What’s the Best Riverbanks Zoo Membership Level?: A Practical Guide

Is a Riverbanks Zoo Membership Worth it?

Before we dive into the details of the different levels of membership at Columbia’s zoo, let’s just generally discuss if a Riverbanks Zoo membership is worth it at all.

The short answer is if you think you’ll visit the zoo 3 or more times in a year, yes, the cost of membership at Riverbanks Zoo is absolutely worth it.

The exact Riverbanks Zoo membership price for each level is discussed in detail below the different levels and prices confer different Riverbanks Zoo membership benefits as well as the number of people who can receive them.

Details like if you have kids or grandkids, and how many, if just one parent or grandparent will normally take the kids to the zoo, how many rides on things like the carousel, and if you or your kids will bring friends, will determine exactly which of the Columbia zoo’s membership levels presents the best value for you

However, after 3 visits, most people will have easily saved the cost of a membership in entrance fees, and possibly a whole lot more.

Oh, and just to be clear, a membership is not exclusively for families.

Even individual adults or couples without children can potentially get a lot of value with a Riverbanks Zoo annual pass.

Quick Tips on the Best Columbia Zoo Membership for You

I’ll cover all the perks for each of the Columbia zoo membership levels and their cost in more detail below, but I think there’s a clear best value, at least for people with kids or grandkids.

That’s the Explorer Membership, which has both a family (parents and children) and grandparents (grandparents plus all grandkids) option.

It presents such a good value because it allows for unlimited extra rides and attractions, the cost of which can add up quickly if you visit the zoo multiple times a year and/or have multiple children or grandchildren.

The Explorer memberships do cost more than the regular family or grandparent memberships to Riverbanks Zoo.

Still, for those that have multiple children or grandchildren who are 2 and up, an age where they will both have to pay admission and be old enough to take advantage of the extra rides and attractions, that extra cost will pay for itself pretty quickly though.

If you have two or more toddler sized and above kids or grandkids and will visit the zoo at least 5 times a year, just buy the Explorer membership and thank me later.

It gets a little more nuanced if you’ll only go a few times a year and have only one child or grandchild.

If you’re on the fence, be sure to read all the details along with my practical thoughts on who they might be the best value for in the sections on each of the Riverbanks Zoo membership levels below.

Where to Buy Riverbanks Zoo Memberships

You can buy a membership here.

You can also purchase a Riverbanks Zoo membership renewal on this page.

For renewals, you’ll need to know your Member ID and the last name of the account holder (you can see instructions on where to find your ID number on that page).

You can also buy memberships at the ticket booths outside the main entrance to the zoo, and the attendants at the booths selling Explore More Credits may also be able to assist you.

Riverbanks Zoo Membership Benefits

Besides free daytime admission year round, there are a number of additional things included at all of the Columbia, SC zoo membership tiers.

All members get the following Riverbanks Zoo Membership benefits:

• Discounts to Signature Events like Boo at the Zoo and Wild Lights (a few dollars off)
• Free access to several annual Riverbanks Zoo Members’ Night Out special evening hours events
• Riverbanks Magazine and regular email updates
• 10% discount at the gift shop
• Discounts on Backstage Encounters and Zoo Camps
• Free access to the special Route 84 of the COMET (available by request every hour during the zoo’s operating hours)
• Reciprocal Discounts to Other Zoos and Aquariums (see bottom of post for more info)

Don’t sleep on those magazines and email newsletters, by the way. They are the best way to know about special events ahead of time.

For example, we learned Pete the Cat would be at the opening weekend of Boo at the Zoo in 2025 from a magazine long before it was advertised on the zoo’s website or social media and were able to plan accordingly.

Riverbanks Zoo Membership Prices and Levels Explained

Now that we’ve covered that a membership to Riverbanks Zoo is definitely worth it for anyone who thinks they will make multiple visits to the zoo a year, let’s talk about what might be a bit trickier.

That’s deciding which of the Columbia zoo membership levels is best for you, and where to get the most value on your Riverbanks Zoo membership.

Riverbanks Zoo offers 5 main membership levels:

• Individual
• Individual Plus
• Family
• Grandparent
• Explorer

Let’s talk about each of these membership tiers, what they include, and who they might be the best fit for.

I should add in the disclaimer here that my site is not associated with the zoo in any way, nor do I earn any type of commission from membership sales.

