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Santa Ana Zoo
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 4 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
101 reviews for Santa Ana Zoo
101 reviews in English
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Review from Tom h.
CA
1/27/2012
Great relaxing way to spend the day, or at least a couple hours. Seems like a lot of the bad reviews were made by people ignorant of what the zoo offered. If you want a huge zoo with lots of animals, go to San Diego and spend the $40 to get in, and not the mere $8 in Santa Ana.
Similar to the Big Bear Zoo, (Moonridge) many of the animals here can not live in the wild.
It is a small, local place to go for an afternoon. Not an all day event. They have train rides for the kids, also a merry-go-round. And a park-like play area. -
Review from Alison M.
Irvine, CA
2/4/2012
Santa Ana Zoo is a cute little place that's great for smaller children. There are a lot of play areas and even monkey bars for the kids to play on right in the zoo. It took about an hour to walk through the whole thing. Almost the whole zoo is centered on monkeys and birds though I'm not sure how often they switch out the animals. They also had an exhibit on farm animals and featured other random animals like llamas and camels.
If you're interested in a relaxing afternoon trip then I'd recommend this. For the $8 entrance fee you get some educational entertainment and a nice sunny walk.
There's also a small food court area and a gift shop. -
Review from Esther Y.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I wasn't expecting much and maybe I should give it two stars instead of one cuz I've actually been to another zoo that was WORSE than this. don't expect to see a variety of animals...i swear it was just monkeys and birds and i think an anteater, which was hard to see??
i felt like i was just going around and around in circles looking at basically the same kind of animals. we were in and out within an hour and we did the whole zoo twice. BUT in comparison to the Las Vegas Zoo, I guess it was pretty nice :P -
Review from Elizabeth H.
Irvine, CA
1/24/2012
I've scanned the reviews and know that this isn't exact new news. However...
Unlike the seasonal camel rides offered by Santa Ana Zoo, the elephant rides provided here are CONTRACTED OUT from a circus group. Supporting the circus should be 100% against the grain for any zoo. Especially one that purports to focus so heavily on conservation and environmental education.
The elephant rides are available October - April on select days. Whereby the elephant arrives by plane in a crate, is trucked throughout Southern California to various county fairs and the like, all the while making a few pit stops at the Santa Ana Zoo when its handler can't find work elsewhere.
The Human Society and PETA first began protesting the zoo's elephant rides back in early 2010, yet nothing has changed. It's a sad existence for such an intelligent creature and like several other Yelpers here, I cannot support the Santa Ana Zoo with my visits until the dated practice is put to an end. -
Review from Michelle W.
Santa Monica, CA
2/9/2012
This is the best zoo for kids and families. It's clean, has lots of animals, a petting zoo/farm with farm animals, a train and a carousel for the kids to ride, plus they have shows with animals for the kids. It also has a huge playground next to the concessions. The grounds are beautiful, clean and friendly staff.
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Review from Valerie D.
Anaheim, CA
11/11/2011 3 photos
Note: some of the animal are being rehabilitated or cannot live in the wild due to deformities and illnesses esp at this place.
CHEAP annual pass.
not much of a variety with the animals.. monkeys and a farm pretty much
however I LIKE THAT!
NEVER PACKED!
very kid friendly compared to large zoos like LA and SD -
Review from Kelly J.
Los Angeles, CA
10/10/2011
I never even knew this place was here. A great place to check out some interesting animals without making the day long commitment of a bigger zoo. This is perfect for just a few hours. Obviously I can't compare it to San Diego zoo in any way, it's just not that kind of place. But for a quick, fun outing, it's really fits the bill.
We had my nieces birthday party here and it was a great fit. Everyone had a great time in the picnic area, checking out the animals - lots of cool monkeys, attending educational discussions about some birds and reptiles and riding the camel - which I think was a favorite with my niece.
The grounds were clean, the staff was helpful and parking wasn't an issue even on a seemingly busy day. -
Review from Taylor W.
Newport Beach, CA
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cheap, fun, close.
Not really amazing animals but a lot of fun for my two-year-old! Wished we could've seen the....camels I think?
We didn't make it to the farm animals section because my son was tired by the time we finished the train and merry-go-round. We'll save it for next time.
My complaints are: I wish they had maps (even though its a small zoo, I didn't know where the animals were when we first walked in!) and they were doing construction and I think trimming trees which was a little annoying and very loud. -
Review from Mel M.
