The Sarasota Jungle Gardens is a hidden gem. There's so much to do and it's one of the places in the world that you can feed flamingos. They have so many animals from turtles, parrots to baby alligators. This place is family friendly for all ages. Don't forget to see the bird show! There's free on site parking available. read more

Ok, not great. If you want to pay $25 to hand feed a flamingo, this is the place for you. The live bird show at noon was good. The cafe is still closed, so there is only one small restroom at the gift shop for the whole park! The animals in cages looked sad. While walking on the main path, I saw a rat! Another lady said she saw many. read more

Amazing place to go if you're here with your family and friends, coming and join this hidden gem that Sarasota has It is a beautiful place. Staff is very friendly. Nice they put on shows which is really great children's friendly. read more

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So much to see and do! Bird show, gator feeding, flamingo feeding, petting zoo, hold a gator. Watch your times so you don't miss anything! read more

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I had one of my best experiences in Sarasota! I got to feed flamingos. They were so gentle. The feed you can buy when you walk in to buy tickets. $25 adults $15 kids 4-12) Free for kids 3 and younger You can buy feed for $3.50 for a small bag. You can feed alligators, flamingos or petting zoo animals (goats). There was an option to buy bigger feed but I can't remember the price for that. They also have gum ball machines filled with feed for 50cents. I would definitely recommend bringing quarters! read more

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This was a pretty fun zoo. There are feeding stations everywhere and you get to interact with a lot of the animals. You can exchange your bills for quarters at the cash register when you're buying your entrance tickets. The food pellets are $0.50 for a nice handful of kibble. The flamingos can be hand fed so that was cool. The walking paths are generally pretty clear and surrounded by large tropical plants (ie. Jungle-like). There isn't as much diversity in animals here, but they do have more tropical species you don't normally see in other state/city zoos. read more

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Fantastic experience for my Husband's Birthday outing! The team was fabulous, location was clean, and babies were so fun! We highly recommend! read more

I was pretty disappointed. This attraction seems pretty rundown. All the water features smelled pretty bad. Not worth the money in my opinion. The kids seemed to like it though so that's what matters. read more

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Okay I paid $50 for (2) to look at a few caged animals and some open air viewing of some birds - the flamingos were cool and the fact that the non-dangerous animals can roam free is definitely cool especially if you're a kid since the birds will eat from your hand. The downside of this visit was there were so many things under renovation and closed to the public with the exception of the gift shop this place is pretty run down. The staff here was very friendly and outgoing and those in charge of the animals were out taking care of all the habitats - there's no doubts there is a lot effort underway to updated this place but they have quite a ways to go to and honestly after visiting I feel the price of admission is a little steep for what it is today so I consider my admission fee was more of a donation for the future and I'm okay with that. Total time onsite was less than 1.5 hours and I walked slow including the tour of the gift shop - it was nice to see the few families here seemed to be enjoying themselves, paths are clean and easy to transverse and you do get a sense you are in a jungle with all the thick foliage and unique plants along with the water features. I'm not disappointed I came here just wish I could of seen this place before it got a little run down... read more

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Even for adults, this little gem is worth a trip. We purchased a ticket, feed food, and photos add on. We were able to see everything in about two hours. Guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. We will be back with our grandson for sure. read more

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Sarasota Jungle Gardens was our first stop on our very first trip to Florida. I really wanted to experience feeding the flamingos and honestly it was so worth the hype. Where else can you hand feed a flamingo!? I really enjoyed my time walking through the garden. There are so many free roaming peacocks. They have free educational shows as well as paid encounters. The bird encounter was a little underwhelming. One person (unless you pay for extra tickets) gets to hold a bird of the handler's choosing on a perch and they take a picture of you. You can feed the gators also but it's literally throwing feed over the wall to them (not a problem they're gators nobody needs a hand getting chomped on). I appreciate the conservation efforts being done here and the rescues they've done. And I would have rated more stars but I witnessed an employee being extremely rude to a customer who was only asking if she could pay for her items. I hold customer service very highly and if a business cannot maintain a level of professionalism they do not deserve the business of its patrons. read more

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Crazy busy. Granted it is spring break. Line to get in was halfway through the parking lot. Gift shop was a zoo. The humans have zero manners (don't move over like normal traffic patterns). $24 per adult is pretty steep to feed flamingos. Also not sure how the birds eat so much (not a an animal expert more out of curiosity). The directions for the walking paths aren't labeled well. There are lemurs, butterflies, a porcupine, petting zoo and some gators. Fun for littles kids I guess. The 8/11 year old kids with us got bored quickly. Fun to have fed a flamingo. Pretty birds. But I personally won't be returning. read more

