Took my son to the Brevard Zoo for the first time and we had a blast as a family! This zoo is so…read morewell kept and has a great layout that makes it easy to navigate, even with a stroller. This is not a huge zoo, but it has all the animals you'd hope to see and more.
It was an extremely hot day, but we were able to find plenty of pockets of shade and rest areas to cool down. My son is only 2, but he loved seeing all the animals, the interactive kids stations, games, and puppet show. Pretty sure he like the puppet giraffe more than the real giraffes, but hey, he was entertained. Speaking of giraffes... they have a giraffe encounter where you can actually purchase the food and hand feed them. They come right up to you and it's such a cool experience.
We happened to visit during Bear Week, so there were some extra black bear demonstrations, kids crafts, and bear themed activities happening throughout the day. Some other animals we saw that day were bobcat, jaguar, lions, flamingos, wild turkey, ostriches, rhino, kangaroos, meerkats, otters, antelopes, boar, snakes, and many more.
I did not realize before visiting that they have an entire water play/splash pad areas for the kids and it's such a perfect way to cool down when it's so hot outside. I wish I had packed my son's bathing suit and a towel, but now I know for next time. We'll definitely go back as my son gets older!
We were there for about 3 hours and it was enough time to stroll through all the exhibits and have lunch. You could definitely stay longer if you choose to participate in some other activities like the Treetop Trek ropes course, train ride, kayaking, or the different animal encounters which are an added fee.