If y’all know me personally, you know there is NOWHERE in the world that I love more than Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. It is a place that I fell in love with at the young age of five, and even though I am much older now, it is still a place that holds a huge piece of my heart.

Riverbanks Zoo opened its gates on April 25, 1974. On my many visits over the years, I did get to see many of the original animals that called the zoo home. Unfortunately they have to deal with the same problem that humans do, they eventually die of old age. Riverbanks constantly changes, but the memories of the animals that you love to see on your visits stays with you forever.

On June 10, 1995 the botanical garden at Riverbanks Zoo opened up. Therefore the name change to Riverbanks Zoo and Garden was made. A beautiful bridge had been built over the Saluda River that became the connection from the zoo to the garden. You could catch a tram to take you up to the garden once you got across the bridge, or you could walk up the trail to access the garden. I have only ever walked up the trail twice in my life, but I have walked down the trail many times. My “mountain climbing” ability is not the best, but the walk down is really beautiful. As a tip, if you aren’t in excellent physical shape, do yourself a favor and at least ride the tram up to the garden. You can walk down much easier than you can go up.

I believe by the garden opening, that is what triggered my love of Riverbanks. The walled garden had so many flowers inside that I never knew about. My love of photography and flowers was set on fire. By 1995 we already had a family membership to Riverbanks, so we could visit anytime we wanted to. I finally had found a place that I wanted to visit over and over again just to take pictures. I am so thankful to the lady that struck up a conversation with my mom while we were waiting for the zoo to open when we visited in 1994. She was a member of the zoo, so she gave us some of her guest passes so we wouldn’t have to pay to get in, and in that simple act of kindness, she changed our lives. We were hooked on the zoo, and my mom decided to buy a membership for us too. As they say, the rest is history.

Anyway, the Riverbanks that I first visited on my kindergarten field trip way back in 1985, or maybe 1986, barely exists today. Very few original structures still stand at the zoo, replacements have been built over the years, but the heart of the zoo is still the same. While they can add cool features such as zip lining and rock climbing, the zoo is still the same one that I have loved since I was five, and completely fell in love with at fourteen. It’s a great place to spend a day with your loved ones, or even by yourself.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is located at 500 Wildlife Parkway in Columbia, South Carolina. Admission is now $19.95 per adult, and $16.95 per child. They are open daily from 9-5. There will obviously be many more blogs about Riverbanks in the future. It is a place that has a lot to offer. Be aware if you visit that there is now a $5 parking fee if you are not a zoo member.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast