If you’re looking for an awesome homeschool field trip or just a fun family outing, you should definitely check out the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida. We took our crew recently and had such a fun time. You can seriously spend the whole day there.
What you’ll get from this post
- How the zoo is laid out by “countries,” starting with Africa
- Feeding the giraffes and stingrays
- The kids’ favorite animals (and why)
- The playground, maze and summer splash pad
- Whether the full experience ticket is worth it, and when to arrive
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A zoo with a theme park vibe
You really get a theme park vibe at this zoo. The animals are set up in separate “countries” around the park.
Africa
Our first stop was Africa, and yes, I was singing the Lion King soundtrack through that whole country. We saw monkeys, zebras, a lion and a flamingo (or a duck, depending on which kid you ask).
Then we got to feed the giraffes. The zookeeper told us the giraffes were gathering by the gate because it was almost time for them to go in for the night. They know the schedule every day. Isn’t that cool?
One of my favorite animals was the klipspringer. They have mega jumping abilities and are so entertaining to watch.
The reptile center
There’s a great reptile center you can walk through inside. The kids were so intrigued by the huge snakes.
Feeding the stingrays
I’ve touched stingrays before, but I’d never fed one. It’s such a creepy feeling! A few of us were a little scared, but we did it.
Asia
The Asia area was so beautifully manicured, with a bamboo forest, a koi pond and gardens. It was really fun to walk through. And how crazy are Komodo dragons? They’re like mutant lizards.
The kids’ favorite animals
I asked the kids what their favorites were:
- The tiger, because it’s “red and fluffy and ferocious.”
- The cheetah, because it can run 70 miles per hour.
Playground, maze and splash pad
The zoo also has a maze and a playground, and the kids absolutely loved them. We played in those spots for a while. One of my kids called it the best playground he’d ever seen, especially the little tree house that only fits six people at a time.
If you go in the summer, pack bathing suits. There’s a splash pad, like a mini water park, which is great for cooling off in the Florida heat.
Is the full experience ticket worth it?
The full experience ticket costs more than general admission, but in our opinion it’s so worth it. It includes:
- The train (the kids loved that it was red and fast)
- The 4D movie
- Giraffe and stingray feeding
- The carousel
Here’s the catch: they didn’t let you add these experiences once you were inside the park on a general admission ticket. So if you think you’ll want any of them, buy the full experience tickets up front. It makes the day feel more like a day at a theme park than just a zoo.
Tips for planning your visit
- Arrive when the doors open. I believe they open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.. There’s so much to see that you can spend the whole day.
- Ask about group rates if you’re planning a big homeschool group field trip. They have great ones.
- Make it an overnight trip if you’re not close by. I shared where we stayed in my Jacksonville vlog, which is in our Johnson Crew Travels playlist.
Key takeaways
- The Jacksonville Zoo is organized by countries, which gives it a theme park feel.
- Giraffe and stingray feeding were highlights for our kids.
- Buy the full experience ticket up front if you want the extras.
- Bring swimsuits in summer for the splash pad.
- Get there at opening to make a full day of it.
Things we mentioned
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FAQ
Is the Jacksonville Zoo good for a homeschool field trip?
Yes. With animals grouped by region, a reptile center, animal feedings and gardens, there’s plenty to learn, and they offer group rates for big field trips.
Can you add the train and feedings after you enter?
When we went, no. Those extras couldn’t be added inside the park on a general admission ticket, so buy the full experience ticket up front.
How long should you plan to spend there?
A whole day. We recommend arriving when the doors open.
Does the Jacksonville Zoo have a splash pad?
Yes. Pack bathing suits in the summer for the splash pad.
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Full transcript
Today we're going to take you on our homeschool field trip to the jacksonville zoo in florida are y'all excited yeah if you're looking for an awesome field trip idea or just a fun family outing you should definitely check out the jacksonville zoo we had such a fun time where we going to the zoo where are we going are you excited yeah yeah do you see the paw prints where are they so cool what is that you really get like a theme park vibe at this zoo they had the animals set up in their separate countries around the zoo our first stop was africa
And you know I was singing the lion king soundtrack through that whole country actually her mom tried to smell the rocks so that you don't step back what does the monkey say in the corner oh my goodness do you want to hold the monkey yeah yeah they're so sweet means dead do you love the monkey you want to hold a monkey a zebra is oh is this one of those teenage mutant ninja ones dude do you see the lion yeah what does the lion say oh a duck it's a flamingo oh it's a duck yeah I think it's a flamingo a duck yeah then we got to feed the giraffes don't let him yeah get a little closer a little closer you're teasing him
There you go oh yeah the zookeeper there told us that they were gathering by the gate because it was almost time for them to go in for the night and they know the schedule every day isn't that cool one of my favorite animals we got to see was the safak they have mega jumping abilities they're so entertaining they had a really great reptile center that you could go walk through inside and they had these huge snakes that the kids were so intrigued by look at that he's cool
So I've gotten to touch stingrays before but I've never fed one it's so creepy feeling I'm a little scared all right daddy let's see it's oh what was your favorite animal that we got to see a tiger why is that your favorite because it's uh red and fluffy and ferocious you like ferocious salmons yeah maggie what was your favorite animal we got to see yeah that's awesome what was so cool about the cheetah that it runs 70 miles per hour the country of asia was
So beautifully manicured with the bamboo forest and koi pond and gardens that was really fun to walk through yeah it's not a real one yeah it's real huh how crazy are komodo dragons like mutant lizards the jacksonville zoo also has a maze and a playground for the kids to play in and they absolutely loved it we definitely played in those spots for a while and if you're going in the summertime pack your bathing suits because they have a splash pad like a mini water park which is pretty great to be able to cool off from the florida summer heat I don't want to hold on the playground was the best playground I ever seen yeah what was
So cool about it that it had this little tree thing but you could only fit six people in cool so I had to wait for two good job so if you purchase the full experience tickets it is more expensive but it's so worth it you get to ride the train see the 40 movie feed the drafts and stingrays and ride the carousel that they have there and it's only eight dollars more per adult and six dollars more per kids and then two and under is free in fact they don't allow you to add on these experiences while you're in the park if you've just purchased the general admission ticket
So if you think you're going to want to do any of those things I would recommend just going ahead and buying the full experience tickets it's totally worth it and it definitely makes the day feel more like a day at a theme park than just a zoo the tram was red and it was fun and it was fast and uh so if you're wanting to plan a big group field trip out there they have awesome group rates if you're wanting to just take your family there for a homeschool field trip or just a fun family outing I highly recommend getting there when the doors open which I think is usually 9am
And then they close at 5pm because you can seriously spend the whole day there there's just so much to see and do we can't wait to go back and if you're not close to the area and are looking to make an overnight trip out of this check out my jacksonville vlog which I'll put up at the end of this video and see where we stayed when we went I hope you all enjoyed getting to see a bit of the jacksonville zoo today if you could go ahead
And hit that thumbs up that would mean so much to me let me know what state you're coming from in the comments below I feature all of our family travels and share lots of homeschooling tips and resources on my channel so if that interests you go ahead and hit that subscribe button below and let's hang out every week see you next time