Theme & Amusement Parks in Sanford

Overseeing 500 acres that encompass hills, swamp, and forest, the adventure enthusiasts at Bearclaw Ranch present visitors with their multiactivity playground for outdoorsmen. Two-seat off-road go-karts let guests romp through the Central Florida wilds while helmets, shoulder-harness seatbelts, and heavy-duty roll cages enhance drivers' safety. For a piece of the action while on two feet, Bearclaw's hunting grounds abut protected lands along the St. Johns River and give trophy hunters a chance to stalk game such as osceola turkey and dove. The hunting staff maintains year-round food plots to supplement the diet of the area's deer, often resulting in large bucks that reach eight points and above and who are often recruited into the NBA. After exhausting the grounds' go-kart trails and hunting grounds, a visit to the ranch yields views of horses and 60 acres of pasture, where land can be rented for outdoor parties.

Dade City's Wild Things puts visitors within 3 feet of most of its menagerie, which includes more than 200 animals on exhibit. Botanical gardens blanket the zoo's 22-acre expanse, providing a scenic backdrop for creatures such as a tiger, lion, lemur, bear, and baboon. Separated from most animals by a few feet, a chain-link fence, and the ability to knit socks out of their own fur, opposable-thumbed guests can explore the animal offerings by walking tour or tram ride. Dade City's Wild Things further upholds its aim to connect people with animals by offering opportunities for close cross-species interaction, such as feeding buffalo in grazing fields on the Jungle Safari Ride, swimming with a tiger, or reserving an animal encounter, which provides a chance for visitors to interact one-on-one with a choice of critters including a zebra foal, gator hatchling, and African pygmy-goat kid.