Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is celebrating its golden anniversary with golden tickets throughout the Midlands, and one lucky COLAtoday reader will be the recipient. What’s the ticket good for? You’ll have to scratch it to find out.

Before we get into the details of how you can win the Golden Ticket, let’s take a quick look at the zoo through the years.

Zoo director John Mertans examining plans in 1970. | Photo via Richland Library Digital Archive

Past

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, one of the most successful mid-sized zoos in the country, attracts over one million visitors each year and is supported by more than 45,000 member households. The idea began in the early 1960s with a group of local businessmen proposing a children's zoo. The South Carolina General Assembly established the Rich-Lex Riverbanks Park Special Purpose District in 1969, leading to the zoo's opening on April 25, 1974.

The renovations were made possible through support from The Boyd Foundation, transforming it into a state-of-the-art animal care facility. | Photo provided by Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

Present

Today, Riverbanks continues to innovate. The new Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center offers an immersive experience. Guests can explore temperate and tropical forests, trek through the desert, and wind their way from land to sea.

Rendering of a new restaurant that would overlook the orangutan exhibit + the Saluda River | Photo provided by Riverbanks Zoo

Future

Riverbanks Zoo is expanding its Bridge to the Wild project into Phase 2. Phase 1, initiated in 2019, brought infrastructure improvements and the new Boyd Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center. Phase 2 plans include:

River development and a new restaurant overlooking the Saluda River
A new orangutan exhibit
A new South Carolina nature and history preserve
Aerial trams and new walkways
Habitats for black bears, red wolves, and bald eagles

The golden ticket

Here's your chance to win by taking our Golden Ticket Giveaway quiz. Answer these three questions correctly and we'll choose a random winner for the golden ticket that could include anything from family four-packs of general admission tickets to behind-the-scenes tours + rare opportunities — think: creating enrichment activities for meerkats.