Just an hour and a half from Charlotte, the Riverbanks Zoo is a frequent destination for our animal-loving family. Our first trip was in 2009 when RB was only a year old and we’ve been back more than a half dozen times since. And the best part is that the zoo is constantly improving and expanding – every time we visit there is something new for us to see or do.
On our most recent visit, we started by making the regular rounds to see all of the animals – elephants, giraffes, lions and tigers and bears (oh my!). Riverbanks strikes a nice balance between being an intimate, walkable zoo with easy viewing access to the animals and providing the animals with appropriately sized enclosures. The zoo is laid out nicely and has a good flow so you can walk the entire thing without a lot of backtracking. And the grounds are lovely – they have nice landscaping and do their best to provide shady spots for those hot South Carolina summer visits.
Some of the boys’ favorite animals are housed indoors so that breaks up the outdoor time as well. The penguins, gorillas, and koalas are all viewed from indoor locations. The penguins and gorillas also have animal demonstrations if you want to time your visit: the penguin presentation is at 11:30 and the gorilla feeding at 1:30. The koalas do not have a demonstration but you can get extremely close to them for excellent viewing opportunities. They definitely aren’t the most dynamic animals to watch but boy are they cute! We even had the rare opportunity to see one awake and on the move (albeit very slowly).
The boys were really excited that the new river otter and grizzly bear exhibits were open, part of a huge zoo expansion project scheduled to be completed this year. But they were disappointed that we missed the opening of the new Sea Lion Landing exhibit by just a few months. I figure it just gives us another reason to come back.
Another newer feature that we checked out for the first time this visit was the ropes course, Sky High Safari. This was the first time either of them had done a ropes course and I thought it was a good introductory course. At three stories high, it felt exciting to them without being scary, and it gave them a great view of the safari enclosures below. With more than 30 obstacles there were plenty of opportunities for them to challenge themselves on a variety of ropes, bridges, nets and ladders. The boys both enjoyed it although it can admittedly be tougher for the more vertically challenged set. The course uses the continuous belay system so that you don’t need to clip and unclip the carabiners (the safety clips that attach to the ropes), but my youngest (who was just above the minimum height) still struggled to pull the clips through the transition points from one obstacle to another on the platforms. It wasn’t a deal breaker by any means, but I would recommend following behind your shortest child so that you can help them through those transition points.
There are tons of other interactive activities available at the zoo. Their attractions cover a good range of ages with something available for everyone. Below are just a few of the attractions we’ve participated in previously that were given the thumbs up by my boys at various ages:
- Giraffe feedings
- Lorikeet feedings
- Kangaroo Walkabout
- Pony rides
- Miniature train ride
- Endangered Species Carousel
- Riverbanks Farm petting zoo
We always feel like there is a reason to come back to Riverbanks. The zoo is well-maintained with a great variety of animals that my kids enjoy seeing again and again. There are lots of activities for the kids beyond just animal viewing if they want something more adventurous. We still need to wait a few years and gain some extra pounds but my kids can’t wait to try out the zip line when they are big enough. And in all our visits, we have never made it to the botanical gardens. The soon-to-be opened Waterfall Junction with its outdoor play areas and water features may finally get us to hop on that tram and explore the gardens.
