Santa Barbara Zoo Reviews

Small zoo, but with a surprising number of animals (Gorillas, Lions, Giraffes, Elephants, etc., and lots of different birds). There is a small cost to take the little train which does a circuit around the entire zoo. Well worth it as you get views of the animals you can't get from walking and it also affords great views of the mountains, the bird refuge lagoon, and the ocean.

This was a pretty nice smaller zoo. It's easy to find and parking was plentiful when we came in February. It was a bit chilly so maybe it wasn't as crowded as it would be during warmer times.

There are plenty of animals, but it's not so large where you feel you're rushing to see everything in a day. We also really liked that we could bring our own lunch and enjoy a picnic near all the animal attractions.

We had a great afternoon here and I'm sure we'll visit again next time we're in Santa Barbara.

Most of the animals seem happy. It’s decent for a small zoo. I would like to see more larger animals like zebra. A lot of the extra activities are costly. Severa dollars to feed the farm animals. $6 for a train ride. Somewhere around $6 to feed the giraffe. Parking is also costly if you aren’t a member.

After a show at the santa barbara bowl the next day we like to relax at the zoo great place to take a walk and relect about life looking at the veiws.

This zoo really impressed. Beautiful grounds, so much so that the landscaping could be its own exhibit. Beautiful views and location. And an incredible layout that spreads out both the animals you came there to see and the other zoo-goers you didn't come there to see. We were very pleasantly surprised with the variety of the animal exhibits, from the penguin, elephant, and giraffe favorites to the bugs and the birds and the foxes. Plus meerkats! This zoo is a great size, as it is possible to see everything in 2-3 hours, and also possible to chill out on the lawn for a bit between sections, or spend extra time visiting with your favorites.

Small, clean, easy to get around. Animals looked cared for. This was a lot of fun. Must see in Santa Barbara.

I had my baby’s first birthday Party here and it was the best experience ever! The memories made with my friends and family was priceless! A huge thank you to Tanner the party coordinator who went above and beyond to ensure that my daughter had her bear (Tiny) at the party! Seeing her face light up when she saw him was everything! They set up for me, there was no hassle, and everyone stayed on schedule with the activities! I couldn’t be more happier this was the best birthday party ever for sure thanks to this team!

Lots of activities for kids. And actually most kids were not that interested in the animals. Good size not overwhelming. Close up views of most displays. Food choices very limited and not that healthy. We had a great time. Used Lyft to get to and from. Very convenient.

Santa Barbara has the best of most things: beaches, weather, food, and Small Zoo’s. Lions, tigers, no bears though I don’t remember. I’ve been there multiple times over the years with my kids, it’s always great. Plan to eat lunch on the lawn.

The summer shuttle is very convenient for getting to the zoo. It was hot when we were there so many animals were hiding in the shade. Overall it is a small zoo that only takes about 2 hours to see everything. Not a very impressive number of large animals. Lot of birds and Small reptiles. Not a highlight of our trip but good way to kill a few hours.

Family visit to the zoo with an elderly member was excellent! Great exhibits and close up interactions maje this one of my Favorite places to visit! Consessions are available thru out the facilities!!

Always good spending time with the animals. The Santa Barbara Zoo is small and easy to navigate. The giraffes were the highlight.

Santa Barbara Zoo has over a hundred species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects even though it is a relatively small zoo when compared to others that I've been to. The nice thing about its size is that it makes the walk around the zoo quite manageable and not too tiring. I appreciated that there were not any steep inclines to navigate either. There is a train that goes around the zoo if you prefer not to do too much walking or if you have small children.

The zoo has a good representation of the types of animals people generally go to zoos to see. On the day of our visit, many of the animals were either sleeping or hiding. The animals that we were able to see were quite impressive. Thankfully, a big lion was lounging in his enclosure and we got a good look at him.

If you get hungry, there is at least one food venue that we saw. There are picnic tables available if you choose to eat under one of the many trees. Of course, there are gift shops as well.

The Santa Barbara Zoo staff took great care of us with clear communication prior to our party and kindness throughout the day.
Tanner, Haley and Ashleigh were instrumental in creating a memorable day for our Son, Friends and Family.
Thank You!
Sincerely,
Sean Carroll on behalf of our Son Skyler

This zoo was a great surprise to me and my son. We have been to many zoos and this one is one of hour favorite ones. It is smaller than other zoos but the experience is great here. Very well organized and clean you can easily spend 2-3 hours here and check many animals and feed giraffes too.

Had a great time here with family. Our granddaughter enjoyed the zoo and the train ride. They also have a nice playground for kids,

Such a beautiful way to spend a sunny day in California! There was so much more here than I expected. The animals are plentiful and look well cared for. The grounds are easy to navigate as you stroll through nature's finest. I wish I was there now!

This is a great place for a family to see a variety of animals. Great size! Open year round. Slight hills but easy to walk. My kids enjoy the lion, elephants, and giraffes. Zoo discount and AAA discount available. Year round fun and great spot for parties.

What an amazing experience to have the opportunity to host my daughters Birthday at the Santa Barbara Zoo! We are so lucky to have the Zoo in our backyard and the opportunity to have our friends and family gather together to celebrate a Birthday together while experiencing all the Zoo has to offer! Tanner and his team were extremely helpful and accommodating to help create the perfect day!

Zoo made for a nice afternoon, small zoo, excellent location by the ocean with mountain views, animals easy to see, gardens and landscaping beautiful. Easy parking, must see if going to Santa Barbara.

With an impressive variety of animals big and small, the Santa Barbara Zoo is an economical and fun way to spend an afternoon. It's small enough that it will only take you 1.5-2 hours to get through, and is close to East Beach so you can take in some sun and sand after your visit. Tip: Go later in the afternoon (close to 4:00) to see more lively activity, as that's feeding time!

Cross off another attraction from the bucket list, the SB Zoo is a nice smaller live animal venue. A pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon if you don't mind crowds and these newer tank style strollers (some are soo wide you can't squeeze by in some of the viewing areas. Even better watching gridlock when two are trying to travel in different directions. Being a somewhat jaded adult what at first was an interesting excursion developed into a pity party for quite a few of these poor animals. I know you can't assign human emotions to animals but I really felt depression coming from some of them , anyway what a great delight to see children of all ages light up with enthusiasm and curiosity.

I recently visited the Santa Barbara zoo with my daughter in law and grandson. We had a blast. Very nice and interesting zoo. The premises are super clean. The store offers many educational products for infants and toddlers alike

Tickets were available online. At the time they were only allowing 30 people in at a time. I didn't notice if they were holding to that. Everyone wore masks and it felt very safe. Beautiful zoo and well laid out. I would definitely go back!

We have been visiting this zoo for many years, and it is fun every time. It seems that each time there is a different set of animals that are active, so we see something a little different each time. You can see everything in a couple of hours, then still have time to have a productive day!

Realy a nice zoo. Just the right size. Not too big that you are unable to see it all in one day. Large enough so that children would not get bored. Plenty to do and see.

This was our 1st time at the Zoo. It was nice to see that Covid-19 didn't take away the experience. It was not crowded because you were required to book your reservations in advance. We came early so the animals were not sleeping. We had a welcome photo when we arrived. This was a good Sunday afternoon experience. Will go again the next time we are in town.

I'd recommend that you ride the train first because they take you completely around the zoo and provide you with the history and details. Also, you'll see the animals from a different angle then the walking trails. It's a nice little zoo located across the street from the beach and ocean. Watch out for the handrails that protrude out into the walkway. Our 3 yr. old granddaughter walked into one and bruised her face. Fortunately it missed her eye. If she was 1 inch shorter it would have poked her in the eye.

For as small as this place is and as many exhibits that they had closed the day we went was way too expensive, $17.50 plus you pay extra for parking. Not worth it at all

perfect size and animals seem very content and happy and well cared for. very clean and employees very friendly and for the area a very good bargain

This is a very well-run small zoo that is handling the recovery from COVID-19 with all the right moves.

First things first: everyone (except the animals) must wear a mask, even if you are fully vaccinated. Period.

They require online, time-entry reservations (about $20 per adult) and this prevents the usual chaos and crowds that overwhelm visitors at every larger zoos.

It is simply amazing how much they have "shoehorned" into a very small space wedged along the 101 freeway at the east end of Santa Barbara. If you have young kids, the exhibits are all engaging and there are many food options (order food for now online) and they have several big green lawn areas for the kids to let off steam.

They have a cute train that circles the zoo that is actually worth it as you get to see some key animals, such as the lions, up close at the "back fence " of their enclosure from the train, and it also crosses by the big brackish lagoon.

This is not a "world class zoo" so set your expectations accordingly, and some indoor exhibits and ranger talks are not yet back in operation.

However, you will still gets some exercise as it is built into a hill and, at least for now, you will have a very leisurely and unhurried 1-2 hour visit, so just enjoy the day.

Note that parking is rather steep at $11 (and this must also be ordered and paid for ahead of time online). However, we saw a sign that suggest that ADA folks (wheelchair car tag) get to park for free.

This is a small, compact zoo with wonderful landscapes, great exhibits, great animals, great view of the ocean. Because it's small, it doesn't have a large range of animals found at the larger zoos - but it's easy to walk the entire zoo in about 2 - 3 hours, taking your time to enjoy the animals. There are places for the kids to play and picnic areas. Take a look at their website to get a better idea of what animals are there. Also there's a $11.00 parking fee besides the admissions fee. The day I went, they didn't charge me to park. Not sure why, but I didn't complain!

A small zoo but great on conservation. The variety of animals was great. You can spend a hour or longer highly recommend

Travelled some distance with young children to see the zoo. Arrived to try and pay on the day and told there were no free slots for 3 hours citing capacity issues. I had to end up in a debate with the kiosk attendant before the manager stepped in. We agreed to buy tickets and come back expecting thronging crowds leaving, not the case so made the admission situation look a farce.

The zoo itself is ok, it was great to see the giraffes, lions and gorillas quite up close. I know it’s a small zoo but it could be a lot better, signage and exhibit information is quite poor. You are just told to look at your phone, well the people running this zoo mustn’t use phones as if they did the would realize trying to walk around in glaring sunlight looking at a small screen with young children is not realistic or remotely easy to do.

There isn’t really anyone or anything selling food/refreshments. We tried 5 vending machines to get just basics as water, all out of order or empty. Poor.

The staff could do a lot more to interact with guests and as it’s a zoo having them talk about the conservation they do and the animals would be appreciated.

As I say it’s ok, but with just a bit of extra effort and attention to detail could be a lot lot better.

Hopefully the management will appreciate and act on the feedback for future guests.

Great Zoo , I love their Gift Shops, went with my niece and her family and really enjoyed it, this zoo is Beautiful and Big..

None of this review is directed towards the staff. I had a group of sixteen students and we arrived early. We were a school group but not officially (my email requests had gone unanswered) but we were let in with the other school groups just the same. That is very much appreciated. Also, the facilities were clean and everyone was friendly.

This review is directed towards the quality of life of certain animals at the zoo and is being left on behalf of my students (older teens) who were very upset by some of the things they saw. The giraffe enclosure was too small and crowded and lacked enrichment. The gorilla lives alone, an unnatural situation. The lion lives alone, also unnatural. The worst, though, is the elephant. This poor girl is in an enclosure that is too small and mostly mud. The whole time we were there, she stood with her head up against a tree. One of my students--a young man about to enter college to become a conservationist--asked. They had two elephants. One died. The zoo accreditation group told them their enclosure was too small and they could not obtain a new elephant. Rather than rehome their current one, they are keeping her until she dies. Elephants are herd animals. This is cruel.

The staff of this zoo is kind and accommodating; however, I will never return, nor will I bring another group unless the conditions improve, especially for the larger animals. Zoos are about both education and conservation. This one one seems to place too much value on profit and too little on the health and happiness of the animals in its charge.

This zoo has good exhibits, aiming for quality, not quantity. Best spot for us was the penguin pool, with a staff member feeding them fish and talking about penguins as long as we stayed. We had some trouble navigating with the map, but staff were always eager to orient and direct us.

Never been here before but was happily surprised! There were Elephants, lion, gorillas, monkeys, lots of different birds, giraffes, turtles, foxes and more. The best part was they all seemed happy and it was a great environment next to the ocean.

The gardens are beautiful and it is way bigger than it looks. I would highly recommend. My husband and I went without kids and still had a wonderful time.

We visited on a Tuesday at opening. There is good parking, which might be a challenge later in the day. We budgeted $37 for our trip to the zoo. But being disabled seniors we wound up paying $26 total. Hint: get your tickets online to avoid the lines. We had been here 20 years ago and it is so much better by leaps and bounds. The animals seem happy and are in nice enclosures. There are no prison cells. Watch out for the mommies and little kids. A very happy place!

