BROOKFIELD, IL - MAY 08: A sloth bear cub explores its enclosure at the Brookfield Zoo on May 8, 2013 in Brookfield, Illinois. The cub is one of two born January 20 to their 10-year-old mother Hani. The cubs, which were making their public debut today, were the first successful sloth bear births at the zoo.
Sloth mode initiated. Things are getting a little slower now that a sloth exhibit is coming to the Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach. According to the aquarium website, the exhibit will allow guests to “come face-to-face with two-toed sloths!” The exhibit does not have an opening date yet but is expected to be ready sometime in the spring of 2023. So if you’ll be in Myrtle this summer it should be ready for your visit.
Ripley’s Aquarium is a multi-level aquarium located at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. In addition to this new sloth exhibit visitors can enjoy exhibits such as Rio Amazon, Penguin Playhouse, Planet Jellies, and Ray Bay. There are VIP add-on experiences as well like the Penguin Encounter, Stingray Experience, and Glass Bottom Boat Tours. As many times as I’ve been to Broadway at the Beach and I’m just learning there is a penguin encounter. Adding this to my list ASAP. This is a great activity to have in Myrtle if you need a break from the sun or get caught in a rainy day at the beach.
You can get more info on the upcoming Sloth exhibit at the Ripley’s Aquarium Myrtle Beach here.
An interesting fact that you may not know is that Charlotte is actually the largest city in the country that doesn’t have a zoo. And there is very little chance we will ever get a true one. But don’t let that get you down, there are plenty of places you can visit with all types of animals in the Charlotte area. The biggest reason we will most likely never get a true zoo is that we are just 1.5 hours from both the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.
Both of those zoos make our list and while both are large zoos, they offer different animals. For instance, you can see polar bears in North Carolina and Koalas in South Carolina. Is marine life more of your interest? Don’t worry we’ve got a couple of options for you as well. Other animals include bison, alpacas, farm animals, all sorts of birds, goats are more.
All of the places on this list are a short drive from Charlotte. Most are very affordable to visit so a great family trip as the weather gets warmer. I love animals but I’m not a huge fan of encountering them unexpectedly, so this type of thing is right up my alley. I can’t wait to add several of these to my summer bucket list. Where is your favorite place to visit animals in the Charlotte area? Let us know on social media!
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.
