Ever since I had my son its been really important to me that he has good experiences and gets to see things and go places that are not only fun but educational. Unfortunately my desire to do these things and my checkbook don't always see eye to eye. However I've found that a lot of places offer special discount days and I've learned to take advantage of these days.
This spring I learned that the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa was offering a $5 day. Normally it is $23.95 for adults and $18.95 for kids ages 3-11. I jumped at the chance to take my son for only $10 for the two of us! He is a true animal lover and loves learning about new ones and i knew he would be just as excited as i was.
The drive there was easy and a parking space was easy to find as well. I feared that the ticket lines to enter would be long like they have been at other places we have visited in the past but they had plenty of ticket booths open and we were through the gates within minutes of arriving.
I'm not sure where to even start with the park aside to say that the place is incredible! There is over eight themed area like Safari Africa and Lturi Forrest which has animals like Elephants, Cheetahs and Giraffes. The Florida boardwalk that features animals like the Florida Panther, Red Fox and the Southern Stingray and many many more animals to see. There is also an aquarium type area!
There are tons of interactive areas like the Camel Safari where your children can actually ride on the back of a Camel! The Lorikeet landing where you enter a special bird habitat and have the option to feed them(just watch out for poop)! There is also Stingray Bay where you can feed and pet the Stingrays! My son was thrilled with all of the different hands on exhibits and enjoyed each and everyone of them.
Aside from the animals there is also an area that features ride attractions. They are a lot of fun but it is an extra $6 to enjoy them and with all the animals there is to see there almost isn't enough time in the day to ride them! Another large plus that the park features is a small water play area where your kids can cool off on a hot summer day! We didn't do this as the day was a bit overcast and rainy as it was.
All and all did i think it was worth the $10 it cost for the two of us to get in? Yes, it was more then worth it! Would i pay the regular cost price if i was unable to go on a discount day? Yes, it is well worth it!
The only negative things was that if you want to bring your own lunch with you that you have to leave the park and eat in a designated picnic area. We chose to eat in the park but ended up waiting in line for nearly an hour! Aside from that it was a wonderful experience and my son was overjoyed to be there!