This zoo is across the street from the beach adjoining a small lake which makes it an ideal setting for kids. We are members of the Sb zoo and go at least once a month. There is always something fun happening for the kids daily. The zoo is on the smaller size and I would say you can go through the whole thing in 2 hours. The only thing about this zoo is the food court situation. It is lousy and very $$ for basically fair food.
I think an upgrade to the zoo restaurant experience is needed BAD! We recently went to the Fresno zoo and they upgraded their restaurant and it is ideal for a zoo. I think Sb zoo needs to look into re doing the top food court and create a beautiful setting for lunch as well as for events. This can be very productive for the zoo. Honestly we don't want to ever have lunch there because it is so meh not appealing. Other then that this zoo is amazing and a definite must see while in the area or even stuck in traffic passing through, it is right adjoining to the 101 and it is a nice break to walk around and enjoy.

The grounds of the zoo are gorgeous! The birds were fabulous. I loved unobstructed views of the elephants and giraffes. However, because of its small size some of the exhibits has to be behind glass and I felt sorry for the animals because habitats weren’t that big. I live in a city with a large zoo with a lot of land, so I am spoiled. However, the views of either the ocean or mountains can’t be beat. I did not visit petting zoo, but I was told it was very nice. I did see black swans for the first time which was exciting.

Loved this...great walk! Good variety for such a small place. Very kid friendly with easy to follow course.

My grandkids love to go to the Santa Barbara zoo and do so on every visit here. The feeding of the giraffe is a major part of that visit as is the train and climbing wall.

A really nice, open paddock zoo, Small enough to see in one day. Little train ride around the park. You can feed many of the animals.

Love just going to the zoo to chill and relax for a couple of hours. I would rate the SB zoo as one of the best in the US for the fact it has amazing grounds, ocean views and is just a cool little small zoo.

We were visiting Santa Barbara and took our young grandchildren to the zoo. I’ve only ever been to one other zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo, in my hometown. The Santa Barbara Zoo is small by comparison, but we had a very pleasant visit. Our family membership from the Cincinnati Zoo was honored and saved us part of the entrance fee. We stayed about two hours and saw almost all of the animals. Of course there aren’t as many animals as in a bigger zoo, but a good variety nonetheless, and we enjoyed the plants throughout. The only thing that bothered me was the murkiness of the water that surrounded the alligators and other animals because it was harder to see the animals and made me wonder if the water was clean enough. The areas where the public walked were clean and very nice. This zoo is worth a visit if you’re in the area.

The Santa Barbara Zoo feels like it's part zoo and part park. There are many open spaces which seem to want a picnic in them. The staff there is accommodating and highly knowledgeable. Also, the zoo is small enough for a day trip to see everything. Some zoos are more packed with things, but this one you can do in a day. I recommend the giraffe feeding! It's a nice treat to get so close to these gentle giants!

In short, beautiful and accommodating. Just wow!

So so sooo impressed with the party experience. Working with Tanner from prebooking to the day of the event was beyond expectation. He provided insight for the different venues available and I decided on the most beautiful location (in my opinion-hexagon tables). I had lots of things to be put together. No problem! The golfcart ride with allllll the decorations was fun. Then, Tanner called for more help (he will help with any part of set up too!). I’m talking table covers, table skirts, banners, centerpieces, food tables, dessert table and accents! The accommodations are absolutely incredible. After all Tanner said,”if you NEED ANYTHING please let me know”. Well of course I forgot the lighter and Tanner got one to me, I left the salt at home.... and Tanner got me some. He quite literally means what he said! Since the guests are often off visiting the animals, I highly recommmend the train ride. Touring the zoo together is such a great experience for the kids and adults too! Having an itinerary for the party helps to keep your guests informed of when to get back to the party too. It was everything I had envisioned when I decided to have it at the zoo. Best of all Tanner had such great enthusiasm all throughout the day-it’s like he doesn’t burn out! I highly recommend having your party here if your looking for a venue that feels like home but is set in an amazingly beautiful location.

Pretty good! Basically! It's a good zoo, pretty small though. If you get there for opening you can get it done in a morning. Seems to be great for kids, lots of activities and interactions for them.

This Zoo is a wonderful surprise right in Santa Barbara. It has a varied group of animals seemingly centred on Africa but with some variety. The animals generally are in good cages with excellent viewing areas. Worth going just to see the California Condor if you have never seen one.

Santa Barbara Zoo is not a huge zoo, but it is fun place to go to view different animals. It's a kid friendly zoo with interactive descriptions about the animals. There is a short train ride that will take you around the zoo.From Flamingos to Tigers to Elephants there are certainly a vast variety of animals to observe. I like this zoo because it's close to the ocean, easy to get to, ample parking and it's not overwhelming.

We spent a half day at the zoo with two young grandsons -- and were very impressed: by the layout, by the staff, by the collection of animals and birds, and by the various activities that were kid-centered add-ons. Just a delightful experience for those visiting this charming city.

There are dozens of acres devoted to this zoo right near the heart of Santa Barbara. Thus, it is large, while still being intimate. There are numerous animals from Africa, with a lion, leopard, giraffes and monkeys, while birds, reptiles and otters round out the offerings. The cages are big enough to allow the animals some freedom, while small enough to allow you to see them. There were only one or two animals that we didn't see, but we were probably just impatient. The tortoises are seen sunning themselves, as was the alligator. The river otters were playful in the water and on land. The monkeys had enough room to swing in the trees and chatter amongst themselves. A very extensive frog exhibit, along with some aquatic species were also on view. The silverbacks were really close and allowed for an extended experience. The zoo is not crowded, although I didn't see any limits stated. The paths are well laid out, with a train going around the entire facility. Areas for refreshment are well stocked. Overall, a great zoo in an unexpected locale.

It's not the biggest of zoos, but I felt like it had a lot to offer. Obviously if you goto one of the big zoos you are going to see a lot more... but don't be deterred here.

We took my 2 yr old daughter here while on vacation. She had a great time. They have a wide variety of animals...lions, tigers, birds, snakes, giraffes, elephants, gorillas, etc.

They have a big grass area for kids to play...also they hold shows for kids to watch. My daughter especially loved the train ride around the zoo (you have to pay extra but worth it).

If you are looking for some kid activities in or around SB, stop by here. We enjoyed our trip here!

The staff was very friendly and very knowledgeable

This zoo has several animals from flamingos to elephants and there is a train ride that goes through the zoo. Wonderful place to take children.

All along the Santa Barbara Pier, artisans of all kinds display their wares every Sunday. From
hand drawn posters, paintings, jewelry, hand drawn silk clothing

and more, there's something for everyone at reasonable prices. Then walk up the pier for a snack,lunch or ice cream, or take an ocean ride on "Lil Toot" and then go into the small but lovely sea museum, and youre done. Paid parking on site.

Such a sweet little zoo. Not too big and overwhelming. Well taken care of and clean. My toddler just loved it. They have a nice little play area for the kids too.

Santa Barbara zoo is small when compared with San Diego but they have many animals to view. The zoo is clean and well maintained and is lovely to walk around. The enclosures actually seem fairly large when compared to other zoos I have visited. They have a nice play area for smaller children. If you have food intolerances bring your own food as their snack bar doesn’t have many options if you are gluten free. Also they use soybean oil for their deep fryer if you are avoiding soy . Overall a great visit.

This zoo is gorgeous! It’s small so it’s easy to get around and you can see everything in just a couple hours. You can also feed the giraffes which was pretty awesome! The zoo itself was very clean and the animals look to be well taken care of. 10/10 would recommend!

So grandma and grandpa decided to drive down and take the grandkids to the Santa Barbara Zoo for a day visit. For a zoo, it is on the small side which was fine for the attention span of a 2 and 4 year old. However, for what you get to see, it is way too much money. First off, we get hit with an $11 parking fee to park the car. I noticed lots of cars parked on the street outside the zoo property and I now know why. The entry fee for the two adults and two toddlers amounted to $56. At lunch time we needed to eat, so we ordered at the only venue that was open which is basically a fast food grill. Two kid’s meals plus a cheeseburger and a Caesar salad lightened the wallet by over $50 more. The 2 year old got tired of walking, so we invested in a stroller for $7, which was really the best value we got all day.

The kids had fun for the 3.5 hours we spent, but $144 for the time (and this doesn’t include the money dropped at the gift shop for the kids which was discretionary on our part) felt like a bit of a rip off. We could have got into the LA Zoo for the same price, but this isn’t anything like that facility. If you are planning on going, park outside and bring your own food to save a few bucks

One of the best zoos around! Very walkable
And to top it off, ocean views!
Love this place! Spoiled animals and humans!

We went recently on a school field trip and had a splendid time with the diversity of animals and care that was taken into the creation of the exhibits.

We always took family when they came into town, grown ups or kids, its a fun place to walk all over, or just sit and enjoy the gorgeous views of the ocean, the islands, since it sits up high.

Be aware that Santa Barbara Zoo refuses to honor reciprocity with members of other AZA Zoos. They claim this is because of COVID (?!?). Yet they advertise that a benefit of membership to their zoo grants their members at least 50% discount to every other AZA zoo in California. What a joke!

Also, if you get there at 9: 30, be prepared for most of the exhibits to have no animals in them.

Also, on less busy days you can easily park outside of the parking lot and avoid the overcharge there.

It was clean and walkable. Perfect size for our family. We spent about 90 minutes there and did the train.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is small but nicely done. It's located in a beautiful area with an ocean view which makes it especially delightful. I suggest you get there early as the animals may be more available. We were there in the middle of the day and most critters were asleep or hidden away which was disappointing. We had very warm weather so that may have had something to do with it.

Smaller than expected and a bit pricey but beautiful grounds and views. Very clean zoo. Paid around $18 for parking.

We stumbled upon this zoo and we were so happy that we did! Our daughter loved it and so did we. What a hidden gem!

I’ve been going to this zoo for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved it. It’s a smaller zoo but is absolutely worth the trip. Absolutely can spend an entire afternoon for most people, or longer. They do a great job with exhibits and animal care.

Really enjoyed 2 hours Halloween morning at the Santa Barbara Zoo. My boyfriend and I were the first ones in right at 10am. We spent two hours walking around, gorgeous well kept grounds with lots of trees, flowers, cactuses etc...
Lots of interesting reptiles and fish. Gorillas and Giraffes oh and the penguins were our favorite. The Lion was asleep lol and the leopards were "hiding". The last elephant died last month after a very long life. Sad to hear they will not get anymore elephants. Hopefully they can get a tiger? zebras?
The only reason not 5 stars and a recommendation for management is to list where the animals are from on every sign. I had to look up several animals and find out oh they live in Africa or Chile or Americas...it would be easy to incorporate this at the zoo...have a world map and print out decals highlight where the various animals are from...
Lastly staff was great especially near the farm animal exhibit.

So many memories of coming here in the 70's with my young daughter!!! Here we are in 1978!
So peaceful and well-cared for back then.

A smaller but fun packed zoo, it a great way to spend a day in Santa barbara. All the regular animals r here & a few hidden surprises await you, just behind a rock...

Not to big not to small. Can be easily walked and enjoyed in one day with the little ones not loosing interest along the way. Rode the train and was definitely worth it just for the bad jokes by the conductor. Ha ha

On a recent trip to Santa Barbara I picked up a brochure for the zoo at my hotel. It had been awhile since I'd been to a zoo, and I was excited to check it out. While fairly small (around 30 acres), the grounds are kept up very nicely. I was a bit disappointed as overall their weren't very many animals and some of the enclosures were closed during our visit. However, it was a beautiful day, and can you ever go wrong visiting a zoo?! 🐒 🦁 🦒

This Zoo is just the right size for preschoolers. It has a very nice flow to it and your visit can be as short or long as you would like. The train ride was a lot of fun too!

This is a cool little zoo that has a variety of creatures from penguins to lions. The grounds are well-kept and the landscaping and views of the ocean while strolling between exhibits is great. Take the shuttle to the zoo for a relaxing afternoon activity. Animals seemed well and their environments looked clean.

If you’re in the area, then spare a couple of hours for the Santa Barbara Zoo. They have all the standard zoo animals and the enclosures are quite good and what you’d expect from a professional zoo that cares about its animals.

The only complaint I would have is with the take away food outlet near the entrance. Not sure if they were having a bad day but the service was terrible. Lost our order and didn’t really apologise. Took over 20 minutes to prepare a basic turkey sandwich.

That aside, well worth a visit.

This zoo is a hidden gem, walking distance from the Hyatt it overlooks the ocean, has a darling train and you can stuff your own zoo animal. The employees were very friendly they do need more restaurants because we had to wait along time to eat.

