Pretty cool place. There aren't a whole lot of displays here, but for what little space they have, they pack a lot in. A bunch of turtles swimming and soaking in the sun. Over there are a couple of gators and at least one croc. All just chilling out. The real draw is the Serpentarium- all sorts of snakes and scaly creatures behind glass in there. One cobra, I think, took a liking to me. On our way out we talked to the fella there - letting us know a little history about the place. Interesting visit, we loved our time there. read more

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Mr. Van Horn is a wealth of knowledge about snakes and venom. Just try to keep him on track and away from perhaps his favorite subjects-politics and what a horrible country we have. Lots of snakes to see and one can get close up to watch the milking of the snakes. Well worth the visit and do get him to share his knowledge. Was very informative. read more

This is an updated review, had been here years ago very educative great place to take kids to learn about snakes. Nowadays save yourself the time arrive to the venom show late to avoid the rant. We waited eagerly for the show at 3 and the show didn't officially start til about 3:30. It is no surprise over the years you see less and less folk come see the snakes. A lot of snakes that are for display are kept in awful conditions so much so the halls smell of dead animals. Some snakes have no lights. The water monitor is kept in an enclosure with a bit of water and no hide no way for it to have any stimulation. Very true what most of these newer reviews say. read more

We drove several hours for my grandson who loves snakes. They do have a good variety. The gentleman at the entrance check in was very nice and informative. We were looking forward to the venom presentation at 12. The owner spoke about politics, Trump and Biden, the Florida Governor, the state of the nation, and the state of healthcare, all despairingly. Even though there were small children present, he used curse words frequently. On one of his rants, he described in detail how cows are killed at the meat processing plant to the small children. To sum it up, he doesn't like Trump, DeSantis, the beef industry, healthcare, the Supreme Court, and possibly "rich people." What did all that have to do with snake venom? We walked out after 45 minutes of this. Disappointing. read more

This place was recommended for us to check out by a local. We were in the neighborhood to go for an Airboat ride when we were told that this was a neat place to see. We saw lots of snakes, lizards, turtles and other crawling things. I took many pictures so you could see some of interesting animals that they have. We also watched them draw venom from the snakes (referred to as "milking" - don't look for nipples) read more

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This establishment is utterly disgusting. It almost brought me to tears. It seems that not a single one of these snakes is being kept correctly. None of them have anything for monitoring or controlling humidity. Possibly unrelated, possibly not,  more than half the snakes are struggling with the worst stuck shed I've ever seen. Many of these snakes are in worse condition than those in well-known pet superstores. I've included pictures of all the stuck shed, health issues, and downright horrifying conditions. Most of the snakes didn't even have a single hide or a UVB/heat bulb. Instead, they all had these glaring full white spectrum led bulbs. They had massive snakes like anacondas, burmese pythons, and reticulated pythons in these tiny little crates. One lucky python had a bucket of water that he was laying in helplessly with a stuck shed and eye caps. They had so many snakes that were housed together, including ball pythons that they were selling in the gift shop. They had two nearly full sized ball pythons in a 20-gallon tank. I sadly didn't get to hear the political rant, but the girl at the front told me the owner preaches free health care and veganism. I find it ironic that the owner is against animal cruelty to the point of extreme veganism but is actively farming these snakes for their venom while housing them in conditions no better than a milking house. At least a cow farm isn't pretending to be something it's not. I just imagine how poorly the snakes not readily viewable are being treated. read more

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So we came here on the tourist tour around Orlando. Came here expecting to see snakes, alligators, etc. and was not disappointed. Then we got to the noon show where they extract venom from a variety of snakes. What we got though was so much better. An old man rambling on about a string of topics that hardly made any sense with the last. And even better, he took about a half dozen opportunities to complain about the Governor and conservation, tell us about his favorite President, the failures of the health care system and that "other guy" from about 5 years ago. You know who. Fucking Christ. Can a person go anywhere and do fucking anything without hearing some asshole up on his political soapbox? Most people had kids who where there to be kids. Not to get advice on how to vote thirteen years from now. read more

