Gatorland Guide in Florida

By James | Last updated December 28, 2023

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Gatorland was founded in 1949 by cattle-rancher Owen Godwin as the Florida Wildlife Institute on Highway 441 (the South Orange Blossom Trail) between Orlando and Kissimmee and is still owned by the family to this day.

A new zip line ride called the Screaminโ€™ Gator Zip Line opened in June 2011. It was the first real ride at Gatorland and is a separately charged attraction.

Gatorland is billed as the โ€œAlligator Capital of the Worldโ€ and the 110 acre park and wildlife preserve is home to over 5,000 of alligators plus crocodiles, birds and snakes

In April 2017, Gatorland announced their biggest expansion yet with the construction of the Stompinโ€™ Gator Off-Road Adventure off-road monster buggy ride. It is set to open in September 2017.

When the Florida Wildlife Institute opened, it was the first major attraction in the Orlando area. Today Gatorland is a little off the main tourist area around the Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld, Universal Orlandoยฎ Resort and all the attractions on International Drive but it is still worth a visit. It is about 15 to 20 minutes drive away.

The famously tacky gaping alligator jaws entrance was built in 1962 and is still there today though a devastating fire in November 2006 damaged the entrance area and gift shop.

The park reopened after a couple of weeks but the rebuilding of the entrance area and gift shop took about a year to complete. The park remained open during this period.

Find it on the map

florida-mini-map Click here to find Gatorland on the Florida map.

After all the razzle-dazzle of the big theme parks, Gatorland offers low-key โ€œOld Floridaโ€ charm and fun for all the family.

As well as a zoo and working with the University of Florida researching alligator reproduction and artificial insemination, Gatorland also is a working alligator farm, breeding alligators for their meat and hides. It is a little strange to walk around the zoo seeing all these alligators and then being offered gator snacks such as alligator nuggets in the restaurant.

The main attraction is the 300 or so, very large 14 to 15 foot alligators. There is also a breeding marsh area and bird rookery with a boardwalk and observation tower, an aviary, childrenโ€™s petting zoo and Lillyโ€™s Pad Splash Zone water park, Gatorland Express Railroad around the park, educational wildlife programs and Pearlโ€™s Smokehouse restaurant.

In the native Cypress Swamp walk, you can see what a lot of Central Florida used to look like many years ago before the swamps were drained.

There are a four different shows during the day, namely the Gator Wrestlinโ€™ Show where gator wranglers wrestle with up to eight foot alligators, the Gator Jumparoo Show where alligators jump up out of the water to take food from the trainers hand, Jungle Crocs of the World and the Upclose Animal Encounters Show featuring some of the most dangerous snakes in the world.

A new attraction opened in August 2017 showcasing baby alligators. Called the Baby Gator Swamp, it is located near the Gator Gully Splash Park and the Florida Panther enclosure and houses a group of about 50 baby American alligators, all of which have been born at the park.

You should allow at least half a day if you want to see all the attractions. It is best to arrive before mid-afternoon or you may miss some of the shows. Note that in the winter months, alligators can be very lethargic early in the morning as they take a while to โ€œwarm upโ€.

Read more about Gatorland ticket options and prices.

Free admission is also available with either a Go Orlando or Go Miami card.

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