See rare and endangered species and take part in various animal-oriented activities at Santa Barbara Zoo. The zoo features more than 400 animals--from insects to large mammals--and gives the visitors a chance to learn about the wildlife, admire rarely seen and endangered species, and interact with some of its residents. Animal habitats are recreated to mimic each animal's natural surroundings. View species from all over the world, such as Asian elephants and Western lowland gorillas, as well as local animals, such as the California condor. Some tours and activities require an additional fee. Make Santa Barbara Zoo a part of your Santa Barbara vacation plans using our Santa Barbara trip planner.
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Santa Barbara Zoo reviews
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This is a cute little zoo with plenty of parking and very nice grounds for the visitors. However, the space/enclosures that the animals have are way too small with not enough enrichment activity... more »
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Sorry but this zoo is horrible. The grounds were kept really nice. The only cool thing is feeding the giraffe. Other than that they dont have alot of animals. more »
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I had never been to a zoo I would describe as sad before this one. I don’t know if it was more because of corona and the lack of people coming in causing less pay and less staff help to maintain the..... more »
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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