The Riverbanks Zoo membership prices and included benefits listed here are based on the information available on the zoo’s website and are up to date as of the most recent update in February 2026.

For what it’s worth, prices did not go up in the new year, but they are always subject to change, of course.

I will do my best to keep this updated if prices change, but please do consult the zoo’s website here for the most up to date information.

Individual Membership Levels

Let’s talk about the individual adult memberships at Riverbanks Zoo first.

I think most people probably think of having a membership as a family thing, but if you’re a single adult or couple without children, you can still take advantage of a membership if you enjoy the zoo.

They do sell beers and stuff at the zoo nowadays, after all. Plus, there are a lot of more adult oriented classes, events, and workshops if you check the zoo’s calendar of events.

Actually, even if you have children, I think there’s a nice little hack to save a bit of money here with an individual Riverbanks Zoo pass too.

Individual Membership

The individual membership is $79.

It includes:

• Free daytime admission year round for one registered adult
• 4 Riverbanks Zoo guest passes
• Discount on the Sky High Safari Ropes Course ($7 instead of the normal $9)

This is pretty straightforward.

An individual Riverbanks Zoo membership level’s cost is equal to approximately 2.8 regular adult admissions.

So, if you’re a single adult that will visit the zoo more than twice, this pays for itself.

Couples without children who visit the zoo up to 4 times a year or families with just one child who will only visit once or twice a year will also possibly get the best bang for their buck here.

Yes, that’s right, your family of 3 will pay just slightly more for just two adult and 1 child general admission ticket on a single visit.

So, you’ll still have two guest passes left for a later “free” visit.

If your child or children happen to be under 2, you’ll even be able to do up to 4 family visits a year to the zoo for less than the price of 2 visits.

If you are a single parent and either have a child under the age of 2 (children under 2 are free) or have an older child and think you will only visit the zoo 3-7 times a year, this is also a better deal than a family membership (see costs and info on it below).

If you’re a larger family, or even a group of 3-5 adults, you could even be clever about it and save quite a bit on admission on even a single zoo visit.

Individual Plus

An individual plus membership is $149

It includes:

• Free daytime admission year round for one named adult
• One guest anytime
• 6 free guest passes
• Discount on the Sky High Safari Ropes Course ($7 instead of the normal $9)

That works about to 5.3 regular adult admissions.

The most obvious use cases for this membership level are couples without children.

However, in certain cases, this can actually work out to be a better deal than the family membership, especially if you have children under 2 (who are free).

For single parents or families with just one child where one parent will do all or most of the visits to the zoo, it’s also possibly a better deal.

I will say I think the Explorer membership becomes a really good value if you think you’ll visit frequently once your child is around 18 months though (more on that below).

To be honest, putting this article together, I’m realizing we probably should have opted for this membership tier rather than the family one when our daughter was first born.

It’s also worth pointing out that the free guest anytime does not have to be named (unlike the family memberships), so it doesn’t necessarily have to be a spouse.

For what it’s worth, this Riverbanks Membership cost works out to about the cost of 2.6 visits paying for two adult admissions and 2.8 visits paying for one adult and one child admission.

So, you could take your spouse, or if a single parent, take your child as your guest.

You could also take a friend, a visiting family member, a niece or nephew, a grandchild, a godchild, or a rotation of all of the above each time you visit the zoo.

To be perfectly honest, for the single guys and gals, a visit to the zoo could make for a pretty nice and somewhat unique date, and it could be a pretty cheap one too if you’re actively dating.

Riverbanks Zoo Family Memberships

There are a few tiers of family Riverbanks Zoo memberships too, including a special one for grandparents and one that includes unlimited rides and entrances to most of the zoo’s special extra attractions.

Here, I’ll break those levels of membership to the Columbia zoo down and give my thoughts on what might make the most sense depending on your family’s situation.

Standard Riverbanks Zoo Family Membership

The standard Riverbanks Zoo Family membership cost is $179 per year.

It includes:

• Free daytime admission year round for two registered adults
• Free daytime admission for all registered children
• 6 free guest passes
• Discount on the Sky High Safari Ropes Course ($7 instead of the normal $9)

If you do the math here, the cost here works out to about 2.2 visits for a family with 2 adults and 1 child.

If you’re talking a family of four, it works out to about 1.7 visits.

So, you’ll save money even after two visits to the zoo if you have more than one child.

