What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 3pm Tuesday 9am - 3pm Wednesday 9am - 3pm Thursday 9am - 3pm Friday 9am - 3pm Saturday 9am - 3pm Sunday 9am - 3pm

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo

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Gainesville, FL
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo

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Gainesville’s community zoo and the training facility for the Zoo Animal Technology program at Santa Fe College.
(1927)

Open daily, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., with last entry at 2:30 p.m. The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is Gainesville’s community zoo and the training facility for the Zoo Animal Technology program. Situated on 10 forested acres we house rare and endangered species including Matschie's tree kangaroos and ocelots.

10/30/2026

🎃🐾 Who wore it best? The Halloween Pet Costume Showdown! 🐾🎃

We're still recovering from all the fun at Boo at the Zoo! We'll be sharing our final canned goods count and some photos from the event tomorrow, but in the meantime, we have a very important matter that needs your attention.

Our staff members have entered their pets (and one plant) into a Halloween costume competition, and YOU get to decide the winner! 🏆

Meet your contestants:

👑 Lupe: Allie's Victorian-era chihuahua, who turns 16 on Halloween! A distinguished lady deserves a distinguished outfit.

🎃 Stormy & the Bearded Cowboy: Jon's pumpkin-cloaked husky and her cowboy companion. Yeehaw!

🧛 Trouble, Nova & Wocket: Julie's spooky little vampires and pumpkin! (Julie is strictly prohibited from unleashing her catfluencer following on this competition. That's cheating.)

🌱 Veronica: Kara's three-year-old plant dressed as Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. Her favorite movie hero, naturally.

🐢 The Pumpkin Tortoise: Ericka's tortoise is embracing the Halloween spirit, one slow step at a time.

🌮 Ripley: Emily's traumatized taco. No further questions at this time.

🏴‍☠️ Captain Brooklyn: Christina's fearsome pirate, the dastardliest to ever sail the seven seas!

🎃 Lucy: Danielle's precious little pumpkin, bringing some serious competition to the patch.

🗳️ CAST YOUR VOTE!
Like, comment, or share to show your support for your favorite contestant! Bragging rights are on the line, and we take those very seriously.

May the best costume win! 🏆🐾

10/26/2026

🎃 JUST TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL BOO AT THE ZOO! 👻

Our students and staff are getting ready to transform the SF Teaching Zoo into eight themed trick-or-treating areas for our 30th Annual Boo at the Zoo!

⚠️ IMPORTANT REMINDER: The zoo will be CLOSED for regular admission on Wednesday, October 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. while we prepare for the event. Boo at the Zoo begins at 3 p.m.!

Here's what you need to know before you go!

📅 Wednesday, October 28
⏰ 3–7 p.m.
📍 Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
🥫 Admission: One canned good or non-perishable food item per person, benefiting Saints Food Share.

🚶 ENTRANCE
The event entrance and food collection will be BEHIND the SF Gymnasium, NOT at the zoo's regular entrance! Enjoy activities with SF student clubs and Saints Athletics while waiting.

🚗 PARKING
Enter campus via NW 39th Ave. and NW 91st St.
• Primary: Lots 8 & 9 and nearby grassy lot
• Overflow: Lots 6 & 7
• Accessible: Front of Lot 8, closest to the gym

♿ Guests with physical accessibility needs may use the Fast Pass line near the gym.

🗺️ INTERACTIVE EVENT MAP
Find parking, accessibility information, entrances, and more!
https://t.ly/boomap

🍬 EIGHT TRICK-OR-TREATING THEMES
🌴 Rio
🐉 How to Train Your Dragon
🤠 Toy Story
⚡ Hercules
🐇 Alice in Wonderland
🎄 The Nightmare Before Christmas
🔎 Scooby-Doo
👻 Monster Mash

🎉 FUN4GATORKIDS KIDSZONE
After trick-or-treating, enjoy:
🎨 Crafts, games, and more candy with Fun 4 Gator Kids
💃 Danscompany Halloween performances
🦉 Animal presentations
🩸 LifeSouth Bloodmobile
🍕 Food trucks and sweet treats!

FOOD VENDORS
• Kona Ice
• Mayflower Food Truck
• Reina's Real Italian Ice
• Domino's Pizza
• Cosmic Snowcones & Hot Diggity Dogs

💚 THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
⭐ Visit Gainesville, Alachua County
⭐ Fun4GatorKids
⭐ Saints Share Wear
⭐ Saints Athletics
⭐ Gator Domino's
⭐ Mr. Greens
⭐ Zaxby's – Newberry Rd.
⭐ UF Type 1 Diabetes Screening Initiative

Funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County

🎃 Get your costumes ready, grab your canned goods, and share this with your Halloween crew! We can't wait to see you! 🧡

10/25/2026

🎃 We asked our staff some questions about Halloween and Boo at the Zoo… then took a few creative liberties with the questions in editing. 😂

Their answers were real. The questions? Not so much. 👀

One thing we can all agree on: Boo at the Zoo is worth getting a little weird for! 👻

Join us for the 30th Annual Boo at the Zoo on Wednesday, October 28, from 3–7 p.m. for an afternoon of costumes, candy, and family-friendly Halloween fun!

🥫 Admission is one canned good or nonperishable food item per person, benefiting local families in need.

📍 Entrance begins behind the Santa Fe College Gymnasium.

This event is funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County

10/24/2026

🎶 Happy International Gibbon Day!

Today, we're celebrating one of the most vocal members of the primate family: gibbons!

Found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, gibbons are known for their incredible swinging abilities, powerful songs, and close social bonds.

There are 20 recognized species of gibbons, including siamangs, and all 20 are threatened with extinction.

Here at the SF Teaching Zoo, our white-handed gibbons, Eddie, Cajun, Onyx, and Cusa help us share the importance of protecting these remarkable animals and their wild counterparts.

