Riverbanks Zoo and Garden sits along the banks of the Saluda River in Columbia, South Carolina, combining a full-scale zoo with an expansive botanical garden on a single 170-acre campus. Since opening to the public on April 25, 1974, it has grown into one of the Southeast’s most visited attractions, drawing more than a million guests every year.
The zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals representing hundreds of species, from western lowland gorillas in the Ndoki Forest exhibit to southern white rhinos, sea lions, penguins, and a reef aquarium stocked with Pacific coral species. A short walk across a pedestrian bridge connects the zoo to its 70-acre botanical garden, opened in 1995, which features historic ruins, woodland trails, and thousands of plant varieties.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Columbia / West Columbia, South Carolina
- Opened: April 25, 1974
- Size: 170 acres total, including a 70-acre botanical garden
- Animal Count: More than 3,000 animals
- Annual Visitors: Over 1 million
- Famous For: Ndoki Forest gorillas and its riverside botanical garden
The Zoo Experience
Riverbanks organizes its exhibits around immersive habitats rather than traditional cages, letting visitors move through African savanna scenes, the rainforest-themed Ndoki Forest, and Sea Lion Landing, an exhibit modeled after San Francisco’s Pier 39 that opened in June 2016. In 2020, a new habitat for southern white rhinos opened on the site of the zoo’s former elephant exhibit, after the zoo’s last elephants relocated to other accredited facilities in 2019. The Aquarium Reptile Complex houses a large coral reef tank alongside amphibians and reptiles from around the world, and the Birdhouse at Riverbanks gives close-up views of penguins and other avian species.
A Botanical Garden Along the Saluda
Across the river, the botanical garden blends cultivated plant collections with wooded trails, historic stone ruins, and a children’s garden added in 2016 with interactive water features. The site is managed by the Rich-Lex Riverbanks Park Special Purpose District, a partnership between the city of Columbia and Richland and Lexington counties, and the zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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Hauls kids, coolers and souvenirs across a big zoo or park, folds flat for the trunk.
Little hands reach in, snacks stay in — a lifesaver on long zoo days.
Easier on your back than carrying in arms all day at the zoo.
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden FAQs
Where is Riverbanks Zoo and Garden located?
It’s located along the Saluda River between Columbia and West Columbia, South Carolina.
When did Riverbanks Zoo and Garden open?
The zoo opened to the public on April 25, 1974; the adjoining botanical garden opened later, on June 10, 1995.
Does Riverbanks Zoo have elephants?
No. The zoo’s last elephants moved to other accredited zoos in 2019, and the former elephant habitat was converted into a southern white rhino exhibit that opened in 2020.
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Photo: Surfer43 / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.