Reviews of Santa Barbara Zoo (Zoo)

500 Ninos Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, United States

Average Rating:

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We have the reviews of real people like you who bought the services and products of Santa Barbara Zoo (Zoo) in the state of California.

At the present this firm has a score of 4.6 stars out of 5 and the rating is based on 3221 reviews.

As you can read, it has an average rating is basically the highest, and it's founded on a very large number of feddbacks, so we can think that the assessment is quite accurate. If many people have bothered to rate when they are pleased with the business, is that it works.

You know that we don't usually stop to put tatings when these are good and we usually do it only if we've had a problem or incidence...

This Zoo belongs to the category of Zoo.

Where is Santa Barbara Zoo?

REVIEWS OF Santa Barbara Zoo IN California

Meghan Cooney

This zoo is so beautiful!! Lots of fun animals in well-made exhibits. Easy to navigate. Especially great for kids/families because they have a lot of activities for them. Will be back!

Brian Bogle

Gorgeous setting! One of prettiest zoos in North America. Recommend the giraffe feeding every few hours... you get up close to the tallest animal in the world! My favorite animals were the fennec foxes and channel island foxes. So -- darn -- cute. If you can find street parking you can avoid the $7 parking lot. I love this zoo!

Vince G

I Enjoy Bringing My Family Here.

Everett Candelas

Not a very big zoo. Not sure if it was worth the price of admission. Not much to see or do there. The area is nice and would be nice for a wedding or company function.

Aneta Brzezicka

Smal but beautiful zoo. My 6 years old son loved it

Mike Martinez

Nice place where kids and adults can have fun.

Allison Douglas

Really interesting place, we went at night and we only show one part of the old zoo but it was really cool. We hiking up the whole Mountain all the way to the top and it was really beautiful.

maya harris

We went for a girl scout overnight, and had a great time! Thank you for a fun, educational weekend!

Pamela Pritchard

Lots of interactive activities. An awesome place for children and adults!

Rosanna Herrera

I've been going to this zoo since I was a kid and love taking my kids now. It's not to big of a zoo my girls always leave happy. I love that it's so close to the beach. They always seem to have something going on that the little ones enjoy, like feeding the giraffes or riding the little train. Great place to have a picnic too.

G.W. Barker

This is a pretty zoo. In NC we have the world's largest natural habitat zoo. But this may have the best background views. Staff is friendly. Views are wonderful. The grounds are easy to walk around.

Barbara Jacquemin

Decided to come with our 3 year old grand daughters on a Saturday around 11am. It was very busy. Admission for each adult was $18.00 and each child was $11.00. So, this was an expensive outing while visiting Santa Barbara. We had our picture taken and they wanted $25.00 for one photo. I did not buy it. The girls got hungry and we couldn't find a place to eat other than back at the entrance due to special events going on. This definitely impacted the length of time we spent here. We all enjoyed the Masai Mara giraffes, the lion, gorillas, meerkats, flamingos, snakes, and elephant. The playground hill was a big hit. Would definitely like to come back.

Gloria Puentes Dominguez

We go down to Ventura every 6 months when we are able to get to the zoo we go. It is a great place for kids of all ages.

Billy Roth

Gorgeous gardens, beautiful landscape, a lot of interesting things to see and do. That said, it was a frustrating visit. Animal viewing is really poor, they are not a modern zoo design at all. Animals are often set back behind scratched up glass where there is a lot of glare or just down in a gulley a long ways from the path with a lot of objects occluding view. Nothing like the open natural looking enclosures seen at places like the Bronx Zoo. You say well you can't compare like that it's not fair, no it really isn't, except that the nearby Fresno Zoo in the central valley literally blows it away. Yes there are some unique animals here, many of which were not available to see when I was there. They have some renowned breeding programs, but that doesn't change the fact that you should not travel from a long ways just to see this zoo, it will disappoint, especially for kids. There is a cute looking train that goes around the zoo on a very scenic looking tour, but this is already an expensive Zoo to visit compared to any other Zoo of this size, and the train cost like 7$ extra per person for a ride, just silly. One bright spot for me is that there were gluten free food options everywhere in the park. I did not eat there because we planned to eat lunch in town first in case there were no options but if I had known how convenient they make it with gluten free options at literally every shop I might have checked it out. As I did not eat there I can't truly recommend the quality or lack of cross contamination to the food, but it did seem that they were genuinely set up for it.

jovanj magana

Place is great wish they were able to add more animals but understandable

Aynia Blue

Wonderful zoo. Had so much fun. It was spread out, had events for children and places to rest along the walk. Loved it!

Meghan Cooney

This zoo is so beautiful!! Lots of fun animals in well-made exhibits. Easy to navigate. Especially great for kids/families because they have a lot of activities for them. Will be back!