Costa Mesa, CA
Updated - 8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
OH look! Down a star from last year. If you've been here before then it shouldn't surprise you.
My daughter walked into the bathroom and it smelled so foul she gagged then threw up before running out. I caught her eating glue and licking the table at TK Burgers. And that was just today. So ya KNOW if she threw up from just the smell of the bathroom it had to be pretty rank.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/19/2010
I find it ironic that they have an American Bald Eagle living behind a wire fence in a pretend… Read more »
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Review from Greg N.
Huntington Beach, CA
10/16/2011
Not the traditional zoo with Lion, Tigers, and Bears, but it does have a barrel full or more of monkeys. In fact, it is affectionately know as the monkey zoo. In addition it also has a train rescued from the now defunct Santa's Village, a bald eagle, camels and more.
The zoo has a lot of programs for children and is a fun place to spend the afternoon. A Orange County must see. -
Review from Melissa L.
Bellflower, CA
9/1/2011
What can I say about the Santa Ana Zoo....?? Well it ain't no San Diego Zoo....HECK it aint no LA Zoo.... I don't remember the price but I feel like it was overpriced. No elephant rides when we went....though I would have been bummed out and outraged if there was. The maze they have their is tore up but running in it was like the highlight. go with comfortable shoes and snacks and.....maybe toilet paper....the bathrooms were pretty gross.
**********ALSO TAKE CASH....I THINK THEY HAVE SOME RIDICULOUS SURCHARGE FOR CREDIT CARDS!!! -
Review from Randi B.
7/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friend mentioned the Santa Ana Zoo a couple months ago and I said I had never been. He was appalled so he made sure we went. This is an alright zoo. An adult could be in and out of here in about an hour. If you are with kids (which I was) you will be here longer. It's a super cheap thing to do if you want to entertain kids for a couple hours.
Lots of different monkeys, a couple camels, a sloth, and some other random animals that were forgettable. Seemed like most of the animals had something wrong with them, as there were signs posted at almost every habitat explaining what disease or injury the animal had. Sad.
Can't say i'll be back, but now I can say i've been :-)Listed in: Random Adventures.
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Review from Emily L.
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I always knew this place was here, but never ventured there since only an hour or so away is the larger San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park, not to mention the LA Zoo. I ended up going here for a school project where I needed to observe the primates and boy was this a great time.
I got to the zoo right when it openned at 10am, as instructed by the professor, to get optimal viewing of the primates. There were a handful of other that arrived at this time but really it was rather dead. I was so excited to see that the teacher was right. I got to see EVERY single primate species, monkeys and tamarins and lemurs etc .. it was amazing! I had never ever seen that much activity from animals at the zoo. Normally they are hiding away in a corner and trying to sleep or eat or do anything away from the fence or the cage walls. This was not the case here and the Santa Ana Zoo has a HUGE variety of monkeys and other primates.
Yes, it is a small zoo, but for a little kid it would be ideal. Not a lot of walking, lots of animals, big park bench areas for eating lunch, and a trani that takes you throughout the zoo. They even have a farm area, which is unique I think to zoos.
It was only $11 for me which is much better than the $45 or so I would have spent going to a larger zoo, and I got to see the animals at a much closer range than at the bigger parks.
For the size and the area, it is a great find. I would come back just for a cute date or to bring a small kid. It was fun and they had a real BALD EAGLE .. like up close and personal .. and it was beautiful! -
Review from Kyle S.
Fullerton, CA
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
While not the best zoo I have ever been to how can you go wrong for $3 a person. Not that great of a selection but they do have a lot of different types of monkeys, a bald eagle, and some domesticated animals. May not be back for a while but for a few dollars and a couple of hours of fun how can you go wrong.
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Review from tom n.
Placentia, CA
6/21/2011
Cute little zoo...pretty small, but great for small kids who has a very short attention span. They have a pretty good monkey exhibit that my little girl loves.
I don't have to worry about my little toddler running off and getting lost, it's not big enough to do so. But it is big enough for her to run around and enjoy the day.
It's not worth $8 bucks for entry, but after 2pm entry is reduced to $4 per adult. We are usually there for a couple of hours and that is more than enough time to see everything and spend some time at the play ground. After 2pm the carousel and train stops running so that is one down side.