Before I get into the negatives, I definitely think this is a great spot to take kids, dates, or even if you are just trying to learn something new about reptiles. They have a ton of snakes most zoos don't even come close to and many other reptiles as a bonus. Would not discourage you from this location for that. However during the snake venom show (which is a must for the sheer uniqueness), the speaker was incredibly political, trashing our governor, 'corrupt healthcare system' and without any subtlety telling everyone how to vote... that might be fine in a passing comment here and there, or in a closing statement, but regardless of your affiliation on politics, this was not the place for that and he really tried to drill it home multiple times. On top of that, there was this 10ish year old kid that just randomly appeared in the middle of presentation and without any introduction he stood literally right under the speaker, making a comment to every. single. word. the presenter made, swinging his arms and running back and forth in and out of the show. Even in a packed space, no one said a thing and just let him carry on. We had no idea what was happening and it completely took away from the presentation because we were just floored by this kid yelling and carrying on like no one could see or hear him. Honestly just caught up watching what he was doing. Very bizarre to say the least read more

My son thoroughly enjoyed exploring the variety of snakes this place had to offer. It was very educational in more ways than one and this place I'm sure had every known venomous species we normally see on tv. read more

Reptile World Serpentarium - My oldest holding black jade the non venomous snake - Zoos Near Me - Saint Cloud, Florida

Went to see venomous snakes and had to hear about the owners view on politics..Did not want to hear that.Was very upset on him making fun of President Trump and how bad America is.If we had not already paid would have walked out..Plus the place is run down and snake cages dirty..Very disappointed! Will NOT be back read more

The experience of learning about and viewing the reptiles is destroyed by the political diatribe put on prior to the snake milking display.

They have a TON of different kinds of venomous snakes and constrictors that are rasp to see in their glass cages. Frankly, they all look depressed about their lack of space. Seeing snakes get milked was interesting and the price for entry is low. Here's the big problem and the reason for the low review: the milking was supposed to start at 3:00 but didn't start until 3:45, mostly because the owner is super excited to have a captive audience to whom he can expound on his political views while including just enough about snakes to tie it into the snake show. It was highly inappropriate and forced me to waste an extra thirty minutes outside in August in Florida. Not a happy camper. Only stayed for my kid but as a result, I really can't recommend this place. read more

This place is the best; and the owner is so freaking rad. Extremely knowledgeable and caring staff. So cool to see a place so dedicated to conservation and keeping Florida wild. I learned a ton, saw amazing animals, and will be back very soon! read more

My 15 yr old daughter loves snakes. She actually wants to become a zoologist and herpetologist. The only problem is that my wife is deadly afraid of snakes, so no snakes in our house! Therefore, daddy went to check out this serpentarium with her. The outside does not look very impressive but inside they have an impressive snake and reptile collection. Upon entering the grounds, you will first see a big pond with lots of different turtles. Particularly interesting are the giant snapping turtle and the odd looking soft shell turtle. Don't forget to get some turtle food pellets and feed some excited turtles! There is a pond with alligators, one with a small nile crocodile, an iguana cage, all kinds of big lizards, even including a Komodo dragon. The main attraction is the building that displays all kinds of (venomous) snakes from all over the world. It is a very comprehensive collection. A good number of the snakes were quite active and moving around too. They had demonstrations at 1 and 3 pm. These demos are must see and worth waiting for. If you are lucky you will also get to see one of employees feed the gators and the crocodile before the demos. They usually have snake "milking" demos but during our visit they just brought out a good number of venomous snakes without milking them (you stand behind glass for safety reasons). Some other snakes came out at the end that we could touch and hold. This is a serious snake center. Aside from their displays, they have over 500 venomous snakes in their back room alone. They collect a lot of venom from these snakes that is used to make anti-venom. It's about an hour from Orlando and definitely worth visiting if you have 2-3 hours to spare. read more

