Do you love animals and looking for a family-friendly activity to do with you kids? Check out Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, Florida. Just 20 miles from downtown West Palm Beach, LCS is a 600-acre attraction with a drive-thru safari, walk-through adventure park, and KOA campground. With over 1,000 wild animals and various attractions, Lion Country Safari offers something for the whole family.
Our family has been annual passholders for almost a year now and we’ve taken multiple trips to Lion Country Safari. I can honestly say, it is one of our favorite attractions in Florida. We’ve explored the entire adventure park, driven through the safari at least 5 times, and have done all of their animal encounters. This past weekend, we even had a chance to check out the Flamingo Mingle, one of their premium experiences. I’d say, that makes us pretty much experts.
Why is LCS one of our favorite attractions? Because there is so much to see and do! I love places that offer multiple ways to keep my kids (2 & 5) entertained all day long. The drive-thru safari is fun and educational, but only if your kids are in the mood. At least be real, sometimes mine aren’t. So, what else is there to do? I’ll tell you.
Things To Do At Lion Country Safari
Did you know that Lion Country Safari is more than just a drive-thru safari? So much more actually! LCS has everything from wild animals to domestic animals, a waterpark, animal encounters, and a campground. Like I said, a whole lot more than just a safari!
Safari Drive-Thru
The drive-thru safari is 4-miles long, with large herd animals roaming freely around. It is divided into 7 main habitats and is home to some of the largest herds of zebras, rhinos, and giraffes in the country.
During the drive, you can tune into the audio tour on their website (HERE) or pick up a CD from the main office before you start. It is very informative and is a great resource for learning about the animals, their habitats, and animal conservation. The drive can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. It is pretty slow and you have to keep your windows up, but you still get up close with some of the animals.
PRO TIP: pack snacks and drinks for your kids!
Safari World
Besides the drive-thru, everything else on property is inside Safari World Adventure Park. It is a walk-thru park, adjacent to the safari, that has animal encounters, a waterpark and food! IMO, there is more to do for younger children in this area. I would say 18mo-10 years would be the average age for most attractions.
Attractions geared toward younger children would be the rides, gem panning, and safari maze. While older kids would enjoy the fun slides, paddle boats, and mini golf. The nature walk, animal exhibits, and the Safari Queen are great for people of all ages. There are various picnic areas picnic areas around the property that can be enjoyed by everyone.
The Safari Queen is a boat road that will take you around the monkey island. It’s about a 15 minute boat ride and you get to see the monkeys up close. This is the best way to actually see the monkeys. Keep in mind, these are not the same monkeys from the safari drive.
PRO TIP: save money and pack a lunch. enjoy it at one of the many picnic areas
Water Park
There are three different areas in the water park – Safari Waterslide, Safari Falls, and Safari Splash pad. The waterslides are are great for the older kids to cool off at. These slides are only open on the weekends. Safari Falls is an interactive water play area with slides, buckets, and other water features. This area is fun for all ages, however there are height restrictions on some of the slides. There are a few inches of standing water in this area. It’s not ideal for infants or young toddlers.
My kids love the splash pad area. It’s the perfect place for littles to cool off and play in the water. As an added perk, it’s open everyday! There are a lot of shaded areas for parents to sit around and watch their littles AND the food trucks are located right outside of the splash pad area. We love to eat our lunch by the splash pad and cool off for the afternoon.
PRO TIP: pack a swim bag with an extra change of clothes
Animal Encounters
LCS offers four (almost) free animal encounters: Petting Zoo, Fish Feeding, Lorikeet Feeding, and Giraffe Feeding. By almost free, I mean you can go into all of the encounters for free. There is a fee to purchase food if you wish you feed the animals. Service animals are NOT allowed in the animal encounters, as they may frighten the animals in the encounters.
