Small but efficient. Clean, organized, and built for a quick trip. Next to the park and lake. Prideful maintenance.

Very small zoo- you'll be done in an hour tops. The enclosures seemed too small, but they were clean. Nice variety of birds. The gift shop is full of stuffed animals and junky souvenirs and an unfriendly cashier. It seems like they're in the process of renovating some enclosures which it desperately needs- many of the cages seem too small and boring. For example, one species of porcupine was in a wire cage with a concrete floor and bare branches to sit on- give them dirt and leaves and enrichment please. read more

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This was a really cute little zoo. Our 4 yr old loved it! There are actually some pretty cool/unique animals. They made some nice changes for COVID - masks required, social distancing by roping off sections, and directing people to walk in only one direction through the zoo. We stopped by for an hour before lunch, which was perfect for us. read more

I had a wonderful day at this zoo and loved seeing all the updates and improvements throughout! The zoo is small and easy to walk through in an hour or less, but it boasts a wide variety of unique animals that you can get up close and personal with. I absolutely loved what they've done with the red panda exhibit and have heard they have plans to alter other exhibits as well! The weather was beautiful-warm, but with a breeze, which meant that many of the animals were active and playing. It was especially cool to watch the tiger roam its enclosure while roaring! I hit up the gift shop on my way out and it was surprisingly large and full of very huggable stuffed animals and other fun souvenirs! read more

For a small zoo primarily geared towards children, this zoo is actually quite nice. There seemed to be some ongoing improvements in progress when we visited, and the number of animals was large enough to be interesting, while maintaining the seeming good health and well-being of the animals. The entry fee is very reasonable, and parking is plentiful and free, as the zoo shares space with a very nice park. Definitely worth a repeat visit with the grandkids. read more

Such a cute little zoo! Seemed like they maintained the exhibits well and had one way markers for social distancing measures. Unique variety of animals and a small gift shop too! read more

My daughter and I visited the zoo while on a short road trip and very much enjoyed ourselves. It's very small, but the animals were active and viewable. They have directional paths to view the ground to help people with distancing. Hand sanitizing stations throughout the park. Plenty of shaded parking. The red pandas were very cute! read more

SMALL zoo, we were in and out in 30 minutes but it was still a cute zoo. Clean. I wish the animals were more visible, there is a lot of bushes and trees in the way. The park outside however was awesome and my son loved it! Great place for a picnic. read more

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For such a small Zoo in small community, this zoo is very impersonal. Ex: at the Tiger cage they have a small fact about Malaysia tigers, but I want to know about the small tiger before me. What is the tiger's name? How old is he or she? How did he come to Atascadero, some fun facts about this tiger... Names of their animals and fun facts would make people want to visit them more, care more, and connect more. I love the location of this zoo, love their entrance and they have a cute gift shop. read more

Let me start by saying to others who have reviewed this zoo that some of you should be ashamed.... This isn't San Diego, Los Angles, or even Santa Barbara. This is a small town and I believe privately run zoo. I enjoyed my couple of hours today walking around several times. Yes it's a super small zoo! I enjoyed the new baby Caribbean Flamingos! Kudos to the zoo that they are now successfully breeding!!! The tiger was healthy, happy, and active. All animals were in good healthy shape. People let's enjoy it for what it has and does provide us adults and so so many children with. That said the zoo management team should get their "shit together". The website, including current event calendar are not current and updated. Hello it's not 2016 or 2017...... I know they recently had some activities that were advertised elsewhere but not on their own site. I was also disappointed the Red Panda Exhibit isn't open yet. Again why are signs posted everywhere still showing "Opening Summer 2017"??? Update your info, please?.... I saw one employee the entire day in the gift shop after returning from her lunch. I had returned to pay my entrance fee prior to leaving. I had to wonder how many others are as honest..... I wish more exhibits and tanks were utilized to their full potential... I have to ask is it a management issue, a funding issue, or why? We as citizens need to support these establishments but they must communicate and uphold their responsibilities too...... read more

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What a tiny zoo. There's a good variety Of pretty critters. Charles Paddock zoo may be really small and quaint, but there is a good variety of animals and habitats. I can only imagine the cost of increasing the capacity of a zoo and acquiring more animals, so I can't complain too much about the small scale of this zoo. Some of the flashier exhibits include a tiger exhibit, a tortoise exhibit, an anteater exhibit, and many many birds. I probably won't frequent this zoo, since you can comfortably see everything it has to offer in one to two hours, but it's a good idea to see the awesome animals at least once! read more

With family visiting the area, we took four adults and two kids (1 & 3 years old) to this zoo and had a great time! The zoo was well organized, clean, and the 3 year old could be free to walk/run to the various exhibits. I am grateful that this venue exists to broaden our lives in a wholesome way! Kudos to those owning and working at this zoo! You are doing a fine job! I will definitely be back! read more

Cute zoo, very small. The Red Panda exhibit is very cool. Fun place to spend and hour or two.

Small sad zoo with enclosures too small for the animals such as the Malaysian Tiger who paces back and forth. The Flamingos at the front entrance is the best part of the zo read more

We went to Pismo for 4th of July weekend. I made an attempt to do something cool with the kids before heading home. I found a pamphlet for this place as I was checking out of my hotel. With the directions provided by the website we thought we had got lost. But it was actually due to the fact that the zoo is next to a park. We got all 4 kids out and they showed much excitement to be at the "Zoo" We were quickly disappointed. I paid for 2 adults and 2 youth. We entered and walked out within 10-12 minutes. This place is WAY over priced for the animals it has. Which is like 5. Swear all we saw was flamingos, a emu, wallaby, tortoise, 2 parrots, some flamingo and a tiger. I was confused. I went to the gift shop to look for a map. The cashier said "we don't have a map. It just loops around, you can't get lost" I said "I just paid like 10 minutes ago" It actually took us longer to unload all the kids, apply sunblock, then to walk in, pay, and walk out. I requested a refund... But I was denied. I felt robbed. THIS PLACE IS DISAPPOINTING. We have a WAY better amount of animals and activities at the Chaffee Zoo in Fresno. My suggestion? Save your money. Visit the SF Zoo..... read more

Today's trip left me really sad. Pacing and weaving are behaviors never seen in the wild and are caused by under stimulated animals. The fossa, red panda and tiger paced the same paths the entire time we were there. It's no wonder, their exhibits were so small. Like shockingly small. I'm not necessarily anti-zoo but this was upsetting to me. How does a tortoise have a bigger area than a tiger? Surely they can do better by these animals. I felt guilty being there. The pluses are that it has a lot of shade for visitors, is inexpensive and is set up so that visitors, especially little kids, can be pretty close to the animals and have a clear view to see well. read more

If you care deeply about the well being of wild animals, don't come here. The enclosures are so small it's torturous. The TIGER doesn't even have the ability to RUN. The staff is amazing and kind, they have great options for kids. I'm not dissing them in any way. I'm just 100% against this kind of enclosure simply for the purpose of human viewing. read more

I love going to the Charles Paddock Zoo here in my hometown of Atascadero although it is a small zoo and Lacs more animals and lacks a little bit more of things to do it is still a nice little place for the price it's not bad then you have the Lake Park next door where you can go have a nice little picnic with your family after you filled the zoo it is a good atmosphere for kids and adults you can also have a little barbecue after the fact read more

Very sad zoo. The habitats were small to the point of being cruel. The tiger was pacing, grunting, and panting (it was 60 degrees). Its enclosure was small enough to prevent it from running and it's spent 13 years of its life this way. The horned owl is in a narrow cage about 8 feet across, and many of its other birds are in small cages as well. They appeared to be nervous and missing feathers. I left depressed and angry. I thought California could do better. Even if their intentions are good as a zoo, it should honestly be shut down, or at the very least switch up most of their larger animals for tiny ones if that's all the space they have to offer. read more

This is a great small zoo for toddlers and young preschoolers. They can walk around inside safely without being overwhelmed by crowds or a large space. (Or they can ride if you rent a little safari wagon to push them in - we've never done this so I don't know if it's a good value). The flamingo exhibit just inside the entrance catches their attention; the store where you pay (if the window is not open outside the gate) lets them look at just enough gifts and souvenirs - it also sells ice cream bars. The zoo has a representation of different types of animals (birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, and barnyard) with the tiger being the most impressive to my child (save the tiger for last). There is a lion-shaped water fountain, a spiral wishing well coin funnel for donations that my child currently loves using, and a small green space where we've seen puppet shows in the past. We've seen an extra area open, too, where they had rabbits and chicks around Easter. You can check the zoo's web site for special events if you want something extra going on when you visit. If your child gets tired of being in the zoo, you can walk to the playground in the park that the zoo is located in. The drawbacks are that with these mostly being small animals, many of them are hiding rather than active when we want to look at them, or they're hard for little kids to spot even when they are active. You can't even see most of the reptiles and amphibians because of the location of the exhibit with the sun shining on the aquariums and the glass misted. These things just make it hard to convince a small child to stick around in the zoo. Also, the smallness of the zoo means you're done quickly when you might've wanted to make a morning of the visit. We've also encountered some very unfriendly staff in the store where you pay your admission. I wish employees would remember that they are representing the zoo (and the adult world) to little kids even if they don't care about the parents. read more