The good, bad, and the ugly. The good: Reptile World Serpentarium features multiple snakes both venomous and not from all over the world. They host a good venom show where they showcase the importance and process of extracting venom from snakes in order to help produce antivenin. The owner seems to be extremely passionate about what he does and deeply cares about conservation and uses his venom shows as a platform to help convey this. There was one employee/volunteer that I spoke with who is a chemist from Czech Republic, he was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly when I spoke with him. The bad: A lot of the animals are being improperly kept currently. Anyone who understands more than the basic steps of reptile husbandry can take one look and get a bad taste in their mouth from their visit. Featuring multiple animals that require UVB without providing it, not mitigating the high Florida humidity for their more arid species risking respiratory infections. Another thing is the owner while passionate doesn't really keep the audience during his shows. The beginning of his show is speaking of conservative efforts and the politics surrounding it. While it's important to encourage younger people to vote for their interest, most of the crowd is children under the age of 15 so they got lost pretty quickly. He went on a bit of a political tangent which ended up causing a few people to leave, and from past reviews this wasn't a first. He has a good message just seems to go about it the wrong way. The ugly: When concerns were brought up regarding some of the animals care, we were immediately chastised without asking for background information or taking constructive criticism by one of the employees. Citing "he(the owner) has been doing this for 60 years I'm sure he knows a lot more than you do!" Which experience and agecorrect. Additionally he cited that they are not a big zoo that receives public funding, while understandable that is not an excuse to neglect the needs of the animals. If you cannot afford to house and care for the animals properly then look into outside funding, business loans, grants or simply do not take animals you can't provide for. Instead of hearing us out the gentleman argued and questioned our intelligence while trying to create a discussion surrounding a bearded dragon that had a pretty severe case of MBD. And another that was on its way to developing it. It wasn't until we were connected with the chemist who heard us out and seemed to understand and actually care about our concerns. Overall: The Serpentarium has something wonderful started, but just needs to make some changes and modernize their care practices to ensure they're providing the best care possible for their animals. I would love to come back and change my review to a 5-star and recommend this to fellow reptile keepers. But as it currently stands, they will continue to lose business and miss out on a demographic that would be fellow keepers! They have a great message and great project going but they need a severe facelift in multiple areas if they want to be a 5-star facility. I sent an email in hopes to create a discussion and I really hope that they take advice from outside entities to make their own decisions for the betterment of the animals and the business. But only time will be able to tell. read more

This was a very interesting and informative experience for my family. We have kept snakes and reptiles as pets at home for about 20 years, and always like to check out places like this. They have a nice facility with many types of cobras and mambas that you don't often see, even at zoos. The animal housing is clean and well maintained, and the animals seem well-cared for. They have a couple of alligators and a crocodile outside, as well as some water snakes and turtles. Twice per day, they do a presentation on venom extraction for the purpose of creating antivenin. It's apparent that the ownership and staff have a great deal of respect for the animals and it was very interesting to hear George the wrangler tell about his experiences over the years with reptiles and snakes. After the presentation, visitors are able to handle a few of the (obviously) non-venomous snakes. The only thing we could have done without was the large wheelbarrow of dead rats. We understand they are food at this location, much like a large bale of hay would be appropriate at a horse facility, however, they may have been more tucked away, and not in the main walkway for visitors to have to scoot around. Aside from that though, I recommend a visit. read more

Reptile World Serpentarium - Collecting venom to make antivenin. - Zoos Near Me - Saint Cloud, Florida

George gave a fascinating talk about each snake that he was planning to milk for its venom. He also explained how antivenin works. This Serpentarium houses so many kinds of venomous snakes and is a wonderful place to spend a few hours. Highlights included: Talking parrots Largest variety of snake species on display Milking the 5 venomous snakes (at 12 noon) It cost about $51 for a family of 5 and we were there from 11am-2pm. read more

Reptile World Serpentarium - Zoos Near Me - Saint Cloud, Florida

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This place makes a great school field trip. It is also great for youth groups. They do a good show and answer any questions you may have.

We stopped here excited! My son loves all things reptiles! This is old Florida and I love old Florida! Not being a native we love to explore. Unfortunately the owner decided his political views are more important than talking and teaching about nature. During the "Venom Show" he chose to step up on his soap box. Let me preface this by saying everyone is entitled to their views but politics is not what I look for when I am spending time with my family in a learning/nature environment. Not only did he bad mouth the country and the state it's in he pushed his socialist view on the crowd. We were not the only family to get up and walk out. If you want a chaotic ranter please stop in here for a great show. We will not be back ever. Such a shame as it could be great place to share with our community. read more

Such a raw & authentic zoo, incredibly unique my new favorite zoo! You will be pleasantly surprised The staff there is very sweet as well & educational read more

