This place is gorgeous! It's in a nice quiet part of Jupiter so it feels peaceful here. There's plenty to see, including the animals in their spacious homes and of course the gift shop. The staff is very friendly here too. Well worth visiting again and again. read more

What a great facility and experience! Donations for your entry fee and volunteers are great in answering questions. read more

See all

My little sister asked if I wanted to check out the Busch w.S, I said yes, I love anything that has to do with animals and especially helping animals, this is a beautiful and spacious location, and they have a nice variety of animals that they assist, check them out if you are in the area! Great for kids and adults! This is also their new location! read more

See all

Staff is AMAZING! Animals all are happy and the property is amazing. Super kid friendly. We really enjoy hanging there when it's not too hot. read more

The new location for the incredible Bush Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, FL. This new location is incredible !!!! It's huge, and clean. I love the layout of the path. They have so many animals to see. The entrance is donation based, card or cash. So many different animals to see up close. From bears ... to a bobcat. The main building has education for all ages. There's even a "stage" where they do daily shows of the animals for education purposes. They also have a second building, exclusive to animal rehab. It's not open to the public to view. This building is meant to bring in wild life in need of immediate rehab. The buildings are clearly labeled. Be sure to bring an umbrella or wear some sunscreen! The path is outdoors with little to no shade. Bring water to stay hydrated :-) Perfect for all ages and is accessible for all. I hope you go and enjoy! read more

See all

The entrance is free of charge you are welcome to donate money to any of the animals you want. They do have information about all the animals they had rescued. The service is excellent and the quality of service is phenomenal! Service request for you to be respectful with the animals and the surroundings. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

Busch Sanctuary is a patch of heaven for animals that have been abandoned or injured. The price of admission is nothing but a donation. There were two ladies walking around with two lovely owls one was a barn owl and the other a screech owl. There were parrots, deer, alligators, all kinds of birds and bobcats, foxes, and much more. Parking is free. Great place to come and visit. read more

I had never had the opportunity to visit the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary at its previous location. However, the new location is very nice in my opinion. The buildings are beautiful and the entire venue is ADA compliant, which means very stroller friendly for my family. The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit. Entry is free, but donations are highly suggested. My family and I went on a Saturday morning and the parking lot was already 75% full when we arrived. They offer different programs on different days. This particular day they were having a Conservation Conversation at the Educational Amphitheater. We were there for about 1 hour. We saw lots of birds, a Florida panther, snakes, turtles, alligators and a couple bobcats. They have a very small area for kids to run around and play. I do wish they would expand the kid area. The area has potential. Overall, it was a nice cheap way to spend the morning. read more

What an amazing place. I went outside on a Saturday night to walk my dog and I found a baby bird on my driveway. The closest tree was about 30 feet away and since this place was closed, I made a makeshift nest in a monkey dish. Then I put it inside of a Tupperware and I used zip ties to tie it to a branch in the tree that I believe it fell from. The next morning we woke up and my husband looked and the little bird was eyes wide open and mouth open, waiting for food, so I called bush wildlife center which had an emergency number and explained to them the situation because the birds leg was wounded I needed to bring it in. So I set off to drive an hour. I get there and I rang the bell and the person who came out was very knowledgeable, super friendly, she knew exactly what kind of bird it was as soon as I showed it to her and she brought it in the back and gave it and then came back upfront for me to fill out the paperwork. When you bring an animal, you have a form to fill out that you could also follow up on the Animal that you brought in. She said she had over 300 back there end it is spring time so a lot of baby birds are coming in right now I gave a donation of $100 because that's all I had cash. But they are very deserving of any donations that people could do. I am only doing this as a drop off wounded animal. I did not do the guided tour. read more

Looking for a fun activity that also helps the animals at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary? Try painting with a panther, otter or bobcat. It's a great experience for both you and the "painter" ... and you get to keep the one-of-a-kind piece of art. We painted with Tahmahlah, the resident cougar (related to the panther family), who was rescued from the California wildfires several years ago. The process involved guiding Tahmahlah across the paint on the floor and stepping onto the canvas, creating a Jason Pollack-style abstract artwork. It provides an enrichment exercise for him while simultaneously creating a delightful experience for us. The trainer kept things very safe for all, and educated us about the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary operation. She offered Tahmahlah pieces of fish as rewards throughout the painting process. And she even demonstrated her training skills a by having Tahmahlah sit and then stand on his hind legs. Anyone who owns a cat knows how difficult it is to train them to do any tricks. Amazing! While you wait for your artwork to dry, you can walk around the grounds at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and meet the many resident animals. The facility offers presentations throughout the day. We enjoyed a short lecture about the resident black bears. Lesson: don't let them feed on garbage in your neighborhood! They need to remain safely away from people and forage for appropriate food. Now that we've "bonded" with Tahmahlah over our shared painting effort, we look forward to seeing him and the other animals at the new Busch Wildlife Sanctuary facility in the fall after they move. This is a great organization that does amazing work to rehabilitate and care for sick and injured animals. We should all support them! read more