We love animals so had to visit and we were not disappointed. It is not as big as some city zoos but there was a great variety of animals and lots of activities for the families so kids seemed happy. Our favourites were the leopards and the giraffe feeding.

My husband and I rode our bikes from our hotel and had a fabulous time at the zoo! Nice variety of animals and information about them. Must see. The grounds are clean and the staff was very friendly!

I was really surprised at seeing such a spectacular zoo in the small city of Santa Barbara.
We did not expect the size and scope of the zoo along with wonderfully maintained landscaping and displays. This zoo is a full day excursion and well worth the time. My only complaint is the food is terrible, but you can bring a picnic lunch which is what I would recommend at this time.

We had a few hours before flying out and stopped in. That was more than enough time to see the zoo. It's definitely not somewhere to go if there are other things to see. It's very small, and a lot of the animals weren't available.

This zoo defied expectations and made for a very enjoyable few hours to see it all. Parking costs money or could you park along some of the nearby streets. The exhibits are attractive and cleverly placed in a way that is hard to convey. Perhaps they blend in with the surrounds in a way that makes their appearance a surprise instead of walking up to a metal and concrete eye sore. The staff is also very friendly and clearly likes their work and engaging with visitors about the animals. Mobile Internet is very spotty so be sure to have screenshots of any e-tickets ahead of time.

If you get a chance, definitely visit the SB Zoo! We went in early June and took the train ride around the perimeter because my son is obsessed with trains! While at the gift shop, he saw the space where a toy train was with his name but there weren’t any left. He was so sad! That night I went on the website and ordered one to be shipped to our house. About a week later I received a message that it had been delivered but I never received it?? I emailed the zoo and also called and no response. Since my son’s bday is in a few days, I decided to give one more call today and I’m so glad I did! Tanner answered the phone and listened to the whole saga. He told me he would call me later with an update… and he did! Not only that, he and Dee- an awesome railroad engineer and tour guide- looked through all the inventory and found the LAST ONE with my sons name on it!! Amazing! They also sent him an engineer badge for all the delay and this will be the highlight of my sons bday!!! I’m thrilled!
I had no idea I was lucky enough to speak with Tanner Linden, who is the guest services supervisor! Well, he and Dee certainly made sure our guest experience was fantastic! I so appreciate him listening and following through! The two of them are great examples of amazing people in the hospitality industry!
Don’t miss this place and hopefully you get to meet these two!

Good walk for the money you pay. It is not a big zoo but it is pretty well organized so you can’t really miss anything. Very clean and a decent variety of birds and animals. Also 2 interesting tropical exhibits. In the center of the zoo there it is a nice children playground so it is definitely a good option for families to spend a few hours. You can find enough vending machines along the visiting paths so you can get some water or a snack for very decent prices.

You can’t go wrong with Santa Barbara’s beautiful weather and ocean views, but this is a small zoo, and it seemed overpriced for the amount of time you can actually spend there. Be prepared to pay $8 for parking!

We got tickets for the zoo lights over New Year’s weekend. The weather was nice and the displays fun and different from other zoo lights and be seen.

There still remodeling the zoo to make it better. But we had a great afternoon looking at the animals and enjoying great food. I was really surprised how good the food was here. Its expensive but worth it. Alot exhibit were close so we do want to come back when everything opens. But we had fun going on the train. Plus we love the landscaping where kids can run around and have a picnic. Plus the ocean is so close that after the zoo you can go day. We had fun but coming from LA the traffic was terrible.

This zoo is very nice. The flora is beautiful and the fauna is fitting to the size of the property.

We went to the zoo for Zoo Brew. A wonderful event that gave us the opportunity to enjoy the zoo and the microbrews from the region.

We enjoyed the zoo. Lovely venues for each type of animal.
The children enjoyed the play area too.
We did have to carry strollers up some stairs. Odd

We went to this zoo mainly to practice wildlife photography in advance of a trip to Africa. We had mixed results as it was often impossible to photograph the animals without showing parts of their enclosures. That said, the zoo is small and manageable, there were lots of things going on for the kids, and we saw some unusual birds. It seems a bit pricey, although not really by Santa Barbara standards. We had a fun time looking at the flamingos, penguins, elephants, giraffe, condors, bald eagles, a giant pigeon, many reptiles, and an extremely endangered leopard. Overall, a delightful ecursion.

This zoo is located almost on the beach with a great mountain view in the other direction. Our 5 year old fed a giraffe and thought that was so fun. The train is enjoyable for everybody. Highly recommend for families with children.

We loved this small zoo, so much better than Sea World. Well in our budget and no loud music blaring out all the time. Very compact, just loved it as we could wander around easily.

Our family loves the SB Zoo. The highlight for my 7yr old is the kids play area. The kids, and some adults, slide down a hill on scraps of cardboard. It's hysterical to watch and a lot of fun. We walk and cover the zoo grounds at about 4hrs. I recommend checking the hours and such on the zoo prior to arriving. They close early at times for special occasions they have at the zoo. They also have weddings there too. Throughout the zoo, you have a cool air and a view of the ocean by the giraffes. We're from Los Angeles and a member of the LA Zoo, if you are as well, you can get a discount on the admission at SB Zoo. Parking is $10.

This was a fun easy walking zoo. Lots a great animals, the giraffes were my favorite and really fun to watch! It also had a very cute train that ran around the whole park. A fun time!

The Santa Barbara Zoo encompasses about 30 acres and is home to around 500 animals/birds/reptiles (Heaven knows how many bugs... the hissing cockroach exhibit was packed!). It is the perfect visit for a day with young children.

We took my two granddaughters, ages 4 and 2 and they had a wonderful time. I don't think they'll ever forget feeding the giraffes (extra fare). The exhibits are well laid out, and the cool temps of the community (we visited in December) means that the animals are fairly active. It's easy to get up close to the animals in the exhibits and they all appear content and well cared for. The orphan elephants have called the zoo home since the 1970's, and thank goodness there was a facility to take them when they needed it!

The zoo participates in the Condor repopulation efforts, and it's obvious that conservation is one of its priorities.

We rode the train (extra fare), and I highly recommend it, to orient yourself to the layout of the zoo. The little ones loved the sliding "ant hill", and as a special treat, there were a couple areas of artificial snow that they got to play in.

It is reasonably priced and plenty of activities and exhibits to spend a day.

The zoo is very fun to go to. It has been more of a pain to order food online, unlike before the pandemic, but you can bring your own food with you. The zoo is so much more beautiful than I remembered from pre-pandemic days, and I can't wait to bring my own food to have a picnic in the beautiful areas they have to sit down. If you want to do something like feed the giraffe's, you should look online to find out what time it will be open (1-2 pm) so that you can be there when it's open. I saw that train tickets were only available through purchase on the website, but many in the line purchased their tickets in the shop next to the train; but better safe than sorry to purchase them online. The zoo can seem "expensive" but this is just like many other companies that need a lot of money to keep their activities continuing. I think all of the money spent is worth it, but I suggest bringing your own food.

Lauren C gave this a bad review because she was upset that the zoo did not give her special treatment by breaking one of their rules, but she said that the zoo was fun to go to. This does show that the zoo really is enjoyable, even if they follow their rules and don't break them for a normal member.

We spent an enjoyable 3 hours strolling the grounds. Especially loved the aviaries. You can see it all in 3 hours and have time for lunch.

This is a fantastic zoo for families with small kids. It is small enough to visit in as little as two hours, yet it has a number of the larger animals. Animals include: Elephants, Lions, Giraffes and Gorillas. Our favorite is the Asian Small-clawed Otters.

We visited the zoo prior to a pre-wedding meeting that is scheduled at the zoo later this year. While not a lot of animals the enclosures are very nice.

20 min's to see it all, but really fun for kids. There's even a little train ride. And where else do the giraffes and lions have an ocean view.

This is a fun zoo with enough exhibits to keep young children entertained. The zoo is fairly small and an easy walk (not as many steep hills as other larger zoos). The train ride is a must, and giraffe feeding is also fun . There is a restaurant on site, amd a professional photo is taken upon entrance amd available for purchase at the end of the visit. The prices are reasonable. Parking is $11.00. We paid $40 for entrance for 2 adults, one child (& 2nd child free <2 yr age). The train ride is an additional $6.00 & our meal was $40.00. There are also stroller rentals available.

What a fun place to visit. Not the largest zoo, but up close views of animals. We paid extra to feed giraffe and ride train. Added to the visit, so it was worth it to us. If We heard they got some new animals, might go again. Don’t live in SB though, so not sure I’d make a special trip to go. It was worth a one time visit though.

My wife & I (from back East) were visiting our son who lives about 75 minutes from here. He has a family pass and thought we'd like to see our grandchildren enjoy the zoo. So we came here (paid our Senior rate admissions) and wandered about the zoo with them.

As zoos go, this one is "o.k." but having grown up near the St. Louis Zoo, I suppose I'm expecting too much of smaller zoos. I do admit that the kids (ages 2 and almost 6) had a great time. But, gee, they spent sooo much time playing on the slide-down hill
in the Kallman Family Play Area and Children's Garden that Grandma and Grandpa told their Dad that we were going off by ourselves for a while to... "see the zoo!"

Some "high points" for we seniors...

- The penguin exhibit was fascinating.

- It was interesting to see the Masai Giraffe feeding station in action.

- The Western Lowland Gorilla viewing setup is fantastic.

Some "low points" in our opinion...

- Many of the smaller animal exhibits were "behind wire fencing" and difficult to see, as opposed to some zoos (yeah, like St. Louis) that have open habitats "moated."

- One exhibit - I believe it was the porcupine - has a three-foot high wall in much of the area, so the critters might have been "hiding" behind the walls. I dunno, we didn't see any porcupines.

- The California condor was "away for medical treatment."

- We were told that the Asian elephant... had died.

While I think this zoo ranks a "3 - Average" as... a zoo, it could be considered a "5 - Excellent" experience for families with small children; i.e. the "fun factor." But to fully experience the "fun factor" be prepared to spend more $ with various added "kiddie activities" once you go inside; e.g. ride the mechanical tortoise, ride the unicorn, ride the small train, etc.

We did not have time to avail ourselves of the numerous "live shows" and "feedings." So if visitors allow for enough time at the zoo, they can get "more zoo for their money."

For our overall experience... seniors visiting with small children... I'm going with a "4 - Very Good."

Oh yeah... my "Title" entry about "navigating"... I dunno if we had jet-lag, or what, but both my wife & I had a hard time "navigating" the zoo using the various signs and curving walkways. I used the admission-map, and I have a B.A. in Geography, but I STILL found myself "wandering in confusion." (Yeah, I'm a senior, alright.) We were sooo happy when we encountered Dana on the zoo staff who asked if she could help us, as apparently we looked confused. Thankfully she got us "back on track" with what we wanted to see.

This zoo is adorable! Very well kept and lots to see. For a small fee you can feed the Giraffes which we did and was pretty cool. During some seasons Santa Barbara has a shuttle to take tour around town which is what we did to get to the zoo from our hotel. It's a short walk from the Main Street to get to the zoo entrance.

Nice, medium sized zoo. Very easy to walk. Got great photos of so many animals. The baby giraffe was adorable. You can walk through an enclosure with many different types of kangaroos.

The Santa Barbara Zoo might not be sprawling, but it's quaint, engaging, and full of warmth. Whether you’re local or just visiting, it’s an ideal sweet spot for a leisurely half-day outing. Perfect for families, couples, or a low-key solo exploration.

THE Santa BARBARA zoo is VERY popular in SB, I HAVE BEEN able to see this zoo lots OF times, if YOUR in SB do not miss THE Zoo, i used to live in Ventura CALIFORNIA, if i WOULD have loved to live in Santa BARBARA, and NOT Ventura CALIFORNIA, SB is MUCH nicer than Ventura, next time.

My family w 2 nephews went here (1.5 + almost 5)...was a great, easy, fun day. The animals are awesome, of course, and they had a big selection given it isn't a huge zoo. We did the little train ride, it was ok - a large part was more the background scene of the zoo and not really lots of animals, but cute nonetheless (you wouldn't miss anything if you missed out on it tho). I liked the kids play areas, that was a great option. Overall, it was a nice little zoo.

While this zoo is not large, it is charming. A great place for children, easy to see all the animals in a day, lovely places to picnic AND a charming miniature train ride around the perimeter. Factor in the (usually) beautiful weather and superb location and you have a perfect family outing!

beautiful setting, with some great animals. If you have small kids, bring a cardboard box to slide down the astroturf hill, kids love it! You can see it all in about 2 hours, if you really want to...