Reptile World Serpentarium - Sweet Snake - Zoos Near Me - Saint Cloud, Florida

This is an incredible experience for any animal lover! The establishment is well maintained, easy to access and fun for all ages of those who enjoy being up close with reptiles. We are lucky as Floridians to have access to such an educational yet thrilling reptile exhibit where you can learn the importance of the environment we call home. Very disappointed in reviewers who hyper fixate on someone practicing their freedom of speech, especially someone who cares as much as the owner of this establishment. read more

The most interesting man in the world doesn't shill Mexican beer. His name is George Van Horn and he runs the Reptile World Serpentarium in Saint Cloud, Florida. Based on the previous Yelp review, which said you could see this place in all of 30 minutes, I had low expectations for my visit here, but I was blown away. The venom show is the most spectacular thing I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a bit of spectacle in my day. If you come here, make sure you schedule it around one of the venom shows, which happen daily at noon and 3pm. I could paint a picture with words, but it's better to see it in motion. Go to Youtube and type in "Reptile World Serpentarium," and you'll get an idea of what to expect. It's creepy, terrifying, and mesmerizing all at the same time. Simply talking to him before or after the show is worth the cost of admission, as he recounts stories from over 50 years of snake-handling. He milks 10+ poisonous snakes a day with his bare hands, which is just unbelievable. A must-see if you are in central Florida and looking for something unusual to do. Bring a camera! read more

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We drove by this place and checked it out online, then came back in the afternoon in time for the 3pm show! It was excellent! They did a great job of explaining how they milk the venom from the snakes, transport it around the world to make an excellent product, and then have it available in our hospitals to help people who get bitten. We got to watch them with 4 different types of snakes, and then they brought out Jade, a non-venomous snake, for us to handle if we wanted to. Just an excellent afternoon. We enjoyed seeing all their other animals as well, both inside and out. read more

I had a great time at the Serpentarium today. I rate it 3 stars based on a comparison with other tourist attractions in the area; however, depending on how much you love snakes you may think it is better than 3 stars. First thing to know when planning a trip to the Serpentarium is if you are not there for the snake show -- it may only take you about 1/2 hour to tour the place. (and not worth the price of admission which just increased $3.00 per person - to $8.75 per person) Therefore it is a MUST that you plan your trip. The place is closed on Mondays and also the entire month of September (according to their brochure - I don't see on the netsite where it says they are closed in September -- so if you are here in September you may want to call before trekking out there) The snake show is held at noon and 3 pm ... PLAN YOUR TRIP AROUND THIS SHOW!!! It is very educational - and well worth the cost of admission. First you are given an introduction to the snakes which you will be seeing , and taught about snake milking, and the production of anti-venom. and depending what questions are asked you may learn lots more - feel free to ask questions. After all is said - then comes the exciting part - you get to watch them milk the snakes. They milk quite a few snakes (go ahead! don't sit!!! walk up to the glass so you can get a good view). They have a couple birds "in the park" .. I'm saddened regarding their caging and lack of toys and things to keep them happy. They have some gators - including a huge one that I believe they said is 40 years old. He runs along the enclosure following the gal that feeds him ... that was kind of fun to watch. They have several iguanas which are very cool to look at. They have turtles ... and of course They have tons of Snakes - All the animals in their care look healthy and, with the exception of the birds, seem to have nice enclosures. The enclosures are clean and well kept. and they even have a resident dog who may grace you with a visit if you smile nicely at him. read more

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Very cool place. Seen some snakes I would never want to see in real life the turtles are also super cute to see. I recommend this place.

I like getting close to this little gem of a stop off between Melbourne beach and Orlando. It is not modern and the amazing thing here is that they make life saving anti venim, so supporting the zoo is key for me. It's a bit of a step back in time, but super educational helping any visitor have a keen grasp on thebreptiles of central Florida. read more

I would give no stars if I could. When you walk in there are bearded dragons and some other reptiles without heating lamps or uvb light. One of them had severe MBD and a severed foot and tail. Really upsetting to see, I walked right back out and left. read more

It was pretty good but most of it was the man talking about politics and the kids watching we're very confused after 20 minutes he finally started milking the snakes otherwise it's good read more

