Jungle Island, which is owned by Aventura-based ESJ Capital Partners, is undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation into a world-class eco-adventure park and events destination. A favorite South Florida landmark, Jungle Island is surrounded by water and is located on Watson Island, between Downtown Miami and South Beach, across from the cruise port. Building upon a rich tradition that began in 1936, Jungle Island proudly takes guests on an epic journey through nature, animal, discovery, and adventure. With thrilling new amenities including SuperFlight, Escape Rooms and Adventure Bay, the debut of Luminosa Festival of Lights, and renovated events spaces, the 18-acre park is Miami's iconic destination for adventures and events. From behind-the-scenes VIP tours to unforgettable interactions with some of the world’s most fascinating animals, Jungle Island offers guests a variety of real-life jungle experiences.

General admission is $44.99 per adult and $33.49 per child (3-9 years old). Jungle Island is located at 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, FL 33132 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It reopens from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for Luminosa. For more information, follow @JungleIsland on social media and visit www.jungleisland.com. #JungleIsland #AdventureIsHere 

WHAT’S NEW AT JUNGLE ISLAND + NEWSWORTHY STORIES IDEAS

Multi-Million Dollar Transformation of Jungle Island

Jungle Island is nearing the completion of the next phase of its multi-million dollar transformation from a zoological attraction into a world-class eco-adventure park and events destination. The master plan includes new attractions that connect the 18-acre park’s tropical surroundings and wildlife with journeys reminiscent of a jungle adventure. Coming soon: Jungle Island will debut an aerial adventure park and tree top village where children and adults can reach great heights as they climb from treehouse to treehouse; a themed playground; Flying Squirrel, an expansive indoor trampoline park; an action-packed Virtual Reality Barn, featuring 5 VR booths, extreme machines with 50 different games to choose from, a reactor and a 5D theater; and Joia on the Beach, an upscale waterfront dining experience. These new additions will launch late-2019/early-2020.

In 2018, Miami voters approved for Jungle Island to build a 300-room hotel on the city-owned Watson Island. Additionally, Jungle Island will be adding a manmade Crystal lagoon and lazy river. ESJ Capital Partners, Jungle Island’s ownership group, is making a significant investment to add new permanent and interactive attractions that will make Miami proud and draw visitors from around the globe.

Luminosa Festival of Lights

Guests can take a memorable journey through Jungle Island at night during Luminosa Festival of Lights. This captivating Instagram-worthy experience spans 13 of the park’s lush 18 acres and features hundreds of giant lanterns - beautifully hand-crafted out of colorful silk by the world’s top Chinese Lantern Festival creators. The festival paints a magical story of the jungle, its wildlife, birds & blooms, and Biscayne Bay, while showcasing the exciting transformation of South Florida’s popular eco-adventure attraction. A few of the visual delights include a life-sized demure cassowary and striking silk parrots, a sea of glowing jellyfish, and panoramic reinterpretations of several iconic Miami destinations. Enjoy Chinese acrobat shows, a bird show, Adventure Bay, a Moet Champagne lounge, bars and food trucks daily. On weekends, Luminosa also boasts roving entertainment and live music. You don’t want to miss this nighttime spectacle! The cost is $35 per adult, $30 per child (3-10 years old) and $99 for a family (2 adults + 2 children). In time for the holiday season and Art Basel, Luminosa is open to the public from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily from October 5, 2019 - January 8, 2020. 