Toshi Tajima

I hadn't been to this zoo since I was a child and I'm now 43! I went with my sisters and their little ones. Great zoo tucked away in Santa Barbara!

Nic Filz

Real nice zoo! I was pleasantly suprised. Great activities for kids. Easy to spend a whole day meandering around the exhibits.

Eduardo Pedreño

Nice little zoo with plenty of animals and activities for the kids

Neal Breton

A fun place to spend a morning or afternoon, especially if you have a kid. Not exactly easy to find, maybe I'm used to living in places where Zoo Drive takes you right to the zoo. Off the beaten path or not, the prices are reasonable and it's not too daunting to walk the grounds.

Illiana Perez

When me and my family went there weren't many animals and it was very dissapointing becuase the Santa Barbra Zoo was one of the first Zoos I ever went to and to see some of the animals have passed or were just hiding was sad. But the animals that were there and that were awake were good. Some of the animals looked like they didn't like to be caged up and that was really sad!

Gustavo Varela

I have been to LA zoo and this zoo is smaller but what it lacks in size makes up in quality care of the animals and the great experience. On vacation and we went to check this place out. They have walk in cages that you can experience the wild life ducks and birds. Exotic birds. The animals look healthy well attended. Had an amazing time feeding the farm animals and watching the gorillas and the penguins gave us a show. It was like happy feet lol. They started singing and one had a screeching voice. It was funny. I am amazed how good this zoo is. It has a train ride but I got to admit brakes sound sketchy. They need maintenance on it. They have average shows, nothing exciting but the zoo animals are great. I would come to this zoo anyday of the week before I ever go to LA zoo ever again.

Derrick Moreno

Love the SB Zoo. Always enjoy our visits

Orion French

I love this place. Great weather, lovely layout, cool exhibits. Where else can you let your kids run around, not broil in the hot sun, make googly eyes with a gorilla, ride a train and feed a giraffe all in one convenient place! If …

Brian Bogle

Gorgeous setting! One of prettiest zoos in North America. Recommend the giraffe feeding every few hours... you get up close to the tallest animal in the world! My favorite animals were the fennec foxes and channel island foxes. So -- darn -- cute. If you can find street parking you can avoid the $7 parking lot. I love this zoo!

Meaghan Pattani

Good diversity of animals and activities for a smaller zoo. Easy to see everything in a short amount of time, and great for young children.

Betania Locatti

Highly recommend zoo to spend time with family and friends!

Tim Stirdahl

Took my granddaughter she's 3 and she has never smiled and laughed so much. We had a great time, highly recommended it.

flyingbear Hong

A very zoo, can see animals very clearly, lots of greens, lots of seatings. awesome.

Doug Thomas

Beautiful site with bluff top ocean views. The animals are exquisite, and seem to be kept in large, natural looking enclosures. For a zoo, this is pretty great. But it is still a prison for animals, and that is depressing. Also, unless you purchase an annual membership and go regularly, it's pretty pricey.

Erin Tiffany Shanahan

This is a beautiful small zoo. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I'm from san Francisco and the zoo there was sad and depressing because the animals did not look happy at all. The animals at this zoo looked happy and are thriving. I highly recommend this zoo.

Misty C Sullivan

Animals where beautiful and we learned about different animals also.

Lilach Yaary

We liked it, but missing lots of Animals!

Amanda Mogab

We love this zoo. We always feed the giraffes and take train rides. And they always have fun things going on for kids.

Denise Garges

Beautiful animals but would of love to of seen bears, zebras n rhinos. Glass needs to be cleaner so the animals can be seen better for all exhibits.

Ella Rosenbaum

It is a really fun place for kids. It is also very fun for grown ups. When we got lunch the lunch was so good. They had good service!

steve perez

Love this zoo. The layout is beautiful. Very shaded for summer lots of animals. Kids play area, not over crowded. Train ride was nice. Highly recommend. Get the season pass not expensive for a family of four.

Ingrid Dettman

Having been raised in SB, this is a staple for visits with family. Last visit was disappointed at the pricing. I get that it takes a fair amount of dollars to keep the zoo functional. But $4.00 for a 1oz cup of goat food, $5.00 for 5 minutes of the bounce house, $7.00 x3($21.00) to ride the train. Plus the $20.00+ (for 3) admission, plus $10.00 to park. It's not that we couldn't afford it, we paid. But it certainly wasn't my best memory of what used to be a favorite place in SB.

Kimberly Umana

Parking is $11. Tickets start at $18 but Groupon has 2 adult tickets for $27. Train ride gives you a tour of the whole park. Adult ticket starts at $7. Kids 2+ cost $6.50. Can't see most animals on the train but it's a fun ride for the kids. Open from 10-5 pm. It takes about 3 hours to get through the whole park.

Ashley Crawford

Santa Barbara Zoo is a great zoo! I feel like the exhibits are larger than some of the bigger zoos in California. Our favorite is Chadwick, the geriatric lion. The gorillas, giraffes, and the elephant are all wonderful! There is a large assortment of birds and other animals. You can tell they take great care of the animals, giving them puzzles and changing up their environment for enrichment, so important. Great day trip! Highly recommend!

Antonio Perez

FOR THE GIRAFFE FEEDING THEY CHARGED MY CARD 4 TIMES AND THEY LADY WAS VERY COOL SAID OUR ERROR YOU WILL GET A REFUND IN THE FRONT CALLED IT IN BY RADIO AND EVERYONE AGREED THAT WAS A MISTAKE BY THE EMPLOYEE!!!!! CARLOS THE MANAGER ON DUTY GAVE ME THIS BS EXCUSE THAT HE COULD NOT CONFIRM I PAID ( I SHOWED HIM THE 4 TRANSACTIONS) SORRY I WONT REFUND YOU !!! CARLOS WAS A PEACE OF WORK FOR SURE NO PROFESSIONAL HE DIDNT CARE TO HELP !!!!

Dale Hanson

Cute little zoo. Its had some nice features for little kids.

Robert Hoffman

Small but great zoo for kids and nice for adults, too with lovely grounds in a lovely location

Lucia P

The membership worth paying for it - free parking free entrance Exhibits sometimes empty - a handful Food could be better more options would be nice Over all for my 4 year old is fun!

Breda Wall

Smaller zoo with plenty to see and appreciate the size of the enclosure for many of the zoo creatures. Highlight being the giraffe exhibit . Somewhat confused by the 11 dollar parking and then the double digit charge to go in.

Tony Yousef

Small enough to leave in about 2 hours, a fun place for the whole family.

Ben Franks

Lots of animals to see. Small park so it is not difficult to see everything in 2 or 3 hours. Pretty clean. I wish they had more than one snack bar restaurant though. $19 for bacon cheeseburger is a little outrageous but all in all it is a great place to take the family or even for a day date.

chadgreathouse14 .

Staff was very friendly. Animals were great. Some were gone for medical purposes but that’s to be expected you can’t control when an animal needs service. Train ride was very fun we got to see some parts of the zoo you wouldn’t see just walking. Loved the penguins the most!

erika simental

Really a beautiful place to visit. However, the customer service at the food court wasn't so pleasant. Worker taking my order made me feel like I was such an inconvenience for not knowing the menu.

Eunice Cisneros

Really nice environment and views

Melissa S

Going to start out by saying this is a small zoo. Don’t expect it to be an all day outing. Nonetheless, it’s beautiful and the tickets are reasonably priced.

Monsieur Aleon

Been visiting for 30 years, it just keeps getting better. Lovely zoo!

Tanya Cole

That was a lot of fun spend some time there !

Robert Pizzuto

Love the zoo, very well kept and friendly staff

Matthew Key

What a drag, this is for the animals not people. If you want a place for people this is for you. If you love animals, not so much.

Heather Griffith

Compact is right, laid out beautifully no need for maps and the feeling you've missed something.

Susie Landon

We have been to this zoo many times. This visit was to see their wedding venue. It was nice and big with easy access for people affected by disabilities. The Bridal room was small but had a nice outside patio. For an extra fee they have some people friendly animals attend your wedding or event. They allowed us to walk around to visit the animals after the appointment. We were a little disappointed that the animals habitats were not very clean.

marco ocampo

My two year old loved it! Even fed some giraffes!

MR. Zomboss

This is a great zoo! You can see the ocean from where the giraffe's are. A lot of open grass areas for picnics or relaxing. There's so much to do and see, it was a great enjoyable day.

LYDIA MOREJON

Nice small zoo call my great place for kids.

Todd Manthorne

Well maintained and convenient. Very clean and happy looking animals. The grounds are beautiful. Nice open grass area to rest or let kids play and run around. Try the cardboard on the hill for the little kids.

Doug Christiansen

Great little zoo. Takes about half day to see most of it. I think the playground is just as popular as the rest of the exhibits. Food and drink prices are steep but good deal on the year passes.

Michelle Coral

A small seaside zoo that is a pleasure to stroll thru and easy to discuss wildlife with staff also great views of the mountains and ocean from throughout the zoo. Love the quiet places to recharge your soul, come on a weekday if possible.

vadim zitser

The zoo is very clean and a great selection of wildlife. It is a little small and the lines for food are incredibly long and slow. Bring a lunch with you or spend most of the day waiting for food.

Cyndi Meyer

Hard a great day. Weather was beautiful and the zoo is very clean.

Amber Gaytan

Small zoo. Usually not too crowded. Kids enjoyed the trip

Megan Webster

My children and myself always enjoy visiting the zoo and have visited many across the country. With that being said I was pretty disappointed in the care and habitats of the animals. Many of the habitats were filthy with little to no water and smelled awful. I hope they can fix this because the animals deserve better care.

Nancy Buenrostro

Lovely little zoo, just right for very young children. Their are gibbons and elephants, snakes and spiders, anteaters and giraffes, and on our trip, we caught the last day of the koalas. There is a nice little play area too with a grass hill to slide down, big eggs to climb in, and a huge xylophone to play. What surprised me though was the cost. For 2 adults ( $18 a piece) and a three year-old ($10), and a baby not yet a year, we spent around $100 for admission, train rides, parking which was $11, and one sandwich and two iced teas. I remember the zoo as being inexpensive family fun. What happened?

John A. Royston

Nice little zoo. Well kept and clean.

Pax DeHaan

Grateful for what they do even though animals in cages don't always feel goo. Many do have wonderful habitats

Ben Franks

Lots of animals to see. Small park so it is not difficult to see everything in 2 or 3 hours. Pretty clean. I wish they had more than one snack bar restaurant though. $19 for bacon cheeseburger is a little outrageous but all in all it is a great place to take the family or even for a day date.

Desiree Real

Family fun and not crazy expensive. Beautiful views. Won't take up your whole day

Kevin Chittenden

Fun, Unique, and Educational! The Santa Barbara Zoo is a great place to bring the family for a fun outdoor activity. This zoo is just the right size to see hundreds of different animals in just a couple hours. They feature a wide variety of creatures, some native to the region and some exotic. All of the animals had spacious, clean, well-maintained habitats to live in. And all of the exhibits had very informative signs about the animals. The zoo also provides a variety of other activities for children, including a playground area and train rides. I have visited a lot of zoos, and this is a very clean and unique one. I especially enjoyed the koalas! #zoo #animals #santabarbara #wildlife

Thomas deBoisblanc

Always a beautiful fun day for everyone in the family. Cool people, animals, and environment.

chadgreathouse14

Staff was very friendly. Animals were great. Some were gone for medical purposes but that’s to be expected you can’t control when an animal needs service. Train ride was very fun we got to see some parts of the zoo you wouldn’t see just walking. Loved the penguins the most!

Ryan Kohlmeyer

Absolute blast of a zoo. We got the SB Trolley pass and got off at the zoo. Amazing two hours spend walking around. Everything is very personable and lots of little things to look at. Was almost a perfect 2 hours to look at everything in not a big rush. Then we hoped on the trolley again to see the rest of the town. 6 out of 5 review here, and even a dollar off with the trolley pass.

Anni L.

The zoo is nice, much nature around. We missed a playground for little ones.

chris mckee

This is the second zoo I've ever been too, and it was wonderful. The there's a giant section of the park that's dedicated to kids including a hill for sliding, an ampitheater - where they have a show with a stubborn dinosaur. The entire park takes about 5 or 6 hours to fully appreciate with a little lunch break.

Joan Guirado

Great zoo awesome foliage to look at along the way. There are some steep climbs so be sure to wear good footwear

Nathan termfrost

I liked it, it was pretty small and most of the animals weren't there

Rochelle King

Great place to spend a leisurely day. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The animals are well cared for.

Doerte Sennecke-Chow

Excellent choice for little children with the elephants, giraffes and monkeys The total expenditure for a family of three added up to $48. That includes tickets for entry, toy train ride and jumping castle. Don’t miss out on visiting Jake the Fake Mosaic Snake. The zoo also runs a workshop fir building toys for animals. Similar to what is used in OT for early intervention for humans. The staff at the gift store was friendly and helpful. Parking is $11 per car.

RSMY GDL

I've been coming a handful of times now. A nice place to escape from the I've whelming l.a caous.

Bryan Canchola

Beautiful. Feels like a big park with animal exhibits. Saw fair share of active animals. A must for otter fans, very playful when we went. Very good value compared to other California zoos. Very basic food and drink but wasn't expecting 5 star restaurant. They do have beer and wine but didn't try any this trip. Looked great for kids. 5 stars, never felt cramped and was above expectations for a medium/small zoo experience.

Prashant Ranjan

Nice place for kids. You can book place for parties

Nicholas Ramon

Cute, quaint, the train is awesome and you can see the ocean from the zoo!

michelle tack

I love our zoo! We don't have pets at home, so we enjoy visiting all of their exhibits. The zoo is like a mini hike through paradise...lots of tropical animals. They added a koala exhibit recently, the koalas are a great addition to the zoo. Being so close to the beach, we easily strolled in for a quick visit

Christine Joossens

A great little zoo with lots of shade and picnic areas!! Plenty of childrens activity areas as well.

