Florida’s Forgotten Roadside Menagerie

The Florida Wild Animal Ranch once stood at the corner of 4th Street North and 48th Avenue North in St. Petersburg, a classic Old Florida roadside attraction that drew visitors from 1938 to 1959. Operated by Abe and Joan Register, the seven-acre property offered a mix of spectacle and curiosity during Florida’s mid-century tourism boom.

Guests could wander past an Indian elephant, a giraffe, an 800-pound Russian brown bear, chimpanzees, zebras, a Florida panther, a giant anteater, and oversized alligators. The ranch was also known for its colorful staff, which included carnies, alligator wrestlers, and even three cast members from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. To capitalize on steady tourist traffic, workers crafted and sold alligator leather handbags, wallets, and belts on site.

The attraction closed in 1959 when St. Petersburg widened 4th Street, cutting into the front of the property just as tourism patterns began shifting westward. Although the owners proposed selling the land for a city park, the idea was never adopted. The concept later influenced development at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, and by 1961 the ranch property was sold. Today, a condominium complex occupies the former site.