Rolling Atlas

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Checked on Nov 2, 2026

Provisional guide: entry isn't verified yet. We'll update this guide as we confirm more.

At Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, "All exhibits, restrooms, trams, restaurants and gift shops are wheelchair accessible," and the zoo welcomes "wheelchairs (manual and electric powered), electric scooters (3 and 4 wheel models) and manually powered mobility aids … into all public areas of the park" (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official], checked Nov 2, 2026).

Call to confirm before you go: call Riverbanks at 803.779.8717 (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official], checked Nov 2, 2026). Ask whether a power chair wider than 29 inches that can't fold can ride the Saluda Skyride, and whether the tram is still running.

Our ratings see details

  • Overall4.5 of 5 (entry not yet confirmed)
  • EntryNot verified
  • Paths5 of 5
  • Restrooms5 of 5
  • Parking5 of 5
  • Staff & info3 of 5
At a glance:
  • Accessible parking
  • Accessible restrooms
  • Paved paths
  • Heads-up: Skyride and wide chairs
  • Heads-up: upper Woodlands Walk

Plan your visit

  • Parking: "Handicapped parking spaces are available in the Zoo's visitor parking lot and the Garden's visitor parking lot. Official state handicapped parking permit is required" (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official], checked Nov 2, 2026).
  • Getting to the Garden: "Guests can also access the Garden by parking at the Botanical Garden lot, located at 1300 Botanical Parkway… or by walking the paved River Trail from the Zoo" (same page).
  • Rentals: "wheelchairs and strollers are available for rent at the Riverbanks Gift Shop in the Zoo's main entry plaza and at the Garden ticket booth. All rentals are first-come, first-served based on availability. No advance reservations are accepted." "Wheelchair (manual) — $10.00 plus tax"; "Electric Mobility Scooter (limited qty) — $35.00 plus tax" (same page).
  • Mobility devices: Riverbanks "does not allow Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices" (same page).

Worth your time

Checked Nov 2, 2026.

Accessibility and ratings

See how we rate

Heads-up: Skyride and wide chairs. "Strollers and wheelchairs wider than 29 inches will need to be folded before boarding." "Cabins may briefly pause to allow safe boarding for strollers or wheelchairs" (Riverbanks Saluda Skyride, [Official], checked Nov 2, 2026). Riverbanks' Aug 2025 release says "every cabin easily accommodates wheelchairs and strollers" (Riverbanks release, Aug 29, 2025, [Official]). Whether a power chair wider than 29 inches, which can't fold, can board isn't stated, so call first. The Garden lot and the paved River Trail are the alternatives.

Heads-up: upper Woodlands Walk. "the upper portion of the Woodlands Walk nature trail is not" wheelchair accessible (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official], checked Nov 2, 2026). It's an optional trail.

Heads-up: seated sightlines. A Mar 2025 visitor wrote: "It was hard for my son to see some things sitting in a wheelchair and he couldn't climb on the ropes" (TripAdvisor review, Mar 23, 2025, [Secondary]). An Oct 2023 review called the garden hill steep ("Take the tram up! It's steep!") (TripAdvisor review, Oct 24, 2023, [Secondary]); that was before the Skyride opened.

What we found

From official sources

From visitors

Details not published

  • The main entrance itself.
  • Skyride boarding for power chairs wider than 29 inches that can't fold, and current tram service.

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Category Rating
Overall 4.5 of 5 · Very accessible (entry not yet confirmed)
Average of the 4 rated categories (4.5).
Entry & Arrival Not verified
The entrance isn't described.
Getting Around / Paths 5 of 5 · Venue states accessible
Facility-published info states it is accessible; we have not personally verified this. "All exhibits, restrooms, trams, restaurants and gift shops are wheelchair accessible" (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official]). The upper Woodlands Walk is an optional trail (Heads-up). Review check Oct 16, 2026 (TripAdvisor, 60 reviews checked): no contradiction.
Restrooms 5 of 5 · Venue states accessible
Facility-published info states it is accessible; we have not personally verified this. Restrooms are named in the venue's "wheelchair accessible" list (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official]). Review check Oct 16, 2026 (TripAdvisor, 60 reviews checked): no contradiction. No information we found contradicts accessibility.
Parking & Drop-off 5 of 5 · Venue states accessible
Facility-published info states it is accessible; we have not personally verified this. "Handicapped parking spaces are available in the Zoo's visitor parking lot and the Garden's visitor parking lot" (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official]). Review check Oct 16, 2026 (TripAdvisor, 60 reviews checked): no contradiction.
Staff & Info 3 of 5 · Partly accessible
Why: Access contact listed (803.779.8717), but wheelchairs are rented for a fee (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official]).
The Accessibility section says "For additional information prior to your visit, please call 803.779.8717" (Riverbanks guest relations, [Official]). "Wheelchair (manual) — $10.00 plus tax"; "Electric Mobility Scooter (limited qty) — $35.00 plus tax"; "No advance reservations are accepted" (same page). Not personally verified.

Paths, Restrooms and Parking score 5: the zoo says its exhibits, restrooms and trams are wheelchair accessible, and there's accessible parking at both lots. The upper Woodlands Walk is an optional trail, so it's a Heads-up. Staff & Info is 3: the zoo lists an access phone, 803.779.8717, but wheelchairs and scooters are rented for a fee. Entry isn't rated. Overall is 4.5.

Ratings tagged "not personally verified" rest on information the venue published or on trusted firsthand reports; we have not personally verified them.

Checked on Nov 2, 2026. Sources: Riverbanks guest relations (official), Riverbanks Saluda Skyride (official), Riverbanks release, Aug 29, 2025 (official); TripAdvisor review, Mar 15, 2026, TripAdvisor review, Mar 23, 2025 and TripAdvisor review, Oct 24, 2023 (secondary); review check Oct 16, 2026, TripAdvisor (secondary)