Are you looking for a wild adventure in the Sunshine State? Well, look no further because I’ve got the inside scoop on where to spot some majestic elephants in Florida!
You don’t need to travel all the way to Africa or Asia to see these gentle giants up close and personal.
From zoos to sanctuaries, I’ve rounded up the best places to see elephants in Florida…
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Best Places To See Elephants In Florida
Below I’ve listed all of the exact locations where you can see elephants in Florida.
❌ Warning: There are some locations in Florida that offer elephant rides and elephant performances. I strongly advice you avoid these places!
These establishments are not listed in this post due to ethical concerns. You can learn more about why you shouldn’t ride elephants from PETA.
1. White Oak Conservation
One of the best places to see elephants in Florida is at White Oak Conservation.
White Oak Conservation is a 17,000-acre conservation center in northeastern Florida. It’s located near the border with Georgia, just a 30 minute drive from Jacksonville.
White Oak Conservation is dedicated to the care of a range of endangered species including elephants and they work hard to conserve these species in a sustainable and ethical way.
Their first herd of Asian elephants arrived in 2021 and have their own spacious forest habitat at the conservation center which includes ponds, wetlands and open grasslands.
They currently have 12 Asian elephants at the conservation center but are looking to grow this number soon as additional areas are completed.
I visited the elephants at White Oak Conservation on my recent trip to Florida and really enjoyed it.
The elephants were just wandering around peacefully and I noticed that they had so much room to roam around and they’re clearly very well looked after.
All of the elephants at White Oak Conservation are retired performing elephants so they wouldn’t survive in the wild which is why they’ve come to the sanctuary.
Address: 581705 White Oak Rd, Yulee, FL 32097
Opening Times: varies – reservations are required
Check out the video below which shows the elephant habitat at White Oak Conservation:
If you enjoy seeing elephants, you may also be interested in knowing where to see flamingos in Florida.
2. ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park is a 63-acre zoo is located in Tampa and is home to more than 1,300 animals including a herd of African elephants.
The elephants are located in the Africa section of the zoo. They currently have 6 elephants here that I got to see for myself recently.
The zoo also offers an elephant encounter where you can meet the zookeepers and learn more about how they care for the elephants.
The zoo rescues, rehabilitates and cares for animals that need it. It is a nonprofit zoo and is run by the Lowry Park Zoological Society which is a charity.
I’d recommend pre-booking your entrance ticket here before you arrive to avoid the long queues!
Address: 1101 W Sligh Ave, Tampa, FL 33604
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9:30am to 5pm
Check out the video below to see the elephants of TampaZoo:
3. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is an African-themed animal theme park that covers 335-acres of land.
As well as thrilling roller coasters and rides, Busch Gardens is also home to a wide range of animals including elephants. The elephants here are Asian elephants.
The zoo at Busch Gardens is the largest zoo in Tampa with more than 200 species of animals.
You’ll find the Asian elephant herd in the Nairobi area. You’ll be able to see them waddling in their pool or foraging for food.
For an extra special experience, you can join the Elephant Insider Tour where you’ll get the chance to get up close to the elephants and learn about how they’re cared for by the zookeepers!
Address: 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, opens at 10am. Closing time varies – check the schedule here.
Check out the video below which shows the elephants at Busch Gardens taking part in a fun Easter egg hunt:
4. Myakka Elephant Ranch
The Myakka Elephant Ranch is located near to Myakka City which is just over an hour’s drive from Tampa.
The Myakka Elephant Ranch is a non-profit conservation center dedicated to caring for elephants and educating guests on elephant conservation.
You can book an elephant encounter at the ranch giving you the once in a lifetime chance to get up close to the elephants.
During the encounters you will get to help feed the elephants and help to wash them.
The ranch features both Asian and African elephants.
Address: 11 miles east of I-75 in between Lakewood Ranch & Myakka City, Florida (exact location emailed to you once you’ve booked a reservation)
Opening Times: varies – reservation required
Check out the video below showing the elephants of Myakka Elephant Ranch:
5. Zoo Miami
Zoo Miami is both the largest and the oldest zoo in Florida with over 3,000 animals covering almost 750 acres.
The zoo has open air exhibits and due to the hot weather of Southern Florida this mimics many of the animals natural habitats.
Zoo Miami currently has both African and Asian elephants. The African elephants can be found in the Africa region of the zoo whilst the Asian elephants reside in the Asia region.
These areas feature animals that are native to those areas.
I’d recommend pre-booking your Zoo Miami ticket here before arriving as this zoo is super popular so the queue’s can be long.
Address: 12400 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33177
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm
Check out the elephants of Zoo Miami in the video below:
6. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
The Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens occupies over 122-acres and features over 2,000 animals including 3 African elephants.
You can see the African elephants in the Africa Loop which aims to mimic the plains of East Africa.
The Africa Loop features a 1,400ft boardwalk that guests can walk along as they look out at the animals in their habitats. You will be able to see the elephants from this boardwalk.
The elephants themselves live in the Elephant Plaza section which includes a 275,000-gallon pool.
Address: 370 Zoo Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32218
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm
You can see the elephants being fed at Jacksonville Zoo in the video below:
7. Disney’s Animal Kingdom
A great place in Orlando where you can see elephants is at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
This zoological theme park is part of Walt Disney World Resort which is the largest theme park in the world.
As well as roller coasters and rides, Disney’s Animal Kingdom features hundreds of species of live animals including elephants.
I went to Animal Kingdom a couple of years ago and loved it just as much as I did when I was a kid. Getting to see elephants in the flesh was a huge bonus too!
Animal Kingdom is home to an entire herd of African elephants that are free to roam around their habitat that covers 7-acres and includes mud wallows, trees and 3 giant pools.
You can see the elephants on the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction in the Africa region of the park.
Address: 2901 Osceola Pkwy, Bay Lake, FL 34747
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8am to 7pm
Check out the elephants at Animal Kingdom in the video below:
And that’s it! Thanks for reading this post on where to see elephants in Florida.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the different places where you can see these amazing animals and maybe even added a few to your bucket list.
Until next time, keep exploring and discovering the wonders of the animal kingdom!
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