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Location
What you should know
Visitor tip
Arrive early to participate in giraffe feeding experiences with Total Experience tickets, as feedings are only available until 4:15 pm. Plan to visit this popular interactive exhibit first thing after entering.
Visitor tip
Don't miss the iconic 40-foot Kapok Tree at the Primate Forest entrance—it's a stunning architectural centerpiece and provides an immersive introduction to the African Forest experience. The interior stairway accessible to staff is a unique design detail worth observing.
Visitor tip
Use the covered boardwalk at Giraffe Overlook for shaded viewing during hot Florida days. The seasonal café in the play area provides convenient refreshment options, especially important when visiting with young children.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Zoo
- Size
- 115 acres with 2,000+ animals and 1,000+ plants
- Highlights
- Primate Forest, Land of the Tiger, giraffe and stingray interactions, Play Park
- Interactive Features
- Animal feeding, petting, touch tanks, climbing play areas
What visitors say
Forest entryway, they are captivated by a magnificent 40 foot Kapok Tree. This iconic tree serves as the heart and hub of the exhibit. The interior of the massive trunk is accessible to staff via a stairway so that caretakers may study…
This is a part of the Jacksonville zoo. I can't wait to go back and see the rest of what they've done with it the parts that I did see are very educational. I love the attention to detail. There are parts that are phenomenal it's…
I mean zoo is a zoo always makes me sad to see animals in cages but some are better than others… this one isn’t the greatest though enclosures are small ! Elephants have little room to wonder around, lions monkeys rhinos birds seem just…
From 15 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- The African Forest features a 40-foot Kapok Tree at its entrance with an interior staircase accessible to staff for animal care and study, serving as the central hub of the exhibit
- African Forest is part of the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens, offering interconnected exhibits spanning multiple habitat zones from primate forests to African savannas
- The zoo offers interactive feeding experiences including giraffe feeding, lorikeet feeding, and stingray petting/feeding as part of Total Experience ticket packages
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