See all

This is a great place to visit. Whenever I have friends in from out of town I try to make a visit. It's a great place to see local animals most native to the area. They have many variety. They even offer little info classes at different times through out the week and bring the animals out to talk about them and sometimes hold. This is a MUST see when in the area. They do great work for local injured wildlife. Entry is donation based. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Bald eagle at Busch wildlife center. - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non profit dedicated to protecting and conserving Florida's wildlife. Formerly located on the grounds of the Loxahatchee River District water treatment facility, they have moved to this new location down the street from Riverbend Park. This organization relies completely on donations and fund raising. In Florida there are no government funded wildlife rehabilitation centers. If you find a sick or injured animal you must find a non profit center to help you. Since there are only a handful of such organizations in the state it is up to us to contribute so that they can keep on providing aid to wild animals. In 1983, it was founded as the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Environmental Education Center to care for and rehabilitate sick, injured, and orphaned animals. In 1994, the sanctuary joined with the Peter W. Busch Family Foundation. Busch owns Southern Eagle Distributing, the local Anheuser-Busch distributor. With the foundations support, a facility was created to bring wildlife and people together while fostering community awareness of Florida's natural resources in order to promote wildlife and habitat conservation. Today the sanctuary provides free medical and rehabilitative care to over 5,000 wild animal patients each year with the focus on being able to release them back into the wild. Today is the grand opening of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary's new home in Jupiter. Admission to the event is free. There are food trucks and activities for the family. Wildlife on display includes river otters, black bears, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and bobcats. There is an animal hospital on site where the public can bring in injured wildlife. As you exit, there is a cute gift shop selling toys, ornaments, clothing and other gift items. Your purchases help support the animals rehabilitated here. I liked how the Loxahatchee location had a more woodsy feel with trails but this location is very close to the Turnpike. There was no shade here today and it was a feel like temperature of 100 degrees. I had to walk a mile in and out with the crowds although they had a Molly Trolly making sporadic trips to the overflow parking. I plan on coming back when it is cooler out. I wish them much success with their new center. read more

See all

We have gone to the former location for years and although this new location will be, in time, a more state of the art sanctuary, it is not worth walking through it now. There are very few animal areas to see at the moment and it's just way too sparce. I get that they opened to spur people to come and donate, but they really aren't housing too many animals right now We kept wondering where all the animals they used to house were!!! read more

This place has gone downhill since moving to a different location. Visited when I was in town and was sorely disappointed with what I saw. The pools for the animals were minuscule and there was barely any shade for them to escape the sun. Not to mention there were no tall trees to block the sun when you're walking around either. Only giving two stars because they do help animals but apparently not as much as they could be. I know someone who has brought native animals there and been turned away. It's disgraceful read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization so any to all donations are super appreciated here. There is no entry fee and parking is free also but be a decent human being and donate when entering the place. (Or buy something from the gift shop. There's neat stuff in there!) It's a decent sized area where you see bears, panther, birds, gator and bobcat. Staff are super friendly and helpful and the whole place is just a true fun experience. I would come back for sure to support them and to see the cute animals. read more

See all

Nice place very clean but not all animals where out but what can you expect for free!!!

It's great to be able to see incredible Florida wildlife up close, rest assured that the animals are being rehabilitated. There's no set fee for entry, but is easy to choose what to donate on the way in. From alligators to otters to foxes and so many birds, our family group was thrilled to not only see the animals but to learn more about them. This place is great for all ages. One thing I wish we had done was to make an effort to see the show where a handler introduced the audience to live animals. We caught the last ten seconds of it, but even that was enough to tell that the handler was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. By the way, they even have a nice gift shop. I had forgotten to bring some small earrings on my trip, so I bought some there which I was later complimented on. They also sell art made by otters, which is really cool but otters aren't very talented artists so I didn't buy any. I didn't want it to be confused with my own art. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Don't get this close to an alligator unless there's glass between the two of you! - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

Welcome to the hottest place on earth, the new Busch wildlife facility. No shade coverage for you or the poor animals. Makes you question this non-profit that claims to be caring for animals. I think the workers are desensitized to the animals living conditions, so hot with no tree coverage. They built a kid play area with no shade either. Drove all the way out there to leave after 45 minutes because we were all overheating. Not a place for kids or elderly. They need to plant trees to lower the temperature for the animals and visitors. Shame because they probably tore down a bunch of trees to build this hot concrete path sweltering facility. and didn't make a place worth visiting and you leave feeling bad for the hot animals. read more

