Gulf Coast Family

October is a beautiful time to go outdoors here in Central Florida, and it is also a great time for families in Pinellas to visit Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. The zoo continues to improve every year and once again it is touted as being the most family friendly zoo in the country.

The following are a few highlights for our recent visit to the Lowry Park Zoo:

• Wallaroo Station is the children’s section of the zoo and is designed especially for families with young children. Kids can feed and pet goats, cool off in the “Billabong” water play area, ride a pony, or take a spin on the “Flyin’ Bananas.”

• Safari Africa features a herd of African elephants including a young African elephant born at the zoo in October 2005. Guests can also feed a giraffe and ride a dromedary camel in Safari Africa. The zoo also offers two family rides in this area – the Treetop Skyfari Sky Ride which soars high above the zoo and the new narrated Safari Ride which offers great views of African wildlife by open-air tram.

• Guests can now enhance their zoo adventure by hopping on Gator Falls, a water flume ride over a section of the Florida Wildlife Center. This ride offers a great chance to get wet and cool off on a hot day.

• The Florida Manatee and Aquatic Center offers some amazing up close views of the manatees both from above and below the water.

• For those who enjoy opportunities to feed the animals, Lorikeet Landing, Bushland Budgies and Stingray Bay offer up-close encounters with these animals.

• The African Penguins exhibit in the new year-round outdoor habitat called Penguin Beach is a real splash!

• Two new rare white “albino” alligators can now be found in Florida Wildlife section of the zoo.

• A dramatic walk-thru aviary, in Safari Africa, with greater flamingos, lesser flamingos, great white pelicans, shoebill storks and ring-tailed lemurs.

• The “Zoo School” programs at the zoo are designed to be interactive and fun, highlighting the Zoo’s commitment to the conservation of animals.

• Parking is free!!!

The Lowry Park Zoo offers a very welcome break from the hustle and bustle of daily life and a great opportunity for families to spend some time together and see some amazing animals in the process.

Tips for an Enjoyable Visit

• Arrive early! The Zoo typically opens around 9:30 in the morning and this is an ideal time to interact with the animals. In the mornings the animals that you can feed personally like the giraffes, birds, and stingrays are hungry and as a result, they are a lot more responsive and playful.

• The weekdays are great – the weekdays are a lot less crowded then Saturday or Sunday and a very enjoyable time to see the zoo.

• Get the ride pass – it is well worth the money. Not only are the all day ride passes a great value, but they also make the entire zoo experience more memorable.

• Bring a spare set of clothes – while the new Gator Falls ride is fun, exciting and a blast to go on with the kids, please note that as advertised, you will get drenched on this ride.

• Bring water shoes for the kids – the zoo stipulates that children must have shoes on in order to play in the different fountains throughout the zoo.

• Visit the “Bushland Budgies” – in this new free-flight aviary the birds will totally surround you and children absolutely love it!