Girlfriend and I had a wonderful time. Something about animals that make you forget about the world for 2 or 3 hours. We liked the fact the website was easy to navigate. The visitors were respectful and cordial to each other, your staff was helpful and pleasant. The only suggestion we have might be to have some artists or maybe even some special needs students paint some animals on the buildings the train goes by. I know it would be fun for us and the kids would probably love it. Thanks again for a GREAT day. We will be back.

During my recent visit to the zoo, I purchased the "feed a giraffe" experience. On the ticket, it gave 2 time periods to go feed them, which was nice as it allowed us to plan our day. We waited in line for about 30 minutes. The cost is $8 USD and we were given no more than 6 leaves of romaine lettuce. Our time with the giraffe was less than 5 minutes so overall the experience was more underwhelming than anything.
I will say this... get there when the park opens to get a parking spot and avoid long lines. We got there about 10:30 on Labor Day and hardly waited at all throughout our day. We were able to see all of the exhibits and the whole zoo in about 4 hours.
If you don't want to pay $11 for parking, there is a park nearby and street parking as well nearby but I don't know if there is a limit to how long you can park there.

Great way to spend an afternoon. This little zoo has a great variety of animals and birds. The staff is very knowledgeable about each of their animals they care for. We did the giraffe experience and you could tell the team members really enjoyed themselves introducing the giraffes and talking about them....and the giraffe was very approachable and knew its "people" were there and were going to give them treats. Feeding the giraffes is definitely the highlight, but the entire zoo is beautiful to walk around.

We stopped on the way from Santa Ynez Valley to LA. Clean, well-maintained exhibits and young, friendly staff. We saw animals out at every exhibit. Not sure if that was good luck or the norm. Very pleasant way to spend a couple hours on a Sunday morning. To be fair, I'm comparing SB to the LA Zoo which is an embarrassment to the city and zoos in general, so anything is a step up. We didn't eat there, so I can't speak to the food. We had lunch 2 miles away at La Super Rica Taqueria, a great Mom and Pop taco stand with rave reviews on Yelp. Outstanding food and service. Cash only.

Had a relaxing morning wandering round this nice wee zoo, which is well kept and doesn't mean your legs are aching after a real hike after going round. I went during the week when it was quiet. GIven its size I suspect at weekends it gets a bit rammed.

Like many other attractions in Santa Barbara, this Zoo is very educational and informative in an interesting and 'fun' manner. Kids seem to love to visit it again and again.

The Train inside the Zoo is a nice treat and great way to get around the perimeter to help you prioritize which exhibits to see and in what order. It is a simple, yet roomy enough seating and the trip circuit doesn't last too long, or too short.

Food offerings are relatively healthy, pricey but not as overpriced as other similar venues can be.

Highly recommend, particularly for families with children.

This is such a beautiful zoo! Everything was clean, informative, and easy to see. We had some older members to our party and there were plenty of places for them to sit and rest. My favorite part was the view. I could see the giraffes and the ocean all at once! The landscaping inside the zoo was gorgeous also with lots of flowers!

I went to see the new baby giraffe, and wasn't disappointed. Was watching the lion while he roared, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Quite an amazing juxtaposition. The zoo only needs an hour or so to see, unlike huge destination zoos like San Diego.

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 place or for the late time we were there or a combination of those things. Since they were only doing reservations, we had one available timeframe left , which was at 5pm. The hours are regularly till 5, but I guess they extended till 7 because of the reservations they had in place. So, to begin with, if there had been available slots, it would have been better to had gotten the earlier times when the animals would be awake. I think most of them had turned in for the day during our time because they were used to being closed by then. On top of that, it seemed like they were moving half the exhibits around, so a lot of empty enclosures because of that. And along comes corona, which shuts down all the indoors parts, so that’s about 75% of the zoo you don’t get to see with just those things. And half of the remaining parts that still had animals looked in a pretty sad state, like they didn’t have enough staff to fund to properly take care of the place. I noticed most of the areas where there was water either looked very dirty or needed refilling. The water hole with the one lonely giraffe looked half filled, another where the lions were I think, was like a waterfall kind of thing overflowed with moss. Seemed all the bird water areas were covered in poop, more than they should be, poor penguins looked like they were bathing in poop simply because their entire enclosure was covered in it and the water too, so there was no clean surface for them to slide around on. Overall, not the best zoo experience I ever had. Most likely they keep the hours just to get the income, but honestly would probably be better for them to not be open so late if there aren’t any animals to see...

The Zoo has very few attractions any more. They advertise the Capibara's but there are none there. Could not find any person to answer questions. Very disappointing.

Our family was in Santa Barbara for my husband's birthday. We went to the zoo for a fun activity with our four adult kids and our four grandsons, ages 9, 7, 5, and 2. This is not a giant, every animal species alive kind of zoo. It's fairly small and you can see it all in 3 to 4 hours. There is really something for everyone, but it does help to visit the zoo's website to get the most out of the visit. My advice is to get tickets to feed the giraffes. You are given several pieces of lettuce, and the giraffe will poke his head up and eat the lettuce right out of your hands. It was a little intimidating for the youngest one but still a lot of fun. There are 3 free dinosaur shows, where a pretty realistic "t-rex" refuses to get his teeth brushed, but once he does the kids can come up and he will sniff and snort at them. That was a definite hit for all four grandkids. For the older ones, there is a lot of information about the animals on signs in front of the cages, so they get just a little education along the way. There is a restaurant at the entrance to the zoo. We didn't know what was on the menu so I emailed the zoo and got a quick, friendly reply. They have salads, sandwiches, and the usual kid fare. Also go on the train ride. Sometimes you get a better view of the animals from the train. The kids also enjoyed one of the elephants getting a pedicure. It's kind of hard for the little ones to get a good view of the monkeys and birds, but the zoo habitat is big so that's the trade off. When they get bored walking around, there's also face painting, crafts, and a hill where the kids slide down on pieces of cardboard. There is also a rock climbing wall for my grown up kids! To sum it up, plan your day to see some activities only available at certain times, and be ready for some sticker shock. Parking is $11, food is expensive, and you'll have to pay for the train and to feed the giraffes, and for the rock climbing wall. And of of course for souvenirs. All in all, It's a great family day in beautiful Santa Barbara, and I highly recommend it!

One of my favourite zoos in the world!! Been here maybe ten times. It’s beautifully laid out with a lovely green area and gardens. There is also a train ride and different activities for the kids. The volunteers are soo friendly and love talking about the animals. There are lots of photo opportunities and several eating areas and stores! The Santa Barbara trolley stops right outside and only costs 50c to get back to Stearns Wharf where you can cross over the road onto the Downtown shuttle.

Don't believe the website. The Zoo is not a good experience during this phase of the pandemic. They charged full price but half of the exhibits were closed and others viewing very restricted by guidelines in place. Many groups of non-mask wearing kids (from Kids Camp?) running around. We spent less than an hour then left. It's a nice Zoo when things are normal; don't ruin the experience in today's environment.

Actually, I would’ve rated this 4.5 mainly because it’s a bit pricey to me, and no senior discount. Then there is the added fee to take the short train ride around the zoo, which we did enjoy. That fee was okay, but again no senior discount.
Other than the above, you get to view such a variety of animals in different themed areas. And the exhibits and grounds seem well maintained, animals look healthy and calm. My favs were the Meerkats, young capybara, penguins and blue crowned pigeon (gorgeous).
There are areas for kids to play and benches here and there if you need to sit a bit. It is a large facility so allow yourself a few hours to take it all in.

Santa Barbara Zoo is a gem! We initially attended a silent auction and were allowed to walk around. Because it was so amazing and we had to get back to the dinner, we went back on a weekend day where we could really enjoy the zoo. Get your walking shoes on because it's bigger than what you would expect. There is a train for the kiddies to ride that takes them through the zoo. The attractions are wonderful. We specifically wanted to see the penguin Lucky who wears a special shoe made by Teva sandals. This shoe helps Lucky swim and be normal like the other penguins. I highly recommend visitng the Santa Barbara Zoo!

This zoo is so beautiful! They have a great variety of animals and we loved the open play areas for kids and the open areas around the zoo where you can sit and relax. Highly recommended for young kids, we took our 4 year old son and we also took him on the train ride they have around the zoo. We also rented the stroller and it has a little steering wheel on it that our son loved lol

This zoo isn’t very big one. But it is clean and cozy inside.
You can see most of the animals very close and some of the birds you can almost touch or take a very close look.
You can pay for feeding the giraffe (it costs about 8$ for adult) and then you get very close to them too. You can also buy food to feed goats and sheeps and children love to do so.
The animals does look happy and relaxed and you are not feeling sorry for them all the time (for them being in the cages).
They do have several souvenir shops with a nice stuff.
I do recommend to visit it even if you have nothing else to do (cause there is not many places to go in Santa Barbara anyway). I enjoyed it even I’ve seen much bigger zoos before. Especially interesting for the small kids under 8.

It will take you 2 hours to go around the all zoo. Venue is quite nice, green and great location, close to the warf. Animals seem to be happy and the staff is switch on and passionate. They just invited koalas in and we found them quite awake and entertaining. It is a nice little zoo but no competition to the one in San Diego!

We have done a party at the zoo for the last 2 years for my daughter's birthday (her 2nd and 3rd birthdays) and the zoo has been a GREAT location! She loved the giraffe feeding and the train ride and it was so easy for me as Tanner the Zoo Coordinator did most of the work and checked in throughout the party to make sure everything was going as planned. I would highly recommend booking a party at the zoo!

Our kids love this zoo as it is very child friendly. It is educational and also easy to navigate. Best to go during weekdays

This is a relatively small zoo but beautifully kept and it felt much more like a park than many other zoo's Ive seen. The animals are extremely heath and happy looking and the knowledge of the wardens is amazing. A great day for nature, knowledge and fun.

First time I have ever been to a Zoo that requires a membership and/or a reservation. Had they been busier, we would have been turned away. The cost for adults (no discounts) was too much for the size of the Zoo and for the viewing of the collection. We appreciated the many volunteers/staff at various locations to provide additional information.

The zoo has really gone downhill. I had not been for the last 10 years and was pretty disappointed. The kids who serve as employees at the entrance don't even smile or welcome you. They give you nothing and just point to a faded map sign beyond the entrance.Then we walked in ..the first thing I noticed is how dirty, messy and old everything looked. The restrooms have not been remodeled in years. There were weeds and dead leaves in most of the enclosed areas ...where are the gardeners? Seeing the animals is always great but seeing raw meat in the hot sun for the carnivores just hanging over logs is not especially appealing. Wondering if they are cutting back on hiring employees..sure seemed like that. I will not be going back until things improve. San Diego Safari park is so much better by far and worth the drive!

This zoo was a wonderful surprise. I was a bit skeptical of the zoo at first but the size and quality was perfect for adults and small kids.

As a belated birthday gift to me I wanted our family to meet up at the Zoo. Our daughter and her family are in the So Cal Valley and our son and his family are in Santa Maria area. We're from the San Fernando Valley. So we set out time for 11 AM and all met there. Six adults and 5 children ranging in age from 2 to 8. The kids were excited, so off we set. Flamingos and swans and ducks, oh my. Bigger attraction for the 2 year old. Snakes and turtles and poisonous frogs mostly for the boys. So much fun and so relaxing of a walk for us Grandparents, with such lush surroundings and places to rest and play for the kids. We stopped for food but the restaurant by the top was closed for set up for a wedding, so the men went back down to order from the snack bar at the bottom. Hamburgers, chicken nuggets, sandwiches and drinks. Refreshed we left the 2 ducks in the fountain and went straight over to the train. We just missed the first one and had to wait 15 minutes or so for the next one. The kids enjoyed that too. All 5 Grandkids fed the giraffes too. The sky couldn't have been bluer and nice and warm. Wonderful day was had by all. Then off to dinner.

Just usual zoo but in a beautiful location and easy to access and walk to .. has usual amenities cafe and toilets

Many people have said this Zoo is the most beautiful zoo they have ever been to. Views of the ocean, and mountains are abundant. The little train is fun for all! The exhibits have been very well funded by generous benefactors, and are of very high quality. The animals have ample space in their environs. This all make for a wonderful experience for kids, and adults alike!

Small but very nice zoo. The layout was easy to follow and the foliage was beautiful. Additionally it helped keep the area shaded so it was a pleasant space to be in. The staff was very nice and accommodating.....but don't ask them to take pictures of you. It is against policy, I was told, to prevent liability issues. My 93 mom was with me and we both thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon there.

Not too big, but organized well. Parking is $11, $25/adult. Lots of animals, even has penguins. Next to the ocean, nice view.