This is such a wonderful place to go to! It is by donation only, so I usually bring a bag of change or some dollar bills and let the kids put it into each box under the animals. That way they are more engaged with the experience and stay occupied looking for boxes and also deciding how much money to put into each box. Anything to keep them busy! This place just opened a new area for bears and Florida Panthers. They have a whole bird sanctuary and they are redoing the alligator and crocodile exhibit. It's a rehabilitation center, but they still do educational programs and shows. It's a really great place for the community. It's also a great place for animals, obviously. They have little boxes to stand on so the kids can see the snakes. If you go by the parents, one of them will repeat "hello" back to you. They have at least two bathrooms that I know of that are usually very clean. It's a great family place but also fun to walk around by yourself or with a friend. Just bring yourself a thermos of something good to drink read more

Busch wildlife sanctuary is a great place for both adults and kids. There is enough structure with the trail that you don't get lost, but enough for kids to feel the freedom of exploring. If you go on a slow weekday day, it is very quiet and peaceful. Also, did I mention admission is free? There are also many boxes for donations! Suggestion: bring a couple of single dollars for the kiddos to drop in and vote for their favorite animal exhibits. read more

This was an easy, neat and close place to visit. Free admission (they ask for donations and run exclusively on donations) and offer story times for the little ones and wildlife presentations for those little and not so little. Kids got to see an alligator sunning itself, bald eagles, a panther, bears, snakes, owls and a neat presentation of a baby gator, an opossum and a barn owl. Great quick place to take the kids. And They have a gift shop. I recommend going! read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Cute opossum - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

See all

Busch Wildlife rescued a baby otter from our front yard. We decided to come visit the sanctuary about 2 weeks later. We met some family and had a wonderful day. It's such a peaceful place and plenty to see and lots of places to sit. Definitely kid friendly. We had a 10 year old and 2 littles in strollers. The staff is so amazing and informative. We will definitely be back! read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

Jupiterfooddiary here! Let's talk about Busch Wildlife Sanctuary! This spot is free to the public (they just recommend a small donation to enter) and the parking is spacious. You enter through the gift shop and get to walk through pathways to see all sorts of animals. Some highlights included the alligator, otter, large birds of prey, the foxes, bobcats, bears, and the panther! The exhibits are spacious for the animals and the walkways are mostly covered by trees - it has a real Jurassic Park vibe when walking around. We went on a relatively cool (approx 73 degrees) day and the animals were very active. The panther was playing with a traffic cone and the bears were shuffling around their enclosure. Make sure to stop by the parrot cages and say hello ... they will likely say hello back! It's a great spot for the entire family, everyone I've taken here has loved it. They also have educational segments, you can find the times for these on their website. Absolutely worth stopping by. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Otter - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

I've always been a fan of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. It's a wonderful place to visit and the education programs as well as the animal habitats are great. This visit was the first in quite a few years being my daughter is nearly two decades old. I brought the three year old love I babysit and he was absolutely smitten with Freddy the Alligator. I enjoyed Freddy's new habitat because it's much nicer and far more natural than the once upon a time old school fenced concrete pond I remember. The sanctuary is adhering to Covid-19 protocols. Currently, all guest must wear masks, there is a 1 way route and many spaces including the picnic area are closed. Additionally, occupancy is reduced so arrive early. I did see a hand sanitizer station or two, but I recommend having your own handy if you're traveling with children. We saw lots of animals on our visit including but not limited to: birds, bobcats, deer, ducks, eagles, Freddy, owls, snakes, and the final stretch was the bear and panthers. It was a great day to see the snakes because almost all of them were awake and visible. On the contrary, we didn't have an opportunity to see any river otters. Unfortunately, the bear and panthers didn't hold a candle to Freddy the Alligator (3 year old perspective) so we had to schlep back through the sanctuary in the 90 degree temps so we could share one last goodbye with Queen Freddy (she's a female gator). The sanctuary is non-profit and operates based on donor generosity. There are various places to donate along the path and options inside at the gift shop. Please support the sanctuary. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Freddy - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

See all

Loved the animals, respect the conservation & rehabilitation work but just wish those sidewalks wouldn't reflect the blazing south florida heat! read more

See all

Adorable little day activity! We stopped in to see the animals, it is a free sanctuary but we always advice to leave a donation! Grounds were kept clean, staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, overall cute place to visit! read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

Place lost its luster once it moved. Animals are in thick metal cages, hard to see. Not much "nature or natural areas. A turfed "tot lot" with no shade. Place in general is lacking natural shade. The other location was just a special gem to visit often. This one is more of a once and done for us sadly. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

See all

I love this animal sanctuary. The best part is that it's free. They have a nature trail and tons of animals. read more

