Located just 30 minutes away from downtown Fort Lauderdale is a family getaway that is truly one of the world’s greatest zoos. The Miami Metro Zoo is annually voted as one of the top destinations for family fun in South Florida.

The Zagat Survey rated the Miami Metro Zoo as the “Top-Rated Attraction in the Fort Lauderdale  area by travelers who have experienced traveling with children.

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The Metro Zoo houses more than 1,200 wild animals in a cageless setting that closely approximates the animals’ natural habitats and gives the visitor the feeling of embarking on an international safari. Large, open-air exhibits allow visitors to enjoy beautiful and endangered wildlife at a safe yet remarkably close range.

With nearly 300 developed acres on a 740-acre parcel of land, Metro Zoo is the only zoo in the continental United States and the  located in a subtropical climate. This enables the Zoo to showcase animals that cannot easily be exhibited in colder climates.

Miami Metro Zoo Highlights

One of the world’s great zoos, Miami Metro Zoo is rated among the top ten zoos in the U.S. by Travel & Leisure magazine.

• Voted # 1 for family fun in Miami by the Best of Citysearch, and South Florida Parenting Magazine. Rated top attraction by Zagat Survey for travelers with children
• Metro Zoo houses more than 1,200 wild animals in a cageless setting that closely approximates the animals natural habitats and gives the visitor the feeling of embarking on an international safari.
• Large, open-air exhibits allow visitors to enjoy beautiful and endangered wildlife at a safe yet remarkably close range.
• With nearly 300 developed acres on a 740-acre parcel of land, Metro Zoo is the only zoo in the continental United States located in a subtropical climate.
• Metro Zoo works with other institutions around the world in 41 Species Survival Plans, aiding the Bengal Tiger, Indian Rhinoceros, Asian Small Clawed Otter and other endangered species.
• Metro Zoo’s breeding programs have received widespread recognition and a variety of prestigious awards, ranging from several First Breeding Certificates to the Edward H. Bean Award, the zoological profession’s highest honor.
• Metro Zoo’s new Master Plan redesigns and expands the Zoo to include spectacular new exhibits, water rides, and interactive opportunities. The Plan envisions the Zoo as the centerpiece of a new tourist destination with themed attractions, stores, restaurants and hotels.
• The Zoo’s Amazon & Beyond exhibit, is one of the world’s most varied and comprehensive tropical exhibits with jaguars, anacondas, giant river otters, harpy eagles, sting ray touch tanks, air conditioned buildings, and a unique display of a forest before and during flood times.
• At 27 acres, the Amazon & Beyond exhibit is larger than the average American zoo.
• Miami Metro Zoo is one of only three Zoo’s in the US to have giant river otters.
• About 80,000 school children benefit from the zoo’s education programs each year.
• The Metro Zoo staff is multi-lingual Education and has hosted over 15,000 sessions at the Zoo with school children and their teachers during the past year.

Miami Metrozoo Exhibits

Asia
The Asian River Life exhibit invites the visitor to walk among cooling waterfalls, tropical mists and the exotic sounds of wild Asia to encounter the small-clawed river otters, primitive muntjac deer, clouded leopards, and Asian water monitors. The Falcon Batchelor Komodo Dragon Encounter houses the largest, most powerful lizards on earth from the island of Komodo.

These ancient beasts, the national treasure of Indonesia, reach nearly ten feet in length and weigh up to 300 pounds. Among the spectacular temple ruins of Angkor Wat from Cambodia prowl the powerful, majestic Bengal tigers, including the extremely rare white tiger.

Africa
Embark upon an African safari to observe gerenuk, pygmy hippo, gemsbok, impala, giant eland and greater kudu. Reticulated giraffes, ostriches,  zebras and gazelles graze together on the African Plains. See the most beautiful eyelashes in nature up close while feeding the giraffes at The Samburu Giraffe Feeding station.

Experience the forests of the Dark Continent as you encounter the family life of the powerful silverback lowland gorillas and the chimpanzees. Many other fascinating animals are to be discovered in Africa, including the critically endangered black rhinoceros, whimsical wart hogs, Cape hunting dogs, okapi, and the threatened elephants.

The America’s
Meet the Andean condors, tapirs, squirrel and howler monkeys, emerald tree boas, poison dart frogs and Cuban crocodiles from Central and South America. Iguanas, Cuban knight anoles, and Caimans are lurking about. Giant Galapagos tortoises from Ecuador will amaze you.

Tours And Amenities
The Metro Zoo offers guided tram tours, walking tours (with advance reservation), fascinating behind-the-scenes tours, the Samburu Giraffe Feeding Station, an educational Wildlife Show, an interactive show at Discovery Den, an elevated air-conditioned monorail tour, Safari quadracycles, water cycles by Lakeside Grille, state-of-the-art playgrounds and water play areas for children, dining areas scattered throughout the Park, and a gift shop.

Here’s a hint, when you go to the zoo, set aside about 4 hours to walk the exhibit and make sure you bring sunscreen and drink plenty of water. It is designed to be like an African safari and the South Florida sun does its best to comply.

So if you are in town looking for something to do, please visit the Zoo, you will have an incredible time. Bring the whole family and enjoy!

Miami Metro Zoo Ticket Information and Directions

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