Greenville Zoo: Everything YOU Need to Know for a Perfect Visit

Got an hour or two to take a walk on the wild side at the Greenville Zoo in Greenville, SC? The Greenville Zoo offers a quick and easy zoo experience. While not large, it includes many animals kids love, and it’s an easy activity even if you only have an hour or two. Here’s all you need to know to plan your visit.

Interested in other places to see (and pet!) cute animals? Check out our list of 20+ Adorable Farms and Petting Zoos near Greenville, South Carolina.

Do the Zoo! What You’ll Find at the Greenville Zoo

The Greenville Zoo, nestled on a hillside next to Cleveland Park, opened in 1960 and has surely brought smiles to generations of families. My family has been regularly visiting for about seven years, shortly after the birth of my eldest child. Thinking about going? Here’s all you need to know before you head out.

Popular Exhibits at the Greenville Zoo: Reviews of our Favorites

Some exhibits to look forward to at the Greenville Zoo include Primate Row, which includes dens that allow visitors to see what goes on behind the scenes.

The preschooler playground near the Africa area also offers Africa-inspired murals along the fence of the area, which are bright and beautiful.

Zoo residents include over 90 species of animals. Some of my family’s favorites are the giraffe family, the orangutans, the leopard (which is currently raising two babies), the playful red pandas, and the Amur leopards. Exhibit areas include Primates, Reptiles, Farm Animals, an aviary, a lagoon, South America, Africa, and Asia.

Both my preschool and I love going through the reptile exhibit. It’s a welcoming exhibit since it is located inside, great for a quick cool down on those hot summer days. The building houses turtles, snakes, and various amphibians. It is really cool to see the Burmese Python at the end of the exhibit because of how huge it is!

One of the BIG residents is about 12 feet long and weighs 500 pounds. The gator is a real treat when you go into the viewing room and are surprised by its size!

Giraffe Encounters

The Greenville Zoo constructed the Jim and Janice Cordes Giraffe Encounters exhibit to allow guests to interact with the giraffes! Here, guests can purchase an experience package to hand-feed the giraffes (with the help of a zookeeper) from a beautifully constructed platform. The experience takes you up close and personal with Miles and Autumn, the resident giraffes at the Greenville Zoo.

Watch! Feeding the giraffes

Coming Soon: The Phillips Family Farm

The Greenville Zoo and the Greenville Zoo Foundation recently broke ground on The Phillips Family Farm, a two-acre interactive farmyard exhibit. It’s still under construction, but a bigger, hands-on farm space is one we’re watching for. I used to love the little farm area the zoo used to have, and can’t wait to see what this updated area will be transformed into.

When To Go to the Greenville Zoo

The zoo is open seven days a week — except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. It also has an annual maintenance closure for one month from January to February. Their Spring/Summer run from March through November, with hours from 9 am to 5 pm. The last ticket sale is at 4:00 pm, and the gates close at 5 pm. (This is a good reminder for me. I am ALWAYS running late.) Fall/Winter hours are 10 am to 5 pm.

Want to catch the animals when they are active? We always find them more lively in the mornings and afternoons during the summer. (Kind of like me. The noonday heat of a South Carolina summer apparently does a number on all of us.)

What To Expect When You Visit the Greenville Zoo

I always like to hype my kids up before we do something new. The zoo is about a mile-long loop nestled on a tree-covered hillside. Be prepared to push a stroller up a few small hills or help your toddler navigate a few stairs. There are also a few downhills on which I clench my teeth and wonder if I have Band-Aids in my bag as I watch my preschooler zoom down the hill.

You can bring your own picnic and snacks, or you can promise the kids a tasty treat at the concession stand. There are several covered areas that are perfect for a picnic spot. My kids and I always enjoy snacks with giraffes at the shaded benches in front of their enclosure.

With the exception of the reptile house, all of the zoo is an outdoor experience. However, the tree cover of the zoo is a relief on hot days.

Things to Know Before You Go to the Greenville Zoo

The Greenville Zoo has the option to reserve tickets in advance online. When you buy tickets, you have a 30-minute window in which to arrive. So, if you buy tickets for 1 pm, you need to be there by 1:30 pm. The cost of admission for kids between the ages of 3-12 is $12, and adults are $15. A $1 discount is offered to active and retired military families and seniors. Children 2 and under get in for free. There is currently no discount for purchasing online, but Tuesdays are only $10 per ticket.

If you decide to purchase a membership at the end of your visit like we did, you can swing by the ticket kiosk to have your day’s admission applied to your membership purchase. We got a household membership for $95, which seemed like a steal. Our membership has already paid for itself in less than 2 months. They also offer a $50 summer pass for families, for two adults and up to 6 kids!

One of the things I like best is that if we go there earlier in the day or later in the day, parking is a breeze. There are several parking lots nearby, and parking is FREE.

If anyone in your group needs to rent some wheels for getting around the park, you can now rent single strollers, double strollers, wheelchairs, and electric scooters. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are available at the entrance.

Greenville Zoo Special Events

The event calendar for the Greenville Zoo is pretty terrific. First, they offer some of their free educational programming (great for homeschooling kids!), such as Tell Me About It Tuesdays, from September through May each year.

The Greenville Zoo also has additional affordable educational programming for kids that we highly recommend!

Also, October’s Boo in the Zoo event is always something we look forward to. Who doesn’t love costumes and candy?!

In the winter months, be sure to check out Holidays at the Zoo, where the Greenville Zoo is adorned in lights throughout the park!

Nearby Attractions: Things to do Near the Greenville Zoo

On average, a zoo visit will take your family about an hour to an hour and a half. If you want to make a day of it, there are several attractions nearby.

(Temporarily closed for upgrades) Our zoo abuts Cleveland Park. (Note: On hot summer days, there is often a shaved ice vendor parked at the park.)

You can also pick up the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Not too far and accessible via the Swamp Rabbit Trail are two play areas for smaller kids: a play train area and a smaller playground near the Julie Valentine Monument.

North along the Swamp Rabbit Trail are also the Major Rudolph Anderson Memorial plane and the Rock Quarry Garden.

Of course, being near downtown, there are plenty of other family-friendly options close by, including Falls Park, the museums and library at Heritage Green, and all that downtown and Main Street have to offer.

Greenville Zoo
150 Cleveland Park Drive, Greenville

What’s your family’s favorite Greenville Zoo animal? Has your family visited lately?