The Santa Barbara Zoo Review

Nice Zoo but doesn't have too many animals but with that respect it's bit expensive.plus, you need to pay for parking...not an ideal choice but overall it is a good zoo.

A nice zoo.. looks like they take care of it. I was excited as this was my first time going to the Santa Barbara Zoo. They have a playground, but I was kind of upset that the zoo was small.. I expected it to be bigger. I'm from the bay, & the zoo in San Francisco is way bigger but also needs a bit more taking care of. I was shocked about the prices, once again I was expecting for it to be bigger, & there wasn't that many animals. Fun for the kids though!

Best place to bring your family, date, or day out. Win win.

Great zoo! Beautiful location. Kid friendly. Annual membership is a great deal.

A nice small sized zoo with many animals. Very well maintained especially under our pandemic conditions. A nice relief away from life even if for a moment. Enjoyed it very much.

It's a smaller zoo, but it's well maintained. The grounds are very beautiful and the zoo is great for kids. They have a children's playground with a hill you can use a cardboard to slide down it. It's a fun place and definitely worth visiting.

We absolutely love this zoo! Small but full of fun for the kids and animals.

Some of the habitats are a bit sad and small, but the staff know a ton and are very nice. Zoo is nicely laid out and has lots of activities and animals to see.

2 stars for trying during this COVID 19 pandemic. Definitely, was not worth the money.

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

The zoo is small but cute!!! I got to see many animals I hadn't seen before. I went on Halloween which made the experience that much better. Most people had costumes on.

The only the reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is the food. Nothing wrong with it, just way too pricey for what it is. Also they sell cocktails there... I regret buying it. It was the tiniest cocktails I've ever had for such an expensive price.

Besides the food, everything went great!

Recommended.
100%

Had a great time! Love the otters as always! So glad we got to see Twiga!! Will be back again soon!!

This is a small zoo but it is very nice it also has lots of places to have a picnic

Beautiful and clean landscaping! Flamingos were radiant, they had reindeer and the giraffes gorgeous! A few animals not available, like elephants and tigers, but still a great place to relax.

Beautiful park like, we were expecting a lot more animals for the kids to see. But it's more of a park.

Great zoo. Easy to get close to the animals. It's fun to feed the giraffes!

Wonderful time lots of shade and beautiful places to sit for lunch and picnics

It's a small zoom but wonderful. Amazing sights and many of the animals are almost free. Everybody is kind and friendly.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is fabulous! It's easy to get around, lots of places to stop and enjoy the views and for a small zoo, the animals are quite varied and kept in really nice surroundings. Great for kids!

Family-friendly activity in Santa Barbara located within walking distance of the beach. The grounds are easily walkable and there are plenty of ramps for families with strollers. There is a playground and a barnyard area where kids can feed animals. For an extra price, there is a climbing wall, giraffe feeding experience, and train that circles the zoo. There are two places in the park to sit outside, purchase food, and eat. The prices for food and drinks are expensive. They have dip n dots though! For tickets, children under 2 are free and they have a senior discount. There is no changing table at "the wave" food area restroom, which is a bit inconvenient.

One of the most amazing and special places in Santa Barbara

Great zoo. It's small enough to see everything in a day but big enough to have the animals people want to see. The train ride is a must. Goes all around the park. The animal enclosures have sign giving information about the animals. Great views of the ocean for the picnic area.

Beautiful zoo with exhibits comparable to the San Diego zoo without all the people. Sometimes less is more. Giraffe, lion, and gorilla all have ocean views.

It's pretty neat here! I had fun when I came with my friends. It's nice to look around and be apart of the nature of this place, that used to be alive. When I came here there was filming for something that got cancelled so I didn't get the full experience.

A great way to spend some time with friends outdoors and socially distant when indoor options are so limited these days. Educational too!

We enjoyed the beach after a walk at the zoo. I wish they offered better food options.

Cool zoo. Parking can be a little hard to come by, especially at special events. If you're a member you can get in an hour early though, which is a plus!

A great place to come for a relaxing afternoon, we went on a Monday and it wasn't very busy so we got to see everything with no crowds. They have some of the most incredible animals there for you to view and you can even feed the giraffes, there is a food Court incase you get hungry or want a beer. Keep in mind the prices are a little high but alot of that revenue goes to the animals.

Small (ish), but awesome assortment of wildlife in a pleasant setting. Easy in and out, and animals appear well cared for.

I went to the zoo with my family and was VERY disappointed!! Many of the exibits were closed or under construction! Also the giraffe feeding was closed and the rock climbing! I wish they would have told us beforehand when we purchased our tickets that many of their exibits were closed!

05/23/2015 the place is nice I will admit that. Payed $6 dollars to feed the giraffes good experience. Loved that they had different kinds of aligators. The thing I was looking forward to was the CHIMPANZEES BUT GUESS WHAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY. Other thing that I liked was that across from the zoo, is the beach that's awesome. Spend more time at the beach then the zoo.

Great zoo location, easy to get to, perfect for the kids. The train ride is a must see. And bring your own food if you want anything other than basic sandwich or salad. (Although they did serve beer- which is a lifesaver.)

A lovely stoll through beautiful gardens with lots of fantastic animals to see.

Awesome place for the family. Great Escape from the summer heat.

I loved it there they have so many animals there its a great place to go with the family

It's a well kept facility. Feeding giraffes was amazing.

Parking : bad
Long lines: bad
Great once inside: good

Great zoo, very spacious. And the habitats are huge, lots of room for the animals. A little hard to navigate but was well worth it. Also not a bank breaker

Very well run, beautiful and clean. Lots of attractions for the kids.

Cool little zoo. Is definitely small. Place was clean abs staff were friendly.
Worth a couple hours with the kids.

Great place to learn about animals, things to do for everyone, prices are fair, lots of animals, and friendly.

Wonderful on Thanksgiving!! They give animals pumpkins .Beautiful day today.

Love this zoo for a day trip, it's small and very scenic. So many beautiful views. The giraffe feeding is my favorite

Excellent small Zoo Experience!!! A bit pricey but lots of amenities. (Restrooms, play areas, and grass) young and old will all find fun things to do..... contrary to another persons review I found lots of helpful and informative staff. Which is amazing that the hills were on fire just over a week ago.

Always a pleasure to return to the zoo .. For how they let you interact with the animals of ai

Very very very nice quiet respectable family-orientated place to take your kids didn't eat there so couldn't tell you how the food was

Given the times it's understandable that some exhibits are closed. We still had a great time and the staff was very nice and kept everything clean.

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

Beautifully maintained Zoo. Nice parking easy access.

Excellent place to go with the kids. Beautiful location, no hassle parking and entry. Went on a sunny Saturday with no crowds to contend with. Some of the animals are sparsely populated but I understand they want to limit the amount of animals in cages, so not a huge deal. Would recommend giving this Zoo a visit.

Just went this September. The zoo is fairly small to begin with but felt smaller due to Covid-19 restrictions, because all the indoor exhibits (reptiles, insects, etc) are closed. You also need to make a reservation ahead to get into the zoo, in addition to the giraffe feeding. They only let "walk-ins" in if they have enough spaces but I wouldn't count on it.Overall it's nicely laid out and fun thing to do if you are in the area.

Always a lovely experience. Great views of animals and never crowded.

the home and Garden Inn is located in my opinion that you have any questions please feel like I said that the new

This is a great place to bring the entire family regardless of age! There is something for everyone to do. One of the highlights is getting to hand feed the giraffes some treats and getting to ride the train. The staff was friendly and helpful throughout the entire park. There s a good size play area for young kids that was really neat and a great opportunity for parents to take a seat for a bit! Price was pretty fair given the size of the zoo ($17).
The entire zoo is wheelchair accessible including parking, bathrooms, ramps, etc.

Really great small zoo. During Covid times you need to book a time to come in to keep from overcrowding. Felt very safe and open during our visit. Some very cool animals and interactive exhibits. Beautiful views of the surrounding area. They have their own beer too!

Amazing place. Love coming here with #lucaswilliam as often as possible! Momma too ,,

I first visited because of the Penguins and loved it. Now I take my almost 3yr. Old and he cries every time we have to go home. This Zoo has alot of different animals, you get a good walk out of your visit since you have to go all around to see all the animals. You can feed the giraffes and some sheep, which is an amazing experience for the little ones. There's also a section where the kids can play and slide down a small mountain I'm case you want to rest a little from all the walking.