As of April 13, 2024, Urban Air Greenville is permanently closed.
Have you heard about Urban Air opening in Greenville? If your kids are driving you up the wall with their endless energy and no way to get it out, there’s a brand new adventure park in town that has just the remedy.
You may have seen the sign as you picked up groceries from Costco or shopped at Cabela’s. The big sign that reads “Urban Air Adventure Park.” If you’ve wondered what is going there, we have the answer.
(more…)How about a date and stress busting activity all at the same time? Sometimes we need some physical ways to get out pent up frustration and stress, right? And maybe doing that with our significant other could be fun. Here are some Greenville for date ideas that are also great for busting stress and getting out some of that frustration.
(more…)The Greenville County Schools system will be continuing their Virtual Program into next year and registration is open.
During the 2021-21 school year, Greenville County Schools had about one-third of their students, more than 23,000, in the Virtual Program, where all instruction and schoolwork is done online. GCS will continue to offer this option for next year, the 2021-22 school year.
Registration is now open to enroll full-time in the GCS Virtual Program and will continue through Friday, April 23, 2021.
The Virtual Program is staffed based upon early signup so if you want your child(ren) to do this program next year, be sure to register. There will be a waitlist if need be.
In an email to media, the GCS press office said that the current registration schedule is “based on an assumption the pandemic will no longer be a serious concern. If during the summer it is apparent school will open in the fall on an altered schedule or with pandemic protocols in place, and/or if vaccines are not widely available for all age groups, additional windows will be made available for parents to select the Virtual Program.”
To register for the Virtual Program, parents must have a BackPack account, which is where parents must fill out the registration information.
Greenville County Schools has instituted the following changes in the Virtual Program for the new school year:
The Virtual Program will not be offered at Specialized/Magnet programs such as Charles Townes Center, Language Immersion and preschool/self-contained disabilities.
In the first quarter of the 2021 school year, GCS announced that grades were seriously slipping, especially among the students in the virtual program.
Out of the 72,832 students enrolled in Greenville County Schools, 16,047 have one or more F’s, which is equal to about 22% of all students enrolled in the county.
Double the number of virtual program students have more F’s than in-person students. But even comparing numbers from last year between in-person students, this year’s hybrid eLearning and in-person students are having a lot harder time with their studies. Last school year, 5,327 students in in-person learning had one or more F’s and this year, that number is 8,566, a 10% increase.
GCS announced several measures to try to remedy the causes. Progress reports have not been publicly issued yet.
GCS has answered several questions about the Virtual Program in this document. And we interviewed Jeff McCoy of Greenville County Schools last summer specifically about the Virtual Program:
It’s been quite a year, eh? Our team at Kidding Around has tried to meet the needs of our readers all year and be on top of the stories that you care about. Our readership has grown more than 45% in 2020 and we’ve had more than 2.1 million page views on Kidding Around Greenville – thank you!
All that said, our readers really love holidays and seemed to search out things for their families that would try to mitigate the effects of what COVID-19 has done and tried to be as ‘normal’ as possible while making their kids happy. Also, our readers love the outdoors (as do we).
We’ve compiled both the top stories (besides our big guides like Halloween and July 4th) on our website and most-viewed videos on Facebook for 2020 for a snapshot on what was going on with Greenville families this year.
Understandably, a large number of parents tuned in to hear Bethany interview Jeff McCoy of Greenville County Schools talk about eLearning and the Virtual Program back in August.
We are so grateful for all the interviews that Greenville County School Board member Derek Lewis did with us. He patiently answered a lot of questions from our readers about the school year in several Facebook lives. This was one of the most-viewed ones.
Our readers love finding local farms and produce and this tour of a Saturday morning farmers market at Bethel Trail Farms was hugely popular.
Talking about leash laws and how to protect yourself and your kids from loose dogs with local dog trainer Leah Cook was a popular video.
Our readers loved JDew’s Adventure Squad videos this summer!
Picking strawberries in the spring is always a popular activity and readers got to see what Stewart Farms looked like early in the season.
And our readers are risk-takers, tuning in to hear how to cut hair at home when they couldn’t go to hair salons.
What was your favorite story of 2020?
The Greenville County School Board had their November 10, 2020 meeting and here are the highlights.
It’s no secret this year has been a huge struggle for teachers, students, and parents as they’ve gone back to school in some fashion or another. But the first quarter grades reveal just how much of a struggle it’s been.