Now, if you happen to have 5 kids, you’ll actually spend slightly less even on just one visit if you opt for a family membership instead of paying for your family of 7’s individual admission tickets separately.

Again, you could also be clever about this and save a significant amount of money on even just one visit if you happen to be a family of however many kids along with some friends, grandparents, uncles, or whoever else and visit just once or twice and use the 6 guest passes.

In all, this is really a great value, especially if you think you’ll attend any of the annual events like Wild Lights or Boo at the Zoo, as you’ll save a few bucks on those tickets too. A few bucks might not sound like a lot, but it adds up quick if you’re buying 4+ tickets.

So, even a family of three will likely end up saving a bit if you only visit twice a year during the day and do one or both of those events.

That being said, keep in mind what I said above about the Individual Plus being a clever way to save a tad bit more ($20 a year) depending on the age of your child or children, if both or only one parent usually goes, and how often you think you’ll go.

I’d also encourage anyone with children older than a year to at least consider if the Explorer Riverbanks membership level (details below) might work out to a better value.

For what it’s worth, this is the level of membership we currently have and first bought shortly after our daughter Aaliyah was born (when she was around 6 months old).

I think this was perfect when she was an infant, but we regret not upgrading to the Plus level when we renewed though.

I’ll explain why in the section on that membership level below.

Riverbanks Zoo Grandparents Membership

The grandparents membership at Riverbanks Zoo costs $179.

It includes:

• Free daytime admission year round for two registered adults
• Free daytime admission year round for all registered grandchildren
• 6 guest passes
• Discount on the Sky High Safari Ropes Course ($7 instead of the normal $9)

The grandparents membership is basically identical to the family membership.

Now, it’s worth pointing out to clarify that the grandparents membership does not include the parents, only the grandparents.

Parents can, of course, make use of the guest passes though.

It’s worth pointing out as well, that once again, if there’s multiple grandchildren and multiple additional adults or children, be they parents, aunts and uncles, or friends, even with just one visit, you can easily save some money with this membership level on just one visit.

Family vs Grandparents Membership

Depending on how frequently parents, grandparents, and kids all go together, you might need to consider if it’s the better value to do just one of the family or grandparent membership and use the guest passes or buy a separate Riverbanks Zoo pass for both parents and grandparents.

You could also do something like one family or one grandparent membership and an individual or individual plus membership.

Or you could just opt to get both a family and a grandparent membership if children will go more than a couple times each with parents and grandparents separately.

Explorer Membership

The Explorer Membership costs $279.

It can be designated as a family membership to include parents and children or a grandparent membership (the membership has 2 named adults and all children living in the home or all grandchildren).

It includes the following:

• Free daytime admission year round for two registered adults
• Free daytime admission year round for all children or grandchildren
• 12 free guest passes
• Wristbands for unlimited rides and attractions

There are a few caveats that come with the unlimited rides and attractions.

First, wristbands only apply to the people registered by name on the account. Guests do not get a wristband. You can buy a wristband for $25, which seems like more than most people will spend on a single visit (more on the prices for individual rides and attractions below).

The larger Sky High Safari is also not included as unlimited with the wristband. However, Explorer members do pay $5 instead of the normal $9, so you do get a decent discount on it.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the extra rides and attractions are also not free, even for Explorer members, during evening events like Boo at the Zoo, Wild Lights, and Members Night Out.

Why I Consider the Explorer Membership the Best Value

As I mentioned a few times, if you have children toddler sized and up, you really should consider doing the Explorer level membership at Riverbanks Zoo.

Now, I know what you’re thinking…a $100 dollars more a year! Is that really worth it?

Well, bear with me while I break it down.

Here are the current prices of the extra activities included with the wristbands:

• Feeding the giraffes: $3
• Riding the carousel: $3
• Petting and brushing the goats in the farmyard: $3
• Riding the Riverbanks Express train: $3
• Feeding the lorikeets: $4
• Doing the “Tiny Trailblazers” ropes course for smaller children: $5

Let’s say you stick to only the $3 activities.

You’ll need to do 34 of them for this to start saving you money.

Now, maybe that at first glance seems like a lot of extra activities or the prices don’t sound like that much to just pay for individually as you go.

However, let me tell you from my personal experience, it adds up a lot quicker than you think and you’ll probably do more than you think.

