Riverbanks Zoo’s newest exhibit set to open with scales, tails — and a coral reef. Here’s when

A major attraction at Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is getting ready to open its doors.

The Darnall and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center at Riverbanks will open March 2. Made possible by support from The Boyd Foundation, the multimillion-dollar project will “transform the heart of the Zoo into a state-of-the-art animal care facility — providing guests with an engaging experience that places Riverbanks’ critical role in wildlife conservation at the front and center,” according to a Thursday news release.

Susan F. Boyd, of The Boyd Foundation, said the conservation center will be a multi-faceted facility.

“It is a deep honor to support Riverbanks Zoo and Garden and their mission of conservation and education,” she said in a statement. “The new Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center will transport visitors through a variety of habitats, show the impact of conservation efforts, and encourage simple actions to protect our ecosystems and wildlife. It’s important for us to understand our critical roles in conservation and how we can all do our part.”

The zoo’s previous reptile center and aquarium was closed to the public in 2021 to make way for the extensive renovations to transform it into the new conservation center. The overhauled facility, which has been in the works for four years from planning to completion, will be open during regular zoo hours and is included with general admission tickets and membership passes.

At the conservation center, visitors will be able to “explore temperate and tropical forests, trek through the desert and wind their way from land to sea in an immersive journey with new discoveries around every turn,” a release said.

The Darnall and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center will include new conservation labs that will allow visitors to see work that was previously only available in behind-the-scenes tours. That includes coral lab where guests will be able to see Riverbanks’ role in protecting coral reefs. There also will be a terrestrial lab where guests can view endangered reptiles and amphibians from across the world.

There will be a new desert biome which will feature, among other things, tortoises, rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, thick-billed parrots and burrowing owls.

The center will also include areas that offer floor-to-ceiling views of alligator snapping turtles, green anacondas and much more. A release also noted guests will be able to meet “a giant Pacific octopus named Susan, in honor of Mrs. Boyd and her favorite animal.”

“The new Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center is a major step toward achieving our mission to create meaningful connections, inspire action, and ultimately, make a lasting impact on conservation, not only in South Carolina but across the globe,” Riverbanks CEO Tommy Stringfellow said in a statement.

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Boyd Foundation, we are making significant strides in phase one of our vision for the future, Bridge to the Wild, which will fundamentally change the way guests experience wildlife and connect with nature at Riverbanks.”

Other projects in the first phase of the Bridge to the Wild effort to upgrade the zoo have included a new white rhino exhibit that opened in 2020 and major improvements to aging infrastructure. Additional animal habitats will be announced later this year, the zoo said in a release.