Out of the 72,832 students enrolled in Greenville County Schools, 16,047 have one or more F’s, which is equal to about 22% of all students enrolled in the county.
Double the number of virtual program students have more F’s than in-person students. But even comparing numbers from last year between in-person students, this year’s hybrid eLearning and in-person students are having a lot harder time with their studies. Last year, 5,327 students in in-person learning had one or more F’s and this year, that number is 8,566, a 10% increase.
High school virtual program students seem to be struggling the most, with more than half have one or more F’s. Virtual Program middle schoolers are next with nearly 40% having one or more F’s.
Superintendent Dr. Royster said that these numbers weren’t all together unexpected as the district was worried from the outset about the complete overhaul of the new learning systems.
Associate Superintendent of Academics Jeff McCoy said that many of the F’s are due to students not handing in work.
Math and ELA intervention programs in elementary school will continue. These have already been in place. In middle school, Read180 classes will continue.
Starting November 6, GCS will provide transportation for all brick and mortar students, have between 6-8 students per teachers, and compensate teachers for tutoring after-hours. They will work on identifying students with F’s and see what kind of intervention they need. The district uses a process called the OnTrack process that identifies students who need intervention.
Intervention in the K-8 Virtual Program will be looking at 45-60 minute after school sessions at least two days a week. This could happen before or after school and possibly on weekends, all virtually.
There are remediation blocks built into schedules but schools will add more, up to three times per week for elementary and twice a week for middle. Intervention focus will be geared towards reading and math.
If more intensive intervention is needed for virtual only students, GCS is looking at possible in-person options that focus on the core academic areas.
For high school intervention, teachers teach both brick and mortar and virtual and would be available for 30-45 minutes before school. Virtual students are welcome to come to school if they can for this extra work. There will be after school hours for one day a week with the current two days per week in-person attendance. High school students who are struggling may be able to come back to school in-person more than twice a week but overall, there are no plans for high school wide in-person attendance more than two days per week.
Dr. Royster said they only surveyed middle school teachers, who are generally reticent about coming back in-person. He’s meeting with teachers this week.
The district indicated they are looking at a safe path to move forward to bring back teachers and students and will move forward to do so.
Dr. Royster was asked about those teachers who are still worried about returning the classroom. He said that teachers are expected to show up for school if they don’t have any medical underlying issue. The protocols in place are not designed by the school but rather by public health experts.
Dr. Royster said to expect an announcement early next week about bringing back middle schoolers five days a week to in-person school.
All high schools in the Greenville County School district will be moving to block scheduling starting next school year, 2021-2022. Classes will be 90 minutes instead of 50 minutes. For detailed information, see this link from GCS.
This is a summary of the benefits of block scheduling that the district posted in the school board meeting:
Planning a trip down I-95? KAG contributor Kristina has some wonderful ideas for families to check out in the Daytona Beach area.
I had the opportunity to spend some time on the Atlantic coast in Central Florida and I tried to make the most of the time I had with my kids. We are homeschooling so I was searching for things to do that were both fun and educational, although you could certainly do any of this stuff without the homeschooling aspect.
The Daytona Beach area is about a seven-hour drive from Greenville and only about 90 minutes from the Disney hotspot of Orlando. There is a lot to explore in this area and I hope you have the chance to check these places out!
This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
This old sugar mill has a fascinating history in and of itself and the ruins are really neat to see. You may recognize some similar equipment as was used in the cotton and textile mills in South Carolina. But then you’ve got actual dinosaurs scattered throughout the botanical gardens! They are cement and it’s a blast to find them with your kids. Although kids cannot play on them, they are certainly a fun part of wandering through the beautiful flowers and old oak trees laced with Spanish moss.
There are also a couple free little libraries throughout the garden (a great opportunity to swap some books on your long drive). Restrooms are available on site.
950 Old Sugar Mill Rd, Port Orange, FL
Admission: Free
Website
We loved this place because it has a huge kids area that combines learning with fun. It has several science-related exhibits that kids can enjoy, a play pizza parlor, a remote-controlled race car track, and even a planaterium. And if you have a Roper Mountain Science Center or WNC Nature Center membership, you get in free.
Admission: $12.95/adults, $6.95/kids ages 6-17, free/under 6; also free if you have an affiliated ASTC membership.