A small but good teaching experience zoo for young children. My only complaint is the very small enclosures for the "wild" animals such as the Tiger, etc. Some animals probably don't mind (like the large tortoises) but the free roaming, more intelligent creatures certainly DO. The enclosures smack of the old, cramped and thoughtless style zoo's designed to entertain humans but are like prison's to the animals. In today's age when we are a more thoughtful, empathetic global society it is sad to still see these types of "zoo's". I think the Charles Paddock Zoo should improve their larger animal enclosures or rehome the Tiger and other larger animals. It's time to move on from this 50's style prison environment. read more

My husband and J took my 11 year old daughter to this zoo, "zoo" this afternoon. When I saw the Malaysian tiger I literally burst into tears. His enclosure was TINY. He had no room to run. He paced back and forth and howled,whined and basically looked completely miserable. I can't understand why? Who allows this? The freakin monkeys have bigger enclosures? I couldn't even handle how emotionally distraught this place made me. I have been crying off and on all day. I am going to contact the governor or SOMEONE and file a complaint. The tiger broke my heart and I felt incredibly guilty for paying to see him. He also had nowhere to hide and clearly didn't want to be gawked at. He came right up to us though as I was in tears. They also had a Dumeril's boa in an enclosure about the same size as the one I have at home for my tarahumara boa (she's only 5.5 feet long) this Dumeril's boa was easily 12-14 feet. That pissed me off too. Nowhere to slither or climb saddest day I have ever had besides loved ones passing away. I will never forget hot traumatizing it was. Here is a picture of the beautiful, sad tiger. I don't know his name or age because they don't provide any kind of personalization for ANY of their animals. P.s. only giving it a star because it won't let me post otherwise. read more

Central Coast Zoo - Poor sad Malaysian Tiger - Zoos Near Me - Atascadero, California

Great small zoo. You get really close to the animals and they all appear well cared for. They are good priced for admission. Can see the whole zoo in less than two hours...very cute read more

I nannied for an Atascadero family for three summers, and "Zoo-Boo" (as the kids call it) was always a hit! The family has a membership, so we would stroll in, stop in the gift shop for popsicles on hot summer days, and eat them as we checked out all the animals. The favorites are, of course, the tiger, along with the parrots, giant tortoise, and foosa (I think there is one in the Madagascar movie-ha!). Even though it's a teeny zoo, it is GREAT for our tiny area! The kids are preschool age, and the zoo was a perfect way to shake up our schedule and spend 30 minutes to an hour exploring. Tip: Bring bread and feed the ducks/geese/swans at the adjacent lake park for more animal interaction afterwards! read more

I love the Charles Paddock Zoo. Yes, it is small, but it's a small town and the admission price is very cheap. And there are quite a few animals considering how small of an area it is, including some that you don't see in zoos too often, such as a fossa, bat-eared foxes, and the super adorable red pandas. I visited this zoo fairly regularly when I lived in the area. I live in Oregon now, but whenever I'm in SLO County visiting family, I always make an effort to visit the zoo while I'm there. read more

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This is the saddest zoo I've ever been to. If your feeling too good and need a dose of sorrow to even you out this is your spot, otherwise stay clear. read more

I didn't want anything in particular for my birthday, so my husband thoughtfully made me a "best friend" of the tiger at the Charles Paddock Zoo. The website made this sound very appealing: for a $100 donation I would receive an 8x10 framed photo of the tiger, a tiger stuffed animal, a certificate and best of all my name on a board at the zoo showing that I was a best friend of their tiger. When my husband gifted it to me, I couldn't wait to go meet this tiger and take a picture next to my name at this zoo. We drove up from San Diego, made our way around the zoo (which is small so took 30 minutes) and couldn't find the friend board anywhere. I decided to ask the woman running the gift shop, and she explained that the name board was only online. Confused, I asked my husband, who then pulled up their website that clearly stated the board was located in the zoo. My hubby and I approached the woman again, and showed her the website. She seemed annoyed and said that they must not have put one in the zoo because not a lot of people participated in the friend program. She didn't seem to care at all that we came out of our way to see this board and frankly she shunned us after that. She walked behind the counter while my daughter and I looked around. We picked out a magnet for our refrigerator and placed it on the counter. The woman came from the back, said will that be all? She barely looked at me when I handed her my money and when she gave me my change. She turned around and walked to the back, no thank you, no good bye, and no apology for not having a friend board that was clearly on the website! One of the worst customer service experiences I've EVER had. On top of that visit, my package came today with my picture, certificate and stuffed animal in it. ALL of it is in my husband's name and not mine! He specifically gifted the donation in my name, and everything was addressed to him. Owners of Charles Paddock Zoo, since you don't have an email address on your website, maybe you can reach me through yelp? I'd love our money back, or at least for you to follow through on what is written on your website. read more

