The Greenville Zoo is the recipient of a 2022 TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award. This award honors travelers’ favorite destinations including hotels, restaurants and things to do. It is based on reviews collected from travelers around the world on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period.
“We want to thank our amazing zoo staff, our guests and animal enthusiasts for this tremendous honor,” said Bill Cooper, Greenville Zoo Director. “Our overarching mission is to save animals from extinction. Second to that, we want to make the Greenville Zoo a destination. This can and will be one of the best small zoos in America.”
In 2019, the Zoo was facing a long list of corrections from the American Zoo Association (AZA) to maintain accreditation. The City invested in the Zoo, made significant improvements during the COVID related closure and brought in new leadership. In November of 2020 the AZA renewed accreditation through 2024.
This is the first time the Zoo has received the TripAdvisor Award. The Zoo is operating at a profit due to new events and an increase in visitors. Since 2020 the Zoo has added sanctuary animals, additional flamingoes, Big Al the alligator and Autumn the Masai giraffe gave birth to Providence. The Zoo’s endangered Amur leopards produced two cubs as part of the Species Survival Program. The leopard exhibit received significant upgrades for visitor viewing and animal comfort.
The annual Halloween event, Boo in the Zoo, had record attendance and revenue. The new event, Holidays at the Zoo, brought in an additional 15,000 visitors during the normally quiet month of December.
Check out the zoo’s Tripadvisor page (where you’ll see the new, bright green Travelers’ Choice 2022 badge) to leave your own review. Then, plan your next trip.
Prepared by the City of Greenville.