Destination Riverbanks Expansion Drives Zoo Attendance to All-Time High
For Immediate Release: July 12, 2016
Crowds Surpass 1.2 Million during Fiscal Year 2015-2016
[Columbia, SC] — Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is boasting a new milestone in its 42-year history by welcoming 1,280,911 guests during the 2015–2016 fiscal year that ended on June 30. This bests the previous one-year record by 227,534 guests which was set during the 2013–2014 fiscal year.
As South Carolina’s largest gated tourist attraction, Riverbanks consistently attracts more than one-million visitors each year. The new record follows the completion of a $36-million park-wide expansion and development project—Destination Riverbanks.
“We are extremely appreciative to our members and guests for their unwavering support, especially during the last two years of construction,” said Satch Krantz, president and CEO of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. “The Zoo has seen tremendous growth over the past few years, and the record number of visitors ranks Riverbanks among the largest zoos in the United States in terms of attendance.”
Riverbanks is now the largest zoo in the south and southeastern United States. Even more impressive is the fact that 40% of all Riverbanks guests travel 50 miles or more from outside of Richland and Lexington Counties. Krantz adds that these numbers are of great significance in terms of quality of life and local economic impact.
“We branded this latest expansion Destination Riverbanks to underscore the fact that as the Zoo has grown, so has the average length-of-stay,” said Krantz. “Longer visits equal a dramatic increase in the number of out-of-town and out-of-state guests who are eating in local restaurants and staying in area hotels.”
Another landmark occasion in Riverbanks’ history came earlier this summer when the Zoo welcomed its 30-millionth visitor in June.
The Destination Riverbanks transformation began in May of 2014. Projects opened in phases beginning with the opening of Grizzly Ridge and Otter Run last summer. Other highlights of phase one included an expanded entry plaza and ticketing facility, a state-of-the-art Guest Relations Center sponsored by SCE&G and a 4,500 square-foot gift shop. Waterfall Junction, a 3-acre children’s garden in the Botanical Garden, opened in April completing phase two while phase thee came to fruition in June with the opening of Sea Lion Landing.
In addition, Riverbanks will soon open a pedestrian bridge that will provide guests with safer access to the Zoo. The bridge, slated for completion this August, will cross over the railroad tracks between Riverbanks’ new parking area on Rivermont Drive and the main Zoo entrance.