Really nice zoo, some excellent enclosures, and unusual and interesting animals like the Island Fox and Californian Condor. We particularly enjoyed the talk about the Amur leopards - the keeper was knowledgeable and happy to answer our questions and tell us more about the animals.
Although it’s not a large zoo, we spent several hours here, enjoying the gardens and views as well as the variety of animals. There seemed to be a lot of good activities for children.

We are used to large zoos with lots of animals. The Santa Barbara zoo was small but well designed and beautiful. It is shady and very well maintained. It is an enjoyable place to visit.

This is a really nice small zoo. The grounds are really nice, lots for the kids to do and ocean views in places.

Santa Barbara has a lot to offer! It is really nice to enjoy the beach, go shopping, enjoy the food. When you have some extra time I would really recommend to visit the zoo! It's very small, but so so cute! It was awesome seeing some animals while seeing the sea in the background! The animals have beautiful cages and the ambiance is nice!

Everyone is so nice who works at the zoo. The zoo is clean but smells bad everywhere in comparison to the Ohio zoos. There are really gorgeous macaws in the zoo. There are also neat animal exhibits, just not a ton of animals at the zoo. We got through the entire zoo in an hour and a half amd saw everything.

Great little zoo with big grassy areas looking over East Beach and the ocean. Great for anyone but especially families and kids (or those who are kids at heart)

This is a smaller zoo that is impeccably maintained with lots of interactive things for kids to do. Adults without kids would also enjoy spending several hours here in this ocean adjacent location.

It is a greta zoo you can actually navigate in a few hours. I performed a wedding there a number of years ago. Great fun.

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.

We have been to many zoos in California and this one by far is the best! A lot of animals including gorillas and lions. Very easy layout to navigate

Took grandchildren and we have all been to the LA Zoo, this however was really great, smaller scale but very well designed. Many exhibits.lots of shade, places to sit, great play area for kids, picnic tables so definitely bring lunch. Animals great and unusual. Some not in the larger zoos. Two cafe’s to purchase food- expensive. One suggestion when you call they should tell you the one restaurant will be closed for private party the day your going. Suggestion call the day before you plan to go and ask if both restaurants will be open in case you don’t want to picnic. Would definitely go again. Discounts available be sure to inquire prior to going.they honor memberships for admission from LAZoo.

So glad we went. Definitely on the smaller side, but great views and good animal exhibits. The penguins are my favorite and have a great place to view them. We talked to a very nice volunteer at the giraffe enclosure who was very knowledgeable. We spent about 90 minutes here and enjoyed it.

I have visited several local Southern California zoos because of kids (LA, San Diego) and this is the best by far. Not too big especially when you are traveling with young kids. The location is awesome, right near the ocean and because of that, the weather is usually nicer. They had multiple shows which were nice. You can cover the whole zoo in half a day. Love it.

Looking forward to coming back so we can go to the Santa Barbara Zoo. We saw these animals during their feeding. Very beautiful day for traveling. Glad we did it.

We live in L.A, 1.5 hours away, and have a year-pass. Our kids like this zoo since it's much more "intimate" compared to the L.A. zoo and not nearly as busy, so they get to see more things, and do more things.

We like it since it's not as hot as the L.A zoo. The animals in general seem happier too. The little train is a favorite for the kids (but after having done it now 10x, the novelty is wearing off). The wait time sometimes is a bit bad though.

The giraffe feeding is still fun.

Keep in mind it's a small zoo, not that many animals, but it's well kept, friendly staff, fun things for kids. Good for 3 hours of fun when in Santa Barbara

We stopped in a did the zoo one day, for a small zoo it has a gtreat deal to offer especially for children. We really enjoyed the aviary where they has macaws roaming freely, watching them play and talk.

I saw some of the reviews and say it was rated at #4

But I just don't see it.
The zoo can be done within an hour or so not to much to see and some of the animals look disarray.

The bald eagle they have looks terrible
The penguin was biting itself to spots; might be sick.
The fox was running around looking for an escape route.
The enclosures are so tiny it's like they don't have space to move.

Tickets are 17 for adults
And 6 for a train ride

Train ride which is honestly a waste of time. It says it shows you the behind the scenes, it really just trailers and buildings. The only thing you do get to see is the giraffes & 1 lion from the back side.

I can see it was would be good for kids to kill a day doing some sorta activity.

This is such a great zoo. You can see everything in 2-3 hours and they have the best animals, reptiles, etc...Gorillas, Giraffes, Lions, Bald Eagles, Monkeys, Pink Flamingos and more!!!

I usually don't like going to the zoo, but i have to say that this one feels a lot like a natural reserve. Animals are not kept in cage but they have the space to roam around in their enclosure. Great the idea of the little train that takes you on the backstage tour of the zoo .

This is a beautiful zoo with a surprisingly large collection of animals. If visiting in the summer I would recommend going when they open in the

This zoo has a small footprint. I first visited as a stroller child. Later I took my daughter there also. I was playing tourist in SB last year after having moved away over 15 years ago. I wanted to visit the zoo since I knew they were always striving to improve. I was impressed. The exhibits are wonderful, clean, and modern. They really use their property well to allow for many animals. I was very pleased to see the California Condor. Also the Channel Island Fox.

Since it's a small zoo it's fairly easy to look at everything in few hours. It is located on a hill so so there's lots of up and down. I was surprised that we had to pay for parking. The admission was pricey but I feel worth it. I'm glad I visited again.

We enjoy the zoo but with most things, it gets expensive. Train rides and feeding the giraffes are an additional cost as well as rock climbing.

Make sure to bring cardboard to ride down ant hill. Not to stress, people leave their cardboard all the time.

This is a smaller zoo and the train ride isn’t quite as exciting as I wish it would be but it’s a nice place to go.

Get there early or later in the day otherwise parking will get full. We ended up having to park around the corner near the baseball fields.

Camps here are fun for the kids. Not sure how it would be for a weekly camp but the daily ones are great. We also did a Girl Scout trip here which was fun. The girls were able to see a lot of behind the scenes things that you normally wouldn’t get to see.

Meal choices are extremely limited so make sure to pack your own lunches.

I visited the Santa Barbara Zoo for the first time with my 3 1/2 year old grandson this month. The zoo is beautifully situated and landscaped well. The playground kept him busy and it was creative. The animals are somewhat limited and the cages seemed small. He had a blast going to this zoo.

I’m talking about the Santa Barbara zoo CAMP. But the walk was terrible! And all the food was bad and vegan!Please do not go here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We enjoyed an afternoon walking the zoo. There were multiple volunteers or staff around sharing bits of information about the animals.

The zoo is not too large, but appears to have newer enclosures and a very friendly staff. Was a great way to spend a few hours.

I wish I could say my experience was as good as others, but I can’t. To begin, Sydney at the entrance was beyond rude. Second, they don’t even give you a MAP? Then, we run into the nasty Sydney again at the giraffe feeding and even though we had been standing in line she cut us off causing my little one to cry. YMMV but be cautious of rude employees.

Amazing light show. The figures were all3 dimensional with multicolored lights. Many also had some animatronics to them. The food concession was open for hot chocolate and even roasting marshmallows.

In the era of COVID-19 and lockdowns, we are fortunate that pretty much anywhere public like this is open. having said that, many of the indoor locations are closed. Nevertheless, this is still a good activity, especially for young children. There is not a huge collection of animals but they do have two lions , two leopards, 4-5 giraffe, some crocodiles, and other animals. This is quite a small zoo and you probably only need to allocate three and four hours to take everything in. You can take in food and drink and there are plenty of picnic areas. Bringing a blanket is a good idea. The staff are generally courteous and friendly. And the toilet facilities are good. Parking is $11 but you can probably get free parking nearby, if you do not mind a little walk. some of the animal enclosures were a bit small for our liking but overall we had a very enjoyable time here.

We have a family pass and often take our grandchildren. The pass gets you free parking and early admission. On weekends the parking lot can fill up by noon. The zoo is small enough to see it all in a few hours and the animals seemed well cared for and loved. There is a play are in the center for small children, a train that we always ride, and at noon there is a presentation with a dinosaur that involves the kids. Great fun!

My wife and I lived in San Diego for a number of years and were members at the San Diego Zoo. The Santa Barbara Zoo is not the San Diego Zoo but no other zoo is. This zoo maintains a high level of quality in a smaller package. The zoo has plenty of the big cats people love like lions and leopards. It has large african animals in giraffe. There are elephants too. The zoo is reasonably priced and you can do the whole zoo in 1-2 hours without pushing the pace. It makes a fun and relaxing half day in santa barbara and has excellent ocean views from some spots. Great for children and dates.

Location is great. Weather is pretty good almost 12 months out of the year. No bad time or season to go. One day is enough time to see everything. Great for kids of all ages.

It was a nice but small zoo. There were no elephants, no tigers, no rhinos, no hippos, no bison, no camels, no buffaloes... It was still a nice place to visit. The territory was beautiful. In "Australia experience" we could walk between kangaroos and wallabies. It was also a pleasant experience to be in the same enclosure with birds in "Wings of Asia". For example, a blue crowned pigeon with red eyes was sitting two feet from us.
Allow 2 hours.

Amazing zoo! The animals living areas are so clean and well kept. My hubby and I were their during " lunch time " and we able to watch the lions eat and listened to them talk to each other. Even the little train ride was so much fun! We will be back.

Grew up in SB going to this zoo. Now when I visit I take my daughter.Though not a big fan of zoos - this one is gorgeous and the animals seem to get good care. My daughter has enjoyed it many times.

We hosted my sons 1st birthday at the Santa Barbara zoo and I highly recommend it to all families. The entire experience was very well organized and helpful. They took care of the set up and clean up (which we can all agree is the most grueling part). They provided catering and modifications once my party arrived. Tanner and Sam were my event staff party hosts and they made sure we had what we needed at all times. The kids had plenty to do and parents had a nice shaded area to relax.

I do not typically like zoos, but this is my favorite, and only zoo I will ever take my kids too. The setting is beautiful, and peaceful. Its a small, quaint, and almost boutique style zoo. The employees are all awesome, and don't get irritated by all the questions from the kiddos.
There was even one employee by the silverback gorillas that spent a good 20 minutes or so answering all my questions regarding conservation efforts, and education me on what the SB zoo does for their animals. I was very appreciative of her knowledge, and passion. She was very informed, and educated me on all things silver back gorillas. It's because of this young lady that I have a different outlook on zoos, especially the SB zoo. My feelings are now positive instead of leaning towards the negative.
The grounds are very clean, and did I mention how beautiful the setting is? It really does feel like you are in a jungle, or rainforest. They have done an amazing job of replicating the natural habitat of the animals that live there.
Bob the train conductor was a delight! You can tell that he enjoys his job and really takes pride in working at the SB zoo.
If you plan on eating here, do not order the chicken nuggets. They tasted like they were sitting there for several hours, and resembled rocks. The were pretty hard too. That is the only negative. The nuggets. A bit pricy for rocks, but overall we had a wonderful experience.

My son, Rich,my grandson, Nixon-Lee, & I had a great time at the zoo.. the giraffe feeding was our favorite..

It was an interesting experience
We enjoyed all the animals especially the monkeys
I would highly recommend a visit there

The cage glass is clean so you can get clear pictures. There is very little food to choose from, I woudv'e been much happier if they had those little food carts that sell sno-cones or ice cream. The train that goes around the zoo costs $6.00 and no one rode it all day.

Great zoo. Especially liked the Gibbon habitat and giraffes have an ocean view! Only issue is you can't purchase food unless you order and pay online. They took credit card for entry and git shop but not food.

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 potential - Really sad! The other challenge is that there are no maps of the zoo. When asking a staff member about that they suggested that we "Might be able to locate something online" - pretty ridiculous.

Leaving Santa Barbara we visited the zoo because they had told us it was super pleasant and really worth it: we saw super well-treated animals and quiet in the appropriate environments, beautiful vegetation and full of families with children being encouraged from treating the animals well and even giving food to giraffes , to the gorilla. Valeu!

Just got back from the Santa Barbara Zoo - wonderful experience, beautiful grounds and layout, great selection of exhibits, nice activities for kids as well as adults. The grounds are spacious and lush with greenery. Make sure you get there early...the parking lot fills up fast - of course, parking is crazy everywhere in Santa Barbara!

This is a small and beautiful zoo, easy to see most everything in an afternoon. We had closeup views of gorillas, giraffes, lions and many other creatures. When our feet got tired, we hitched a ride around the perimeter on the photo-worthy little train. A fun outing, well worth a visit!