352 S Nova Rd, Daytona Beach, FL
Website
This small park is such a treasure. It has great nature walking trails that wind through the preserve and come to a little playground and tower that you can climb up and look out at the ocean. There are boardwalks through the marshes with kayak launches as well. Birds, crabs, and other wildlife are plentiful. The trail also has some fitness equipment, which my kids loved playing on.
Admission: free
Website
We did the full moon boat tour and it was the coolest thing. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and we learned all about the local ecosystem, birds, dolphins, and manatees. The sunset was unreal and seeing the full moon rise was amazing. We got to see the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse (which we climbed the week before) so my kids had fun seeing it light up. The Marine Discovery Center also does kayak tours and the boat is covered so you are shaded from the sun. The center itself has some crabs, an eel, a corn snake (which we got to see eat some mice), and other fish plus a walking trail.
520 Barracuda Boulevard, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Admission: Free to the discovery center itself but the boat tours are an extra cost.
Website
Climb the 203 steps that twist up the middle of Florida’s tallest lighthouse. You can also tour the old houses of former lighthouse keepers and a really neat lighthouse building with lots of mirrored panes that show how the lights work. There are also other historical aspects to the lighthouse which are worth taking some time to explore.
4931 South Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet, FL
Admission: Free to tour the historical homes and buildings about the lighthouse. To climb the lighthouse, the cost is $6.95/age 12+, $1.95/ages 3-11, free/under 2.
Website
Want to swim and canoe in crystal clear water over the summer and see manatees in the winter? Then you have to go to Blue Spring State Park. It’s an easy day trip from the coast or Orlando and completely worth it. Read our review here.
2100 W French Avenue, Orange City, FL
Website
During those hot months, which is most of the year in Florida, Riverwalk Park has a great splashpad and playground plus lots of space for kids to run around. We loved hanging out here. You can also rent kayaks and canoes to use on the river.
3459 S. Ridgewood Avenue, Port Orange, FL
Website
If you like to fish, this is the place. There are two piers to cast your line into the intercoastal waterway. I didn’t see anyone catch anything when I was there but the view was awesome. You can see the Daytona Beach skyline and it’s just a neat location to check out, maybe have a picnic. There are restrooms and boat launches as well.
Ramp at the bottom of the bridge onto Daytona Beach
Admission: Free
Just an hour south of Daytona Beach and the same distance from Orlando, the Kennedy Space Center and nearby Cocoa Beach should definitely by on your day trip list. I love all things space-related so going to the complex was just fascinating. And since my kids and watched the 2020 SpaceX mission, they were just as interested as well – and kept asking if we would be seeing the astronauts, Bob and Doug. Cocoa Beach is close by so going to the pier there and checking out the fun shops was an easy add-on.
Space Commerce Way,
Admission to the Kennedy Space Center: $57/adult, $47/child
Admission to Cocoa Beach Pier: Free
We spent a day at New Smyrna Beach at Flagler Avenue browsing the shops with lots of cool apparel and jewelry from local artists. We had lunch overlooking the beach at Breakers, which was fairly reasonable. If you want to drive on the beach from there, it will cost you $20. Or just park in area lots and walk on the beach. There is also Smyrna Beach Dunes park with access to fishing and swimming.
Admission to Dunes Park: $10
Admission to the drive on beach at Flagler Ave: $20
This was my favorite day trip I took my girls to because the feeling of walking through our country’s oldest city was just amazing. We loved it. Of course there are touristy aspects but the locally made pumpkin spice latte and Castillo San Marcos made me fall in love with the city. The fort – Castillo San Marcos – is built right on the water and has a very interesting history. The free Junior Ranger Program is a must-do if you go to make the most of your visit and learn about it! The old town was such a pleasure to walk through. There are little shops and restaurants and cafes that are fun to wander around in. If you’re Catholic and want to attend Mass, the cathedral downtown is just the place. The church is decorated beautifully. You can head to the Alligator Farm Zoo in St. Augustine to make it a full day trip.
St. Augustine, FL
Admission: No fees to walk around Old Town or the fort, although you’ll have to pay for tickets to Castillo San Marcos and any of the attractions in town.
Where would you choose to go in Florida on the Atlantic Coast?
If a trip to Central Florida is in your family’s future, consider a stop at Wild Florida, a gator-themed park that has lots of unique experiences for your family. KAG’s Kristina has the scoop.
