When Are Riverbanks Zoo’s Free Fridays?

When Are Riverbanks Zoo’s Free Fridays?

Well, on Fridays, of course!

Stating the obvious aside, Riverbanks Zoo’s Free Fridays are on Fridays during the months January and February.

By the way, if you are planning a visit, on Free Fridays or not, please check out my complete practical guide to Riverbanks Zoo.

If you’re coming from out of town and need a place to stay, check out my picks for the best hotels near Riverbanks Zoo.

You can also check out more hotels in Columbia here.

Riverbanks Zoo Free Fridays 2026

This Facebook post confirms Free Fridays at Riverbanks Zoo are on for 2026.

It was posted on December 31.

Riverbanks Zoo Free Fridays 2027 and Beyond

I imagine, it’s possible those months will change in the future, or that the zoo will discontinue this at some point.

However, they’ve done it in January and February for at least the last several years, and this page on the zoo’s website suggests it is a permanent feature of the zoo’s calendar.

So, if you’re here wondering if there will be complimentary passes to Riverbanks Zoo during January and February in future years, I’d lean towards counting on it,

However, I’d keep an eye on the zoo’s social media in the closing days of December or the opening days of January to confirm and be 100% sure.

Who is Eligible for Riverbanks Zoo Free Admission?

Riverbanks Zoo’s Free Fridays are open to all Richland and Lexington County residents.

This of course makes sense since the zoo straddles these two counties, lying on both sides of the Saluda River that divides them.

To take advantage of these Riverbanks Zoo free days, you will need to show proof of residency in one of Richland or Lexington counties.

According to the Facebook post announcing the 2026 Free Fridays, the zoo accepts the following forms of proof of residency:

• SC Photo ID with Address (for example, a Driver’s License)
• Property Tax Statement
• Vehicle Registration
• Utility Bills

They may accept other documents that include an address in Richland or Lexington counties since that post says forms of proof of residency includes those documents, suggesting they aren’t the only forms you can use, just the most common ones.

Perhaps a bank statement or credit card statement or some other thing that shows your address would work as well.

My Experience at Riverbanks Zoo Free Fridays

Not long after we moved back to Columbia from Cartagena, Colombia, I popped in to a Riverbanks Zoo’s Free Friday since it had been years since I had been.

The nice thing about this time of year is, despite it still technically being winter, you can get nice days where the weather is pretty pleasant (along with some chilly or even cold days too!).

I managed to get a pretty nice day near the end of February, and figured why not take advantage of one of the best things to do in Columbia for free. This was long before we had our daughter Aaliyah and got a membership.

The other nice thing about this time of year is that since it isn’t blazing hot, like the Columbia summers tend to be, the animals are usually pretty active and not worn out from day after day of sweltering heat.

That’s especially the case if you go in the morning, which also usually lets you beat the crowd.

So, I got to enjoy some good views of the animals. If you’ve never been or haven’t been in a while, check out this post on the Riverbanks Zoo animals to learn what you can expect to see.

The crowd wasn’t as small as a random Monday through Thursday, but not nearly as large as what you’ll find on a typical weekend, especially when the weather’s nice this time of year.

The flowers in the garden area were still pretty ho hum and not so pretty yet, but walking over here when it isn’t so hot is kind of nice.

So, if you haven’t been the zoo in a while and live nearby, taking advantage of these free days at Riverbanks Zoo is totally worth it.

Other Ways to Get Riverbanks Zoo Free Tickets

This is the only regular promotion for free entry that Riverbanks Zoo runs.

However, if you want to get free entry to Riverbanks Zoo during other times of the year, or you are not a Richland or Lexington County resident, you aren’t completely out of luck.

Some nonprofit organizations may be able to obtain complimentary tickets, but they require an application. See the page linked on the zoo’s website above for the application.

If you have a good friend, colleague, or a generous acquaintance, that happens to be a member of Riverbanks, they may have a guest pass they can use to get you free entry. Keep in mind, different membership levels get different amounts of annual guest passes.

Of course, you could just join the zoo yourself and get free entry year round, including entry to special events like Riverbanks Zoo’s Members Night Out.

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a member, check out my blog post comparing the Riverbanks Zoo membership levels.

Riverbanks Zoo also normally runs a discount during the summer, called Toucan Tuesdays. During this promotion, visitors can get buy one get one free entry plus buy one get one ICEEs if they bring 2 cans to donate to Harvest Hope Food Bank.

According to this page on the zoo’s website, this promotion for discounted tickets to Riverbanks Zoo ran from June 10 to August 12 in 2025.

So, it’s reasonable to expect similar dates in 2026 and future years.

Will you get your free entry to Riverbanks Zoo?

Will you go to Riverbanks Zoo’s Free Fridays?

If you do, I hope this post helped you plan for it. Most importantly, I hope you enjoy it! I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments below.

Cheers and Happy Exploring!