Although I give it 3 stars...my little girl will give this place 10 stars and seeing her smile and laugh, she might be right. -
Review from Danielle T.
Orange, CA
7/11/2011
I use to come here with my grandfather when I was little. Took my niece here to share that experience with her. The zoo is small but has the best collection of monkeys I have ever experienced. And she loved the train and carousel ride.
The one thing I couldn't believe was the ticket price and the credit card fee. They were almost the same! Bring cash cause paying the credit card fee is such a waste of money!!! -
Review from Kathy Y.
Irvine, CA
6/3/2011
The Santa Ana Zoo reached my expectations because I had low expectations for it. I was hoping for better but also not surprised at how small and sad it is either.
We got the annual pass ($49/couple) so we could take our 1.5 year old daughter often (children under 3 are free). To get our money's worth, we would need to come back here at least three times this year. Hopefully we do or else we would have just donated money to feed the monkeys.
We went on a Thursday at 11am and was able to walk through slowly in about an hour or two (we stretched it longer by letting our toddler play in the jungle gym by the main gate). We first walked through the bird sanctuary and didn't see one bird until we got to the other end. The zookeeper pointed out some birds hiding in the trees. She said there were 18 birds there and usually she doesn't really see many either. You have to look in the bushes. It's quite different than the bird sanctuary at the Aquarium of the Pacific where birds are flying everywhere and you can hand feed them.
There were a smattering of a few random animals here and there, but nothing too exciting. A wallaby, an emu, some ostriches, some turtles.
This zoo works just fine to take a toddler out for a quick visit. They'll enjoy seeing any animal. Parking is free. To get your money's worth, I would suggest you wait until 2pm on a weekday and pay 50% off and bring cash. -
Review from Hannah Y.
4/25/2011
This is a GREAT place to bring your kids to get them to shut up for an hour or so. This is a tiny exhibit w/ a ton of monkeys and some birds, which sadly, is about all this zoo has to offer.
I was hoping to see more mammals and interesting botanical attractions but it had neither. I also noticed they had a very inconsistent caging system (larger monkeys being placed in smaller areas and smaller ones in bigger areas...).
They charge $8 ($3 more if you use a Credit Card) for the entrance fee. -
Review from Eva R.
Tustin, CA
9/30/2011 2 photos
I had heard the bad reviews if this zoo. So I was expecting trashy zoo, boring animals and just plain boring. It was better then i expected.
Now living across the street with 2 boys under 3 I figured I need somewhere to kill time.
The 1st time I went I took my 1 yr old, since he wasn't walking yet we went thru it all pretty fast, but I knew my 2.5 yr old would love it.
Farm animals, monkeys( lots of them and different kinds), camels(camel rides on weekends),train(closes at 2), carrousel(closes at 2), ant eater n more.
Its not trashy, could use a LIL updating in certain area but for location, size and price its GREAT!
I have an LA zoo membership so I get 50% off here but gen adm is $8 not bad.
This zoo is good for kids ages 1-5/6 maybe. OBVIOUSLY it's no LA or SD zoo.
I only used bathroom once and it was fine, clean.
Animals are actually active at all times of the day unlike LA zoo.
The bird sanctuary does suck tho. No birds to see...
All in all...I like it. And try to go every 3 wks or monthly. The boys enjoy it, cheap and shady! -
Review from Philip T.
7/4/2011
Good for what it is: a small zoo. Obviously you can't expect or even compare this to LA Zoo or San Diego Zoo. But it does a good job for what it is.
Theres are a lot of exhibits that feature primates, but they do have elephants, camels, and anteaters.
The prices are reasonable at $8 and the parking is free. The food stand also offers reasonably priced food: hamburgers ($5), drinks ($2). What's not to like? -
Review from Heather J.
Baldwin Park, CA
6/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Santa Ana Zoo is okay. I am glad it was only $8. I came here with a friend who was visiting from Boston and loved this zoo when he lived out here.
The most exciting thing about this zoo, as people have said, is the monkeys. There are lots of monkeys to be seen. The anteaters were pretty cool, especially the baby. I was expecting more out of the zoo, though. Aside from the monkeys and anteaters, nothing was really that exciting at the zoo. I think we saw everything within two hours. On the plus side, the parking was free so that bumped up the rating a bit. There is just really nothing that memorable about this zoo. -
Review from Melanie T.
Walnut, CA
4/12/2011 12 photos
Very small zoo! I was offered to accompany a friend for her biology class field trip and since I wasn't doing anything better I tagged along.
Entrance fee was $8 bucks and let's just say I would have preferred to spend that money on some In N Out instead.
Most of the monkeys were in cages and there was definitely a lack of variety between species. All I saw were monkeys, birds, camels, ostriches, an iguana, a boa, and something that looked like a camel without humps.
All of the animals looked very dismal and the animal that got me the most was their "Elephant ride." The elephant was wearing a ridiculous rainbow lei around his/her head and a horrid outfit. It's main purpose at the zoo was merely to walk in circles with various little kids on the elephants back, kicking and horse-playing throughout the whole ride. If you wanted to take a picture with the elephant there is an extra charge. The elephant's "pose" was simply having his mouth open and curving his nose to his head.
The only reason why I gave this place two stars was:
1) A duck flew into a window right when we got in.
2) My friend and I got lost in the maze for a good 10 mins. -
Review from Clifford Y.
Garden Grove, CA
2/14/2011
Yes, there is a zoo in Santa Ana.
The gf & I always talked about giving this place a visit, and we finally did.
Parking is free here; the parking in the front is hard to get, you can go around to the back to find plenty more lots.
This zoo is definiltey on a smaller scale, as one could expect. If you have small kids, it'd be best to bring them here & I'm sure they'll have a good time.
They don't have the huge exotic animals like lions/tigers/pandas. Couple highlights are: the amazon area where you can see birds and turtles. Huge anteater, ostriches, and an elephant that you can ride on. And cool monkeys that aren't shy to pose in front of a camera.
It is $8 a person to get in. I highly recommend coming here after 2pm on Mon-Fri to pay half price, because I think a couple hours will be more than enough to spend here. -
Review from Kay D.
3/2/2011 6 photos
This is a tiny tiny zoo...but tiny things are oftentimes cuter and more adorable than their larger counterparts. There is some sort of mandate from somebody that supports the zoo financially that the Santa Ana Zoo must at any given time have a gazillion monkeys within its gates. If you love monkeys, you will love this place. They even have mini monkeys!!! Sorry...tamarins...of ALL sorts.
They have a new giant anteater exhibit, which is pretty interesting if you've never seen one in person, and the walk through aviary is always nice. For the kiddies, they have a train ride, a playground, and occasionally they have camel and elephant rides. The admission price is cheap, they offer free parking, and it's a nice way to spend an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the mini monkeys that are EVERYWHERE!!!!! -
Review from Pamela F.
Fullerton, CA
10/17/2011
This place was depressing. It seemed very poorly maintained and dirty. There were two pens with ponds that didn't even have water in them. Almost no birds in the bird exhibit. Wouldn't be surprised if they've all died. The majority of the pens were too small. For example, their bald eagle is in a cage about 8x10ft. Just because he has an injured wing doesn't mean he should be shoved into a box. The animals, particularly the camels, just seemed bored and morose.
I've been to other zoos obviously like San Diego Zoo, LA Zoo and Sea World San Diego. The exhibits in those places seem to actually care about the animals and aim to teach people about them. Habitats are replicated and lush with greenery and clean water. The animals in those places felt loved, looked healthy and felt...happy (hopefully you know what I mean).
The Santa Ana Zoo was just the opposite. There's a minimal number of exhibits, mostly monkeys in small sparsely furnished pens, a gift shop and play areas to attract kids with parents who will spend money. If ever there was a zoo that needed to be shut down, it's this one. It's shameful and depressing.
In conclusion, all I have to say is that poor camel. If you go to the zoo, you'll know what I'm talking about. And if you have even the slightest soft spot for animals, it will make you sad.
PS: They charge $3.45 if you pay with a credit or debit card. Greedy much? It's a way to make people think, oh, it only costs $8 to go to the zoo! When in reality it'll cost $12 for most people because who carries cash anymore? -
Review from Jen N.
Anaheim, CA
3/29/2011
I should have taken into consideration: You get what you pay. This is a nice place for young kids overall though, around under 10 or 11 years of age maybe. But for an ol fart like myself at 20 years old and needing a cheap place to do animal observations for my biology class, it was terrible. There's more monkeys and birds in this place than anything else. Don't get me wrong - I love monkeys and birds, but I needed a better variety for my assignment and experience overall basically, even if this was not for a college assignment. Guess I should have shelled out $30 for the aquarium in Long Beach.
Anyways, it was interesting to see the animals, but at the same time I felt very sad for them. The cages are quite small and these animals didn't look too happy, especially the parrots and the bald eagle (whose wing was injured). It was just really sad...
Only thing I liked about this place was the Amazon birds.. quite interesting to see something walking around that's not caged. They were beautiful too.
Concession stand, the food was nasty.
Not coming here ever again. Someday I'd rather take my kids to the LA Zoo or the SD Zoo. Far and pricey, but it's well worth going to those places than here. -
Review from Chris C.
Irvine, CA
2/1/2011 5 Check-ins Here
The SA Zoo is a great destination for a couple hours if you have small kids. If you are looking for lots of large animals and a daylong experience you should head down to SD.
Highlights of the SA Zoo include:
-- Free parking.
-- Colors of the Amazon Aviary - Colorful, tropical birds will walk right in front of you as you wander through their habitat. There are plenty of swimming turtles as well.
-- Amazon's Edge - With a large waterfall and open viewing platform, you can watch ducks, geese, and monkeys all in one area.
-- Anteaters - These are aC's favorites.
-- Crean Family Farm - Make sure to bring quarters so you can feed the goats and sheep.
-- Exploration Outpost - With a recreated Amazon research building, a Jeep, and statues of an enormous lizard and giant tortoise, this is a good photo taking spot.
-- Train and Carousel - Be warned that there is an extra charge for these.
-- Small rubber animals for less than $1 in the gift shop - aC gets a new one every time we go. -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
10/31/2010
I used to come here as a child when I would visit my friend who had just moved from Whittier to Newport Beach. It's kind of quaint as far as small zoos go, but it's also kind of disappointing.
I really don't like zoos in general, and the Santa Ana Zoo gets my lowest rating because it offers elephant rides. What's wrong with elephant rides? Well, besides the fact that "trained" elephants are directed using painful and cruel bullhooks, the elephants suffer when they're transported in cramped, unsanitary conditions. In the wild, elephants walk miles a day. In cramped zoo enclosures, they don't have very much room to walk, and most of them develop painful foot problems that cripple them. Elephants used for human amusement (circuses, elephant rides) are even worse off. They must constantly travel, be exposed to new and confusing environments, and are often abused.
Elephants are extremely intelligent, social animals. There is no reason to use them in circuses or for human amusement. Instead, elephants that live outside of their native environments should be relocated to sanctuaries in which they are well treated and have acres of natural areas to walk through daily. Moreover, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recommends against providing elephant rides because of their cruelty and because they are unsafe.
Your child might look cute sitting atop an 8,000-pound elephant, but if that stressed animal finally snaps--as overworked, abused animals sometimes do--how safe do you think your child really is?
Please ask the Santa Ana Zoo to stop abusing elephants for human amusement. -
Review from Rita F.
This is a smaller zoo like other yelpers describe, but it is a very cute, intimate zoo. In the entrance they have tables to eat and sit, when entering the premises you see miniature trains with toy story 3 (&other) characters.
They have an elephant ride, a train ride and different types or tamarins to stare at, plus different mini shows.
What I liked was the membership which that allows you to not only visit whenever you want, but to take your monkeys to see more monkeys, you also get to visit their cousins at other zoos :-P
They day I went it was Sazoo's birthday which they gave free cake to every visitor and it was nice to walk around and not get tired half way through the zoo.
I recommend it for an unique experience and to just see what this zoo has to offer. Sure the other parks are great, this one just has that friendly welcoming feeling that just made me want to come back, plus I have the membership so you'll be seeing me around! :-) -
Review from Elizabeth Y.
Monterey Park, CA
1/27/2011 17 photos
I had no idea that there was even a zoo in Santa Ana and I worked in Irvine for over 3 years!
I brought my kids to this zoo this past weekend and got in for free because we arrived at 4pm and they close at 5pm (secret tip). ;)
One hour is just enough time to walk through the entire zoo. It's not very big but it's very well maintained and has some really cool animals. We saw llamas, all types of weird monkeys, emus, kangaroos, camels, all types of birds, and more. The thing I like about this zoo and many other zoos nowadays is that the animals are in a habitat that looks similar to how it would be in the wild. They are no longer locked up in small cages, which was very sad back then.