Sarasota Jungle Gardens - This one seemed to be the alpha. - Zoos Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This place is kinda dingy. They have a petting zoo, unhappy monkeys sweating balls in a cage trying to escape heat from one fan, peacocks , snakes , spiders , frogs , crocs/ gators and flamingos. The wildlife shows were cute but don't expect to see crazy cool animals like elephants or giraffes. It's a tiny small zoo . read more

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The good is that it seems it would be great for families and the elderly. The bad is that I wouldnt recommend it for a couple to go on a date. We were able to watch the first show which included a bird, a bearded dragon and a snake. We did not stay to watch the rest of the shows. We had planned to eat at the café on site however it was closed for the day so we left to eat somewhere else. read more

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To be fair it was cold out (65°) and none of the animals were out that day. It was overly crowded too. read more

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This place is a hidden gem here in Sarasota, made the drive from Tampa to come check it out. Lots of fun activities for kids to enjoy and interactive exhibits. Would recommend for families, the time slots are a bit spread out and we missed our photo opp times because we finished too quick. Overall a very great experience, would return with family. read more

This venue is a must visit if in the area and you like animals/nature. The girls had a blast and that is what matters most!! 5 out of 5 times I would return.. Sidenote the people in guest service station and front gate were super awesome. The informed us on the pricing and feed packages for animal experience. We got there before it got super hot. The A/C in the cafe was definitely appreciated. We brought our own light lunch and I would recommend if you are able to do that sort of thing. Path ways are stroller friendly. Bathrooms we quaint and clean. Shade was a plenty. Might want to pack the sunscreen and bug spray. Overall it was expensive... But when on vacation it was about the experience. Girls had fun. Questions -reach out Respectfully, Bryan Yukon, Oklahoma read more

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Go early in the day to feed the flamingos. Later in the day they do not seem to be hungry. Nice to see flamingos so close. The park really needs a refresh, looks kind of tired. read more

Busy as expected on a Saturday. Bought tix in advance and still had to wait in line to get in. Once inside THEN there is a separate prepay scan in . They need to have a better system for admission traffic. Exhibit's were OK, expected more than we saw. When leaving thru gift shop(same as entrance), to buy souvenirs you had to get into SAME LINE as admission and there is only ONE cashier. More wasted time. There were 2 staff at presale scan table doing nothing while ONE cashier was handling pay at door admissions and gift shop. This all lacks poor customer experience. Hence this post for 2 stars. read more

Sarasota Jungle Gardens - tortoise - Zoos Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We usually have a great time, however, that was different this time and we were very sad and disappointed by that. Firstly, there was no warning, not even on the website, that the cafe was closed, and myself and several other families didn't pack food for our children, so mine had to have sugary and salty snack foods for lunch. Secondly, there were so many exhibits closed, including the prairie dog and our favorite reptile exhibit, which shortened our visit and put a dampen on our day. Lastly, there was a huge line going out of the women's restroom, leaving little kids dancing besides their moms from the need to pee so bad. This is probably because the cafe bathrooms were unavailable. A warning on the website, especially in regards to the cafe, or at least a lower entry fee should be put in place until most of these issues are resolved. But, being able to feed the flamingos, animals at the petting zoo, and alligators is pretty unique and cool, but I feel they could more displays and interactive experiences. read more

We went there 8-10 years ago and it was wonderful. Today we returned to find it has not been kept up, like one dime has not been put into it. My thinking is they are killing the clock until they can sell it to a developer. Don't go- save your money! read more

The Flamingos are my favorite animals here. They are very social and will eat out of your hand read more

This place is totally not worth your time! The few animal displays are very poorly maintained and the "show" we saw was pitiful. Do NOT waste your time and money!!! read more

Even tho half of the park was closed , I still had good experience in here , I was able to see crocodile and little alligator and even to pet alligator , kind of sad not able to see the whole park but next time I visit Florida this will be definitely my go place with my toddle . Very kind workers were there , everyone was very helpful and interactive with us, learned a lot about alligators and other reptiles since there was a show which was very knowledgeable and entertaining , very nice gift show with cute gifts to go . Had really great time here and enjoyed this part of the park which was open. Thank you! read more