I would say Aaliyah started being interested in feeding the giraffes and riding the carousel when she was around 18 months old, and we pretty much have to do both of those activities at least once every visit now.

In fact, we often do at least one, if not both, of them twice. I’m pretty sure she would be more than happy to do each 5 or 6 times if we let her.

We’ve also done the Tiny Trailblazers a couple times, and we have done the goats a couple times.

She hasn’t been super into them or the train, but we haven’t really tried the train, and something tells me if we made her aware of it and did it once, she’d want to do it every time.

So, let’s be real, we’re probably dropping $9-$12 dollars for the extra attractions most visits, and could easily spend closer $20.

Even keeping it conservative, and saying we average $9, this pays for itself after 11 visits, less than once a month.

And that’s with just one child.

So, if you’ve got multiple toddler sized or above child or grandchild, the Explorer level Riverbanks membership will pay for itself pretty quick.

Plus, you can let them repeat things as many times as they want to their little hearts’ content without having to worry about how much it costs.

That’s not even mentioning the guest passes, which could save you lots more if you opt to bring along any other family or friends.

In short, you get a ton of value here.

So, if you have children old enough to want to do any of the activities that have additional costs, this might offer the best overall value.

If you have just one or two children or grandchildren and think you’ll just visit the zoo 3-5 times a year, sticking to a family or grandparent membership might be best.

However, if think you’ll visit more than 5 times a year or have more children or grandchildren, you’ll more than likely get more value with an Explorer membership, making it more than worth the extra $100 bucks.

I know I wish in hindsight we had upgraded to this on our last renewal, as we would have saved some money over the course of the year.

Riverbanks Zoo Top Dollar Conservation Circle Memberships

There are 4 levels of the very top tier memberships to Riverbanks Zoo, what they call Conservation Circle memberships.

These do confer some additional benefits, but I think are as much about giving back to the zoo and supporting their work as getting value for a membership.

It’s a great zoo, and we love it, so if you have the means, we thank you, and I’m sure the zoo does too.

You do get some neat benefits.

Since the market for these higher tier memberships to Riverbanks Zoo is presumably much smaller, I’m going to cover them much more briefly.

They all include the following:

• Free daytime admission for two registered adults year round
• Free daytime admission for all registered children or grandchildren
• One free guest anytime
• Unlimited Rides and Attractions Wristbands
• A private Conservation Circle event

To be honest, I’m not clear what the private Conservation Circle Event is, and there’s no clear indication on the zoo’s website. I’m assuming it’s a private party or something.

Here are the 4 levels of Conservation Circle memberships, their costs and the additional benefits each confer:

• Conservation Circle Curator – $350
  • 16 guest passes
  • 35% off a Backstage Encounter
• Conservation Circle Director – $650
  • 16 guest passes
  • Discounted general admission tickets
  • Private Conservation Circle Tour for 2 or 35% off a Backstage Encounter
  • 25% discount on facility rentals
• Conservation Circle Benefactor – $1,000
  • 20 guest passes
  • Discounted general admission tickets
  • Private Conservation Circle Tour for 2 or 35% off a Backstage Encounter
  • 25% discount on facility rentals
  • 2 complimentary tickets to each of the following annual events: Wine Tasting at Riverbanks Botanical Garden, Brew at the Zoo, and ZOOfari
• Conservation Circle Steward – $2,500
  • 20 free guest passes
  • Discounted general admission tickets
  • 25% discount on facility rentals
  • 2 complimentary tickets to each of the following annual events: Wine Tasting at Riverbanks Botanical Garden, Brew at the Zoo, and ZOOfari
  • Dedicated staff liaison
  • Private lunch and tour with the zoo’s CEO for up to 4 people

Some Additional Practical Thoughts, FAQs, and Info on Riverbanks Zoo Memberships

I’m going to touch on a handful of miscellaneous additional info here that might be relevant to deciding which Riverbanks Zoo membership tier is best for you here.

Can you upgrade at any time?

As I’ve mentioned several times, I realized sometime shortly before Aaliyah’s second birthday that we were going to the zoo frequently enough and doing enough additional rides and attractions to make the Explorer tier a better value than our family membership.

So, I asked if I could upgrade the membership.

The answer is yes, you can upgrade your membership at any time by paying the difference in cost of your current membership level and the one you’re upgrading to.