The Santa Ana zoo also has elephant rides here earlier in the day too but since we were late, we missed it. Guess we'll have to come again! -
Review from Michelle M.
Orange, CA
9/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
What a great little zoo. For the critics of this zoo, I would say you need to take it for what it is. It is just a local zoo. Of course they aren't going to have tons of different types of animals, and its not a huge zoo like Balboa Park.
But they do a great job with what they have. The zoo has has a nice atmosphere. Its very casual and laid back. Its nice to watch kids running around enjoying the animals. They do have an interesting selection of animals as well.
They have a cute train ride and carousel, and kids can take camel rides.
Parking is free and the entrance/food/entertainment prices are reasonable. It makes for a great low-key afternoon. -
Review from Jamie D.
Orange County, CA
9/10/2010
Can you really bag on the Santa Ana Zoo? I mean... it's a zoo... in the middle of Santa Ana. That's pretty fantastical.
I'll first say that if you have a small kid who's interested in animals and will be entertained at a zoo, take them to the SAZ... they will never realize how tiny it is. I hadn't been here in years until recently, and this place was giant to me as a child. Kids don't know the difference.
The small size and central location of the zoo gives it a small community feel. I went here once to volunteer for the trick-or-treating event they throw every Halloween. (Which is super cute, btw -- kids dress up in costumes and use a map to make their way to stations and get candy and other prizes.) That night I noticed that a lot of patrons were regulars who knew the people who run the zoo personally.
At the zoo you'll find lots of monkeys, a bald eagle, llamas, camels, birds, turtles, farm animals in the petting zoo area, a small train to ride. (And of course the famed anteaters -- zot zot, bitches.) The day I was there they had a little demonstration where they let kids see and touch different animals after learning the differences between mammals and reptiles and stuff like that.
Just a cute little zoo/park that's perfect for spending the day with small children. -
Review from Arnold E.
5/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
The simple fact that Santa Ana actually has a zoo should pique your interest and get you to visit the Santa Ana Zoo. I know that when I first found out that there was a zoo in Santa Ana I was surprised. Yes, folks, it's true! It even smells like a real zoo (as my daughter can attest).
Pros:
-FREE parking!
-Easily accessible, centrally located (not too far from south or north OC)
-Modest size (which means you won't get too tired from walking around it once or twice with the kiddos)
-Good selection of monkeys (of the human AND animal kind)
-Elephant Ride (now with real elephant poop!)
-Train Ride!
-Carousel!
-Farm animals you can touch!
-Two playgrounds (for toddlers and older children)
-Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
-Private party areas that can be rented out
Cons:
-Limited variety of species
-Cash or check only (at the ticket office)
-Shameless self-promotion (via countless signs throughout the zoo proudly stating that scenes from the movie "Old Dogs" were filmed there)
-Absence of roller coasters and alcoholic beverages
Alright, maybe that last one was more of a personal preference. Anyway, you get the picture: the Santa Ana Zoo has more going for it than against it. If you've got little ones, this makes for a great, relatively inexpensive day trip. Santa Ana Zoo, you're okay in my book. -
Review from Analia G.
Lynwood, CA
8/15/2011
This zoo was perfect for my 10 month old son. Its small & cute. There is a train ride and a carousel ride and a nice play area. They have alot of monkey exhibits, we also saw camels, anteaters and lots of birds. We went on a late Thursday afternoon, only 2 hours and got in for half the price! perfect that's all it takes to enjoy the park.
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Review from Janice Y.
Newport Beach, CA
2/26/2011
So we went on free-Sunday and it was worth every penny. Not that this is a terrible place where people abuse animals or anything (as their reputation had preceded them). The cages were pretty nice, and there were a few animals there, but they seemed to mostly be birds or primates.
Not San Diego but I wasn't really expecting it to be either. -
Review from Pegah Y.
6/28/2011
The Santa Ana Zoo is pretty awesome. It's not my favorite zoo in the world (and trust me, I've been to many zoos both nationally and internationally), but definitely can hold its own among zoos.
It's probably one of the smallest zoos I've been to but what I love about this place is that it has a lot of non-generic animals, like the scarlet ibis (a very cute and energetic bird), camels (AWESOME!), and lots of primate species that I have not heard of before. The zoo primarily consists of primates. There are all sorts of primates - from cute little lion faced monkeys to owl-faced monkeys.