VIP Tours and Celebrity Bucket List Travel Adventures

There is no need to travel to Madagascar, Australia or even South America to see some of the world’s most fascinating animals. Jungle Island has over 350 of them and gets guests up-close-and-personal to many of these exotic animals through privately-guided VIP tours. Exclusive animal encounters and VIP tours offer guests once-in-a-lifetime experiences to interact and learn about wildlife and conservation. Help feed lemurs, flamingos and a two-toed sloth. Get up-close and personal to reptiles, kangaroos and Aldabra tortoises. Sit at arm's length from "Mama Cass," the only tame cassowary on the planet, or touch the white collar of an Andean condor and much more. Numerous celebrities including Beyonce, Jay-Z, Shakira, Eva Mendes, Ryan Gosling, and Salma Hayek flock to Jungle Island for these once-in-a-lifetime “bucket list” experiences. These are just some of the many experiences available at Jungle Island. VIP tours range from $299 to $499 per person, while individual animal encounters start at $35.33 per person. Certain age restrictions apply.

Nearly 85-Year History At Jungle Island

Jungle Island is proud of its nearly 85-year history that started with its former location in Pinecrest Gardens. Did you know that Sir Winston Churchill visited the park and was given a VIP tour in 1946? Or how about that Jungle Island was home to Pinky, the bicycle riding cockatoo, as well as flamingoes who were made famous in the opening credits of the hit 80s television series, Miami Vice? Hank the Crocosaurus, who measured a whopping 20-feet, was a popular attraction, too. Jungle Island is home to over 350 rare and exotic animals and is continuing its legacy through a grand reinvention of the park.

Overnight Expeditions in the Jungle

It’s a different park after dark! Where else can you walk through the Everglades, visit an Albino alligator and see a lemur all in one night? Jungle Island’s unique slumber program includes a kid-friendly dinner party, flashlight hike to observe animal behaviors during the night, an art project, hands-on animal interactions, a Jungle Island T-Shirt, a group photo, breakfast and admission to the park the following day.

Beloved Orangutan Underwent Chemotherapy

Peanut is one half of beloved 11-year-old twin orangutans at Jungle Island. In 2012, Linda Jacobs, a Jungle Island employee referred as the attraction’s “orangutan mama,” noticed that instead of Peanut turning somersaults and blowing raspberries, she was more listless. Doctors diagnosed Peanut with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Peanut was the first orangutan to undergo chemotherapy, aided by veterinarians and “human doctors” from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Andean Condor Attracts Royalty

Royalty from around the world including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Japan and Spain have visited Jungle Island just to touch the white collar of the park’s rare Andean condor. Legend has it that the collar of this spectacular bird will bring infinite good fortune and health. The Andean Condor is the largest flying bird in the Western Hemisphere. Guests can meet “Senor Jefe” via a VIP animal tour or by attending the park’s popular bird show.

Soar like a Bird with SuperFlight

Adding to Jungle Island's newest adventure attractions is one that'll knock guests right off their feet - literally. SuperFlight is a wind tunnel powered free-flight experience that sends guests soaring at the heart of the Miami skyline. First, guests participate in a personalized, formal training by Jungle Island's very own flight academy. Then, they'll soar their wings up in the air with the help of trained instructors. SuperFlight has also attracted celebrity interests, including those with a passion for adventure such as professional dancer, Casper Smart (Jennifer Lopez’s former love interest) and actor/singer Zachary Levi. Flights start at $59.95 per person.

Break Free at Jungle Island’s Escape Rooms

Jungle Island recently debuted the Asylum and Cabin Escape Rooms, adding to its continuous rollout of interactive and family-friendly adventures. The escape rooms have been designed to provide children and adults with authentic experiences that integrate Jungle Island’s natural environment. In the Asylum, groups take a mental journey through riddles and puzzles set in an insane asylum. Escape with enough time to spare or stay locked up until becoming insane. This 30-minute nerve-wracking excursion will infuriate and at the same time challenge players to their core. Are you more of a detective type? Then opt for the Cabin Escape room, where along with a group of detectives, guests are tasked to find and capture the mastermind criminal known as the Joker before a fictitious time bomb goes off.  Recommended participants in groups of 4 or more. Escape Rooms are $59.99 per person or opt to do both for $69.99. Includes park admission.

