City: Tampa Bay, FL

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (813) 935-8552

Address: 1101 W. Sligh Ave.

Description: Named the number-one zoo for kids by Parent’s Magazine (2009), Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo lets visitors explore eight different habitats with more than 2,000 animals from around the world. Ride a camel, touch a rhinoceros, or feed a giraffe! The zoo also has two water play areas and a climb-on playground. Rides include a flume, roller coaster, sky-tram, and others. Shows and talks throughout the day teach visitors about the animals. Or take a pontoon-boat River Odyssey Eco-Cruise on the Hillsborough River. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors ages sixty and up, and $14.95 for children ages three through eleven. Children ages two and under are free. An unlimited ride wristband costs $20. The Eco-Cruise costs $14 for adults, $13 for seniors, and $10 for children. Parking is free. Nine different dining options range from snacks to full meals, or bring a picnic cooler and eat in the park area outside the zoo.