Beautiful park. Its compact, but well planned. It took us about 2 hours. Food is good, but whole ordering online from the app is a disaster. Emu and kangaroo enclosure is great. Overall, great park

Visited here with my family. Fantastic place for small children as it has great play areas as well as the added bonus of zoo animals. We went with my Teenager and 20 year old Daughter and was able to walk around it within 2 hours. You have the opportunity to feed the giraffes there too, which small kids would love to do. There is an added fee to your entrance fee if you wish to do this the Costis $8/adult, $5/adult for SB Zoo Members; $4/child, $2/child for SB Zoo Members.

This was an awesome experience. I enjoyed the open air feelimg. It is smaller than other zoos but I loved it. Great for families. You can see everything in a couple of hours or so. I highly recomend it.

Our first time at the Santa Barbara zoo. Not a big zoo, but has a nice layout, good animal exhibits. Enjoyed watching the “pumpkin smashing” by the elephants. Ideal zoo for families with young children. If you are in Santa Barbara, you should certainly check out the zoo!

This is a nice small zoo, with large zoo quality exhibits and unique species at peril in the wild that are being conserved here in partnership with world wide network of wildlife conservation organizations such as WCF. Easy parking

Feeding the giraffes alone made the trip worth it (extra cost) but we were very pleasantly surprised at this lovely smaller zoo. My kids were 8 and 10 and not bored. My mom loved the plants and views. Lots of diversity. Great educational component - each sign gives something actionable you can do to help that species, which I particularly loved.

My son loves trains and catching a train ride at the zoo never gets boring! Membership for locals pays for itself especially if you have a large family.

I didn't even know that Santa Barbara had a zoo but I'm glad I found out about it! This zoo is the perfect place to walk and see animals! This zoo is small and intimate compared to your large zoos in Los Angeles and San Diego! It not only has a nice collection of animals but it has a nice area for children to play as well as a nice hill for families to sit on to watch a show! There's eating spots as well as shopping available. I really enjoyed my time at this zoo!

A little disappointed with the zoo, a number of the animals were not in their enclosures for a number of reasons.

We did see a lion, some giraffes and gorillas and lots of birds but that was about it.

Lovely zoo staff very friendly we opted for the giraffe feeding experience the zoo operates a conservation program would recommend for younger families with picnic areas train rides check ahead as it doesn’t run every day can be toured in 2-3 hours

We enjoyed this well maintained zoo. It is easily do-able in 2.5 hours and a good experience for families with children 10 and under. Feed the giraffes! Good picture moment!

The SB Zoo is ideally located overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The SB climate being what it is, means the zoo is pleasant any month of the year you want to visit. It isn't the largest of zoos but has a good variety of animals and isn't overwhelming. You can see it easily in half a day. My grandkids, age 8, thoroughly enjoyed their visit which happened to include a dinosaur show. I remember visiting here years ago as an adult and found it delightful even then...without any kids in tow. Thackery and Edmond, the two koalas are adorable!

The zoo was very cool and had a great array of animals. The train ride around the zoo was fun and the conductor was funny!! Great place to see 🦁🐧🙉🐸🐊🦈s!!

We went to see the Christmas display of the Santa Barbara Zoo Lights. If you live within an hour or so from the Santa Barbara zoo, I would say it’s definitely worth it to bring the family. There were many families with young children.

We spent about two hours wandering around and taking photos of the various lighted exhibits.

The zoo re-opens at 4:30 PM for this exhibit and closes at 8:30 PM, however by 8 PM all of the food stands and other stores except for the store at exit were closed and locked up before 8 PM.

All of the exhibits were well lit and pretty cool to see. There was one exhibit, the leopards, where they forgot to turn the lights on or something was wrong.

We have been to the zoo during non holiday time and it’s a great little zoo that you can spend a couple hours at and now includes an area for Australian animals that you can walk among.

If you visit the Santa Barbara area, it’s worth a couple hours to check out the zoo and especially during Christmas time.

We enjoyed our visit today with the grandkids. The map needs to be better detailed sp you can find your way around.

Wow, what a great place to visit. I know your thinking its a zoo but its more. The views were amazing. The staff was personable. Bring your tennis shoes for the uphill walks. The animals were fun to visit.

This is a wonderful zoo to visit. Most of the animals are outside and you get to walk around and see the animals and enjoy the environment. The flora and foreigner are quite amazing and the wonderful trees make everything look so beautiful you can’t really go wrong with visiting this zoo as Santa Barbara has wonderful weather and if it’s warm then the shade of the trees keep you cool.

The animals are quite amazing and the zoo has a very wide range of animals that you can see just what you would expect.

I can recommend this to anybody who has a spare couple of hours to spend in Santa Barbara. Take the kids they will love it.

Very small. Probably good for young children. Most animals were laying down and very depressed it seemed to me. Only the elephants were somewhat active. We ordered some food right when we entered the zoo and they lost our order. The grounds are clean and well maintained.

Charming, comfortable in a day and exciting Zoo. The Santa Barbara zoo is a fun experience for kids and adults. You can explore in half a day and get the kiddos home for their nap, or you can spend the day and have lunch at the cafe, or bring your own and picnic on the grass. Remember to get tickets for the train ride around the park. You are up close and personal with most of The Animals. Don’t miss this Santa Barbara landmark. I have taken my kids there for many years and have never been disappointed

When I went to this zoo I was in love with the animals. We were having a great time until I slipped on an area of water that had been leaking for a while. It had alge growing. I didn’t see it until I went down. I tried to tell some one there but they didn’t seem to care. Watch your step there. My knee was hurting for a few days. Just saying.

We were really impressed with the Zoo. Lots of animals to see and plenty for the kids to do. Food options were a bit limited so wouldn't bother with that but able too see plenty if things within a couple of hours.

We went with friends and their granddaughter. It was an educational experience for everyone and we had a pleasant and leisurely experience.

I say its a small zoo, but that is in comparison to LA Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Oakland Zoo. This is a great way to spend the day getting up close to so many animals.They do an amazing job at conservation and the zoo is gorgeous with mountain and ocean views.

Go early to get parking they fill up fast. Go early in the day, and hopefully it's a little warmer that's when the animals are a little more active.

A big zoo to explore and fun for little ones. A decent range of animals and they all seemed happy. I enjoyed the flamingos and lions the most. Quite a few exhibits were open although sadly the train wasn’t and won’t be operating for 2 months apparently cause it’s undergoing maintenance. The food onsite isn’t great, not a lot of options. There is a picnic area though and I think you can bring food in, so I would go for that option. You’re not missing much by not using the restaurant! The giraffe feeding is a nice extra activity you can do, and the goat brushing is also fun.

We visited the zoo on a beautiful afternoon in February. The zoo is small and charming and was built on the site of a former estate which overlooks the ocean. We enjoyed the 400 pound gorillas (brothers), the meerkats (the sentry standing erect on the lookout) and the foxes (adorable Fennec fox with the giant ears and the sweet Island foxes from the Channel Islands napping in their hammocks). It was a real treat. The parking lot is small so be prepared to go elsewhere for parking.

We had never been to the Santa Barbara Zoo and decided to enjoy a day there. All of the animals were out, so we had a great time. The zoo is smaller so it was nice for walking around and we even got on the little train before we left. The grounds are kept up really nice and the man who takes care of the elephants had some great information.

The zoo in Santa Barbara is a nice size and well laid out. There is a good variety of animals. There is a new exhibit with kangaroos and emus. It is fun to watch kids feed lettuce to the giraffes.

This is a pretty small zoo but it is very nicely organized and very clean. I actually loved the size of it because you're not dreading being there all day long especially with young children and a stroller. Also it's small but there is so much to see, so many cool animals including penguins. The animal sights are convenien and you can actually see them up very very close. Definitely stroller friendly which is a huge plus! A must go if you're in the area, it's beautiful and much to do inside

Was disappointed to find that the enclosures were small and the large animals had not near enough space to run. The elephant pond was bone dry. I realize there's a drought going on, but my God people! You chose to have elephants... fill their pond! What enclosures did have water, it was always mirky and filthy. I left with a sorry feeling for all the animals.

We travelled there with our 1 year-old. It's a fantastic Zoo. Lots to see and very well kept. loved it

At first glance, it seems that it's a zoo like any other. Then when you get in you realize there's so many specific types of animals, that you probably never heard of before.
Need to see it !!

The Santa Barbara Zoo is great for a fun visit. This small zoo gives you an intimate experience with all the different animals they have here - Very good for kids.

Santa Barbara Zoo is small and easy to navigate. A great way to spend the afternoon with small children.

We enjoyed visiting Santa Barbara zoo. There are lots of animals, and it's a nice park too (for people from outside the US, it's pretty exciting to see the hummingbirds, mockingbirds and night herons that are flying around wild, not part of the zoo collection!)

Feeding the giraffes was something we'll remember all our lives. Amazing experience.

I did, however, feel that one or two of the enclosures were too small. The crocodile seemed to be in a bath-tub, and the elephant enclosure did not seem large enough for the size of the animal. Some of the other areas seemed more appropriate.

Favorite attraction here in Santa Barbara for my grandchildren. A smaller zoo with fun animals and beautiful grounds just across f rom the ocean. Zoo has a great kids play area with a grass hill for sliding (bring a piece of cardboard) Also has a fun little train that goes around the whole zoo. Great place!!!

A nice, fairly small zoo with a varied selection of animals. They have a small children’s play area with an ant hill style hill the children can slide down on pieces of cardboard—that was a big hit with all the children we saw, as well as our own grandchildren. They had a cute, short, show with a dinosaur (I won’t give away the story). The largest negative was the cost of things inside, $6.50 to ride their little train, $8 to feed the giraffe etc, the food was also very expensive. After paying $17 to get in and $8 to park it was a bit much to see such high prices. They did have some picnic tables near the children’s play area if you wanted to bring a picnic lunch.

Enjoyed our afternoon at the zoo. Just the right size, not too small or too big. Appreciated the safety measures put in place by the zoo. We didn’t get a chance to feed the giraffes but though that was a cool feature.

You've probably hear this line a thousand times in media, "Location, Location, Location. The Santa Barbara Zoo may not be the biggest, or even the best, but oh the location. Situated in the heart of Santa Barbara, a stones throw from the beach and minutes from the best stores and restaurants on the South/Central coast.

This little zoo is a great family attraction especially if you have little ones, strollers or chairs. The Santa Barbara Zoo has exotic animals in as humane as possible enclosures which are easily accessed by people large and small. The park can be walked in a fairly short time, normally my family spends about 2.5 hours in the park, 3 hours if we ride the little train. If you've never been to this zoo ride the train that circumnavigates the park, the kids love it and mom and dad get to sit down for 15 minutes or so.
Now to location, you can make a day of this trip, we spend time in the park then walk right over to the beach and run the kids ragged. By the time they are beached-out we have kids ready to eat, and with a little rinse and a clean t-shirt we're ready to hit Main Street, and any one of the casual bar/restaurants found there. You can walk it or drive. (Parking stinks in town.)
This trip makes a great day get away, but the zoo really makes it special.

With the early summer flowers this by far the best and most aromatic zoo I've been to. It's not a large zoo but has a good number of exhibits. The train seems pricey but the conductor stops a few times to give information about the animals. The best part was reciprocity with my home zoo so no entry fee.

The Santa Barbara zoo is one of the best laid out public spaces I've been to. For starters, there is plenty of parking. Right at the entrance, you're greeted by a pond with swans and a cute bridge. A train track runs around the circumference and that is the best way to see the animals. The pedestrian trail is also chock full of enclosures large and small. One of the nicest aspects of the zoo is that the larger animals look out towards the ocean or the mountains. We always see the lions playing from the train much better than from the viewing perch. There is a large public park with a wonderful playground in the zoo
Tip 1: bring a cardboard box to use as a slide on the "mound". So much fun!!!
Tip 2: check in advance and buy giraffe feeding
Tip 3: ask for a docent tour because that gets you even closer up access to the Lions.
Right outside the zoo parking lot is a lovely public playground.
Beware: sometimes traffic slows to a crawl at the 101 ramps which are where you would enter/exit the zoo.

Just the right size for kids - small enough not to be exhausted by the end, large enough to have plenty to see. Ate lunch first and then explored the zoo until close. Enjoyed the train tour. Must do for families visiting SB!

We stopped by here on a Sunday afternoon before heading out of town. We took the shuttle from the Wharf and it was really easy and cheap. The zoo was having some kind of Princess Day so all the kids had their costumes on and there were fairy tale characters wandering everywhere.

The zoo itself is very cute for a small zoo. We really liked the Channel Island foxes and and the anteaters. Not much here for food choices but the zoo is small enough that you don't need to spend all day here. Take the shuttle back to State Street and get something there.

