Lowry Park Zoo

Tampa, Florida: Tucked away in the hustle and bustle of city life in downtown Tampa lies the home to over 2,000 exotic animals, Lowry Park Zoo. Rated the number one family friendly zoo in the US by Child Magazine and Parents Magazine, Lowry Park Zoo is also home to State of Florida’s Wildlife Conservation Center.

Originally opened in 1957, Lowry Park Zoo shared property with Fairyland. The park combined animal attractions with a winding maze of fairy tales and children rides. By the 1980’s the property came in to such disrepair and the need to be repaired. The Lowry Park Zoo Association was formed in 1982 with a mission to raise awareness of the zoo and to raise the funds needed for renovation. The efforts were successful and in 1988, the renovated zoo was unveiled. Today’s Lowry Park Zoo is 56 acres of animal habitats that provides home to over 2,000 animals along with rides, shopping, dining, educational venues and an animal hospital.

Lowery Park Zoo’s animal habitats are organized into regions. Here are the regions that are in the park and the some of the animals within them;

Free Flight Aviary- Spoonbills, Pigeons, Hornbills, Lorikeets, Toucans, Macaws, Ibis, Doves, Bird of Paradise, Fruit Bats, Herons and more.

Wallaroo Station Children’s Zoo- Goats, Sheep, Budgerigar, Emus, Bats, Horses, Koi, Kookaburra, Singing Dogs, Koala, Kangaroos and more.

Safari Africa- African Penguins, Cheetah, Camels, Zebra, Hippos, Impala, Kudu, Ostrich, Giraffe, Antelope, Hyena, Gazelle, Warthogs, Waterbuck, Rhinos and more.

Florida Boardwalk- Alligators, Crocodiles, Bald Eagles, Stingrays, Black Bear, Florida Panther, Gopher Tortoise, Deer, Red Wolf, Otters, Turkey and more.

Florida Manatee and Aquatic Center- rehabilitation center for injured Manatees along with exhibit for other Florida aquatic animals.

Birds of Prey- Kestrel, Owls, Eagles, Vultures, Hawks and more.

Asian Gardens- Leopard, Rhinos, Komodo Dragons Tapir, Sloth Bear, Tigers and more.

Primate World- Colobus, Orangutans, Mandrills, Marmosets, Monkeys, Lemurs and more.

In addition to the animals, Lowry Park Zoo also features family rides. Gator Fall, Treetop Skyfari, Tasmania Tiger Coaster and a Safari Ride just to name a few. They also offer animal encounters in which guests can ride a camel or a pony. You can also feed the giraffes, rhinos or stingrays. Guests can also purchase tickets for the River Eco-Odyssey, a separate tour in which you board the Sirenia for a trip down the Hillsborough River to see some of the animals that call the river home.

Lowry Park also has a great educational program. They offer informative shows throughout the day and have extra animal encounter programs in which you can learn more about the animals. They also have day camps and school programs to provide the students with a hands-on look at the animal world.

You can find more pictures on my photo page for Lowry Park Zoo.

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