I also really liked the bald eagle they had here, though I felt bad because it was trapped in such a small cage when it should really be free to soar the skies. (Though there was a description that said this one was on loan and also currently had a wing injury, so I assume the eagle couldn't fly anyway).
This zoo is definitely very homey and a place where one can make a lot of special memories.
I really enjoyed the camel ride (only $5 a person). It was a truly memorable experience, and I have never seen camels at any zoo before! And though I am of Middle Eastern descent, I have actually never ridden or even seen a camel in person before.
All in all, the Santa Ana zoo is a super cute place and I'm very glad that my boyfriend took me there. -
Review from Ruth Z.
Glendora, CA
8/30/2010
FREE parking. CASH or Check only.
After 2 pm half off on Monday - Friday
FREE for Santa Ana residents on the 3rd Sunday of each month.
I have a LA Zoo Membership so I was able to get half off to this place.
We went today and and liked it. There is plenty of shade that even on a hot summer day it felt cool. If you have a toddler don't bother bringing your stroller in...the zoo is small enough that they can walk the whole place. The big excitement for my toddler was the monkeys. I would recommend this place for preschoolers and younger anything older than that would most likely be disappointed if they thought they were going to a zoo.
The farm disappointed me...such a big space, but not many animals. The train and carousel ride are $3 each...bought combined at $5.
I brought in snacks and had lunch in the grass area just outside the entrance.
We were done with the zoo in 3 hours including our lunch break.
socalpocketmemories.blogspot -
Review from cassina Q.
Orange County, CA
3/2/2010
Seriously...this is a zoo?? Really? No, seriously???
This "zoo" is hooooorrrrible! Okay, maybe I expected way way to much, but excuse me, when I think of a zoo..I think of lions, tigers and bears "oh my"....here...they have...damn what did they have?? Monkeys...a whole lot of em'....one elephant that I felt so bad for...it looked so sad walking in a small circle...over and over and over....some birds I think...anyway, my point is, is that, this "zoo" does not qualify to be called a zoo. I guess I should've known being given that it's located in Santa Ana...what kind of zoo is located in Santa Ana right???....
The only reason behind the two stars instead of one is because my 2 year old loved it here...he doesn't know any better. lol. He loves monkeys...luckily since that's pretty much all they had here....play ground is decent...seemed like I payed 8 bucks to take him to play at a park....we did kill a couple hours here...literally about 2....it's local..gets him out of the house...do some runnin' around...
Narrow it down....we won't be back..... -
Review from Samuel C.
Costa Mesa, CA
8/1/2010
It's an ok zoo. It's small, but I think that's the good thing about it.
I feel bad for the animals especially for that elephant, but the primates seem ok.
Parking is free. Price is ok. This is great for the kids. Luckily, I have no kids.
The only reason why I went there was bc my gf's crazy occ teacher wanted her to study a primate & do a research paper on it. -
Review from Aimee G.
I have a little monkey.
Well, he's really a little boy, but he acts like a monkey. And he loves them, too.
So when I heard that the Santa Ana Zoo has at least 50 monkeys at all times, I knew I had to take my little monkey to meet other little monkeys for the first time. Turns out he was much more interested in the jungle gym. But that's a little monkey for you.
The Santa Ana Zoo is nothing like the San Diego or LA Zoo. Heck, it doesn't even compare to the San Francisco Zoo (which ain't saying much). However, if you're a parent or babysitter and need to take the kids someplace fun, yet cheap, than I highly recommend this place.
There are definitely lots of monkeys, but there are a variety of other typical zoo animals, a large aviary, and a petting zoo. Some of the animals are not around during the week, such as the elephants, so you might have to brave the crowds on the weekends if you want to see more. Yeah, I don't know where they keep elephants during the week either. Are they being rented out to Michael Jackson or something? Who knows.
Anyways, like I mentioned earlier, this place is cheap. Weekdays after 2pm, it's $3.50 for adults and $2.00 for kids 3 and up. Cheap, right?!? You can also buy an annual pass for $35 and go anytime...free! A family card is $55 a year. This is such a great deal if you live close by and plan on coming by often. There are a lot of fun activites for the kids, such as a playground, train, and petting zoo, so I can see why families would want an annual pass. It's basically a great park for kids of all ages.Listed in: It's All About Me..., Growing up SoCal
