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    Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge

    5.0 (1 review)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

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    Gulf Breeze Zoo

    Gulf Breeze Zoo

    4.3(246 reviews)
    6.8 mi

    This is an absolutely fabulous small zoo! The grounds were clean and it was not over crowded so we…read morecould actually see all of the animals without getting elbowed by strangers. The animal enclosures were grade A with animals kept in areas as closely resembling their natural habitats as possible. We took the train through several open areas where the animals were separated by waterways and cattle panels. Most of them had free reign to travel from one area to another. There were also several opportunities to interact with the animals both by meeting them within their enclosures with a keeper or by feeding some of the more docile animals. That said, it was the zoo keepers who made this experience all that it was. We met Newt near the Tamarin enclosures. She spent several minutes telling us about the primates and birds. She loves what she does and her enthusiasm is contageous! We also spent a chunk of time talking to the sloth keeper - sadly, I cannot recall his name. He was very interesting to talk to and gave us a whole new appreciation for the different types of sloths. We highly recommend this zoo!

    I was appalled at the Gulf Breeze Zoo. There were no enrichment activities for the animals, the…read moreanimal enclosures were small, and the animals spend their day begging for food from visitors. This is not normal animal behavior. The enclosure for the four lionesses was dirt and one lioness looked emaciated. The giraffe enclosure was all dirt, and there was a small metal shed the giraffes had to duck to enter for shade. There was little separation between the animals and visitors. It appeared the focus of the zoo is for visitors to purchased food and feed the animals. The zoo is no longer AZA accredited. The zoo is listed as ZAA accredited, which has much looser expectations. When I visit a zoo I want to see animals treated with respect. I do not recommend the Gulf Breeze Zoo to anyone.

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    Gulf Breeze Zoo
    Gulf Breeze Zoo - Budgiery

    Budgiery

    Gulf Breeze Zoo

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    Alligator Alley - Look at me!

    Alligator Alley

    4.8(194 reviews)
    48.9 mi

    Alligator Alley is a topnotch destination for visitors in the area. The grounds are clean, the…read morestaff are friendly and helpful, and it is so much fun! Lots of easy to walk paths for those wondering about accessibility. The bathrooms were clean, there was a snack stand, and lots of seating. The gift shop is also super cute. This was a highlight of our trip to the Gulf Shores area. We bought the $22 food buckets for our two kids. Well worth it. It was so fun watching the alligators eat the food. The alligators have so much space to roam, but they tend to stick where the snacks are. We loved the short walk to the swamp area. So many big alligators! We watched the 1pm show and it was great! It was a little cold on the day we went so it took some encouraging to get the alligators to pop out of the water. The guy doing the show was very educational and funny. There was ample parking available as well. We had so much fun!

    This was one of the highlights of our vacation, as my fiancé goes crazy over Gators and Crocs…read more There are tons of Gators to see as well as Longhorns! The cashiers and trainers are all kind and we loved talking with them. This was also the first sanctuary we've gone to that actually feels like one. The property was immaculate and very detailed with natural plants. All the animals are greatly taken care of and their environment did not look unclean or unnatural. We highly suggest to visit.

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    Alligator Alley - Hold an alligator!

    Hold an alligator!

    Alligator Alley
    Alligator Alley

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    Santa Rosa Ranch

    Santa Rosa Ranch

    4.0(3 reviews)
    31.0 mi

    One of the BEST experiences we have had in the Gulf Coast! Our family visited this weekend and had…read morea blast petting all of the animals and feeding the reindeer. The staff was very sweet and made us feel right at home! I can't believe word hasn't gotten out about this gem... I'll be telling EVERYONE about this place

    My friend and I brought our 6 children here. There were a lot of little activities for them to do,…read morebut we were hoping for a pumpkin patch. There was no patch. There was only a table full of small pumpkins. It's fine. There were a lot of other good things about the place. The deer, the goats, the big pig that walked around, the zip line, etc. Well we went up to pay our way in and the lady at the concession was So Super nice! The price was $10 each. 2 and under are free. My friend paid for her and her two children. I pod for myself and 3 of my 4 children because my youngest was 2. I asked again about the and under being free. She said yes. So I asked what about the pumpkins? Because usually the pumpkins are included in the price. She said "Oh the pumpkins are free! Take as many as you want. We have more than we know what to do with!" Ok great! We spent close to 2 hours doing all the activities. Then we when we were ready to leave, we went to the pumpkin table to get our pumpkins. My daughter had a hard time choosing so we were showing her options then putting them back until she found the one she wanted. Great! We go to leave and we're taking pictures of the kids carrying their pumpkins. 1 for each of us. I was carrying mine and my daughter's. When I was almost to the parking area, a woman stopped me and said we got too many pumpkins. I was confused and told her we paid 7 fees and my youngest was free. And she said "I don't know. They just told me y'all had too many pumpkins and I have to get them." So I explain that we had the right amount. She wasn't having it. She said the pumpkins were only free for the kids. So I don't really know what my friend and I paid fees for because it's not like we got on the zip line or anything. Whatever! So I give her the two I have in my arms back and walk away. My friend goes back and at least gets my daughter's pumpkin back from the lady because I was done with the confrontation. She was hearing it. All in all, my children enjoyed it. Every other employee other than this lady was so super nice! But it was not the pumpkin patch experience we or they were hoping for and the lady at the end of it ruined my whole view of the place. We will not go back. We'll drive a few minutes down the road to Holland Farms!

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    Santa Rosa Ranch - Come and help our antlers grow! Get a hands on experience with exotic wildlife at the Santa Rosa Ranch.

    Come and help our antlers grow! Get a hands on experience with exotic wildlife at the Santa Rosa Ranch.

    Santa Rosa Ranch
    Santa Rosa Ranch

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    Buccaneer Pirate Cruise

    Buccaneer Pirate Cruise

    4.5(138 reviews)
    22.4 mi

    We did this cruise in June 2026. Our two 5 year old grandsons had a ball. The pirate actors were…read moreincredible and believable. The kids participated in sword fights, water gun fights, a treasure hunt and more. This is a must do with kids. It is action packed the whole time and well worth the money!

    An interactive, fun experience for families that have young children. I even noticed preteens…read morehaving a blast. Unfortunately, for myself and my family we were sold on this idea of a pretty cool pirate ship that tours the island of Destin. Not at all with this ship does. This cruise is solely intended to entertain children while you explore a small area of the waters for example passing crab Island starting just a short distance away from Harbor Walk. We were lucky enough to see a dolphin take a quick flip above water, but if you blinked and missed it, which some people in my group did, then you missed it but it's not advertised as part of the experience so for those of us that saw it, we were lucky. I do find that there are many dolphins and you get to see them probably any day you're on the water. The ship is exceptionally clean, and I loved the laboratory facilities. Not your typical tiny bathrooms that you find on a boat. We did order the fast on boarding Tickets, which I did not feel were necessary. No one asked us for it and when we got to the ship, we were instructed to walk to the front just like everybody else and had to wait for one family to board ahead of us as they only board one group at a time. In my mind that family did not have a fast on boarding, however, who knows. We were not asked for the Pass and there was no line or sign to indicate what side to stand on if you had a fast on boarding. Maybe this is more valuable during peak season but definitely not now.

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    Buccaneer Pirate Cruise
    Buccaneer Pirate Cruise
    Buccaneer Pirate Cruise

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    Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge - parks - Updated September 2026

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