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| On Safari at ZooTampa! |
As a kid growing up less than an hour from Tampa, the Lowry Park Zoo was a pretty big deal. You have to remember, this was back in the dark ages, before Disney, Sea World and Universal Studios. It opened it's doors in 1957, the same year I got whopped on my bottom and opened my eyes for the first time.
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| Welcoming visitors since 1957 |
My dad worked with the railroad and the annual company picnic was at Lowry Park. We'd hop in the Chevrolet and make the trek at least once a year. While I can't remember too much of the details, I do remember they had a few animals, a couple of rides and the railroad provided a generous amount of food. Over the years the not for profit zoo has grown not only in size but in quality as well. In 2009 it was voted the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US. In 2018 it rebranded itself as ZooTampa at Lowry Park. Currently the zoo is the home to over 1,300 animals including a manatee critical care facility.
Earlier this week Beth, NaNa and I loaded up the Honda Accord for a trip to ZooTampa. It was a fun day for reminiscing about past trips to the zoo while enjoying viewing a variety of animals in spacious and very natural looking habitats. Being that it was an "off season" weekday the crowd was small. Although it was unusually hot for early November the zoo is full of oak trees that provided welcome shade throughout our visit.
There are several admission packages ranging from simple one day admissions to annual memberships. We opted for an annual membership special they are currently offering that provides unlimited admission for Beth and I as well as one guest per visit. This membership is good until the end of 2020 and includes discounted reciprocal discounted or free admission to over 150 other zoos and aquariums around the country.
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| NaNa and her new friend |
While you may or may not have childhood memories of the Lowry Park Zoo to reminisce on during your visit, I'm sure you'll enjoy spending a day at ZooTampa.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
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| Going batty at ZooTampa |