One of the true hidden gems in Orlando. For 8 bucks and 2 hours you get to see a ton of some of the coolest snakes in the world with at least four of them in a live venom extraction show. That show lasts about 30 minutes and is the obvious highlight of the visit. I have not seen the place crowded so you will likely be watching the show with only a few others and can hug the glass to get only a couple feet away. Besides the 50 or so mostly venomous snakes on display, they also have 4 alligators, a Nile croc, turtles, iguanas and few of the larger lizard species. My dad took me here as a kid and I never forgot the experience, so I just took my own son there and hope it is as memorable for him. Give this place a shot as it truly is an awesome hidden gem. read more

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We visited today. We had a fantastic time. Highly recommend it. The venom milking show was great! Learned a lot and saw some cool snakes. Lady at checkout was very sweet. We will definitely bring family and friends here! read more

Educational. Nice quiet place and unique learning experience about wildlife, how to care or who to call when you have an encounter with these creatures, and over all the real fun facts about living in FL. read more

Really nice place. Old school roadside attraction it was very clean and animals were very well fed. As a reptile keeper myself I was very impressed with how healthy and well cared for the animals were. The animals were very visible and active. After seeing the exhibits and how well cared for the animals were I didn't mind paying the small entrance fee. Definitely recommend this as a quick stop. read more

My family enjoyed going here and would go back next trip. It was interesting and pretty darn cool to see those snakes, turtles, birds and the owner was a really great character read more

We thoroughly enjoyed the Serpentarium. It has the "Old Florida" feel to it and has lots of very unusual snakes that you can get close to ( behind glass). You can also feed turtles, view a massive alligator, and see some exotic birds and lizards. It's totally shaded/ partially indoors and a manageable size attraction- a great way to spend an hour or two. Perfect for curious kids and animal lovers. We missed the venom milking shows, but were able to see one of the workers give a cobra a bath. Yes, really. Fun spot! read more

One star for a crappy misinforming website. Website says open every day except holidays and Mondays. Tried to take my son there for his birthday (A Thursday) and they are closed. Person who I dealt with was very rude and expected me to know this information. I did check the website after I got home and found the same WRONG information. Update your website and I might consider redoing this review. read more

Snakes! ...and LOTS of them! This was an off-the-beaten-path stop on a trip across Florida. Fascinating and creepy both. I loved watching them milk the snakes and learning about how anti-venom is made. read more

Great experience.I've never thought I'd touch a snake until they wrapped it behind my neck.Great for people of all ages. read more

Reptile World Serpentarium - Zoos Near Me - Saint Cloud, Florida

Decided to stop here when we saw it out the window of the car while passing through. I love roadside attractions the harken back to American life pre-interstate system, and this place just imitates that vibe. To my surprise there was a snake venom milking demonstration, and luckily we arrived there as a show was starting. Seeing these venomous animals up close (behind the safety of a window) was a great experience, but the real star of the show was the Serpentarium's owner who gave a riveting, colorful talk before the demonstration about the animals seen and the importance of conservation of nature. He did not avoid the controversial aspects (governmental policy, politics, etc.) that I was surprised to encounter in such a place in Central Florida. However, he was certainly correct in his assessments despite the ruffled feathers of one family who chose to get up and leave the attraction. What an excellent surprise and place! read more

I've been here several times and have always been happy. This is one of the best attractions in the area. It's inexpensive, fun for kids, and educational (don't tell the kids lol). George is not only knowledgeable about what he does, but is clearly concerned with the well being of the animals both in his care and those in the wild and their dwindling habitats. The venom shows are amazing....you actually get to watch him (behind glass) hold and "milk" venom from Cobras, Rattlesnakes, Coral snakes, and more. Very cool stuff! If you want a break from the theme parks this is the perfect way to take a day off from your vacation schedule. Enjoy! read more

We visited in June, 2019 with our 5 & 2 & 1/2 year old grandsons and we all loved the experience. The boys were fascinated by all the different snakes & reptiles they saw. They enjoyed watching them, holding them and interacting with the snakes. The turtles were a good experience especially at feeding time. They got to see many things that day, one snake was laying her eggs, then the venom extraction & the mighty cobra showing everyone who's the boss. It was an information and educational time mixed with lots of fun. I would recommend a visit here at least once. As a transplant from the north I am happy I learned so much about these snakes. Joanne Villano-Principe, Sebastian, FL read more