Gatorland, Wildlife theme park in Orlando, United States
Gatorland is a reptile park north of Kissimmee in Florida that houses tens of thousands of alligators and crocodiles across roughly 110 acres. The facility includes walkways through marsh areas, several viewing zones, and an observation tower where visitors look over natural habitats.
Owen Godwin founded the facility in 1949 on former grazing land and opened the first tourist attraction in central Florida. Over the following decades the operation expanded its grounds and introduced programs to rescue and house unwanted animals.
The park serves local schools as a learning site for topics like reptile science and native ecosystems. Visitors watch handlers work with the animals during demonstrations and share information about their behavior.
The facility opens daily from 10 AM to 5 PM and sits roughly 20 minutes south of downtown Orlando. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and bring plenty of drinking water, as pathways run mostly in open air.
Two rare alligators with leucistic coloring live here in a special enclosure that filters UV radiation. Only twelve known examples of this color variation exist worldwide, and both carry names from Haitian Creole.
Location: Florida
Inception: 1949
Website: https://gatorland.com
GPS coordinates: 28.35560,-81.40420
Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:23
The Orlando area and its surroundings offer much more than theme parks. A thirty-minute drive from Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral traces American space exploration history with full-scale rockets and Apollo mission exhibits. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy Gatorland, a 45-hectare (110-acre) animal park home to over 2,000 alligators and crocodiles, or Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, a 100-hectare (250-acre) reserve famous for its 62-meter (205-foot) carillon tower and landscaped gardens. Downtown Orlando features various themed museums, from the Science Museum with its planetarium to more unusual collections like the International Drive Wax Museum. Families appreciate entertainment options such as WonderWorks, identified by its upside-down building, or Fun Spot America in Kissimmee, offering roller coasters and go-kart tracks. For quiet relaxation, Leu Gardens display 20 hectares (50 acres) of botanical collections, while Kissimmee Lakefront Park hugs the shores of Lake Tohopekaliga with its paved trails and fishing piers.
Orlando offers a wide range of entertainment and educational facilities. Walt Disney World Resort comprises four theme parks with various rides and shows. Universal Orlando Resort presents attractions based on film and television series. SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove provide marine animal encounters with dolphins and manta rays. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island documents American space exploration history through exhibits and tours. The city features museums, botanical gardens and shopping centers. Visitors will also find restaurants, golf courses and nature preserves throughout the region.
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