There is a lot to do in the Orlando area besides the theme parks. One such adventure is Wild Florida, less than an hour from downtown Orlando. The park is home to lots of alligators, crocodiles, snakes, a Florida panther, birds, and our favorite – goats. The park also has airboat rides on the nearby lake, the headwaters of the Everglades, as well as a drive-thru safari and unique animal experiences. We only did the gator park so that is what this review will cover.
Find a place to stay in Orlando, FL. This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
Even though South Carolina has alligators, they (thankfully) aren’t located in the Upstate so I’m not too familiar with their characteristics and lifestyles. Wild Florida does a great job of educating their guests on all things gator and croc-related with boards around the park explaining different facts about them. There are also gator feedings twice a day and a place where you can feed smaller ones yourselves.
We got to see the exotic animal show when we went to Wild Florida, which was super interesting. The guide brought out a blue-tongued skink, a Burmese python, and an American alligator. The crowd loved learning about the animals and seeing them up close. Reptiles have lots of cool facts about them and seeing them up close like that was enjoyable for my kids, especially since they are homeschooled and we are learning about animals like these currently in our studies.
There are several enclosures throughout Wild Florida that house alligators, including two albino ones. You can walk over a wooden walkway to see tons of alligators right below you in the lagoon – terrifying and fascinating.
Wild Florida has several different snakes at the park like the copperhead, pygmy rattlesnake and even a King Cobra. They also have an enormous Burmese python, which are invasive species in the Everglades just a couple hours south. I love anything having to do with python hunters so seeing one up close was pretty neat.
They also have a neat aviary where you can walk through a bird enclosure and feed the birds from a stick (there’s a small fee to buy one). There are so many gorgeous birds in the aviary so walking through was quite the memorable experience.
Several lemurs are at the park, which my kids loved. They are pretty cute I have to say. Other exotic animals live at Wild Florida, many of which have been rescued or donated if their owners couldn’t care for them.
While my kids, ages 9 and 6, enjoyed all the animals at Wild Florida, the petting zoo was our favorite. The park allows you to walk into the big, fenced in space where there are lots of goats and even some baby goats! You can buy food to feed them or just go in and get happy playing with them.
Readers at Kidding Around Greenville know how obsessed we are with goats so this part of the park was especially awesome. The goats are very friendly and the babies were adorable. It was a lot of fun to play these animals.
There is also a small cow and large tortoise here plus some peacocks, although we didn’t see anyone trying to pet them.
I thought the size of Wild Florida was not too big but also not too small, a very Goldilocks-esque kind of park . There is plenty to see and do plus an on-site restaurant and lots of areas to sit and enjoy a meal.
We spent around two hours there and would have spent more time except that it was brutally hot. The park had fans and mists everywhere but Florida heat can be oppressive so be sure to hydrate well when you’re there.
You can add on an airboat ride to your park ticket as well as the drive-thru safari.
If you want to take a break, there is a shaded playground near the alligator lagoon, which makes for a nice rest.
In accordance with local regulations, masks are mandatory all throughout the park, both indoors and outdoors.
There are hand sanitizing stations all throughout the park.
Admission to the gator park alone is $10/adults (ages 13+) and $8/kids. Follow them on Facebook for special deals. When we went, they were doing a promotion where you got free admission if you donated canned goods to the park.
Wild Florida has several Animal Encounter packages for guests, most of which require kids to be at least 12 years old. You can see what they offer and prices here.
Airboat rides start at $30.50/adults and $27.50/kids. And the drive-thru safari is $29/adult and $20/child. You can also combine experiences with Adventure Packages and they do offer transportation from some parts of Florida.
The park is open daily from 9 am – 6 pm.
Wild Florida
3301 Lake Cypress Rd, Kenansville, FL
407.957.3135
Greenville County Schools announced that all elementary students, K4-5th grade, can go back to school in-person through a phased in program starting October 12th. There are going to be changes inside classrooms, including the use of plexiglass dividers and masks that have been approved by DHEC.
“That gives us a solution to safely return all of our elementary students and staff enrolled in brick and mortar schools, ” said Dr. Royster.
This does not affect students enrolled in the Virtual Program.
Because middle and high school students have more than 25 students per classroom (the cap allowed with the use of plexiglass dividers), these students cannot go back full-time in person.
First graders have already been moving to five day in-person instruction and will continue to do so and start their first full week the week of October 12th.
