The Greenville Zoo is not big by any means. It doesn’t boast 21st century facilities like other zoos (see North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro).

Cute baby orangutan showing off her skills

It helps that we get in for free with our Riverbanks Zoo membership. General admission is quite cheap $6 adults, $3 children 3-15 and free for kids 3 and under.

This time around Baby Bob stole my heart. Since my visit to the Como Zoo, proud home to another rambunctious youngster orangutan, I got a thing for these great auburn apes. The Orangutan Island show may have something to do with it too…

The Greenville Zoo participates in the Orangutan Species Survival Program aimed at increasing and diversifying the population of Bornean and Sumatran orangutans.

Did you know orangutans only have 2-3 offspring in their 40 – 60 years lifetime?

Things to know before you go

• The zoo is quite small, about one hour should be enough to go through it all. Be prepared for a hearty walk up and down winding pathways.

Giraffe Greetings from Greenville Zoo

• Most interesting exhibits: orangutans, giraffes, Siamang monkeys, Aldabra tortoises and reptile house to some extent. Lions, elephants, alligator are a little overrated…not much action going on.

• You can purchase drinks, hot dogs, chips, popcorn and candy at the food stand pass the Reptile House. Beware is cash only and there’s no ATM inside the zoo.

• There’s a nice play station area where you can relax in shaded Adirondack chairs gazing at the giraffes while easily keeping an eye on the kids.

• As expected toddlers love the petting zoo farm the most, especially the goats. Make sure to get food from the zoo entrance.

• You may want to start your trip at the huge playgrounds outside the zoo. They’re recently upgraded with top-notch playing equipment.
On a downside there isn’t much shade besides the shelters (always occupied) and the smell emanating from the rubber carpet can be nauseating after a while.

Meet Bubba the Aldabra tortoise.

60 years old 400 lbs Bubba enjoying a snack at Greenville Zoo

The Aldabra is bigger than the more famous Galapagos turtles and can reach over 4 feet in length and up to 700 pounds in weight!

Did you know that Aldabra can hunt too?

She collapses on birds feeding on dead fish under her.

Don’t worry Bubba is happy to just munch on grass along with his girlfriends the Bubbletes!

The elusive Axolotl…

A beautiful ghost, the Axolotl salamander

This translucent salamander lives only in the water and feeds on insects, fish and crustaceans.

Did you know at if one of its limbs is removed, the Axolotl salamander can grow it back?

How’s that for health insurance!

The Children’s Museum is finally open! Downtown Greenville is now sizzling with another fun family friendly attraction.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The museum is open Monday – Saturday 9AM to 5PM and Sunday 1 – 5PM. Admission is $12 (free for kids 1 and under).

TIP! Get in for just $2 on following Tuesdays evenings (from 5 to 7PM): September 17th, October 15th, November 19th and December 17th.

Tickets will be sold in advance on a first-come, first-served basis beginning the Monday prior to each “Two for $2 event”.

Fun things to do

Kids can be pop stars in a live recording studio, land a space shuttle airplane, race a Formula One car, climb a mind-boggling 2 stories high structure, shop in a real supermarket, play doctor, scientist, architect, environmentalist and much, much more…

Here’s an exciting sneak peak of the exhibits:

Greenville is the most picturesque, family friendly and travel attractions bountiful city in South Carolina, if not the Southeast.
It offers a variety of free and fun things to do and see; Downtown it’s easily accessible and offers wide sidewalks peppered with cafes, restaurants and free entertainment. There is always something going on downtown.

Where else can you admire 60 foot waterfall right in the middle of the city?

Here is a list of activities you can do while visiting Greenville.

Free activities
• Mice on Main scavenger hunt, the fun way to stroll up and down Main Street.
• Picnic, walk, bike, learn about the city’s history or just play at the incredible scenic Falls Park along the Reedy River. Pay your respects to Shoeless Joe, Carolina’s beloved famous baseball player in the 1900s.
• Live the fairy tales at the outdoor Children’s Garden
• The SC Botanical Gardens has the country’s only nature-based sculpture collection; it also features thousands of ornamental plants varieties and natural woodlands and streams
• McPherson Park opened in 1884 is the city’s oldest park and features a log cabin, putt-putt golf and tennis courts.

