Gatorland

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 17, 2025 09:33