Case Study: st augustine alligator farm
Note: Visit occurred in April 2022.
The city of St. Augustine, Florida is commonly asserted to be the oldest city in the United States, and although the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, opened in 1895, can’t claim to be the oldest zoo in the United States, its still got a long and storied history. Perhaps most interesting is that it never actually functioned as a farm at all! And this misnomer, created by the original owner, is the central issue related to its success.
Historic St. Augustine is a busy tourist destination with its gorgeous Spanish colonial architecture and location right on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a small town with a full-time population under 15,000. St. Augustine Alligator Farm, however, enjoys an annual attendance over 250,000! This disparity illustrates the massive dependence of the zoo on tourism.
The AZA-accredited zoo is, as the name implies, focused on crocodilians. They hold the honor of being the only zoo in the world to care for every species of crocodilian known to man. In addition to the alligators, crocodiles, gharials, caimans and smattering of other reptiles and primates, the zoo is also a showcase for native Floridian birds, especially during nesting season in spring and early summer. Hundreds of roseate spoonbills, night and tri-color herons, little and snowy egrets, and others flock to St. Augustine Alligator Farm to nest in the large live oaks shading the massive, naturalistic alligator habitats. These birds draw birders from all across the U.S., hoping to capture the perfect photograph from the park’s elevated boardwalks.
The nine-acre zoo is beautiful. It’s all old-growth live oaks, dripping in Spanish moss. Its pathways and exhibits tucked amongst the trees. Its softly themed architecture uses graphics and props more so than expensive rockwork and ornate buildings. It’s a walk through old Florida—just as you might expect from a zoo in St. Augustine.
From the outside, the entry building through which all visitors must enter, hugs the busy street, leaving scant room for landscape--or an entry experience of any kind. I found it difficult to get that iconic photo in front of an entry sign, using instead the sign on the edge of the (likely) undersized parking lot. The entry building itself reflects the local architectural style—historic Spanish colonial, but this exterior design is not carried forth on the interior of the building nor inside the zoo at all. So, while the entry building may be an homage to the city of St. Augustine, it is unfortunately not a reflection of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm visitor experience once inside the gate.
One of the greatest attributes the Farm has is its preponderance of demonstrations, shows, and keeper chats. The guest experience exploring the habitats alone probably wouldn’t last more than an hour, but with demonstrations occurring every hour, guests are encouraged to stay longer, and grab a snack at the centrally located snack stand (which serves beer!). The demonstrations are simple—feeding the gators oversized rats or chicken, but are awesome in magnitude: seeing the reptiles motivated to move and jump is incredible. Watching them swim from the furthest parts of the habitat to the central demo zone, gathering en masse for the chance to grab a snack, was simply unreal.
As for the name…while “Alligator Farm” certainly brings to mind images of a roadside zoo unworthy of your or my time, where animals are raised in crowded tubs and shallow dirty pools to ultimately be butchered for a novel meal for a tourist, the zoo’s enduring success indicates a nostalgic association with the name. Multi-generational tourist groups bringing their kids and grandkids to the place that captured their imaginations as children. Obviously, this association and the respect the community feels for this institution provides word of mouth recommendations to overcome any hesitation first-timers may have. And given the small site and limited parking of the zoo today, perhaps that’s just fine. However, if growth is a goal with ultimate expansion in mind, a consideration should be given to a name change and a redesign of the entry and exit to further improve perceptions and first impressions—both incredibly important for a zoo reliant on tourism.
