This week our family rediscovered the awesomeness of the Brevard Zoo. After our last zoo membership expired we haven’t been back in probably 3 or 4 years. They have upgraded a lot in those years!
Ever since our son found out that the Brevard Zoo was getting zebras, he has been begging to go back. There’s just something about seeing a new animal.
Membership
We finally decided that this year would be the year that we reinstated our membership. Once we get a membership to a zoo or science center, we try to visit as many reciprocal sites as we can. You can generally get into reciprocal sites for free or discounted. In the case of the zoo membership, reciprocal sites are 50% off. Doing a little math, I discovered that just 1 1/2 visits to the zoo will pay for our membership. So any visit after the second visit is like going for free. Sweet!
We like to get a membership to the Brevard Zoo for the simple reason that it allows you to enter the park 30 minutes before everyone else. That time is golden! You pretty much have the entire zoo to yourself. You can see a whole section before it starts getting crowded. Plus, you can park up close. On every occasion that we have visited the Brevard Zoo the parking lot has been overflowing when we leave. People are forced to park on the side of the entrance road.
A membership also gets you discounts on various things like the gift shop, restaurants, train rides, kayaking, etc.
Sections to explore
The Brevard Zoo is broken up into 5 sections; La Selva Rainforest, Wild Florida, Australia/Asia, Expedition Africa, and Paws On. We almost always start on the right side of the zoo at the La Selva Rainforest and then work our way around to Expedition Africa. We have found that the giraffes in Expedition Africa are usually not outright at opening time. By the time we work our way through the other loops, they are always out and about.
Favorites
Some of our kids’ favorite things to do are hunting for all the little primates, spreading their wings at the vulture exhibit, walking through the aviaries, feeding the giraffes, and playing in the Paws On section. On our most recent visit, they discovered the new aviaries and Kangaroo Walkabout. Our youngest loves kangaroos so she was absolutely in heaven getting to see them close up. We were really impressed by this new addition.
Of course, our son got to see his zebras in Expedition Africa. It seemed like all the African animals were out and about during our visit. We also saw the rhinos, giraffes, and lemurs. Our girls were thrilled to be able to feed the giraffes. There was also a new walkway to discover in Expedition Africa. It leads to the platform to view the lemurs, camels, etc.
Adventures
The Brevard Zoo also offers some add-on adventures. You could go on a short kayak or paddle boat ride, encounter some animals close up, ride the train, or feed some animals. Plus, there is the Tree Top Trek Aerial Adventures where you can zip line throughout the park.
They also have various special exhibits throughout the year. During our visit they had Dinosaurs. Around Halloween, they have Boo at the Zoo. Occasionally during the fall they have discounted days for homeschoolers. There is always something going on!
And don’t forget all the educational opportunities. A zoo is an excellent place for a homeschool field trip! As your kids travel through each section exploring all the animals they won’t even realize they are learning. Yay! There are a ton of educational resources available.
The zoo also has two places to get food. One is in the Paws On area, the other is in the back near the train depot. Unfortunately, you can not bring in outside food or beverages. Water is okay! We rarely eat during our zoo visits. We like to explore everything then leave the zoo and go across the road to Chick-fil-a. It’s a lot cheaper! And who doesn’t love Chick-fil-a?
We were generally impressed with all the improvements we saw throughout the zoo. The zoo is turning out to be awesome! I remember visiting as a child back when it first opened and it was so small and dinky. Now you are greeted to neatly kept sections filled with active animals. I can’t wait to see what they add next.
More Florida
- Titusville’s Enchanted Forest Sanctuary with Kids
- Viera Wetlands with Kids
- Canaveral National Seashore’s Playalinda Beach
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are solely mine. I was not compensated for this review. Please check the membership perks before purchasing as they may have changed since this was written.
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