See all

This place is awesome! Just off I-95 at Indiantown Road, this completely free 'zoo' is really a wildlife sanctuary and hospital. If you're looking for exotic animals in impressive enclosures, this is not it. But if you want to see local wildlife up close, this absolutely is! I have been here before over the years, but I was most impressed recently when I brought my 18-month-old. He was completely enamored! He can view almost all the animals on his own, at eye-level, without having to be picked up or held back by an adult. He was so close to certain animals- namely some of the birds, turtles and deer- that he got some quality stare-down and talk-to-the-animal time in. So cool! We went in full Florida summer around 10:30/11; almost the entire park was shaded at that time, thus we did not overheat. However, bringing water bottles is essential to stay cool; there is a convenient water-bottle filling station behind the gift shop. The swamp area is appropriately cool, with benches to rest on. There are no food or drinks sold here, so pack your own lunch/snacks; a shaded picnic area provides plenty of space for eating with a little grassy area for kids to run around. The gift shop is filled with local books and wildlife-themed stuff- not a bad place for buying gifts. Donations are, of course, welcome, and who doesn't mind shelling out a few bucks for a free facility that does such good for our community? Busch is just the tip of the iceberg for free/donation-only awesome nature-based activities in Jupiter; continue on to The River Center and the Marinelife Center, to start! But with kids in tow, perhaps you want to take a visit to the giant playground around the corner from Busch first. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Deer - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

Truly an amazing and special place. They do not charge for admission but ask for well deserved and well used donations. This whole place is filled with wonderful animals who can no longer survive on their own and the people who work here go out of their way to teach anyone and everyone about each of the animals. I have never seen so many panthers or bald eagles in one area and they all look so happy and well cared for read more

This sanctuary is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of Florida wildlife. Their educational exhibits are well informed with enough facts to educate all ages. The animals are representative of mostly native wildlife with the exception of birds of prey from distinct parts of the country. The foliage is characteristic of the natural habitats of South Florida including swamp like marshes and pine/oak forests. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Florida marsh - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida

This place is so cool and the best part it's completely free and open to the public! they have tons of different animals you can see and certain days of the week/times in the day they have different "shows" or things you can view (ex: feeding crocodiles). It made me a little upset because there were clear signs such as "do not touch the animals" "animals may bite, do not put hands inside cage" etc, but people still did it . There was even one woman who broke off a branch from a tree and tried to poke the alligator so it would move! So upsetting! Any way, this place is awesome. Please be respectful to the animals.. read more

See all

We had a very nice time here. There are all different kinds of rescues animals from Florida and the demonstration with the animals in the pavilion was very informative. I love what they do. read more

See all

Beautiful new facility with an assortment of injured and animals that won't make it out in the wild. Great tour by Scott!

This place is absolutely amazing! It was suggested to have a family meet up here and I can't believe I have never heard of this place. They are a donation based wildlife sanctuary that have animals that can no longer live in the wild. They also have an animal hospital on site where they rehabilitate animals that have been hurt or are sick. Such a beautiful place to walk around and explore. The focus is on Florida native wildlife. The wildlife encounter show was very nice and informative. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and invested in the wildlife. They have birds, an alligator, foxes, raccoons and even black bears. My favorite though was the panther. This place can be enjoyed by all ages and is a must stop if you are passing through the area. Tip: wear closed toed shoes. read more

See all

Busch Wildlife is a place to take yourself and your guests to visit. They do a lot of great work with animal rehabilitation. Those animals that can no longer live in the wild are cared for and used as a great educational tool for all ages. We go several times a year in a morning, before it gets too hot in the day. Our guests always enjoy it. Currently the center is preparing to move to an area by Jupiter Farms around 9/2023. read more

Some parts look rundown and uncared for. Some parts look very nice. It's worth going but don't expect too much. It's an ok place for a 30 minute visit to see some cool animals and nice little nature trail.. read more

Great activity for all ages! I love that they are rehabilitating animals to return to the wild when they are injured. I personal know a few employees and it's a great business that works with youth programs throughout Jupiter. Definitely a great place to visit with young ones read more

See all

Needing to kill about an hour before I met my dad at The Food Shack for a late lunch I had to decide between here and the lighthouse. I'm so pleased we went here!!! My daughter and I had a brilliant time. They have an area with tons of animals and then another nature trail type area where they keep the big cats and bears. At the end of the trail there is a peaceful area with a couple observation docks overlooking a huge lake. Wow, super peaceful!! I couldn't believe there was no admission cost for this place, they run on donations only! We picked up a couple things in the gift shop at the ladies working in there were very kind :) I highly recommend checking this place out! Allow approximately 1.5 hours :) read more

See all

WOW. better than a zoo in my opinion! the grounds were well kept and the whole area was beautiful! The animal variety so impressive for a wildlife sanctuary and you got to see the animals up close!! There were school tours going on at the same time and the park employees did such a great job with the tours, we followed along and listened! can't recommend enough. bring mosquito repellant for the cougar/bear area, everywhere else was lovely. read more

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Jupiter, Florida