In the petting zoo, there are various farm animals, like goats and sheep. We aren’t too interested in this encounter because we have our own farm animals, but it’s great for kids who aren’t around animals often. Same goes for the fish feeding. We always walk over and see them, but once you’ve fed one fish, you’ve feed them all. Don’t forget quarters for the food machines!
Our favorites are the Lorikeet and Giraffe Feedings. It’s $2 (cash) for a cup of nectar to feed the birds. It is really fun! They will sit on your finger/arm and drink the food. Be careful! They do bite. The giraffe encounter is our absolute favorite! For $5, you can get some lettuce (about 4 pieces). The giraffes come right up and eat out of your hand. You’re basically at eye level with them, which makes it so much cooler! This encounter does take credit cards.
PRO TIP: bring cash & quarters to feed the animals
Premium Experiences
There are five premium experiences available at LCS. Premium experiences are limited and require advanced reservations. You can get reservations for these experiences by emailing the education center. The price of these experiences includes entrance into the park.
Giraffe Painting: Watch a giraffe paint a canvas picture just for you! You can choose a black or white painting or a colored picture (choose your 3 favorite colors). This experience is $300 for up to 4 guests.
Birds & Brushes: A very special parrot will paint you a masterpiece. Again, you can choose either black or white or a colored canvas. This painting is yours to take home after the experience. You will also get a meet-and-greet with an animal ambassador who can answer all of your animal questions. This experience is $150 for 2 guests.
Flamingo Mingle: Enter into the flamingo encounter and feed the flamingos. You can get up close and personal with these magnificent animals and have a chance to ask all your flamingo questions. This experience is for guests five-years-old and up. It is $50 for ages 5-9 and $60 for 10+.
Toddler Tour: an experience for the littles! Guests five and younger can go behind-the-scenes of the petting zoo and meet the animals who live there. Limited to 6 guests. $15 for 2 and under. $45 for ages 3-9. $55 for 10+.
VIP Tour: an escorted drive-thru of the safari with a knowledgeable guide. You will learn about the animals, hear stories from around the safari, and learn about conservation efforts. The tour includes at least two experiences (based on availability): touching a giant tortoise, up-close view of the lions, meeting a rhino, observation of the chimps, or feeding a giraffe. This experience is for guests five-years-old and up. It is $400 for 2 guests.
Food & Drinks
IMO, food is a top priority when visiting an amusement park. One of the things I appreciate about Lion Country Safari is that the food is good and easy to find. There are food stands throughout the park and in convenient locations. If I don’t have to search forever to find food or wait in obnoxiously long lines, I’m sold!
Cafe Roar is at the front of Safari World and is a sit-down style restaurant. It’s a great place to escape the heat during the summer months and have a good meal. You can check out the menu HERE. Base Camp, Cones, and Safari Snacks are the snack shacks located throughout the park. They have a smaller menu, but make for a great pit stop.
Safari Food Truck is their newest addition and is a delicious taco truck. They have a variety of tacos, nachos, and have kids lunch boxes. It’s located right outside the splash pad, which makes for a great place to have lunch while your kids play.
Extra Tips
- No Animals allowed on property. There are dog kennels available for free near the main office.
- Weekdays are less busy! The safari drive-thru is more enjoyable with less cars. You are able to stop and view the animals for longer periods and can take your time.
- If it’s busy, skip the safari drive-thru and head straight to Safari World. You can go through the safari later in they when it’s less crowded. If you’re littles won’t do the drive-thru, it would be the perfect thing to do for an afternoon nap.
- Event pavilions are available for rent for birthday parties and other gatherings.
- Annual Passholders get an additional 20% off of food, gifts, and extra tickets, 10% off of premium experiences, and 10% off at the KOA campground on property.
- If you’re looking for educational resources to enhance your trip, LCS has so many resources for all ages on their website.
After multiple trips and multiple days at Lion Country Safari, here is everything you need to know to plan the perfect trip. Whether you’re going for the day or making a weekend of it, this information will help you prepare. Enjoy!
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