However, you have to pay the full difference, not a prorated amount, and your expiration date stays the same, it’s not extended.

We ultimately decided to just ride it out, especially since Aaliyah was set to start preschool and we didn’t anticipate we would get there as frequently over the 7 or so months left on our membership.

What can I use my Riverbanks Zoo membership card for?

You do need to show your Riverbanks Zoo Membership card at the entrance gates along with an ID for at least one of the adults on the account.

Beyond that, you can load cash on the card, known as “Explore More Credits” (each Explore More Credit is equal to $1).

These credits can be used to pay for rides and attractions like the carousel and feeding the giraffes (you’ll scan it when entering).

You can also use the card to make purchases at restaurants and concession stands as well as in the gift shop (you can also use normal credit or debit cards).

In addition to the main card (size of a credit card), you’ll also get a couple smaller cards you can keep on your keychain (that’s what I tend to use).

You can also add a digital membership card to an Apple Wallet.

How do I use the Riverbanks Zoo reciprocal membership discounts?

You can also use your digital membership card or a special passport you can get by request to get reciprocal discounts at other zoos.

This is actually really cool, and something I don’t feel like is made evident enough on the zoo’s website.

A Riverbanks Zoo membership gets you discounted entry to lots of other zoos around the country through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

You can check the zoo’s that participate in this program here.

It’s a bit tricky to interpret though.

You don’t get the discount that’s listed next to the other zoo you plan to visit, you get the discount listed next to your home zoo.

In Riverbanks’ case, as of this last update (check the date above), that’s 50%.

So, that means you get a 50% discount at all the other zoos listed there (some are free and you can get an additional discount at gift shops or on special activities).

The only other zoo in South Carolina that participates is the Greenville Zoo. It’s a real shame the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston doesn’t participate, in my opinion.

However, the excellent North Carolina Zoo does participate.

Speaking of that, we learned the hard way on a visit there, that to get the discount, you do have to have more than your normal Riverbanks Membership card or keychain card. That’s because it doesn’t have a name or expiration date on it.

You need to download a digital membership card which shows those things (get that here) or email or call the zoo to have them send you a travel passport.

Can I get a Riverbanks Zoo membership discount or coupon?

It’s possible some business or organizations may give special Riverbanks Zoo membership discounts, but I’m unaware of any central list or anything.

The zoo does occasionally offer Riverbanks Zoo membership coupons. These are usually not a discount per se, but include a couple free months.

For example, we got our first membership when they were running a promotion to get 2 additional months free. It was sometime in the Spring. I thought I remembered buying it in March.

I remember seeing it advertised on the zoo’s Facebook page, but I can’t seem to find it again. I can find the same promotion in May 2025, although only if I search Google, not on their Facebook page. So, maybe I’m remembering incorrectly and it was May 2024.

Maybe it doesn’t show on the main page since it was an ad, I don’t know. But, if you follow their Facebook and keep an eye out, you may see an offer for discounts or additional free months.

You can apply your regular admission cost towards a membership

This is not exactly a discount, but you can apply what you spent on general admission tickets towards a membership.

If you’re new to the area or just want to try the zoo out and see if it’s something you and/or your kids will want to visit multiple times a year, this is a good way to do a “test run” and decide if a full membership is worth it.

Can you gift a Riverbanks Zoo Membership?

Yes, you can buy a Riverbanks Zoo membership as a gift.

You can do it on the zoo’s website here or in person at a ticket booth at the zoo.

Is there are Riverbanks Zoo Season Pass?

No.

There is no season pass for a particular time of year. The zoo is open year round, so all memberships are effectively a Riverbanks Zoo annual pass.

Of course, again, most tiers pay for themselves after just 3 visits.

So, even if it’s something you’ll only take advantage of for a shorter period, like, say, summer time when kids are off of school, it can still work in your favor to just buy a membership and annual pass to Riverbanks Zoo.

Ready to Get Your Riverbanks Zoo Membership?

A membership at Columbia’s zoo really is a great value if you’ll visit 3 or more times a year.

The truth is the overall best value for you depends on your situation and how often you think you’ll go, and I hope this write up helped you decide which Riverbanks Zoo Membership tier is the best fit for you and your family.

If you have any additional tips, points to consider, or advice for others, please do share in the comments. Or, just tell me what membership level you have and why you think it’s the best fit.

Cheers and Happy Exploring!