Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

December 09, 2011 - Jacksonville, Fl -

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ annual Visit with Santa event will take place on Saturday, December 17, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Parents are invited to bring their children and cameras for a memorable conversation with that jolly old elf himself, Santa Claus. There will also be a prize drawing, and a visit from Jazoo, the Zoo’s friendly lion mascot, to help celebrate the holidays! This event is sponsored by Sight and Sound. This event will take place at the Zoo’s Trout River Lodge.

Visit with Santa event is free with regular Zoo admission. Special admission offer! On Saturday, December 17, 2011 only, guests will receive $5 off general admission when they bring a new, unopened toy for Toys for Tots. This discount cannot be combined with any other offer, including Zoo Value Tickets. Limit one discount per person. Visit jacksonvillezoo.org for more details.

“Our Visit with Santa event is sure to create some great memories for families, and it’s just the beginning of our winter holiday celebration” said Janet Johnson, deputy director of operations for Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. “We hope this event, along with some of our other upcoming festivities at the end of December, will bring an extra measure of joy to all our area families and friends during this holiday season!”

For more than 96 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  Since its beginning in 1914, with an animal collection that consisted of only one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has become one of the top zoos in the nation.  It now features more than 1,800 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. Preservation of sustainable biodiversity is a key mission of the Zoo.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  It is open year-round, seven-days-a-week, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except for Christmas Day, and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information, go to jacksonvillezoo.org.