot compare to any of the zoos up north. Not worth the $16.50 admission!!! We also went during a week day and none of the vendors were open for food, only the two walk-up restaurants. Unless you have little kids who might enjoy the splash area and the little train, don't waste your time.
Oh, and what do they mean by botanical gardens? Where were those? We did not see any gardens.

First time here and honestly I have to say it was awesome. All the staff are super nice and the girl at the entrance remembered us when we left and made sure we had a good time. Shout out to the two girls and guy who were there by the giraffe feeding booth. They sure made the experience extra special.

Great experience for the whole family. The girls loved both the zip course and the obsticals.

As all places dealing with the plague, its limited in certain ways but there's still many animals to see.

My kids love the playground and splash pad. Not a ton of animals, but still fun. We have an annual pass

Tickets to expensive. The Animals always Sleepin you don't see it. Thanks

Excellent place, we had a lot of fun with my little son and we saw animals like giraffes, rhinos, crocodiles, they have a great variety of snakes. You can do some activities such as feeding giraffes, or if not other animals. There are some talks too. A very interesting place to visit and is close to Orlando

Had a great time with our daughter and the grandkids.

++Very nice for the kids, boardwalks were nice to walk on. They had tables set up at many turns to ask kids questions and reward them with trinkets. Easter bunny was around to take pictures with. Animals seems well cared for with adequate, clean areas. ** The couger looked sickly/old and thin. The outside picnic areas & bathrooms were clean but old and in dis-repair. +++ Thanks for the Veterans discount of 20%, made it affordable.

A lot of fun! The zookeeper at the cheetah area was awesome for her q&a session. The zoo is clean, and not overcrowded. Also the on-site Sonny's BBQ was solid!

The central Florida zoo is a fun place for all ages. The size is a little smaller than what most are use to but the habitats are really nice for the overall size. They have a lot of really cool animals to look at and even some that you can feed like the giraffes. All the employees are very knowledgeable and can tell you a lot about the animals and their lifestyle. CFZ is one of two zoos in and around Orlando. I suggest that if your in the area, check it out. Also the little ones can take a train ride around the grounds. They have zip lines for some extra fun. So come on down and check it out, bring the family and have a great day in the Florida sun.

Great place to take the kids! Friendly staff, great sights and the food was reasonably priced if you needed something.

Its the zoo and its full of awesome animals...whats not to love?

It was great even tho not everything was open. Safe, fun and kind environment.

It is very good to go with family, especially children who enjoy it very much

Very little to look at. The gardens are spread throughout the grounds and very little to look at that either. Some of the displays were closed down and anything interactive is only available on Saturday and Sunday. Way too much money for the hour or so it takes to look at it.

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.

Who doesn't love to see all the amazing animals in the world. This place has a wide selection Plus the zip line is something fun for the kids and young adults and lets not kid ourselfs Grandma would look all some.

Would get 5 stars if there wasn't always something broke and out of service

Seemed to be a bit empty today. But still a nice walk.

My son had a great time--well worth the money and the staff made his experience even better.

Zoo staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Our school had a great field trip here.

We went to the after hours event they have on 3rd Thursday of the month. The otters were playful and the jaguars were out and around....the giraffes were out but far away

Small zoo, but definately worth checking out. Great for kids. Also has multi level zip lines.

Evening adult only. Cold beer and wine Sony Barbcue. And lots of animals.

1st time ziplining and obstacle course, sooo much fun!

It is a lovely place for young children to enjoy the day. I give it 4 stars because the bathrooms are pretty dirty.

Wonderful! Small enough to not be completely wiped out but big enough to tire the kids out. The earlier the better.

Small zoo. Was done with the walk around in less than an hour. Very little animals to see.

I went because of the Botanical Garden. Should have known when I asked the ticket taker and he said no specific garden, just part of the zoo. There were a few good spots, primarily the herb garden with the spirals. This is definitely geared more for children than plant lovers. Nice zip wire, good playground. Ample clean restrooms. Although open until 5, many animal exhibits were closed by 3.

Went to see Asian lantern festival, very cool, wort every penny. I suggest it for everyone.

Great place to take my toddler :) Excellent petting zoo, playground, splash pad, train, and of course all the animals! Story time is great fun as well. Can't wait for the black bears!

Great pass time for younger children. My daughter loved it! And the splash pad is a huge plus!

This zoo was forty minutes or so from Kissimmee near Sanford. More benches here and there would be convenient for us. Both of my ankles were causing pain so I had crutches.
There were many different animals to see but we weren't sure where. A map also would have helped us find the bathroom and exit.