Danielle Perlin-Good

I went to the zoo with my baby, my husband, and my brother. It was actually my baby's first trip to a zoo! The zoo was beautiful and well-kept, but I felt bad for some of the animals that were by themselves, like the lion and the gorilla. It was a cute zoo and had a lot of things catered to families.

Derek Thomas

This is always a great place to visit. I bring my 3 children here frequently. It’s always quiet and clean. And if you have an LA Zoo pass it works here as well. Parking is cheap. And it has great restaurants for when you’re finished walking the zoo.

Priscilla N Jose Vazquez

We had the best time! Kids ages 2 & 3. Giraffe feeding is extra but worth it! Train ride is also extra but also with it. Not alot of animal but it has a few unique animal. The landscape is beautiful. Will definitely be back

Peter Morris

Can't beat this zoo for a small town. Rivals some of the better zoos in California

Pam Gmail

Not too busy, reasonably priced and most exhibits were well done. Amur Leopard seemed bored and stressed.

Shane Swayney

Absolutely beautiful, wonderful, educational place for everyone. Animals, fun gifts, shows, feed a giraffe, take a little train ride, mine for fossils, dinosaur show, they have beer now! I love taking my kids here.

Monique LaMarca

Beautiful, and great size zoo. We took our young children, and it's the perfect size to venture around before they get tired. The kids enjoyed the playground and nature paths.

Victoria Cruz

Luv'd it, small pleasent zoo. Small enough to cover the whole location in one day. More like a small park

Rebecca Pool

Incredible Saturday adventure! Always something new to see and do. Family membership is well worth the cost.

Chris Moran

This is a very nice zoo. You can walk through the entire facility in a couple of hours and see just about everything. The snow leopard is over 20 years old. The gorillas are two half brother bachelors waiting to go into a group of females. Also, check out the rainforest display, especially the colorful but poisonous frogs. Really neat. Only $18 to get in but they stop selling tickets at 4pm, after which time I think it’s free.

Ая Янсен

A cozy, well kept zoo with a nice atmosphere and a neat playground. Pros: no problem to walk around, lots of animals too see. Fun playground. Cons: food isn't worth it. As well is a train tour around the zoo. But if you avoid both, you'll have a very pleasant experience:)

Trevor Christensen

What a fun experience. Cool animals to see, gift shops, food and more. Great family fun.

Derek Thomas

This is always a great place to visit. I bring my 3 children here frequently. It’s always quiet and clean. And if you have an LA Zoo pass it works here as well. Parking is cheap. And it has great restaurants for when you’re finished walking the zoo.

Gabby V

Amazing little zoo the animals here look a bit more active then the LA zoo

Shay Majors

Love this zoo. The exhibits are well set up so it feels like were just peering into these animals habitats as if they were in the wild. Their events are fun and the children always enjoy them

L Scott

The best zoo it's super well laid out and all the staff are super friendly and ready to help or answer questions. Really clean and just a great way to spend the day!

Brooke Stephens

Santa Barbara Zoo is beautiful! We always have a good time and have been coming here for years. Just got an annual membership for the first time and we're so glad we did. The parking always seems to be full though and street parking can be limited and difficult too. Watch for street sweeping days and no parking signs. A few animals have passed away recently. The Black Gibbon, the snow leopard, one of the Elephants and one of the lions. The lion will remain single since it doesn't seem to want a new partner. They are working with the elephant to adapt her with a new companion. The Gibbon just passed a few days ago so not sure what will happen there. They are hoping the male giraffe will partner up with one of the younger ones, apparently he has very good DNA. Usually you can feed the giraffes before 2:30 pm for an additional fee. Also the toucans are a couple and will hopefully produce offspring.

Michelle Gillian

What a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. I love animals and appreciate the care and responsibility they take here I do think Little Mac is sad tho.

nonoyo beezewax

This is a neat little zoo in which you and your family will enjoy. They don't have a lot of acreage, so you can cover the whole zoo easily in one afternoon. Ticket prices are very reasonable and their membership prices are the best in the state. It has a few shows for children and a small locomotive for the family. Some of the exhibits are painfully small (which can be typical of many zoos). Parking is somewhat limited so if you can arrive on a weekday, it will be much easier to get a good spot. The zoo is located very close to other small athletic parks, and across the street from the strand. It's within walking distance to Stern's Wharf and just minutes down the road from natural preserve and lake. It may not be a well known zoo but you can feed giraffes and do lots of other fun things. It's worth a visit.

Adejumoke Mobolaji

Not much of wold animals, though but the zoo is neat and worth taking a sight seeing tour.

