Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden is home to more than 3,000 animals including endangered species, as well as a 170-acre botanical garden filled with woodlands, gardens, historic ruins, and plant collections. The animals are housed in natural habitat exhibits that use psychological barriers such as moats, water, and light to create an environment free of bars and cages for animals. The zoo features an array of animal exhibits and special feedings for visitors, while the botanical garden provides visitors with an opportunity to experience both native and exotic plant exhibits.

Located at 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, South Carolina, USA, the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden is the state's largest attraction averaging 1,000,000 visitors each year. The Zoo and Garden is winner of the 2002 Governor's Cup for Most Outstanding Tourist Attraction in South Carolina by its ability to entertain as well as educate its visitors.

Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden's major exhibits are its African Plains, Aquarium Reptile Complex, Ndoki Forest, and Riverbanks Farm. The Zoo is an wide collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Recent additions to the Zoo include exhibits for African elephants, gorillas and koalas. The botanical garden houses more than 4,200 species of native and exotic plants. Visitors can follow a trail system to explore several kilometers of bottomland and upland mixed hardwood forests to observe and enjoy the myriad of native wildlife that call the Zoo and Garden home.