Visiting Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park
Visiting the Tampa zoo had been on my to-do list for a while, and it certainly lived up to all the hype! Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park is a gorgeous and expansive 56 acre campus that focuses on rescuing, rehabilitating, and caring for animals. Zoo Tampa is focused on taking action to protect and preserve wildlife, and use the park to educate and raise awareness of wildlife and the animals in their care through fun, immersive ways. Here, I’m sharing my experience with the Tampa Zoo, along with some great photos I took of the many animals in their care, and details on how you can plan your own visit:
There is no shortage of fun things to do in Tampa, Florida! Whether you’re here for a quick trip or you’re a local trying to branch out of your routine, there are plenty of cool spots to check out in the Tampa area.
Click here for my free guide to the best of the best Tampa has to offer!
Table of Contents:
About the Tampa Zoo
ZooTampa at Lowry Park started out as a small scale municipal department in the 1930’s. In 1982, the Lowry Park Zoo Association was formed and took over management from the City of Tampa; their goal was to create a “world class zoo” that was ultimately credited by the Association of zoos and Aquariums.
Since the Tampa Zoo’s opening in 1988, the campus has grown to encompass 56 acres, home to lush, tropical animal exhibits for a wide variety of wildlife. The Zoo also uses its space to host educational programs and engaging events where visitors can get up-close with animals and learn more about them and their environments.
Overall, Zoo Tampa focuses on endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species from regions that mirror the warm climate of Tampa Bay. This means that, besides a robust Florida section, the park offers areas devoted to Asian, African, and Australian animals.
Click here to learn more about ZooTampa and their mission of conservation here.
Zoo Tampa & the Nat Geo WILD Series
The Tampa Zoo is renowned both in and outside of the Tampa Bay Area. National Geographic’s WILD series is based at this zoo and highlights behind-the-scenes stories of the resident animals and the teams entrusted to care for them. Check out the trailer for the series below:
My Experience Visiting the Tampa Zoo
The Tampa Zoo is conveniently located in the Old Seminole Heights area of town. I was pleased to find out that they offer free parking to all guests, and have lots of spaces available. Furthermore, you are able to bring water and cameras into the zoo, so I was all set for a fun afternoon with my friend and her daughter.
There were so many cool exhibits to see, which made getting my steps in for the day pretty easy. As a Florida native, I thought that the Florida Wildlife Section was especially cool. We saw pretty Caribbean Flamingos, a North American Black Bear, a Florida Panther, and a variety of cranes and pelicans.
Besides the Florida section, the animals in the Africa and Primates sections were pretty active. In the Africa section, the elephants were out and about, as were the Southern White Rhinoceros (top left in the block below), Red River Hogs (bottom left), and Masai Giraffe (bottom right).
The Ring-Tail Lemurs in the Primate section were my favorite (I took like 50 photos of them), as were the Siamang (top left in the block below), Angolian Colobus Monkeys (top right), and Bornean Orangutans (middle left). I narrowed down my favorite Lemur pictures to the last two in the grid below.
FAQ About Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park
What is the address & hours for Zoo Tampa?
Zoo Tampa’s address is: 1101 W Sligh Ave Tampa, FL 33604
Their hours are typically 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM every day of the week. Check their website for holiday hours.
Zoo Tampa Tickets & Memberships
There are three tiers of admissions tickets: memberships, pay for a day, and general admission. Memberships are popular with parents of young children, and they allow you to bring at least one guest, depending on the level you pick, among other perks. Zoo Tampa memberships start at $129.
If you don’t particularly care about the perks, you can choose the pay for a day option, where you purchase one ticket and can visit free any time for the rest of the year. These tickets are $49.95 for ages 12 and up, or $39.95 for ages 3-11.
If you’re just visiting for the day, there are one-day tickets available for advance purchase or same day purchase. Advance purchase gets you $3 off; otherwise, the prices are the same as the pay for a day tickets above.
Learn more about the Tampa Zoo’s tickets and membership options here.
How Long Does It Take to Go Through the Tampa Zoo?
If you want to visit every exhibit in every section of the park at a leisurely pace, expect to be there for at least three to four hours
If you want to visit only a few sections per visit, you can easily spend an hour or so and then head out.
Is Parking Free at Zoo Tampa?
Yes! Parking is free for everyone at the Tampa Zoo, and they have a lot of spaces available.
Are Refreshments Available at the Zoo? Can You Bring Your Own?
There are a variety of restaurants and snack shops throughout the Tampa Zoo, including a few bars that serve beer and drinks.
You can bring water bottles in, and snacks for kids or baby food/formula are allowed. I brought my 30 oz Yeti Tumbler in and had no issue with it.
You can learn more about their outside food policy here.
Can You Bring a Camera to the Tampa Zoo?
Yes, you can bring a camera into the zoo. If you have any handheld travel blogging tools, you may want to consider bringing them, as well, to capture great photos of the animals. They do not allow drone videography or photography, but I had no issues bringing my Canon EOS R100 camera in with me in my Longchamp backpack.
Looking for more cool things to do in Tampa? Here are a few of my most-loved guides to help you plan your trip:
The Best Restaurants in Tampa
Tampa & St. Pete’s Top Craft Breweries
Where to Stay in Tampa Bay
Fun Tampa Attractions to Check Out – A Local’s Tips on Where to Spend a Day in Tampa Bay!
*This post was originally published as part of my Tampa City Guide in January 2025. It was most recently updated on April 24, 2025.
