This is a review of the Santa Barbara Zoo, located in Santa Barbara, California. The Santa Barbara Zoo is approximately 90 miles north of Los Angeles, 25 minutes north of Ventura, and 40 miles south of Solvang. From the South on U.S. 101: Take the Hot Springs/Cabrillo Boulevard exit. Turn left on Cabrillo and continue to the first stop light. Turn right on Niños Drive. The entrance is on the right side across from the playing fields. You will be charged $3 for parking at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Admission into the Santa Barbara Zoo is currently set at $10 per adult (anyone over age 12), $8 for Seniors aged sixty and older, $8 for children aged 2-12, and children under 2 years of age are admitted free. Although the Santa Barbara Zoo really is a nice zoo to visit, it’s not amazing or anything, and it is quite a small zoo, making the admission prices seem relatively high. Especially when one considers the fact that admission prices for the Los Angeles Zoo, which is about three times as big and has all the exciting animals that people love to see at zoos, are the same for adults, and actually quite a lot cheaper for kids! Something about that doesn’t quite add up, but nevertheless, those are the admission prices for the Santa Barbara Zoo.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is a cozy zoo, comprised of exhibits that are designed in such a way that a tour through this facility feels more like a nature walk than a tour. This can be nice on a weekday when the zoo is not overly crowded. Unfortunately, on a day when the Santa Barbara Zoo is crowded, the narrow walkways and paths just mean there isn’t enough room for everyone, and the space feels…..well, crowded!
Some of the best animal exhibits at the Santa Barbara Zoo include: Lions, Giraffes, and the Lorikeet enclosure. Some of the animal exhibits at the Santa Barbara Zoo are designed in a way that seeing the animals that live within them is either very difficult, or basically impossible. This is true of the Gorilla exhibit, and the Eagle exhibits. The California Sea Lion exhibit was always a favorite with our family, and in fact, was always my favorite exhibit there even since early childhood. The Sea Lions that were at Santa Barbara Zoo were replaced by Penguins, which are far less fun to watch. Maybe the administrators at the Santa Barbara Zoo believed they would get more business by including a Penguin exhibit because of the recent popularity of Penguin movies. Who knows?
The Santa Barbara Zoo has an area where visitors can purchase and feed pellets to goats, which is always fun. Additionally, there is a full sized play structure and carousel located in the zoo, and these are nice features. The Zoo Train at the Santa Barbara Zoo is a favorite feature of guests. Recently, the Santa Barbara Zoo painted the Zoo Train an obnoxious shade of bright blue, which makes it look like a big, ugly toy now, when it used to look great. Maybe administrators of the Santa Barbara Zoo crumbled under pressure to make the train look like the one on Disney Channel’s “Blue Zoo Train” video. Again, who knows?
As with most zoos, the Santa Barbara Zoo offers a cafe for purchasing food items and drinks. And, as with most zoos, the food is mediocre and overpriced. Visitors are far better off taking their meals at the nearby Santa Barbara Pier, or at one of the many spectacular Mexican food restaurants in nearby downtown Santa Barbara.
Overall, the Santa Barbara Zoo has a pleasant atmosphere, with it’s abundance of Eucalyptus trees, and view of the Pacific Ocean. It is quite small, easily navigated in about an hour, and that includes taking time to feed the goats and ride the train. It is a good zoo for those visiting with very small children, because it is possible to see the whole facility without exhausting a child so much that they can’t enjoy it. It’s a nice little zoo to visit, but be forewarned that it isn’t the greatest value, and won’t really knock your socks off.
