St Augustine Alligator Farm

Founded in 1893, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of Florida’s oldest zoological attractions. Displays of alligators, crocodiles, exotic birds, and reptiles will entertain visitors of all ages. Plan your visit around one of the provocative presentations or just browse on your own. Take a stroll on the boardwalk in the natural bird rookery for views of brightly feathered birds.

The Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its origins date back to the early 1880s when two men began collecting alligators they found on Anastasia Island. These individuals, George Reddington and Felix Fire, were the founders of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm at South Beach. By the end of the new century’s first decade, the Alligator Farm had become an established Florida attraction. Guides to the city and area published after 1909 invariably included a reference to the Alligator Farm.

The opportunity for useful research at the Alligator Farm resulted mainly from the fact that it contained the three oldest collections of the species in existence, permitting observation of reptiles that had been living in a controlled environment for decades. The attention which the Alligator Farm focused on the alligator contributed to public awareness about the plight of the creatures in the 1960s and 1970s—when the species came perilously close to extinction.

A nature trail was added to the park in the late 1970s. Simultaneously, as the collection grew and the presentations acquired greater polish, the quality of exhibits offered to visitors continued to improve. A roofed theater and an open amphitheater were constructed for formal exhibitions of snakes and alligators that included lectures on the reptiles’ habits and behavior. The cooperation of the Florida Audubon Society was obtained in the improvement and expansion of the rookery that is home to wild and unconfined herons, ibis, and egrets. Egrets, wood storks, and tri-colored herons have long nested above the American alligators at this site. Boardwalks wind through the rookery, giving an up-close look at adults, chicks, and nests.

In 1989, The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AZA) extended accreditation to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, thereby elevating the institution to a select list of facilities throughout the nation recognized for the quality of their collections and the care afforded them. In 1993 the park was expanded to include "Land of Crocodiles." Here, all 23 species of the worlds’ crocodilians are exhibited in individual habitats. Improvements have been made in exhibit designs throughout the park. In 2001 the Anastasia Island Conservation Center was opened. This facility contains a meeting hall for small groups and a kitchen. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is a successful example of a small, privately owned specialized zoo.

Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call: 904-824-3337 or visit

http://www.alligatorfarm.com