Adventure Bay at Jungle Island

South Florida’s iconic attraction is proud to debut Adventure Bay, the attraction’s heart-pumping, action-packed adventure playground designed for all skill levels. With Biscayne Bay to serve as a picturesque background, guests can zip line at warp speeds above a tropical oasis, test their strength and physical endurance on a rock climbing wall, spider climb an aerial ropes course and air jump on a giant trampoline. The pop-up attraction is a teaser for the new, permanent eco-adventures coming soon to Jungle Island. Included in park admission.

Date Night at Jungle Island

For the first time since its inception, the popular eco-attraction now opens its doors to night owls, inviting locals and visitors alike to experience daytime thrills, as well as the nighttime magnetism in a city that never sleeps. Jungle Island introduces Jungle @ Night, never-before-seen evening programming, including Luminosa Festival of Lights, dinner with entertainment amidst a lush setting, parties under the stars, and concerts in the newly renovated Jungle Plaza. The affairs are ideal for guests who are looking for a romantic and intimate setting for a date night or to party in the jungle.

Eco-Friendly Jungle Adventures  

Considering the environment, and building around it, is part of Jungle Island’s core mission. At Jungle Island, visitors have the opportunity to traipse along wooden boardwalks and trails under a canopy of trees in the Everglades Habitat. From an over 100-year-old banyan tree, to Chilean pink flamingos and white ibises, discover native flora and fauna prevalent in this unique environment, which also serves as the natural bio-filtration system for the park. Additionally, Jungle Island will boast cutting-edge, environmentally-friendly, energy-savings solutions, including solar flowerswind turbines, LED lighting and HVAC equipment/technology.

Jungle Island is Not Just for Kiddos!

Although Jungle Island serves as the quintessential playground for family and children, the eco-attraction does not limit its adventure to just kiddos. Adult guests can participate in a number of team building activities, sample local beers by Wynwood’s Concrete Brewery, and break free in two Escape Rooms. For those who are truly adventurous, there’s the SuperFlight, Miami’s only wind tunnel skydiving simulator at Jungle Island.

Not Your Average Nachos

At Jungle Island, guests don’t have to fret over corn dogs and elephant ears being the sole edible options. The attraction recently elevated its food concept with the new pop-up, Flamingo Kitchen. Flamingo Kitchen offers tasty bowls, wraps, sandwiches, pizza and salads that go beyond typical theme park nachos and are served on bamboo plates with flatware that are 100% compostable. Visitors can select from favorites such as the Flamingo BowlDogtown USA - a 100% Kosher all beef hotdog served on a pretzel bun and topped with sauerkraut, sautéed onions and applewood bacon with side of fries; and El Dorado lemon-lime mahi-mahi fish sandwich topped with caramelized onion, honey Dijon sauce, lettuce, vine ripe tomatoes and purple onions on a golden bun. The experience can be topped off with a refreshing beverage or a craft beer by Wynwood’s Concrete Beach Brewery.

Where Everyone Meets for Top Events in the Magic City

From black-tie affairs, business meetings, weddings to showers, bar mitzvahs and quinceañeras, Jungle Island’s expert catering team creates personalized event solutions that exceed meeting and event planner’s needs. Jungle Island boasts over 200,000 square feet of newly renovated outdoor and indoor event space including the signature Bloom Ballroom. Event spaces provide a spectacular setting for functions of any size. With a renowned culinary team led by Executive Chef Mark Borowski, Jungle Island caters to even the most discerning palates.

Teacher Resources and Tours

Jungle Island provides valuable resources for teachers to bring educational tools back to their classroom so in turn students can learn about the importance of wildlife and conversation. Additionally, the park invites teacher for a pre-visit walking tour to help them plan an educational day and fieldtrip at Jungle Island. Throughout the year, Jungle Island also expresses its appreciation for educators by offering all Miami-Dade County teachers a free annual pass.

Media contact: For press materials, high-resolution photos and/or b-roll, please contact Rachel Pinzur at 305-725-2875 or Rachel@PinzurPR.com.