Gatorland
Gatorland is a 110-acre (45 ha) theme park and wildlife preserve in Florida, located along South Orange Blossom Trail south of Orlando. The town it belongs to is Southchase. 1949 is when its story starts.
A theme park inside Southchase
Summers are hot
June, July and August highs run 91–92°, and about 110 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Hunters Creek is the nearest base
Hunters Creek is 2 miles west, with 11 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, April, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 72–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 8 miles away
Orlando (MCO) has airline service, about 8 miles from Gatorland.
Established in 1949
Gatorland dates from 1949. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Highs and lows by month
Plan a visit to Gatorland around the weather below.
Gatorland
Gatorland is a 110-acre (45 ha) theme park and wildlife preserve in Florida, located along South Orange Blossom Trail south of Orlando. It was founded in 1949 by Owen Godwin on former cattle land, and is privately owned by his family. Though the address is given as being in Orlando, the actual location is in Southchase.
Billed as the "Alligator Capital of the World," Gatorland features thousands of alligators (including rare leucistic alligators) and crocodiles, and many other animals. Attractions in the park include a breeding marsh with a boardwalk and observation tower, zip lines, an off-road swamp vehicle tour, a ridable miniature railroad, alligator feeding shows, alligator wrestling shows, an aviary, a petting zoo, and educational programs. The breeding marsh area of the park was used in the filming of the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
- Type
- Theme park
- Established
- 1949
- Wikipedia readers
- 23K a year
Nights near Gatorland
The nearest towns with places to stay are Orlando (213) and Lake Buena Vista (142).
- 1Walt Disney World
- 2Universal Epic Universe
- 3Universal Studios Florida
- 4Universal's Islands of Adventure
- 5SeaWorld Orlando
- 6Camping World Stadium
- 7Kia Center
- 8Inter&Co Stadium
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Gatorland | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southchase | in town | — | 1 1 hotel | 13,981 | $389K | — |
| Orlando | 10 mi northeast | 15 min | 213 194 hotels · 5 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 333,888 | $394K | — |
| Lake Buena Vista 31% vacation homes | 7 mi west | 10 min | 142 139 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B | 25 | $163K | — |
| Williamsburg | 4 mi northwest | 5 min | 75 74 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 9,063 | $328K | — |
| Kissimmee | 4 mi south | 5 min | 52 36 hotels · 13 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 85,591 | $304K | C− |
| Four Corners 26% vacation homes | 15 mi west | 20 min | 173 157 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 6 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 65,048 | $352K | — |
| Celebration | 10 mi west | 15 min | 69 62 hotels · 3 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 13,667 | $635K | — |
| Bay Lake 72% vacation homes | 11 mi west | 15 min | 80 68 hotels · 5 lodges & cabins · 7 campgrounds | 19 | $106K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
After Gatorland
You can reach each of these within 13 miles.
Big draw19 mi Theme parkWalt Disney World Resort
Big draw27 mi Theme parkUniversal Epic Universe
Big draw39 mi Theme parkUniversal Studios Florida9.5M visitors a year
Big draw49 mi Theme parkUniversal's Islands of Adventure9.5M visitors a year
55 mi Theme parkSeaWorld Orlando4.3M visitors a year
Big draw613 mi Stadium & arenaCamping World Stadium
713 mi Stadium & arenaKia Center
813 mi Stadium & arenaInter&Co StadiumPhoto credits
Walt Disney World Resort: Anthony Quintano from Westminster, United States, CC BY 2.0 · Universal Epic Universe: Martin Lewison, CC BY 2.0 · Universal Studios Florida: Radiobroadcastcenter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Universal's Islands of Adventure: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 2.5 · SeaWorld Orlando: SeaWorld, CC BY 2.0 · Camping World Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Kia Center: 350z33 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Inter&Co Stadium: Porsche997SBS, CC BY-SA 4.0
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A visit to Gatorland: questions
Is Gatorland in Southchase?
Yes. It’s inside Southchase, FL.
When is the best time to visit Gatorland?
January, February, March, April, November and December, with highs of 72–83°.
How far is Gatorland from Tampa?
About 70 miles west of Tampa, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Gatorland?
Orlando (MCO), about 8 miles away.
Where should I stay near Gatorland?
Orlando (10 mi, 213 places to stay), Lake Buena Vista (7 mi, 142 places to stay) and Williamsburg (4 mi, 75 places to stay).
From people who live in Southchase
People in Southchase have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.