Swipe through to learn more about gibbons, hear their incredible songs, and discover how you can help protect their future! 🌿

🌳 Gibbons are built for life high in the forest canopy!

Unlike monkeys, gibbons are apes, meaning they don't have tails. Instead, they rely on their long arms, strong hands, and incredible agility to navigate the treetops.

Their signature form of movement is called brachiation, which allows them to swing from branch to branch using their arms.

Their hands are specially adapted for gripping branches, helping them move through the forest without spending much time on the ground.

These adaptations make gibbons incredible forest acrobats! Unfortunately, when forests are cleared or divided by roads and agriculture, gibbons can lose the connected treetops they depend on for survival.

🔊 Turn up your volume! Eddie and the fam have something to say!

One of the most remarkable things about gibbons is their ability to sing!

Gibbons use loud, complex vocalizations to communicate with other gibbons across the forest. Depending on the species, these songs can help announce their presence, maintain social bonds, and communicate territorial boundaries.

Some gibbon species even perform coordinated duets, with individuals contributing different parts to the song.

These calls are more than just impressive sounds. They're an important part of how gibbons communicate in their natural habitat.

And now that you've heard the professionals, wait until you hear our keepers' attempt! 🎤

🎤 The things our keepers will do for

10/23/2026

🎶 We may not have the vocal talents of our white-handed gibbons, but that didn't stop our zookeepers and staff from giving it their best shot! 😂🐒

Our team joined the SAFE: Gibbon for the Gibbon challenge, and the results are... something you definitely need to hear for yourself! 🎤

TODAY is the LAST DAY to vote! Help us end on a high note (or whatever note we're hitting 🤣) by heading to the original video and giving it a LIKE to cast your vote for the SF Teaching Zoo!

Every like counts, even if our singing is a little questionable!
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BteZ1zWRn/

10/22/2026

🦉 Whooo's ready for Boo at the Zoo? 🎃

Johnny and Kristen are sharing some fascinating barred owl facts in this episode of The Wild Files!

Want to see these feathered friends for yourself? Our barred owls will be making an appearance during the 30th Annual Boo at the Zoo on Wednesday, October 28, from 3–7 p.m.!

🎃 We hope to see you there!

This event is funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County.

10/21/2026

🎃 Our Zoo Member perks are so good, it's spooky! 👻

Did you know your SF Teaching Zoo membership comes with benefits all year long? From exclusive events to discounts at zoos and aquariums across the country, there's plenty to love about being a member!

🦇 Membership perks include:
50% off admission at participating AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums
Invitations to special events
Exclusive member newsletters
10% off gift shop merchandise
Discounts on birthday parties, animal encounters, and Zookeeper for a Day

🍬 And just in time for our 30th Annual Boo at the Zoo
Zoo Members and their guests receive Fast Pass access, allowing them to skip the general admission line and enter Boo at the Zoo 30 minutes early, from 2:30–3 p.m.!

📧 Already a member? Fast Passes have been emailed through our member newsletter. If you haven't received yours, please contact [email protected] before the event so we can assist you.

🎟️ Want to join or renew? Purchase your membership by Tuesday, October 27 at 3 p.m. to enjoy this year's Boo at the Zoo Fast Pass benefits! New members will receive their Fast Pass as a physical ticket when purchasing their membership.

Please note: Memberships will NOT be processed on the day of Boo at the Zoo.
👉 Become a member: https://t.ly/ZooMember

Enjoy a year of wild benefits while supporting animal care, conservation, and education at the SF Teaching Zoo! 🧡

Boo at the Zoo is funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County

10/21/2026

🎃 Our Zoo Member perks are so good, it's spooky! 👻

Did you know your SF Teaching Zoo membership comes with benefits all year long? From exclusive events to discounts at zoos and aquariums across the country, there's plenty to love about being a member!

🦇 Membership perks include:
50% off admission at participating AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums
Invitations to special events
Exclusive member newsletters
10% off gift shop merchandise
Discounts on birthday parties, animal encounters, and Zookeeper for a Day

🍬 And just in time for our 30th Annual Boo at the Zoo

Zoo Members and their guests receive Fast Pass access, allowing them to skip the general admission line and enter Boo at the Zoo 30 minutes early, from 2:30–3 p.m.!

📧 Already a member? Fast Passes have been emailed through our member newsletter. If you haven't received yours, please contact [email protected] before the event so we can assist you.

🎟️ Want to join or renew? Purchase your membership by Tuesday, October 27 at 3 p.m. to enjoy this year's Boo at the Zoo Fast Pass benefits! New members will receive their Fast Pass as a physical ticket when purchasing their membership.

Please note: Memberships will NOT be processed on the day of Boo at the Zoo.

👉 Become a member: https://t.ly/ZooMember

Enjoy a year of wild benefits while supporting animal care, conservation, and education at the SF Teaching Zoo! 🧡

Boo at the Zoo is funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County

10/20/2026

🚧 Zoo Path Closures & Construction Updates 🚧

Beginning Wednesday, October 21, and continuing through December, the SF Teaching Zoo will be conducting tree work in preparation for upcoming construction.

For the safety of our guests, animals, and staff, some areas of the zoo may be temporarily closed or have limited access, including the playground.

Animals in habitats near active work areas may also be temporarily moved behind the scenes for their comfort and safety.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we prepare for these exciting improvements!

Address

3000 NW 83rd Street
Gainesville, FL
32606

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 3pm
Tuesday	9am - 3pm
Wednesday	9am - 3pm
Thursday	9am - 3pm
Friday	9am - 3pm
Saturday	9am - 3pm
Sunday	9am - 3pm

Telephone

+13523955633

Website

http://www.SFCollege.edu/zoo

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