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This is a really cute place and the size was the perfect pace for my husband and I. It's easy to get around because the paths are paved. The day we went was super hot and while they had a few benches to sit here and there, they could've used a few more over by the flamingos and the path to the left of them as you work your way back to the front. The live show was cute and educational for kids and adults. Some of the mammals were hard to see because of the fencing needed for their and our safety. The butterfly area we only saw 1 butterfly. They should have other possibilities to buy food for the gators etc. because you could only buy that food if you purchased a package. We enjoyed the flamingos a lot and that was my main reason for going. I'm not sure if they had a place to get food/ drink but we did see an area for birthday parties. Most of the animals are rescues or surrenders. It's cute and definitely worth trying maybe once. read more

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Very kid friendly and Matt the reptile guy is funny and great with kids also. And it's currently free due to hurricane issues. read more

Sarasota Jungle Gardens - Petting zoo - Zoos Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The animals at Jungle Gardens are poorly cared for, and it's super depressing. The parrots have pulled out a lot of their feathers from boredom and the emu creature has lost its neck feathers where it constantly rubs up against the fence. Jungle Gardens could be a great place - if the animals weren't so sad. read more

we like to spend time here! the children are delighted with the animals and especially with the fact that the alligator is fashionable to hold in our hands. we also like to feed the flamingos, this is our favorite entertainment here. the prices for entrance tickets are a bit high but you can get an annual pass if you want to come back here again. in cold weather you may not see some animals because they are taken away to warm up, but the ticket price does not change on such days unfortunately. read more

Sarasota Jungle Gardens - Zoos Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Really enjoyed this place. It was clean, beautiful, saw almost everything. Had enough time there, it was a beautiful day. Staff was quite friendly. read more

so overall it's a cool place. clean walkways, they have some fun shows. parrots and flamingos and peacocks everywhere. friendly staff, you gotta buy the food to feed the goats and flamingos...i recommend bringing a lot of quarters. they have the food packaged to buy with a card at the gift shop but it's expensive. the gift shop is meh. bring your own food and water. parking is free. it's 1/2 shaded but on very sunny days (you're in FL), it's sunny and HOT so sunscreen and shade are key. it's not well marked but there are maps but it can get confusing at times. some of the birds (of prey) are in small cages :/ i didn't expect that. most of the animals are free roaming and well taken care of (it seems). our baby had a good time -so overall a good experience. read more

Nice staff but not well laid out and very difficult to get around. They have too many things close to each other to give room for people to stand. Lots of open space that could spread out to allowing much better experience. read more

Some of the reviews were negative so I had low expectations and felt bad since it's been years since I have been to Jungle Gardens and was hoping it didn't go downhill. I brought my kids here years ago and now that there grown up they wanted to visit again. Good news the facilities have been updated and the animals appear to be well taken care of and in good health. Hurricane Ian did a lot of damage to the property hence the updated facilities including the main entrance and snack shop. My kids and their friends loved it! It's fun walking thru the "Jungle" looking for different animals and birds. Lots of foliage and canopy to keep you cool on a hot sunny day. The flamingos were our favorite. They live on a pond and walk freely around the park and you can feed them with pellets for a small fee. They don't bite and are very gentle picking the food from your hands so even small children can feed them. The beautiful peacocks that wander around the park are visitors. They don't belong to the gardens but enjoy the grounds and probably get some free meals from pellets that are dropped on the ground. There is also a small alligator pond and fortunately they don't roam freely. The tortoises are amazing. One I believe one is 86 years old and is huge. Make sure you see the parrot show. Years ago one of the parrots road a bicycle on a high wire. He is now 88 years old and retired and living with one of the volunteers. The other parrots do a few tricks and are fun to watch. Anyway I'm glad to see the Gardens are as nice as ever and we will visit again the next time we are in Longboat Key. read more

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Love love love flamingos so much hubby had to take me to the place I could see the most and be able to feed them. We have been here years ago so I was excited to go back. My fave flamingo is the one that struts it's stuff all through the park. Even went to the gift shop to get his mom a Mother's Day present. It doesn't stop for autographs but everyone follows it and it keeps going and going and going. There's other fun animals to see here. My second fave is the huge peacocks with the dramatic feathers. You know the prettier colorful ones r the males not the females. Walking through here, you definitely get the jungle feel. The good thing is, you will find shade. It may be super humid but that shade is everything. And unfortunately the gift shop when I was there, did not have a/c. This is a fun stop for all. They have scheduled shows and you can take a pick with the colorful macaws. Definitely come here for your flamingo and nature fix! The tourist mags have coupons so check them out and book your tickets online. It's so easy and it's nice to save money so you can put it towards other fun things to do! read more

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Nice place to take the kids and stroll through seeing the animals my grands loved the goats and lambs a lot might have to buy a few for them. The flamingos were stunning and the grands loved feeding them a really nice area that is still a work in progress from some bad weather. read more

I was disappointed in the Sarasota Jungle Gardens. I feel it was over priced. There were not very many animals to view.