• Drive to Pickens (about 20 miles west of Greenville) to see Hagood Mill “Where Memories are Made” the only still commercially operating grist mill and home to many folk and arts festivals. Stop by the Pickens County Museum of History and Art to see some great collections like Andrew Pickens duel pistols and the old jail cell.

Activities under $5
• See elephants paint and Siamang monkey call out their love at the Greenville Zoo inside Cleveland Park
• Visit the state’s largest planetarium at the Roper Mountain Science Center

• History lovers and art collectors visit Pendleton, “the Charleston of the Upstate” just 30 miles southwest of Greenville (hwy 76 and 28). The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places. Notable attractions: Farmer’s Hall (oldest continuous operating hall in the country), Hunter’s Store, Ashtabula (1st licensed tavern), Old Stone Church (where Andrew Pickens and Gen. Anderson are buried) and Woodburn (4 story mansion)

Parking and getting around downtown

Free parking in the weekends and evenings (on non-event days) at:
• River Street Lot
• Bowater Garage
• Irvine Street Lot
• W. Washington Street Deck (Bus Transfer Station)
• Richard Street Garage
• Augusta Street (near the Stadium)

Ride the trolley for free on Main Street. For a calendar of events in the Greenville area visit www.greatergreenville.com

2009 Update! Finally, The Children Museum is now open!

Cooler than NASCAR!

This place rocks!
Kids can launch a satellite, race a Formula 1 car, perform live and record music, remote control a cool crane, shop at a supermarket, get digested in a giant stomach, play with laser and much, much more…

Admission is $12 (free for kids under 1) and the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 9AM – 5PM (noon on Sundays).

Enjoy your family weekend in awesome Greenville, South Carolina!

It’s beautiful. It’s outdoor. It’s free.
It’s a river, a waterfall, flowers and trees. Moms and dads, kids with pets, lovers, friends, seniors, tourists, business partners and everyone else in between come everyday to enjoy the fresh air and peacefulness of the Reedy river.

The Falls Park is right off of Main Street in downtown Greenville, yet if you are that lazy you can also drive and park your car in the heart of it. The main attractions are the waterfalls, one of the nation’s greatest for a city downtown, and the 355 feet Liberty Bridge featuring an unique construction and an ideal photo station for the Falls Park.

There are two amphitheaters that hold a variety of shows most of the year; like the free to attend Upstate Shakespeare Festival taking place from May through August at the Carolina First Amphitheater.

I let the photo do the talking now.

If you are traveling to Greenville do yourself a favor and come relax along the Reedy river at the Falls Park. That’s a free “spa” treatment your mind and body will be grateful for.

Happy Family Vacation in Greenville South Carolina!

Bring your kids to The Children’s Garden at the Linky Stone Park to enjoy, for free, classic children stories, to learn about Greenville’s history, or to just smell the blooming flowers in the beautiful surroundings along the Reedy River.

Historic facts that stand out:
1. The Reedy River falls are the reason for the city’s location. Greenville was established as a Indian trading post; the water power helped grind the corn into grits and weave cotton into cloth.
2. In the 1900s, cotton was the king crop and Greenville became the “Textile Capital of the World”; even the school year ran in accordance with the crop calendar so kids can help their parents during harvest.
3. South Carolina is home to the only tea farm in America; on the Wadmalaw island (near Charleston) the “American Classic Tea” and the White House’s official tea has been grown since 1799.
4. The river cane is the only American native bamboo and the Reedy river’s name source. Native Americans used the river cane for centuries to make clothes, baskets, utensils and even to build lodges. You can see them now at the Children’s Garden.

Once you complete the garden tour you can continue your outdoor recreation along the scenic Reedy River walking trail that takes you through Falls and Cleveland Parks.

Have a relaxing family vacation in Greenville South Carolina!