Robert Nieder

We were there for a work event, they do a great job of making you feel welcome

Paul Berkley

I love this place. Fun adventure for the family. Great way to spend half a day.

rachel dillingham

I have always loved this place. It's not a very big zoo it's actually quite the perfect size. You can take your time and see all the exhibits and there is a park for the kids to play at after seeing all the animals. They have a train that takes you on the outer part of the zoo. It's the thing to do while you're there.

Benjamin Fletcher

First time there. Small but very nice. They have a cool variety of animals, pleasant foliage, and ocean views. We capped off our day by taking the train, it was great. Everyone was very friendly. One keeper stopped to give an impromptu talk about rhino hornbills and their mating practices. It's a pretty cheap admission for what you get. Also I almost walked out with one of each shirt and a couple hundred dollars of debt. And beware: they have Dippin Dots which is too delicious to describe and will inexplicably entice you to eat several pounds of it.

Frances Jolly

Oh boy running around the water area hearing the birds call. It is an addictive place.

Nicole Noriega

I love seeing the animals. Sad the elephants are not there

matzy calderon

They let he FENTON STEM ACADEMIES stay overnight there because they had to go there for a field trip they gave them the town breakfast and they went to go see all the exibits good and sanitary animal doctor let them get a chance to take a look at all the animals and they were all safe when they were returned to school all ate MacDonald as lunch sincerly, Nancy Carbajal

Willie Durr

Love this Zoo.Its a beautiful location and is small enough to see all the animals in a few hours.

Paul Wise

Perfect size zoo to quickly see animals 3 hours and done it all.

Abel Dupuy-Cardoza

Great Experience we had a Blast. Blessings.

Michael Renaud

Great place to take the kids. We live about half way between the LA Zoo and Santa Barbara Zoo. The drive is better, the weather is better. Smaller and easier to get around, less crowded. Great for smaller children. Lacking some of the heavy hitters of a larger zoo, but we always have a great time. Make sure to take a train ride and feed Mikey the giraffe. Tell him Lina says hi. They're best friends. At least in the mind of my 3 yr old daughter.

Esther Derevencha

We went to the Pour & Roar 21 & over ID's checked. Fantastic fun. You pay $80 bucks for wine tasting for 3 hours. There were at least 50 booths with different wines. You can visit all animals walk the grounds. You get to keep wine glass.

Susan Glunz

Great zoo. We had been there in the late 70's and it has been a large upgrade. Beautiful.

Priscilla N Jose Vazquez

We had the best time! Kids ages 2 & 3. Giraffe feeding is extra but worth it! Train ride is also extra but also with it. Not alot of animal but it has a few unique animal. The landscape is beautiful. Will definitely be back

Katie Taylor

Wonderful visit to the zoo. Kids enjoyed feeding the giraffes. Beautiful animals, easy parking, clean and clear walking paths.

Nicole Bakman

I've been going here for years with my family and I've always loved it! Great location, friendly staff, beach views and more. If you're lucky all the animals will be awake, and those are the best days. The train is a lot of fun as well! A good way to relax.

Anoop Shamim

Fun and beautiful zoo for the whole family especially little ones. Good variety of animals and birds too see. Our favorite experiences were feeding the Giraffes and taking the train ride arround the zoo We took a 1 1/2 yo and a 2 yo and they had a blast.

Prasenjit Das

SBA Zoo is one of the must to go place, specially with kids. I would recommend to spend 4hrs atleast to cover entire zoo. Toy train is fun ride as well.

Ann Boyaj

I m usually not supporting idea of animals behind cages but Santa Barbara Zoo is so organized, clean and very carrying for all animals in their zoo. I could see all workers gentle care and attention towards animals. I had great time at Santa Barbara Zoo.

Jack Remington

Animals get the best care from a seriously dedicated team of professionals. Breathtaking views from the Hilltop. Many activities for children and adults alike!

Jesus Rodriguez

Plenty of shade, easy to follow map, friendly volunteers. Knowledgeable.

Chris Patton

My family and I love coming here. Great location, scenic, my kids love the train, and they have a great variety of animals to see.

Katheryn Beigh

Small but interesting enough for small children

Anna McDonald

Quaint and beautiful zoo. Awesome views. Giraffe feeding is a neat experience. If you're traveling with little ones I recommend taking the little train ride around the zoo. I was with with my 18 and 12 year old and they were more fascinated by the animals now than they were when they were little.

Kimberly Standford

Nice zoo! Wish they had more detailed signs for directions on how to get to animals. Other than that it's a pretty good sized zoo. My family and I enjoyed it. Food sold there could be a little better though.

DONNOLD KLEPPER

Such a beautiful little zoo. Easy parking, low admission prices, fantastic ocean breezes and views. When we lived near by (late 90’s) we would visit more often. Now living in the Midwest, it was great to come back and spend some time. This isn’t a zoo which leaves your feet swollen and dead- easy walking all around.

