Where else can you go from an African forest to the Australian plains and Carolina’s bogs in one day but at the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden? Opened in 1974, the 170-acre zoo and garden is located along the magnificent Lower Saluda River. The zoo section is designed as a series of realistic and natural habitats for about 2,000 animals from all over the world. You can meet a baboon with diabetes, feed friendly giraffes, and observe lions, koalas, and much more. If you are looking for fun things to do in Columbia SC with kids, this is a great place to visit.

Each habitat also has special graphics and interactive computer programs to help visitors learn about the animals and their world. The Botanical Garden consists of lush woodlands, theme gardens, historic ruins, rare plant collections, the ruins of an old textile mill, and a beautifully restored log cabin that serves as interpretive center.

500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, South Carolina, Phone: 803-779-8717

Plan Your Trip

Get Ready to Go!

Need some more help?


Read our Reservations & Travel Planning Tips guide.