I love the charm of this lovely zoo. It's smaller than Los Angeles zoo but just as interesting with lovely views of the ocean. My grandchildren prefer to visit this zoo rather than the much larger LA zoo as its not so tiring especially on very hot days. A must with younger children. The gardens are beautifully set out.

First timers visit. You pay for parking ($11.00) at the entrance booth where you buy admission tickets. We also paid extra to take the narrated train ride with Engineer Chris. The most fascinating part of the Zoo was watching the elephant trainers get 47 year old Suzy to lift her feet out of the water buckets and then pick up each bucket with her trunk and dump the water out of them. Then they had her lift each foot up on a ledge so they could clean her feet and toenails. That is not something you see every day! If I lived in Santa Barbara and had small children, I would buy an annual pass for the Zoo. It's a great place for kids to learn and play.

I always enjoy time spent at the S,B. Zoo. Whether I am wandering up and down the beautiful paths to visit all of the marvelous animals in their different homes (particularly love the monkeys, giraffes and gorillas), enjoying the wonderful train ride that travels all around the zoo property, sharing a nice hot lunch or snack with family and friends at any of the food venues or checking out the latest games, stuffed animals, clothes and other great gifts at the store, there is always plenty to see and do at the S.B. Zoo.

We visited in December so nice and quiet and allowed us to take our time wandering around, the Zoo is very well kept and the staff are so friendly.

The views from the Wave Cafe are stunning and turned our ‘quick bite’ into a relaxing picnic.

Highly recommend this place whilst in Santa Barbara!

It's a small zoo compared to others. However, it was worth the visit if you love animals. We got to walk through the entire zoo within 4 hours and still got the chance to visit some spots twice or more. The most surprising thing for us was that we could see the giraffe closely!

We spent about 1.5 hours here and saw everything. The zoo is small but has a good variety of animals and a cactus garden.

This is a charming local zoo that has come a long way from the old days. In addition to exotic animals, they have a nice selection of local raptors and vultures, plus a night habitat to observe nocturnal animals. Great place to take the kids or just enjoy a relaxing day. You can rent it for events and parties as well.

This is one of our favorite zoos! It is small and manageable. It is so pretty with views of the ocean. You can bring your own picnic lunch and enjoy it in the very spacious lawn and even watch a Dino show. The kids can run, cartwheel and slide to their hearts content! Bring your own cardboard to slide on the little hill in the children's playground if you don't want to wait for a piece to become available. Make sure to feed the giraffes which is so much fun! They also have rock climbing and a little train ride. My kids are 9 and 12 and love to visit this zoo.

This zoo is on the smaller side compared to zoos such as Bronx, Philadelphia, etc but it was one of the best we have been to. The animals seem to have A LOT of room, and you can get pretty up close and personal in the exhibits. Definitely worth a stop of in the area.

This is our families favorite zoo. The animals seem happy and well cared for. The size isn't overwhelming. And the ocean views and breezes are wonderful.
Highlight is feeding the giraffe - must pay extra.
There's also a train for the locomotive lover in your crew.

Zoo is in very nice setting with views of the hills and the ocean. But cages seem small and collection of animals seems modest. Good for small children, but not for ecology minded or big animal lovers.

We booked the admission ticket, parking and the train ride online. The tickets are limited due to Covid, so save your spot by booking online. It is a tiny zoo, not too many animals to watch. The train ride was short and fun. You can finish your visit in 90 minutes to 2 hours.

The perfect zoo for little kids -- you can get quite close to the animals because enclosures are smallish, and a visit doesn't require lots of walking. They can feed the giraffes and hang out in the petting zoo.

I'm not usually a fan of zoos, but this one is special. It's small enough that it's not overwhelming and you can see all of it in a few hours. A small but very interesting collection of animals, birds, reptiles and even bugs, all set on beautifully landscaped grounds overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

And, the optional train ride offers some behind-the-scenes look at how the zoo operates.

Well worth a visit.

This was my first time visiting, came with my adult daughter for her birthday. Bought tickets on line which saved $7 each. Plenty of parking, not crowded, plenty of shade and seating around the zoo. There were only 2 animals that were off exhibit, and we saw all but one that were there (red panda was hiding). Animal talks were informational. Got to see some of the animals getting fed. All look well cared for and healthy. Favorite spot was the Australian Walk About with the Roos just inches away. We spent 3 hours total at the zoo.

The zoo has a pay-to-park lot. It is a member of the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) which means, if you are a member of any AZA organization, you get half price admission to this zoo. The staff is friendly and helpful. The zoo is medium sized but it is hilly, so wear comfortable shoes. The exhibits are spread around and the signage is not very good. You are given a map when you pay admission, so don't lose it. There is a train ride, but it appeared from the map that it only goes around the perimeter of the zoo.There are plenty of places to get food and at least 2 gift shops. Unfortunately, when I visited it was quite hot and I did not see very many animals. They have more sense than the people and don't go out in the hot sun!

I'll start by saying that my 'gold standard' for a zoo are the San Diego Zoo and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium so I realize my standards are high. This little zoo would be great for families with young kids who are wanting nice areas to play and explore along with seeing some exotic animals. The enclosures are adequate for the animals, and the landscaping is very nice. It is a pretty walk through the property but the number of animals, for the price of the admission, is quite small. (I used my zoo membership from the Columbus Zoo to get in for half price; check to see if your zoo is on their reciprocity list.) Like I said, there are many open areas for little kids to run around in, and the playgrounds are creative and safe. The best exhibit, I thought, was near the entrance and involved connecting pathways between aviaries and bugs/reptiles exhibits. Clever concept to link these together. Signage for the exhibits were user friendly and nice emphasized the conservation efforts that individual humans could do to help each species.

Located directly across the street from Santa Barbara’s East Beach, this should be on everyone’s “must do” list for visitors with children. It is small and easily walkable, with a nice assortment of animals. There is a train ride around the perimeter of the zoo and giraffe feeding. A big hit with our young ones is an AstroTurf sliding hill (bring your own cardboard or there are usually pieces left behind). Lunch on a lovely grassy slope overlooking the Pacific. A great place to visit!

This is a small zoo as compared to Los Angels zoo or San Diego Zoo. The zoo is well maintained and its beautiful. From some points you can enjoy the beautiful sights of sea and hills. There is a small play area for toddlers and kids. Our toddler daughter loved it. She was too excited to see her favorites Giraffe, Gorila and Elephant (She relates to big animals mostly :) ) . We liked it there and it don't take much time 2-3 hours with kids. You have a train track for kids to enjoy too.

Pro's: cozy, nice area's, cute playground, beautiful garden with an outlook on to the ocean. Healthy, well groomed animals.
OK: food and gifts are pretty standard for theme parks and zoo's.
Cons: Train ride costs 5$ and goes around the zoo, mostly through employee's only areas and not fun for kids.

The four of us, three adults and one child, headed to the Santa Barbara Zoo on a day that was not ideal weather-wise, but was filled with family fun. The zoo is very walkable in just a few hours, and is very child and family-friendly. We enjoyed the train ride around the zoo perimeter (although some areas could use a little "sprucing up"), feeding the giraffes (pricey, but for us, totally worth it), and the wide variety of exhibits. As first-time visitors it was totally delightful and we're glad we went - will definitely go again. Recommend to go fairly early to take advantage of parking (another cost) since it can fill up rather quickly.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is a really great place to spend some time. The animals appear to be happy and healthy in their homes-most of which mimic their natural habitats as much as possible. The vegetation is beautiful and the ocean view is quite lovely. The train, the play area, the grassy knoll for rolling down-it's all fantastic. You just don't often have the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures very often. I love being able to see California Condors alive and up close. I highly recommend the SB Zoo for everyone who loves animals, beautiful scenery and fun! I've visited with kids, with adults and on my own-all totally enjoyable.

This is a nice zoo - lots of activities for small kids. Beautiful landscaping and a wide range of animals. The gorilla looked so sad as did the lion. Some animals had really large pens, which was great. I wish the condors, lions and gorillas had larger spaces and more things to keep them busy. The lion spends a lot of time high up on a boulder in his pen, looking out at the ocean or sleeping.

Nice zoo, good size to visit in a couple of hours. Loved the penguin display. You can get really closed to the kangaroos, wallabys and emus. Lovely grounds, nice landscaping. Disappointing Covid protocols, no masks or social distancing required, despite many key viewing spots are enclosed and crowded.Many hand sanitizer dispensers were empty. Still recommended. Adults $20, parking $11.

I take my kids here when I need a little day trip from Los Angeles. They have a cute train ride and a cute picnic/play area that my little guys enjoy. We basically just come here for the train ride, the Dippin Dots and the play area. They do have a bunch of animals and exhibits but my kids only pay attention to the animals once in a while. They mainly just want the Dippin Dots from the cafe.

What a treat to celebrate our daughter's 6th Birthday at the Santa Barbara Zoo! Both Gabriel and Tanner were on hand to shuttle us, our gear and guests to and from the hexagonal tables where we had arts & crafts, a tortoise encounter, rock wall climbing and treats.

The zoo had tables dressed, ice and a drink container ready, zoo-themed plates, cups and napkins available, and made it so easy for us to be guests at our own party. They helped shuttle gifts to and from the car, and anticipated our every need.

We had our own dedicated time to feed giraffes, enjoyed an adjacent show with a t-rex, and the kids loved sliding on pieces of cardboard down the hill at the nearby play area (bring your own deconstructed boxes for rock star status with the kids).

We opted to enjoy quality time with our guests and not run around to view the other animals this go-round. It was perfect for us. So happy with this party.

Thank you Tanner, for making all of the planning so easy! Thank you, Gabriel, for being so flexible with the day and allowing us to stay true to the pulse of the kids. I highly recommend the SB Zoo Birthday package!

You really can't beat this zoo. Sure, there are bigger zoos. Sure, there are zoos with more of a variety of animals. But this zoo, located across the street from East Beach in Santa Barbara is the best! Plenty of places to relax. Tons of animals. Giraffe feeding opportunities, all with a beautiful view of the ocean.

We had a wonderful day at the zoo. This is a lovely little zoo with a fantastic and well informed staff! Zoo is very well maintained. We personally got to feed the 5 giraffes. Amazing! Also notable was the train conductor who knew all about the zoo history and about the animals and their habits. He stopped when one of the animals was doing something special he thought we should see and explained what was happening. My 7 year old also really enjoyed the playground which was themed to the zoo. Great day we will be back!

Very pretty zoo. However, and perhaps zoo management can explain, aren’t the enclosures too small for some animals? Especially, the snow leopard and otters. The Snow Leopard human space seemed larger than the animal space and the otter water space seemed tiny.

This is the perfect outing for young families. Not huge but charming and sweet, right near the water. Your kids will love it!

Cute little zoo to spend a day away from the beach. Parking is limited so you may need to park down the street and walk over but not a bad walk.

This is a great zoo for kids young and old. Beautiful grounds, animals seem happy and well cared for in carefully designed habitats. Good food options, places to play and run, a train, you can feed the giraffe (for addl fee).

Unlike the massive LA Zoo, I usually prefer to drive up to Santa Barbara to visit the much smaller (30 acres, 500 animals) Santa Barbara Zoo. (For one thing, it is almost impossible to visit the LA Zoo without having your ankles whacked by strollers pushed by desperate parents with screaming toddlers.) The only bad point is that the food services here can be significantly improved -- which would probably also make for greater attendance.

I had driven past this zoo for decades, thinking that it must be a typical roadside zoo. WRONG. The facilities were well designed and maintained. Very nice exhibits. Biggest surprise was that it is as much a park for families as it is a place for learning.

Welcome from a town with a pretty great local zoo, so my expectations were high. The SB Zoo exceeded my expectations! Great variety of animals, excellent layout and easy-to-follow maps, and AMAZING exhibits!!! My husband, 6-yr old, and I loved every minute of it! My only complaint was the food selection wasn't that great (our zoo has an AWESOME cafeteria), and parking was bad, but everything was manageable. I will note we went the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, so it was very busy. Despite that, it was still an enjoyable time!

Practically perfect in every way. The size is not overpowering and the crowds do not get in the way of a perfect day. For families with young children and even couples who simply want a pleasant walk it is a enjoyable zoo. Perhaps the San Diego and Berlin zoos have a greater variety of animal life. But they require hours of exploration. Santa Barbara’s is the perfect size and adjoins one of the most spectacular beaches. Great day on the Central Coast.

We have six year old triplets. This is a perfect sized zoo for them. Not too big so that we have to trek for hours to see animals. Not too small that the kids would get bored easily. We spent three hours here. We attended the Dinosaur show there and it was really cute.

