The Santa Ana Zoo is located in Santa Ana California. It is home to many exhibits, attractions, animal encounters and more. From the front of the park one wouldn't guess that the zoo was on the same level as larger zoos like the Los Angeles Zoo or San Diego Zoo, but the Santa Ana Zoo has close-up encounters and experiences that are unlike any other zoo. The feel of it is quaint and home-like, you can tell there is a lot of love put into it. The entrance to the zoo is lined up with ticket booths where you can purchase your tickets. Tickets are currently unavailable to purchase online. It is twelve dollars per adult, nine dollars per child and senior and free for kids under two years old. The price is cheap compared to other zoos in the area. The affordability of it is a plus. The only con is that they make you pay for certain attractions since the price is so cheap. There will be more information about this below.
Bauer Jaguar Exploration Outpost
The Bauer Jaguar Exploration Outpost is a small tiki-looking building with glass cages on the inside filled with plastic bugs and other plastic wildlife. There is a live snake in one of the exhibits but otherwise it seems it more of an informative experience than actually having the types of bugs and animals in it. There is a hands-on table for small children with fake fossils and other small themed items to touch. There were no employees in the area, it seemed this building could definitely use some improvement or enhancement.
FLIGHT! A Butterfly Experience
One of the more impressive attributes at the Santa Ana Zoo is the FLIGHT Butterfly Experience. It takes place in a medium-sized dome filled with plants and resources for the butterflies to feed on, like watermelon. Before you can enter the experience, an employee gives you a quick rundown on making sure not to interrupt the butterflies when they are feeding and a reminder to only pick up the butterfly with one finger. The dome is filled with different types of butterflies, so many that it's almost overwhelming. They landed on almost every person if you remained completely still. There wasn't any employees walking around or monitoring the activity, but there was one standing at the entrance and exit, making sure that there are no stray butterflies escaping. You could tell the zoo is proud of this experience because the level of upkeep and interactivity was on another level.
The Farm
The Farm was an area that was in the far corner of the zoo, where a giant barn lay. Inside the barn there were empty stalls and cobwebs. There was not a singular animal in the barn. There was a photo-booth that was filled with mosquitoes and was unimpressively unkept. There also was a machine where you enter coins to create a coin that had a small picture that had to do with the zoo. Outside the barn, there were goats with an employee actively tending them. To feed the goats was an extra fee, but you could go up and pet them. Nearby there was a hand-washing station to wash your hands after interacting with the animals. Also in the area were chickens, turtles and more. It was a pretty vacant space but still had charm to it.
Attractions
There was a very cute, zoo-themed attraction area with a carousel, train and ferris-wheel. These attractions cost a separate price. It was about 1.50$ for a ticket and the attractions were two to three tickets per adult. Kids under two got to ride free. The carousel was filled with different zoo animals like cheetahs, ant-eaters and tigers. The ferris-wheel was tiki themed. The train was an attraction that was more popular. It took you around the zoo with a guide talking to you about the different exhibits and animals around. The guides seemed active and like they enjoyed their job. This would definitely be something to do to spend a couple extra dollars on.
Food
There is one place to eat meals at a small, orange quick-service restaurant at the front of the park. The food is absolutely wonderful. They serve a wide variety of pizza, sandwiches and more. For children, they have adorably made kids food in different shapes like animals and more. They had desserts like ice-cream sandwiches and more. The pricing for all of these items are definitely affordable.
In terms of snacks, there are a small number of carts around the zoo selling drinks and snacks.
Animals
There are a lot of different animals at the Santa Ana Zoo. Most of the animals are small, but still impressive. There was a large ant-eater and a camel in terms of the bigger sized animals. There were also lots of smaller birds as well. But their most impressive feature at this zoo is the monkeys. There were tons of different types of monkeys in big cages, but you could get super close to the cages where it almost felt like an interactive experience. Some examples of the types of monkeys are the Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin and the Black-Howler Monkey. All of the monkeys are super active and playful. It is something unlike any other zoo experience around. It feels almost magical to be able to be so close to these furry creatures.
Overall
The Santa Ana Zoo is quaint zoo on the smaller side, with low crowds but a lot of love. During the holidays the zoo is dressed up with blow-up zoo animals that match the theming. Some of the exhibits are a bit on the dry side, but there are also exhibits that are impressive and must-sees. If you want to go with a zoo with free parking and almost have the zoo to your self then the Santa Ana Zoo is definitely recommended. You can tell the people who work there love their job. There is a lot of heart in this tiny zoo that rivals the big league zoos like the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Zoo.
