Lion Country Safari brings drive-thru experience with wild animals to Florida residents

LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. - There is a safari right in our own Florida backyard.

Lion Country Safari, located in Loxahatchee, is the largest drive-thru safari in the state and the first one in the U.S.  The facility first opened in 1967.

"We wanted to bring that safari experience to the community, where, otherwise, it’s a very expensive trip to go to that kind of experience in Africa," says public relations manager, Haley Passeser.

Today, about 500,000 guests a year drive through their gates. 

Lion Country Safari sits on about 600 acres of natural area and is home to over 900 animals. They have many large herds of species that guests can get very close to within the comfort of their own cars.

Guests can go at their own speed and can even pull over to park and watch a particular animal if they want to.

The safari is home to the largest herd of zebras in the U.S., as well as some of the largest herds of giraffes and rhinos.  

"The animals may very well roam right up to your vehicle and you can see them pretty much face to face on the other side of your window," says Passeser.

Lion Country Safari is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is also an adventure park on the property with rides, a petting zoo, and a water park.

Learn more by heading over to the website.