Central Florida Zoo opens early for summer heat relief

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford opened its gates at 8 a.m. Monday, giving families a cooler window to visit before the worst of the day’s heat settles over Seminole County.

The zoo’s summer schedule now runs daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., a shift aimed at helping guests spend more of their visit on shaded boardwalks, animal habitats and the botanical gardens before temperatures climb. Zoo CEO Richard Glover said the earlier hours were meant to help guests create memorable experiences while staying comfortable during the hotter months.

That timing matters in a county where summer outings often turn into a weather calculation. The zoo’s mix of indoor and outdoor attractions gives visitors more options than a typical afternoon at a playground or park. Guests can cool off inside the herpetarium or try the Wild Explorer VR Experience, a six-minute motion-platform attraction added in 2025. The zoo also points to Barnyard Buddies Children’s Zoo, Seminole Aerial Adventures, giraffe feedings, an Indian rhinoceros encounter and the Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground as part of the draw.

Parking is free, another small but real benefit for families trying to keep a summer trip affordable. The zoo says it welcomes more than 300,000 guests a year and houses more than 350 animals representing over 100 species on 23 acres, which has made it one of Sanford’s best-known attractions and the largest in Seminole County.

The schedule change comes as school is out and daytime entertainment options become more important for residents and visitors looking to avoid the most punishing heat. The zoo is also using the season to push special programming, including Kids Night Out: Summer Safari on June 6 and Zoodio 50 Disco Party on June 13.

The zoo’s summer shift also comes with a deeper local backdrop. It began as a small animal exhibit in downtown Sanford in 1923, moved to its current Lake Monroe location on July 4, 1975, and says a 106-acre donation from Seminole County helped make that move possible. Today it operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the Central Florida Zoological Society, with Richard E. Glover, Jr. leading the organization since 2021 after a nationwide search.