Nice for small kids. Pretty good selection of animals. Not that big but makes it up with cute, personal, cozy attractions. Nothing spectacular but don't miss out, really great for little ones. read more

This is a small but interesting zoo. They have a nice variety of animals and have some unusual ones. Our dogs were not allowed in, of course, but they were very intrigued by the flamingos, which are visible from the dog-friendly park adjacent to the zoo. read more

Me and my husband stayed in the SLO area and were looking for fun and cheap things to do. We thought the zoo sounded fun. We went on a Wednesday​ around lunch and were so impressed with this little zoo. It wasn't crowded at all! It is really neat how close you can get and see all the animals. I love the different animal variety.... some animals that were there when we visited were porcupines​, ​marsupials​, little alligator, tiger, red pandas, ant eaters, monkeys, and many more. It was really fun and would go back again if I was passing through the area. read more

Liked the zoo very cute but the tiger enclosure seemed too small and the tiger was visibly upset and howling (complaining) and pacing back and forth. Also one of the snakes enclosure was very small. I think it's a great zoo minus the tiger and snake enclosure. read more

We arrived at Charles Paddock Zoo an hour before they closed and it was the perfect amount of time to explore with our preschool age child. The admission price was just right for the size and type of animals they have to explore. My son loved the flamingos, meerkats and even named the tiger "Stripes" we must have watched him for 20 minutes. The old lion water fountain was also a hit for both my kid and my husband and I as it has a hint of nostalgia to it. This zoo is perfectly located within a beautiful park setting in this small town, worth the stop when heading down to the Central Coast. read more

This zoo may be small but my kiddos always have a blast. They love all the animals, the staff is friendly and it's always nice and clean

Cute small local zoo with a nice variety of animals. We most enjoyed the tiger and red panda. $7 for an adult and $5 for a child (2 and under free) was not bad. The animals look well taken care of :) Unlike some of the larger zoos, I liked being so close to the animals at this zoo. It felt much more intimate and exciting to learn about them. I wished there were more staff around to answer questions about the specific animals. Overall it was clean, even the restrooms. It was a pleasant experience that we look forward to having again. read more

Central Coast Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Atascadero, California

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This was a great trip, however, of the 2 employees I spoke to while attending, one was super rude, she was very rude when not only me and my party we're paying, but verbally was aggressive and rude towards another party as well. She was a larger lady wearing glasses, didn't get her name. Overall, I've been coming to this zoo for almost 20 years, and this is by far the rudest treatment we've received. read more

Small but cute zoo. Only 7 dollars to get in. I think the best animal/ attraction they have here is the tiger. The zoo is very well managed compared to a few smaller zoo's I've been to. You can tell they take good care of the animals there and that they're well fed and the habitat is kept cleaned. I would recommend this to anyone who has the time to stop by and stretch their legs before making the long drive home (if you're like me and you were on a road trip) or just to walk around with your kids. read more

Cute little zoo. It was pretty small but admission was super reasonable. My son loved the tiger (duh) and all of the other animals. They had a good variety of different animals and they all looked healthy and well looked after. I am a sucker for meerkats and lemurs so they were my favorite. There is a nice little playground right next door as well which was great to get some more energy out. read more

This is the smallest zoo we've been to. Everytime we visit Pismo Beach, we would stop by this zoo. Cute, but simply not enough animals to see. You can get in and out of the zoo in 30 minutes time. read more

This is a very tiny zoo, like you could be in and out in under 30 minutes, but I love it for my soon to be 2 year old. I just let him run around and guide me on what he wants to see. No stroller even needed. The tiger enclosure bums me out, like it's so small that I feel bad for it. When we came it was pretty empty, but the animals engaged with us. Which was a neat experience! Don't come expecting to see much. read more

My baby was getting fussy in the car on our way home from Santa Barbara this weekend so we had to find something nearby to step out. It was perfect place to go check out. Admission was less than $10. The park was clean and well kept. There were enough interesting animals to check out so it wasn't like a petting farm, which tends to happen with smaller zoos. They even had a Malaysian tiger! And I don't think I've ever seen a kangaroo (or it's relative) The gift shop had wonderful things and we all enjoyed it way more than expected. And love it that there is no big crowds. There was a big park next to it with a dock for people to rent paddle boats or something. The kid's playground was closed to construction but everything was very nice! read more