Who's Who: Member Stories

WHO'S WHO AT THE ZOO Member Stories

As a Member of Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, you may be familiar with the fun benefits of being a part of our organization. Many people choose to become Members for the exclusive discounts, events, news around the Zoo—and of course unlimited admission to see their favorite animals and gardens.

We have noticed it is the “bonus” benefits that keep Members supporting our Zoo though. Continuous visits here reinforce our Members’ passion for nature and wild places. We love watching this passion grow through your families and continuing for many years. Every Member has a unique story and here are a few thoughts from your Member family.

John and Kathleen Neel

Members for 15 years.

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been a regular and ongoing part of our lives, individually and as a family, for more than 50 years. From childhood memories of visiting the polar bear and eating ice cream cones by the kiddie rides near the Trout River; to admiring the new baby giraffes with their mothers; from celebrating our daughter’s birthdays; to picnics with family and friends, we have seen many changes and improvements that we believe make our Zoo one of the premiere zoos in the nation.

While Kathleen’s favorite animal at the zoo is definitely the elephant and John likes to visit the big cats, we have no particular favorite exhibit but enjoy spending time at all the exhibits and, lately, you can find us being entertained and fascinated by the Greater Flamingos in the African Loop.

We have been Zoo Members for 15 years and, in addition to participating in the Snapshot Society, we enjoy the free general admission to be able to visit the zoo any time it is open as well as discounts at the gift shop and restaurants.

As Zoo Members, we are excited to be a part of the future of this valuable city resource and look forward to seeing and being involved in its continuing efforts in conservation and education.

Amber J.

Members for 9 years.

We have been Members for 9 years! We received a membership as a gift for our daughter’s first birthday and have happily renewed over the years. We love the flexibility of being able to come for a full day or just drop in for a few hours to see our favorite exhibits. There is no pressure to see everything in one day because we know we will be back! This has certainly changed over the years, but my daughters will always love the giraffe exhibit. On one of our recent visits, we spent over 30 minutes watching the new babies and talking with the keeper. We are proud to now know several of the giraffes by name! We always make time to visit the Asian Bamboo Garden. It is such a peaceful and beautiful spot, and we all love spending time there.

Marilyn S.

Members for 8 years.

Some of the things we enjoy the most is our frequent visits, even when it’s just to see our favorite animal friends or to take a morning or evening stroll since we can go any time. We love ALL the animals and think our gardens are simply spectacular. I have 15 grandchildren, so needless to say they have all been introduced at early ages to the zoo and is one of their favorite local outings to take. Many of our grands are so familiar with our zoo and the animals, they can take us for a guided tour. This summer we have thoroughly enjoyed going to the IllumiZoo Summer Spectacle, with all its activities and cooler temps it’s been a great way to do a family night out. I sure hope the zoo continues with the zoo night celebrations again next summer.

I have to say that I love the Gorilla exhibit as one of my favorites, some of my kids’ favs are the Komodo dragon, the lions & tigers, the African fields and being from Jacksonville and a Jaguar fan we like the jaguars!

We love the entire Zoo, so to pick a favorite area is almost impossible, but the riverfront area and gardens are very nice.

Thank You on behalf of the Solorzano Family

Members for 1½ years.

I try to take my family to the zoo once a week. Jacksonville has one of the best zoos I’ve ever been to, and with moving so much with the military, I’ve seen a lot of zoos. We love to go early in the morning right when they open, we feel we have the place to ourselves for a while. All the zookeepers and volunteers are knowledgeable and very helpful. I always bring my camera and have gotten some really amazing photos of the animals. My favorite exhibits to visit with my family and camera are the flamingos, the jaguars, the tigers and the reptile exhibits. I love the snakes, lizards, turtles, gators, etc. If it has scales, I want to see them. Some days you’ll find me alone at the zoo with just my long-range camera lens and I’ll spend hours at the zoo just taking photos, observing, and learning about the animals. The zoo is truly one of my favorite places to go.

Lauren P.

Members for 5 months.

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is by far my favorite zoo that we have ever been to! Becoming a Member was a no brainer for us! I have never met a staff member that was not friendly and helpful! The primates always seem like they are loving life and will show off a bit each time we visit! (The bonobos in particular)! Maybe it’s too hot for your liking…you have the option for yourself and your kids to cool off at the splash pad! And I can’t forget my daughter's favorite things: petting the goats, the otters and finding the talking parrots!

Sofiya H.

Members for 1 year.

My daughter and I love the zoo for all the activities it has to offer. We get to learn about the animals while we have fun. We can get close and personal with some of the animals and feed them. The staff is always really friendly and answer all the questions we have about the animals which helps us learn so much about them. We know the animals by their names because we love going to the zoo so much. We also love bringing family and friends so we can watch how much they enjoy the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for the first time as they learn so many new facts about the animals!