This zoo is pathetic. I went here decades ago, liked it, and thought it might be fun for my adult son to see now. Unfortunately, it in no way resembled what I remembered. The vast majority of "animals" here are large plastic replicas, like you might see in Legoland (which I love, by the way); there are very few actual real animals, and certain zoo "staples," such as giraffes, are simply missing. The whole place has a run-down feel to it, and they seem to be trying to make it appealing to parents with young kids by creating a couple of playground-like areas, which are nice enough and probably keep toddlers occupied but bear no relation to what a zoo should actually offer. There were also two large Toyota car displays (because apparently Toyota is a sponsor of the zoo), including actual cars (see photo of one). The cars were cool, but why are cars in a zoo? The train "store" was either shut down or didn't exist anymore (see photo), and the zoo's train wasn't working (for who know how long—see photo). To make matters worse, the $25 admission fee per person (not including parking!) is simply unjustifiable. The only reason I'm giving this zoo two stars instead of one is because I do think if you want a play area for your toddler and if you're maybe a zoo member and so get a better deal on admission, it could be worth it. But for occasional visitors, especially adults, forget it. I don't think any kid age 5 or above would think much of this zoo either. Really disappointing, and a rip-off.

Such a pretty spot. We rode our bikes here from the beach. It was a beautiful day and the place is just first rate! Clean and fun. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. Staff was ubiquitous and well versed. Make sure you stop here on your next trip to SB!

As far as zoos go (caged animals), this one is gorgeous. Beautiful grounds in the hills by the ocean. Compact, pleasant to walk, nice spots for a meal. Aviaries were lovely. They have elephants and snow leopards!
They have play areas for little kids.
You can find free parking on near-by streets.

It is difficult to review the zoo because I guess it’s kind of cute for what it is. What it is is a very, very small zoo that would be a nice day trip for families with very young children who tend to tire out and get cranky very easily.

We got through the entire zoo in under two hours, and we really took her time. The zoo is also a bit pricey for how small it is. There are no healthy food choices, and feeding the giraffes costs eight dollars.

I would not recommend this zoo for zoo lovers or for families with older children. But if you are looking for something to do for a couple hours with young children, this would be the zoo for you.

Love the Zoo, Great for a day trip in Santa Barbara! Lots of animals! Very relaxing setting for families and couples on a date!

The zoo overall is amazing, but the zoo camp is spectacular! We have been a few times for the camp and don't visit California with out a trip to the zoo!

A wonderful treasure for such a small town. We have a family membership and love to take the grandchildren there, especially for their special events on Halloween and Christmas, and their special "snow event" where they bring in artificial snow for sledding.

Had a great time at the Zoo! Lots of interesting animals and birds. The zoo is just the right size for an enjoyable morning or afternoon.

Another successful visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo! This zoo is the perfect size for families with small kids and those who don’t want to spend the entire day walking to and from exhibits (yet large enough where you CAN spend the entire afternoon there should you want to). The grounds are extremely well kept and there’s ample open space to relax, picnic, and let your little ones run around. The exhibits include all of the “traditional zoo” animals as well as a unique assortment for those wanting to learn more. This is always a must-stop for us when we’re visiting SB. It does get busy and a little congested on the weekends (esp the parking lot) so go during the week if possible and buy your tickets online to save time and avoid waiting in line (there’s also ample street parking but it does fill up quickly so go early if you want to avoid paying for parking).

It is a must see place in Santa Barbara. While animals are really well taken care of, the ocean view of this amazing location and the view to the lake it’s amazing. Also, don’t miss the trip with a train 🚂 which is a nice tour for the kids. I can’t get tired of the zoo!

I'm from San Diego, so zoos in other cities always feel second rate. This zoo was quite nice and not too busy on a Wednesday morning. You can see tigers, a gorilla, and giraffes, among other animals. You can feed the giraffe if you want to pay extra. You can also enter the emu enclosure. An emu took a liking to me and followed me around.

We recently hosted our son's 4th birthday party at the SB Zoo and had a GREAT time!! Everything was very well coordinated and organized, and Tanner was terrific to work with leading up to and following the party. Sam, our host, had a golf cart ready for us when we arrived to schlep all our stuff to the elephant deck, checked in frequently to make sure we had all we needed, and then was there to help us get everything back to the car. The kids loved being able to watch the elephants eat while they played games and had their lunch and cake. There was also a bag of supplies for making masks that the kids enjoyed, and activity books to take home. The train ride was a huge hit and very informative! After the official party ended, all the kids spent close to an hour checking out the animals and playing on the sliding hill. I cannot recommend hosting a party here highly enough. What a wonderful asset to the Santa Barbara/Ventura/Ojai Valley area. Thank you for making the day so easy and special for us and our group, and for allowing us to support wildlife conservation in the process!

Zoos are having a hard time at the moment and the current sentiment is to be critical of wild animals being enclosed. It is difficult not to defend this position but many overlook the terrific work that zoos often do. Santa Barbara has elephants rescued as babies from the Asian logging camps that abused them, gorillas who are part of an endangered species programme who will be released to become head of an existing troop. You have great viewing areas to get up close and personal - the gorillas are a must see.The Koalas are a must for the small children and they sleep 20 hours a day and look comfortable in their surroundings. Admittedly the lion and snow leopard need more space but here they are safe and well fed. This is a lovely zoo with a nice collection of many species and includes otters, penguins and giraffes as well as all the other animals. Everything looks well maintained and cared for and the zoo educates through literature and signage showing ways to support sustainability. The money you spend supports these causes so please take the family (especially the grandchildren) and they (and you) will have a thrilling day out!

The 'feed the giraffes' was amazing...I had never fed a giraffe before and was so excited...train ride was informative...gift shops throughout zoo was a nice touch...very enjoyable day...

We love to visit zoos whenever we can. We were very happy we found this one. We enjoyed feeding giraffes and the train ride which were both add ons. My only frustration was that we were sold tickets for the giraffe feeding at the ticket office and there was a 1 hour window to feed them that fit our schedule and had we not got in line 15 min before we would have likely missed it and had to wait for another hour as they ended up closing the line. But the feeding was super fun and we got a lot of great photos.

The zoo was nice because it wasn't so big that we missed anything and so small that we were bored. It was a perfect 3 hour visit. We will be back if we find ourselves back in Santa Barbara one day.

Maybe the zoo could have a nice sign to take a family picture in front of. I asked multiple volunteers and not one knew of a sign we could take a picture in front of so we could post and share on social media.

Extraordinary zoo for a town of this size. Ideslly suited for families with small children. The local custom is to come with a picknick basjet and blanket and hang out on the hill after checking out the wild ones. Easily a virtually all day visit.

Centrally located on edge if town before Montecito abovebvolley ball beach and bird refuge pond. It really must be done to consider yourself fully informed.

Entrance fees and over priced food for sale inside. Thus they call it “Santa Bruta.”

We booked timed admission online as well as the train ride prior to our visit. Parking, entry and even train ride was easy. The Zoo was still full of families and 2 large children day camps. There was also a big construction project going on which took a big chunk out of the park. All of the play areas were blocked off - though some parents still allowed their children to play in them. There were multiple signs for social distancing and some exhibits even had lines to ensure that big groups didn't congregate. However, no one was enforcing the social distancing. Additionally, many exhibits, due to Covid or otherwise, were closed.
Given all these events, I think that the entrance fee should have been reduced, especially since they charged extra for many things.

Wow so beautiful to see the animals up close and by the ocean! What a treat! Make sure you wear tennis shoes there are so good hills.

we were there for a mini vacation and a friend had told us about the Santa Barbara Zoo and how it would be nice to visit and she was right. Coming from San Diego and the Zoo there, this Zoo was very enjoyable to visit and there was a nice selection of animals and reptiles for viewing including a Bald Eagle. Wear comfortable shoes like tennis shoes for walking around and they are also Handicap friendly as they have scooters for rent that help as there are a few inclines where it came in handy

It is a small zoo, with a very different approach to larger zoos.
Beautiful area with tables and benches so you can bring a picnic and enjoy being right in the heart of it.
And you can feed giraffes!!., I did!
Our grandchildren loved being there. There was entertainment and delightful weather helped to make it a wonderful place to visit.

This AZA accredited zoo is right off the beach and offers parking ($11). It’s entry features the gift shop (which is excellent- a great variety of apparel and items that give back to conservation institutions, and educational gifts for children) and a food stand with outside seating area with food that’s better than a lot of other zoos, including salads, corn or wheat quesadillas, and your typical burgers and pizza options. Water bottles are reusable (yay!!) although they unfortunately do also sell plastic bottles of Gatorade too.

The zoo is compact but has a lot of views over water and green areas and kids playground. The animal exhibits are mostly all a good size for the animals (I thought the snow leopard enclosure was a bit small though). Australia experience is a walk through which was great, but zoo employees are there to make sure nobody wanders off the path - and to answer questions). This is clearly a zoo that’s well run and cares about the animals and also the guest experience. I spent 4 hours wandering around, it was a great time.

The zoo staff (paid and volunteer) are plentiful, friendly, helpful. Before I’d gotten far into the zoo I’d enjoyed three conversations with staff- one was with the scarlet macaws, another feeding a tawny frogmouth, the third inside Australia exhibit. I want to acknowledge Trent in guest services who spent a lot of time chatting about conservation and the animals with me in Australia exhibit. I really appreciated his obvious knowledge and passion for the animals, even those not at the zoo - like wolves. I enjoyed his conversation immensely!! Thank you Trent.
The photos I’m posting include zoo people I asked if I could take their photos.

It was a delightful day to walk the Santa Barbara Zoo. It was a Sunday and this day drew a crowd of close to 75% families. We bought tickets to feed the giraffes but it takes way too long because each family goes up one at a time. We moved on but gave the tickets away on our way out, so I hope the line was shorter for them. Very clean and nicely organized zoo.

Great small zoo. Beautiful location and plenty of shady and grassy areas to relax. It’s well loved. Animals are very well taken care of. Informative staff.

We had our son’s 4th birthday party at the Santa Barbara Zoo and has an amazing time! Tanner, Gabriel, and Taylor took such great care of us. Gabriel’s help and check-ins made the experience completely seem less and stress free. The kids fed the giraffes, went rock climbing, and pet a tortoise then got to spend the afternoon running around the zoo. Definitely a wow factor birthday party location. It was the perfect place to enjoy and celebrate the special day!

A little hilly but a nice zoo. Has a nice play area for the kids and a train ride. Spent about 3 hours here.

The SB zoo is great for families! Lots of cool exhibits and exotic animals. My favorite was the giraffe feeding! Really fun and cool. The zoo itself is small enough to cover in an hour or two. Worth the visit!

My daughter and I enjoyed looking at all the displays, and even fed the giraffes. To see the joy in the kids' faces is warming. The meerkat was a hit for us, and the pink flamingos. We parked outside the regular zoo parking, thus saved $!

The Santa Barbara Zoo was a favorite of mine growing up. Now I'm loving bringing my kids here too. The train is always a must for us, and the park inside the zoo is wonderful. My kids love racing down the hill on cardboard or trays. There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch. There are a good variety of animals to see and a lot of options for hands-on experiences.

I had my small grandchildren with me in Santa Barbara so this zoo was a treat. It is nicely done, clean and had the beautiful California coast weather to help us enjoy our break from the South Texas heat.

I took my nieces ages 12 and 7 to the Santa Barbara zoo last week. We had a wonderful time. The zoo is very clean and very organized. It is not a big zoo but they have a lot of different animals. It was a very fun and relaxing way to spend our morning. Unfortunately most the animals were sleeping so it was kind of quiet there. We still had fun and hope to come back soon.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is small but well laid out. It took about 90 minutes for my husband and I to view the exhibits. Parking was easy right at 10am but when we left at 11:30 the small lot was jammed. This is definitely a fun place to visit with kids or with people who adore animals.

Went to this zoo with my granddaughter. It is a delightful little zoo and great for kids to really enjoy the animals. the train was a big hit with my 7 year old granddaughter, too! Loved the exhibits that are at kids eye level - wonderful!

I loved this zoo! Reminds me of the world famous San Diego Zoo. It's not as big, but the feel and details were there, which are definitely above average, and has a great variety of animals. Includes a fun & informative train ride throughout the zoo. Viewing & access to the animals was also great, and has nice food & gift shop options for visitors. The restrooms were also very clean, which is a definite must! Definitely a fun & enjoyable day trip for families & couples.

It is obviously not as big as the LA or San Diego zoo but I would definitely buy a year round pass if I lived closer. The grounds are beautiful, there is a good selection of animals, I like the information placards for the animals and vegetation (very informative and interesting), there are a lot of benches and tables spread about the park and they are very environmentally green which I really liked.