Maria Andrade

Beautiful zoo, my family got to see a demonstration. Almost all the animals were outside. My daughter and nephew loved it.

Jennifer Harris

Delightful atmosphere; informative placards; helpful, friendly staff. Animals seem well cared for with adequate habitats. The dining options are limited and marginal, but plenty of space for picnics and areas specifically set up for such. Worthwhile.

Joe V

Awesome zoo to take the kids to. Lots of exhibits and fun.

Eric Taylor

The zoo was very fun and the kids loved it. They have a great place for kids to play and explore. They also have a really cool small train ride that goes around the zoo. It's fun and informative! The animals we cool to look at and one of the coolest areas for reptiles I've ever seen. Small zoo, but really great, clean and fun!!

Brittany Weir

Cute zoo, perfect for young families. Parking fills fast, and this was a weekday. Two hour trip, lots of sleeping animals.

Patricia Ford

It was amazing. I am accustomed to SF Zoo but SB Zoo is just as amazing. Very well kept. Good customer service also.

Billy Fischbach

Very fun place with lots of cool animals. Staff was pleasant and we enjoy coming back.

Jennifer Guerra

Very nice zoo with a lot of wonderful animals that seem very well taken care of. It was a bit difficult to navigate, even with the map. Food was very expensive and not much to choose from, recommend to bring your own lunch. They do offer beer and wine in the zoo also. Staff was pretty knowledgeable and friendly. There are a lot of places to picnic and for the kids to play.

Joseph Pacheco

It was a great time. Fun family place to hang out at. Bring your own water in and little snacks. You can pay for parking and re entree is free. Just get your hand stamped on the way out to your vehicle. It's a must see place. Thank you Santa Barbara Zoo employees for a wonderful kept place for it's to visit.

Nanette Blackburn

The perfect size zoo with a wide variety of animals. Good exhibits and entirely walkable. You won’t be disappointed. Parking $11 or on the street outside.

Octavio Reyes

Cool, little zoo. Good place to bring the family for the day.

Nate Evans

Honestly one of the best zoos out there. It's clean, has a large number of exhibits and is a really good size. It's got some killer views and a great feel to it. A very entertaining place to visit. A lovely spot for weddings/receptions, too.

Mike Ringer

Santa Barbara Zoo is a wonderful place to visit regardless of who you are or the stage of life you are in. There are lots of different exhibits to appeal to just about any animal-lover's preference. Large mammals, small mammals, birds, …

Mary Soria

Small but very nice, had a good day.

Allyson Myer

The Santa Barbara Zoo is a beautiful zoo and in a very nice location. Wonderful views for animals and visitors. Not too big but still a good size! Would recommend this for a nice few hour activity for children and adults.

1508 godzilla

First time there , awsome place , it's so lush and well kept , lots of exotic animals . Enjoyed it very much .

Thomas Hale

Love this zoo, especially for kids. Elephants, lion, giraffes all easy to view with all the birds, monkeys, fish, alligator, space to picnic and play. Ocean view too. Nice little train ride around the zoo to cap it off.

Katia Ruiz

The Santa Barbara zoo is beautiful!! We can go multiple times a year and enjoy it every single time. People young and old will enjoy this zoo. They have a play area for children to enjoy while parents eat on the tables located right in that same area. This zoo has beautiful walking paths throughout. They pass right through animal exhibits, making it feel like you are one on one with the animal. There is many benches around the zoo where you an sit down and enjoy your meal or a snack. The animals that are kept here are beautiful and look healthy. The exhibits are well kept and cleaned often. The guides are full of information on all the animals they are working with. Got lots of information on Marylu the gator. She has been there since the zoo opened. The Santa Barbara zoo is big enough to not get bored but small enough to enjoy the walk around It. The bathrooms are clean. Very happy and will continue to return. My families favorite spot.

Jana Long

This was a really cool up close and personal kinda zoo.in the past week I have been to 3 zoos.they all have charm but this one was different becuz you were so close to every animal.landscape was beautiful and the train ride around the place was nice but not worth the price I mean half the ride was the freeway,storage or under construction.i want to say this....I ordered a pretzel a soft pretzel with cheeseo IT WAS TERRIBLE

Erez Amit

Not too big, great for young kids. Clean and well maintained. Easy trails to push a stroller

Lisa Cottrell

My favorite zoo...small but full of animals and plants of the area. I love the small clawed otters. There are still 2 babies there that are a hoot to watch. Koalas are leaving soon, and a new animal will be revealed soon!! Can't wait!

John Capeheart

Had a great time with my grand kids. Beautiful day and really nice people..

Kimberly Standford

Nice zoo! Wish they had more detailed signs for directions on how to get to animals. Other than that it's a pretty good sized zoo. My family and I enjoyed it. Food sold there could be a little better though.