The schedule below is from GCS:
4K & 5K
1st Grade – already underway
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
Students will attend Wednesday & Thursday, October 28 & 29
Week of November 2 will be first full week (4 days because Election Day is the Nov. 3)
4th Grade & 5th Grade
The use of plexiglass dividers and masks will be used in grades 2-5 classrooms where six feet of distance is not possible.
Up to four students wearing masks will sit in clusters with three feet of distance between them plus a plexiglass barrier. Each cluster will be separated by six feet.
If a student in a cluster tests positive for COVID, the other three students will not need to quarantine as long as all safety protocols were followed.
The only time students will be able to remove their mask is during lunch and possibly other instances where social distancing at six feet can be observed.
Kindergarten and first grade students will be socially distanced within classrooms and masks are not mandated unless they are transitioning classrooms or other instances where six feet of distance is not possible.
Students who wish to switch to in-person from the Virtual Program can apply but they would be put on a waitlist. All of the considerations GCS took in order to return to school is based on the current number of students enrolled in brick-and-mortar school.
“We know, based on the analysis of our current riders, we will be able to bring all of the elementary students to school on time,” said Dr. Royster.
“We will have a number of middle and high school students that will now be late because of elementary students, which will vary but could be up to 30 minutes late. We are looking at what we can offset what they would miss.”
GCS said they are in desperate need of bus drivers. Apply here.
Kids will not be socially distanced on the bus and are still required to wear masks. We reached out to GCS to clarify this and received this answer:
” Because of this change, there will be two elementary students per seat which does not allow for 6-feet of social distancing. (Normally, there are three elementary students per seat.) Kids will be required to wear masks for the entire bus ride, to and from school. The state Department of Education says buses should filled to 67 percent capacity, which is essentially two students per seat.”
GCS surveyed their teachers and staff last week about the plexiglass plan.
Among the 3,800 teachers who responded to the survey:
GCS teachers are divided over returning to full-time in-person instruction:
As the case has been over the summer and fall, GCS will be daily monitoring compliance with these protocols and the number of COVID cases among students and staff.
“A significant change in either could result in a return to a hybrid schedule or 100% eLearning,” said GCS in an email to media.
Have students learning at home? Here are some virtual and local learning opportunities for students learning at home, plus our huge list of educational day trips and travel from Greenville.
Looking for something straight out of a fairy tale where you can see manatees, paddle a kayak, and go swimming in crystalline waters? Blue Spring State Park, less than an hour from Orlando, is the ideal place. Here’s what happened when KAG contributor Kristina took her kids for an adventure there.
You know when you see a photo of someplace that is just so unbelievably gorgeous that you save it on Facebook or Instagram or put it on a list you have of places that you must go to? I have a list like that and Blue Spring State Park has been on it for a bit. I think I found it through a kayaking group and right away, I knew I had to go.
So when I found myself spending some time in Florida, Blue Spring State Park was at the top of my list and this beautiful oasis with clear, spring water ended up being one of my family’s most fun adventures in the state for lots of reasons.
This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
My grandparents and dad’s family all lived in Florida so I ended up spending a significant amount of time there as a kid and teenager but we never explored that much, spending most of our trips on the Orlando area or at the beach.
So I didn’t have any knowledge whatsoever of these perfect, clear springs that dot Florida’s hot and humid landscape. There are several in the central part of the state and most are located within Florida’s state parks system.
The water is so clear because it’s filtered underground through limestone and is abundant in minerals that keep it so pristine (thank you big park educational boards that explained all this). Here is a list of other freshwater springs throughout Florida.
On a previous trip to Florida eons ago, I vaguely remember my parents taking my brothers and I to see manatees. I thought they were pretty neat, having had grown up in the Northeast, where we don’t have the big sea cow around.
Manatees, I learned from watching a YouTube video about them while waiting to get into the park, don’t have a lot of body fat so they need fairly warm water to survive, above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The natural springs are 72 degrees year round so they migrate there every fall and stay till early spring.
Conservation efforts by Florida’s parks have significantly increased the protection of these gentle giants and their populations have grown. Swimming with them is prohibited.
I didn’t think we would see any manatees while there since we were a little bit early in the fall but surprise, we saw a couple of them! One swam right by us while we were canoeing and then another slipped by us while were tubing down the spring.
Manatees are super protected by the parks. A woman in a kayak followed the manatees everywhere and told people to basically get out of the way and let the manatee swim wherever it wanted. Her kayak even said “manatee observer”. Legit job.