WTF did I just partake in. Who on earth did I just help become richer when these poor creatures are unraveling at their fingertips? How is this place still open? Why is this place still open? If you are truly an animal lover, do NOT visit this establishment. The overall welfare of the animals (victims/hostages) is quite hard to witness. Not only are the animal enclosures (cages/jail rooms) in horrendous despair but the actual facility is falling apart. Other than the newly added children's playground, this place should be reviewed by the American Animal Humane Society and the United States Department of Agriculture, especially by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS). *I made a formal complaint with the Federal Government. If you also agree with the poor management of this facility, I encourage you to do so too.* The birds are stressed, losing color and feathers. The goats are overfed and their hooves in bad shape due to the standstill conditions of their enclosure being covered in mud and feces. The emus--oh my god--horrendous shape and are literally standing on top of each other with ZERO room to stretch their wings. The bearded dragons are also on-top of each other when they should be separated--black beards scream legit stress issues or sickness. The crocodiles are swimming in smut. The snake enclosures are depressing. The lemurs were screaming and fighting with each other--terrifying the young children and even made me jump and rush over. The turtle area was absolutely disgusting. They were inundated with moss any endless amounts of food pellets stuck on their shells, feet and faces. The worst of them all was the dragon cage--the image I posted is heartbreaking. Paths are poorly maintained; "signs" are missing important information and the employees seem genuinely disturbed to be there. There were NOT enough bathrooms to facilitate the amount of people they permit on the grounds--they were also absolutely disgusting. The shows have misleading times posted and the information provided during the show is...not worth attending. DO NOT COME HERE. PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL CRUELTY OFFICERS, HUMANE SOCIETY AND THE US APHIS. read more

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I have fond memories from my childhood at Sarasota Jungle Gardens, so I was excited to bring my toddler here. We saw one of the shows featuring a tarantula and alligator. My daughter enjoyed the petting zoo and brushing the goats. We also enjoyed feeding the flamingos.There was a small playground and picnic area. You can bring lunch or there are small snacks for sale. The gift shop is mostly stuffed animals. The bathrooms are in the gift shop and are fairly clean. A visit here takes no more than a few hours. read more

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A Transformative Journey Through Absence Sarasota Jungle Gardens is not your typical zoo--it's an existential awakening. The empty parrot aviary taught me the profound lesson that sometimes the loudest squawk is silence itself. I stood before those vacant perches and felt my soul ascend. Then, the utterly bare monkey enclosure--it was like staring into the void and having it stare back. I realized that the real cage... is society. Life-changing. The two goats in the petting zoo? Icons of resilience, braving the solitude to teach us all about survival. They didn't need a herd--they are the herd. And the canceled gator show? A poignant reminder that life doesn't always perform on cue. This isn't a zoo; it's an avant-garde critique of what we think we want versus what we need. Come prepared to leave as a new person--or perhaps with two goats as your only true mentors. read more

Sarasota Jungle Gardens - They even had a plastic alligator for little kids to join in the learning. - Zoos Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I feel so sad for the animals. Overcrowded enclosures, little food or water, no ventilation, small enclosures, unkept, stagnant water, the list goes on. Not sure how this place is still open because of the awful animal conditions. Don't spend your money here, incredibly expensive just to witness animal neglect. read more

Decided to have a fun day out with the kids. Jungle gardens sounded fitting. As we headed to the entrance, my 4 yr old son got injured trying to settle on his stroller. He ended up scraping the palm of his hand. I asked Diane, the cashier, for a first aide kit. She handed us a few gauze and extra bandages. I asked was there alcohol or peroxide to clean the wound prior to applying the bandage available. She said no. But she didn't stop there. She offered me clean water to use. Diane was very caring and hospitable. She treated my sons small injury with care as is he was her own. God bless her! The kids loved petting and feeding the animals, the flamingos and goats. The loved the trail. Saw alligators, we ate near the play ground. Then the kids went to play. Overall, this was a fun and successful day. read more

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