Robert Schott

Love to visit here. Wonderful little zoo that is well maintained and very clean. Happy to have an annual pass to support this gem.

Rose Munoz

The staff was friendly. My granddaughter loved using the map. We also took a ride on the train. We found a cute wrap around teddy bear for my granddaughter to wear on her wrist for under $10. This is a great place to make family memories.

Michael Philpott

Best zoo ever! The kids and I had a great time here. So many photo opportunities! Love the layout and all the variety. Beautiful way to spend a day in sunny Santa Barbara!

Casey O'Neill

The layout is really nice - animals at every turn and then a huge picnic area with a playground. They were setting up for an after hours wedding when we were leaving. Will try the train ride and giraffe feeding next time!

Cynthia H

Absolutely a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Giraffes, elephants, lions, black swans, penguins. All sorts of animals! The landscaping is beautiful!

Danni Ackerman

Most of the animals were hiding but its a nice little zoo

DONNOLD KLEPPER

Such a beautiful little zoo. Easy parking, low admission prices, fantastic ocean breezes and views. When we lived near by (late 90’s) we would visit more often. Now living in the Midwest, it was great to come back and spend some time. This isn’t a zoo which leaves your feet swollen and dead- easy walking all around.

Jenny Altamirano

We love the Zoo we have been going since I was 7 yrs old. So many great animals.

Issy Leon

Great staff, excellent children activities clear and well preserved animal enclosures..

Edward Diggins

Amazing zoo! Great variety of animals in wonderful enclosures and environments. Great exhibits. Easy layout allows you to cover a lot of ground and see so many things without realizing how far you have walked. Special areas just to let kids play, very family friendly. Super friendly staff! Overall great experience.

Yin May Tieu

Breeze from the ocean cools the zoo significantly making it a pleasant trip even in hot summer months. Drink refills $1 if you keep the cup. Parking $11 but free to year round members.

Brian Lee

Nothing to say....I just see some of animals. Just few... Even in showing them they are looks unhappy. Peoples who live in Santa babara...with proudly love nature. How they do that? I saw human's two different face.

Ailani Rodriguez

The Santa Barbara zoo was amazing we saw so many animals and even a lion I believe it was an awesome experience there is many animals and insects also I had so much fun.

Terry V

Smaller than the LA Zoo, but just big enough for the kids. There is a play area to burn off some energy and enough variety of animals. Each enclosure is a bit small though.

Laura Velazquez

This is a nice zoo. Not too big. Easily doable in a day.

Rick Avila

Kids loved it. Small Zoo, But, overall great experience.

Alborz Zinabadi

Fun family place...bring waters and snacks.

Omar Solis

Amazing creatures! Just as Jehovah intended them to be. The zoo is small in comparison to other zoo's. However, it's very clean and the staff is friendly. Some even give you small facts about the animals your looking at. It's great to see a zoo that has employees who love animals and love to work at the zoo.

tatyana mcintosh

First time at this zoo and it is absolutely lovely! All the animals were very active and exciting to see. The zoo is quite big and I stayed here for about 4 hours.

alex buller

Fantastic small zoo. It's really the perfect size to walk around and see everything in a couple hours and enjoy with my 2 toddlers

Erin Smith

So so cool! It's like two for one... It's a zoo, and with so many cool plants, trees, and cacti it's like a botanical garden too!!!

Duc Dang

Best Zoo! Great size and variety. Lots of activities.

Chris Skinner

We are annual members and have been many times. The last visit was one of the best close up with a great Cape and the giraffes were so cute!

WhoaNellyJake

Great varietyvof animals. Some parts could use new coat of paint. Some animal enclosures should be more natural looking. Gibbon area is awesome!

Gabriel Millos

Compact but entertaining zoo with a number of interesting exhibits. The lion, gorillas, and giraffes very popular. Unfortunately most animals are very sedentary during the day so don't expect to be wowed by their antics. There many educational presentations during the day and some interactive activities. The zoo is small so the parking gets full quickly on weekends, members get free parking.

Carolyn's Cancer Journey

This is by far the most beautiful zoo I've been too. I love plants and nature and found it visually stunning. They have alot to do for kids. Its very clean and well kept.

Garrett Roberts

They do a great job for a small town zoo! A few exhibits could use some love to make them larger for the animals. Parking is $11 dollars, train goes around the zoo, updated gift shops, good amount of animals and worth the money.

Business Hours of Santa Barbara Zoo in California

SUNDAY
10AM–5PM
MONDAY
10AM–5PM
TUESDAY
10AM–5PM
WEDNESDAY
10AM–5PM
THURSDAY
10AM–5PM
FRIDAY
10AM–5PM
SATURDAY
10AM–5PM

PHONE & WEBPAGE

Santa Barbara Zoo en California
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