I love kayaking and decided this had to happen there. I went through Blue Spring Adventures to rent a three-person canoe, which was super sturdy and spacious. I am much more comfortable in a kayak but the only three-person option, which was my situation with my two small kids, ages 9 and 6. We rented a canoe for an hour and it worked out perfectly since it was the ideal amount of time to paddle the spring and head back without having the kids get bored.
Blue Spring Adventures also has guided kayak and canoe tours. They are located right inside the park and I thought their prices were very reasonable (we paid around $25 for the hour canoe rental for three people).
If you are planning on paddling through the spring, be sure to take the first time in the morning since they close that area from 11 am on since more people are swimming and tubing. You are required to wear life jackets, which come with your rental.
When paddling the spring, you are not allowed to get out of your boat or off your paddleboard and go for a swim.
The spring flows into the St. John’s River, where bigger boat nature tours are offered. We didn’t do that but the reviews online were very good.
The water is a little chilly but it does feel great on a hot day, which are pretty prevalent in sunny Florida. And you can see straight to the bottom, which is around 18 to 20 feet. There are a few platforms that are easily accessible. Kids are welcome to wear puddle jumpers or life vests and you can bring a tube or flotation device as long as it’s not larger than six feet.
Snorkeling and scuba diving are also permitted. I definitely wanted to snorkel after taking our tubes down the spring a bunch of times. It’s not far at all from the furthest drop in point till where you get out. You can walk down a beautiful boardwalk trail to get to that furthest point where you can swim or put in your tube.
If you don’t have a tube, you can rent one for $6 for the first hour, $3 for each additional hour.
Snorkeling seemed really fun. There are huge alligator gar fish (totally harmless) and some smaller fish that you can view just from looking in the water. I can’t even imagine how cool it would be to see them through snorkeling or scuba diving.
OK, not gonna lie: I Googled the heck out of this topic. In Florida, you have to assume that alligators are present in any freshwater or brackish water springs, lagoons, ponds, etc. So yes, there are alligators there. We saw one in the lily pads while canoeing.
The park has signs that there are possibly alligators there when you go swimming but gators usually prefer warmer water and in general, are pretty shy and avoid people. This doesn’t mean I didn’t have my eyes peeled the entire time we were in the water!
Also, the park rangers walk the boardwalk that overlooks the spring and they are on the lookout for alligators and will close the swimming area if any are spotted. The last time someone was killed by an alligator at the spring was in 2015.
Blue Spring State Park is a popular park so you need to get there early, like before they open at 8 am. They will close when they reach capacity, which happens soon after opening. We got there at 7:30 am on a Saturday morning when we had the canoe rental reservation for 8:30 am. We didn’t make it there until 8:40 am with the long line and getting inside the park.
The ranger told me they let in around 140 cars before they close it. We were probably number 30 or 40 in line. So get there early.
So many people brought tents and coolers and we even saw an air bed. You can easily spend the day here and apparently that’s what people do. You can bring in food but they also sell hamburgers and hot dogs and other concessions.
Be sure to bring lots of sunscreen and bug spray. It’s Florida so there will be bugs and sun. Be prepared.
You can either buy your admission online or just pay when you get there. It’s $6 per car so certainly an affordable trip for a family.
Blue Spring State Park is an easy day trip from Orlando, where it’s a short 45 minute drive. It’s the same distance from the Daytona Beach area as well. If you’re in the area, a trip to Blue Spring State Park is an amazing adventure that your family won’t forget!
Would you go swimming at Blue Spring State Park?
Blue Spring State Park
2100 W French Avenue, Orange City, FL
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Blue-Spring
Visiting Florida and want to have an unforgettable gator experience? Then a day at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is a must-see. Media tickets were provided for this review.
I think alligators are pretty interesting and I adored Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, so checking out the St. Augustine Alligator Farm when I was in the area was certainly of interest. And I’m thrilled I got the chance to see it because it was truly nothing like I was expecting.
The zoo is one of the very oldest in the country, founded in 1893. They are accredited with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (which means you get a 50% discount on your tickets if you have a membership to another AZA zoo) and house 24 living species of crocodilians from the Americas, Australia, Asia, and Africa.
This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
My kids and I got to the zoo right before an alligator feeding, which I was pretty excited to see. I had seen videos of gator feedings, mostly from watching television with my kids (which I’m totally fine admitting so don’t be ashamed) but seeing it in person was a neat experience.
The alligator lagoon is an open air huge pit with sand, water, and a platform where the zookeeper stood with all the gator food. I had my kids count the gators in lagoon and they guessed around 25 alligators lived there. The zookeeper told the crowd there were 34 gators in all, most of them stealthily swimming towards the platform while others pushing their massive jaws against each other, knowing that food was on the horizon. What a sight.
These gators were fierce and seeing them up close was a tad scary but also thrilling. The zookeeper talked a little about the gators, what they eat, and how much meat they need to stay healthy and grow. It’s only about 80 pounds a year, which I thought was very low. That’s like us humans eating one sandwich a week.
We learned the differences between gators and crocs and then got to see a rat getting snatched up by the awaiting gators. The crowd may have let out a couple loud “eeewwwww” sounds.
So that was our introduction to the Alligator Farm. Then we were off to check out the rest of the zoo.
The Alligator Farm has not only tons of alligators but a lot of crocodiles as well and they are some funky looking creatures. Some of them are small and others are massive but others really catch your eye with their long and skinny snouts and razor sharp teeth that are equally terrifying and fascinating.
There are several educational stations throughout the park where visitors can learn about the lives of the animals that live there. And the park also has other reptiles like snakes and lizards as well as tropical birds and sloths.
If you’re homeschooling, this is a great trip to make if you’re in the St. Augustine area. The zoo also has dedicated homeschooling days, which are geared towards education and entertainment for school-aged kids.
The animals are grouped into regions such as Africa and Egypt. We loved the Egyptian area as my kids are currently learning about Ancient Egypt. They were able to see hieroglyphs and pictures of the Egyptian gods. And the exhibit that houses terrifying Gaboon vipers is awesome – it is a sandy bottomed glass box that has a replica of the Ark of the Covenant and weaved baskets. Information about the Nile River and a crocodile is right behind a glass wall – we got stuck in a typical Florida rainshower under the overhang in that part of the park and saw the croc in the water, which then disappeared. He reappeared right next to my youngest, who was standing at the glass wall. I was never more happy for glass.
I loved the small kids area next to the funny looking birds. It’s geared for kids ages 3-12 and has shaded areas for sitting, slides, a rope climbing web, and a small climbing wall. It’s perfect for taking a rest while walking around the zoo.
Next door to the kids play area is the concession stand, which has lots of typical American cuisine like burgers and hot dogs. Definitely try their gourmet popsicles, which are made locally and are delicious.
While you can watch the zookeeper feed the alligators, you can also do so yourself if you dare while walking over the wooden trail that is suspended over a huge lagoon with alligators everywhere you look. Bring some quarters to get the gator treats and throw them overboard.
And sure, your kids may be short and have to look through the posts down below but don’t pick them up or carry them on your shoulders. Bad idea. They can see the gators below snapping for the treats.
For those brave souls who want to zip line over the actual croc and gator enclosures, the park allows you to fulfill your daredevil dreams. While we were waiting for the alligator feeding, we heard some zipping noises and looked up – sure enough, people were on a zip line right over the 34 alligators in front of us. This also includes a ropes course over crocodiles. Prices are between $37 – $67 and all participants must be taller than 52 inches, at least 8 years of age, and under 250 pounds
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is open year round from 9 am – 5 pm (closing is at 6 pm over the summer). Adult admission is $27.99 and kids (3-11) are $16.99. They offer a 10% discount to AAA members, military, and senior citizens and you can print out a $1 off coupon at their website.
And since the zoo is accredited with the AZA (if you have a Greenville Zoo or WNC Nature Center membership, you have an AZA-accredited membership), when you show your pass, you get a 50% discount for up to six people.
Hand sanitizing stations are all over the park and masks must be worn indoors. There are only a few indoor exhibits. Everything else is outdoors.
Plan to spend at least a couple hours at the zoo. There is a lot to see and it’s very educational and enjoyable. My kids and I had a blast during our time at the zoo and hope to go back the next time we are in the area.
St. Augustine is under two hours from Orlando, Florida and about six hours and fifteen minutes from Greenville. There are a lot of other incredible attractions in St. Augustine such as their old town area and Castillo de San Marcos, a fort right on the water, so a day trip from Orlando would be a wonderful family adventure or a long weekend from Greenville!
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
999 Anastasia Blvd. St. Augustine, FL 32080
904.824.3337
https://www.alligatorfarm.com/
Would you love to visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoo?