For $2 a person, you get a compact, well-maintained zoo filled with local wildlife. If you have children under 10, it's absolutely worth the stop every time you're at the park. For the price, it's incredibly reasonable. You can walk the entire zoo in 30-45 minutes. The layout is easy to navigate with young kids. You're not dealing with long walks or massive crowds. The enclosures give you close-up views of animals -- mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, peccary, bobcats, hawks, peacocks, eagles, owls. The petting area is a small bonus. Bring a roll of quarters and you can buy feed from the machine so the kids can hand-feed the goats. read more

Orange County Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

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Very Cool Zoo didn't even know Orange County had another zoo besides Santa Ana zoo so I'll definitely be going here again, the petting zoo with the goats was definitely my favorite part they were really chill and weren't afraid of u petting them read more

Let's get down to the nitty gritty... This is a great zoo. I'm not throwing and shade. However, if you are traveling from far away, or even out of state/ country, this zoo may not be your cup of tea. Here's why. They don't have a huge variety of animals here. If you are wanting to see all the animals, then you should go to the San Diego Zoo. That zoo reigns supreme of all Zoo's for Souther California. The Orange County Zoo is nice, and great. However, they don't have a huge variety of animals here. They also have lots of disabled animals. If you are looking to see healthy animals, again the San Diego Zoo is your place. Now cost wise, this zoo is way cheaper than the San Diego Zoo. That is something to consider. I think all zoos are wonderful because they house and care for animals. I do think it is worth knowing what you want to see at the zoo and then decide which one will fit your needs. That being said, The Orange County Zoo is a great zoo. It is clean and you will see some animals for a very cheap price. If you don't mind seeing animals who are being rehabilitated, this is a good zoo. read more

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Unbeatable quality zoo for the low cost of $2. There was a $5 entrance fee to enter the park which also included access to the lake, picnic tables, and hiking trails. We parked near the zoo entrance and the lot was filled before 9AM. There were peacocks wandering outside the zoo. We went to the area prior to opening and there was already a line to get into the zoo. There were two lines at the entrance, one for cash and one for credit. Notably there wasn't a gift shop so I kept the brochure for memory sake. Going earlier was better as most of the animals were awake and being fed. Each exhibit was spacious and decorated for the holiday season. I particularly enjoyed seeing the reptiles in the gift wrapped boxes. The animals were some of the most well fed and active I've ever seen at a zoo. There were also efforts for wildlife rehabilitation as some of the animals were injured. The placards for each animal included fun facts. There weren't ongoing programs when we visited but there was a volunteer walking around with an owl, sharing factoids. There was a section for farm animals and there was feed for 25 cents. There was also a petting area where guests can interact with the animals. My favorite section was the big felines near the entrance. They were gorgeous and very active. We surprisingly got close to the animals as we could get close to the fence and glass. The glass was well maintained so every animal was easily viewed. We spent 1.5 hours here and then enjoyed a walk around the lake nearby. There was also a food station across the entrance with snacks and meals. Overall, this was an exceptional experience for $2. Good for adults and children! read more

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Just right for seniors and children because it's not too big and there are places to sit and enjoy a relaxing day. Recommended read more

Budget friendly fun for the whole family! The zoo was small, interactive, and so much fun. I love that there was a scavenger hunt, mostly shaded and we absolutely loved the children's zoo and petting zoo area. My son enjoyed feeding the animals, we got three rounds of food to feed the goats. There was also a zookeeper with a snake where kids could touch and learn about the snake. We would definitely go back! Perfect for young children. read more

Orange County Zoo - Budget family-friendly fun! - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

This zoo was such an excellent surprise. After I found out this park was only 20 mins away, my partner and I came here for exercise, not expecting there was a whole zoo charging only $2 admission on weekdays! When we went around 1:30pm, most of the animals were up and about and there were very few animals off-exhibit. The variety was also unexpected! The Patagonian Mara was a particular highlight, as I'd never even heard of that animal before. This place is ideal for children, but even if you're an adult, this is a nice break from the trails. It's small enough that you'll probably see everything within an hour, but given the rest of the park's offerings (especially on days they hold events), that's not really a bad thing. If you're looking to keep costs down, bring your own food! The snack shack (which is located just outside the zoo) has typical burgers and hotdogs, but prices are on the high end. read more

Orange County Zoo - Swainson's Hawk - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

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We love this zoo! For $5 you can park, walk around the zoo, feed animals, & chase peacocks and squirrels in the park. My 3.5 year old boy loves coming here and it is definitely affordable. We also love riding the train around during all the different holidays. There is so much to do I even want to come up on a date with just me and hubs to go on the boat in the lake! Stay tuned for that! read more

Orange County Zoo - Posing with the mountain lion - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

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We've come to the OC Zoo countless times and we still love this place. It's a family-friendly zoo that emphasizes learning and caretaking of Southwestern wildlife. Lately, we've spent more time feeding goats. If you want to feed them, remember to bring quarters for the grain vending machine. There's also a Petting Zoo where you can brush and pet the goats. If you have older ones, grab a Scavenger Hunt brochure near the entrance. You'll learn loads of facts about the animals at the OC Zoo, and you can get a prize! For only $2 (ages 3 and older), you can see jaguars, hawks, eagles, black bears, foxes, owls, snakes, beavers, ocelot, patagonian maras, tortoise, and more. Staff is friendly and the zoo is clean and well-maintained. read more

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$5 Parking on Sat & Sun. $3 on weekdays. Free Parking if you have your OC Employee badge. $2 to enter the zoo which is deep inside the park. Be careful driving because there are people walking and biking on the same street cars drive. Bring quarters (.25 cents coin) if you want to buy food to feed animals at the petting zoo. It was a hot day when we went so most of the animals were resting, not moving much. It was not as crowded since it is a small place. People walk in and out within an hour. Bring lots of ice water on a hot day. Petty zoo can get smelly if you're not use to being around animal. It was a nice little visit being outside. read more

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I love this zoo. I love that it's inside of a wonderful park and that it's small and quaint. I love that the animals are rescued and given a new life and chance to be cared for. It's a great spot to just meander as slow as you want, and just take it all in. Don't go here if you want a fast paced, exciting day. Go if you want a chill, relaxing day, observing the animals and taking your time. read more

$5 parking fee and $2 entrance fee? Doesn't get any better than this! I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of animals and reptiles they had for such a low-cost zoo. they have a goat petting area for no additional cost! it was a very clean, organized area and didn't smell at all (i have a strong sense of smell). they also provide brushes for you to brush the goats with. all the goats (sadly) have their horns dulled and they're very used to people so they're passive. also saw a super cute and unique animal I've never seen before (keeping it a surprise) that's right across the petting zoo - easy to miss, so make sure you take a look. The thing I did find strange was that there were a handful of animals that you normally can see in the wild that is now in captivity - raccoon, coyote, black crow...one star docked for this. parking is a bit difficult to find on a weekend and may require a bit of walking but a fantastic and affordable activity to do with children and adult alike. read more

A perfect little day adventure for our daughter's first trip to the zoo! The zoo has a $2 entrance fee. If you have bigger kids, there's a fun little scavenger hunt pamphlet by the entrance. The exhibits were clean and well maintained. We were able to spot all the animals in each exhibit which you don't always get to do at larger zoos. Some of our favorites were the black panther, mountain lion, prairie dogs, tortoise, beaver, and owls. We spent about an hour walking around and it felt like the perfect amount of time. We can't wait to bring her back when she's bigger! Highly recommend if you're looking for a fun kid friendly activity in the OC. (: read more

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My 3 year old LOVES going to the zoo, so I always try to find a zoo to take him to wherever we go... decided to give this one a shot and honestly, it's probably one of the worst zoo's we've ever been to. I was freaking out because we left later than normal and the zoo was gonna close in a couple hours after... but after literally walking around for 25 minutes and realizing we were done with everything; it all made sense... I guess for $3 I can't really complain, but we drove over an hour and didn't have any back up plans... luckily, the actual park that this zoo resides in had other activities for us to do. PLEASE NOTE: The zoo parking lot is absolutely terrible... it's SO small and has one row of parking... we witness two groups of people literally almost fight each other because depending on the way the car in a spot is exiting, means that one person is gonna sneak in to that spot and the other person is gonna be pissed... so watch out for that All in all, I wouldn't go out of my way ever again to come here... but if you're in the area and need to kill like an hour or so for $20 with your family, this place will do just fine read more

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$2 for entry (2 and under free) $3 parking weekdays, $5 parking weekends Come right when the zoo opens or even 15 mins or so before and you won't have any issues parking in the adjacent zoo lot. Plus mornings are usually best because it's less crowded and also the animals are awake and roaming around, so you have a better chance of seeing them. I love coming to this zoo because it's so easy to walk around and see a variety of animals. All of the time's that I have gone, I've been able to see most of the animals in their enclosures. It's a relatively small zoo because most of the animals here are rescues, but perfect for toddlers or little kids to roam around. They do have a pretty diverse set of animals and I like what the zoo does with taking in animals. From their website: The Zoo's focus is on animals and plants native to the southwestern United States. Many of our animals are injured, orphaned, confiscated, or not releasable into the wild. I like to come here first and then take my son over to the playground that's nearby so he can burn off some more energy. Then we'll usually grab something small to eat at the little snack shack that they have there. Obviously, as many people have said, the zoo is very small so if you're comparing it to the SD Zoo, then yes, you'll be disappointed. It's not in the same caliber as the SD Zoo, but it's also a fraction of the price. Personally after having been to both the Santa Ana zoo and the OC zoo, I would say the OC zoo is better. It's less expensive, and I feel that you're able to see the animals a lot easier. Yes, it's smaller but there's so much in the adjacent park to do that it's well worth visiting, especially if you have little ones. read more

The OC zoo is really cool if you are in the area and you want to do something for a few hours that part is it's really small and it's not as big as the LA zoo or San Diego zoo so you can do everything within a few hours The OC zoo location is actually in the Irvine regional Park and so I believe the entrance fee per vehicle to the park is $3 dollars to park there and then the OC admission is two dollars per person and I think if you are too and younger it's free I was pretty sad of how small it was actually, but it is a little getaway if you want to go there for an hour or so to just walk around and see a few animals there was a lot of photo opportunities to take with the kids, but some of the exhibits were empty because I'm not sure exactly why we did see a bobcat a bear and reptiles I would rather go to the San Diego zoo or LA zoo but I guess this one was OK because it wasn't that far and we were in the area read more

Orange County Zoo - A really cool photo app - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

Orange County Zoo, and the park in general, is a great place to check out and bring your family. Our favorite animal to see is the otter. The pricing is very reasonable and the walk is easy for younger kids. Afterwards, we always venture into the park for some grilled cheese and fries, and watch the train go by. Great place to go! read more

Orange County Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

This is a small zoo located in Irvine Regional Park. It's $2 to enter and honestly it's very much worth that small price. Many exhibits did not have animals but the ones that did had animals that I don't even see at other zoos. Some notable animals were the black panther, and porcupine. They even had a kids section where you're able to pet and feed the goats. They sold food for 25 cents per handful so it was very reasonably priced. We went through the whole zoo in about an hour but that's going pretty slow and doing all the activities. I would recommend this zoo if you're already at the Regional Park. It's fairly cheap and worth checking out. read more

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This is our second time to the oc zoo. It host over 50 animals native to Southern California. It's $2 for entry. It's clean, small, but overall a fun treat for the littles inside Irvine park, you can walk from the train or just drive to it. Tons to see and you can spend the day here. read more

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Small zoo out off the beaten path but nice for & older grandparents. Not a lot of walking. Horrible food which is expected by me.

It is a very small zoo, but also much cheaper than other zoos. We walked pretty slowly and finished it in 45mins. I brought strollers, and it was easy to navigate around the paths. A great place to spend a short afternoon. If you're hoping to see many large animals, like giraffes, tigers, and elephants, then this isn't the zoo. They had some birds (owls, bald eagle, and few others) and a few smaller-medium sized animals (mountain lion, snakes, and a coyote to name a few). The only larger animal I remember seeing was a brown bear. They had a little petting zoo too, which my toddler loved. There's also a feed station, so bring some quarters if you want to feed the animals. read more

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Nice little zoo situated in Irvine Regional Park. Lots of traffic on a Sunday but you get to see pretty cool animals. First time seeing mountain lions and a black panther (jaguar) in person, and it's a cool experience! Definitely a great place for family and lots of young kids around! Admission is only $2, yay! read more

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Impressive local zoo that houses only animals found in the region. Staff is very friendly. Three staff members had a possum, snake and parrot in their arms for guests to touch and ask questions. Mountain Lion and black panther enclosures were very impressive. The snakes displays were great as well. There is a children's zoo/petting zoo. You can feed and groom the goats. The best part is that the price is $2 for over the age of 2. Such a great deal!! Ok, bye read more

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I like this zoo, best price! You'll see lions, and tigers and bears. Usually zoos have plenty of monkey and birds this one has unique animals. We saw porcupines, a beaver, a panther and much more. There's also an area to go into to feed the farm animals. read more

Orange County Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

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Came were Sunday around 2:00pm. The parking closest was full already. So we Parked in Lot D less traffic where we took a back trail to get to the main entrance a 10 minute walk. For 2$ per person I'd say the experience was worth it even though it was packed. The bigger animals like the jaguar and mountain lion were inactive as expected. But the bear was cool. The smaller animals were cool to see. There is also a section to feed and pet goats which is perfect for little kids. All in all, family enjoyed it and if you trying to save money and make the kids happy I recommended here rather than another zoo. There is also plenty of other things to do in the park. read more

Orange County Zoo - Bear - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

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The enclosures are what make this zoo. That, and it's only $2 for anyone 3 years old and up! You walk through and under the mountain lion enclosure. All enclosures provide exceptional viewing opportunities. There is a kids zoo in one of the corners where you can pet and feed friendly animals. The two bears are active and easily seen. Overall, an exceptional little adventure. read more

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I'm not sure how you give this place less than 5 stars. Honestly, it's $2. It's small in that it is walkable with small kids but it has some really cool animals. Mountain lions and ocelots? Check. Boa constrictor and a turkey vulture? Check. Red-tailed hawk and Jacob goats with four horns!!?!?!! Check. They even have volunteers walking around holding snakes you can touch and cute little hedgehogs. They have an area where you can go inside and pet and groom the goats, or feed them for a quarter. Priceless memories can be yours by visiting here. I've been here before, but we came here on a class field trip and it was just so delightful to see the kids' eyes light up at all the animals. Everyone working or volunteering there was knowledgeable and patient with the little kiddos. Everything was clean and well kept. Do yourself a favor and plan an outing to the OC Zoo. read more

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What an awesome experience for such a great price! We came on a Saturday afternoon and it was only $5 to get into Irvine regional park and $2 per person for the zoo entrance. The park itself is pretty large and there's lots of space for barbecues, birthday parties, etc. Once you get through the entrance of the main park you'll see signs that lead to the zoo and other activities that they have there like bike rentals, pony rides, etc. It's definitely a great place to bring the family without breaking the bank. The zoo itself is such a hidden gem! We were able to see various wild animals including wildcats, bears, peacocks, snakes, eagles, parrots, and many more. The staff there are friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. We saw one of the staff members holding a cute little hedgehog and was informing us about the animal. We even got the chance to pet the hedgehog! Overall I highly recommend coming here for a nice outing! read more

Orange County Zoo - Hedgehog - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. You see bougie fools around SoCal plop down hundreds of dollars to go to extremely mid night-clubs or food festivals or whatever. None of those can compete with the GOAT (both acronymically and not acronymically) Halloween event of Southern California - the Orange County Zoo. First of all, it's practically free (for customers, obviously not actually free since it probably relies on an appropriate amount of taxpayer funding). Parking is $5 dollars and gets you access to the entire Irvine Regional Park. You can also go gremlin mode, park a mile-plus outside (there's not a lot of parking nearby), and bike inside. Once you're inside the zoo, admission is $2 per adult, and some lower amount for children. Basically, you'll pay more for gas than for actual admissions into the zoo, so I'm not even sure why they bother charging you money. The Halloween event saw EVERYTHING decorated. Practically every animal pen had some sort of decoration in it. They also had a scavenger hunt where kids (or in my case, cringe adults) got to go around and learn about various animals. My understanding of biology is probably worse than most of the kids involved, so I learned a lot. Also, they handed out free candy for trick-or-treaters. The petting zoo was great because they dressed up many of the goats in very cute costumes. Also, they had regular feeding events for various animals - the best ones are probably the bears and the petting zoo (because there's so many different animals that get fed). The animals looked like they were in great shape and living their best life (Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In Their Lane. Focused.) The OC Zoo also just added a huge new wing for "big cats", like mountain lions, ocelots, and other large catlike beings. Some of them are pretty cute, got to see a Mountain Lion step in a puddle and like any cat, look very unhappy and licky its paws clean. Anyways, the OC Zoo holds IMO the best Halloween event of Southern California - and it's just a great place to visit whenever you're nearby or have time. read more

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Overall, great experience here. It doesn't have many animals but it gives a more intimate experience. I go to LA all the time. This zoo you can at least see many of the animals. LOVE that I can use my phone to get more information about the animals. What I mean is I can call a number there and it shares about the animals. You can feed Joseph sheep here and pet them. Not bad at all for $2 dollars. They don't honor family passes to the zoo. I had an individual plus one pass from the LA zoo. This zoo was supposed to be free to me but I had to pay for my guess. Even though it was only $2, just a heads up. Grata experience here. Done in under 2 hours easily. read more

I have nothing but great things to say about the OC Zoo. The OC zoo is great way to spend some time at the Irvine regional park. Entry is only $2 as well!! My son enjoyed seeing all of the birds, coyote, mountain lion and snakes. Petting zoo is a plus. Overall great experience and can't beat the price. read more

This is the perfect little zoo you can get done in an hour. The price is great and the kids had fun! It's also very clean and there's a petting zoo at the end. Definitely a must try if you're looking for a budget friendly thing to do. Not to mention the park surrounding the place is amazing and beautiful and has plenty of places to eat and play at read more

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such a great zoo to let the kids explore. not too big and rarely crowded (maybe I should keep it a secret!) Don't come expecting tigers or elephants and instead enjoy the peace. read more

This is a great spot for a family picnic and hangout. The park has both a zoo and a playground in the same location. The zoo ticket is very affordable as well. The park itself is quite large and can take a full day to explore. Admission is only $2 per person, and children under 2 get in for free. read more

Highly recommend this zoo, we loved it! The viewing here is very up close and personal. We were there at feeding time & it was awesome with the tigers. read more

Amazing animals. Zoo was great. Got to see whole zoo the people were nice and very friendly read more

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The OC Zoo is an absolute hidden gem within the Irvine Regional Park. Our family took a day trip to the OC last week. We visited the Irvine Regional Park and boy were we glad we did that. This park is filled with some fun family fun. The cost to enter the park is $5 per car. The OC Zoo cost is $2 per person! Incredible! Now, I will say...this is a very small zoo. Especially if you compare it to the San Diego or LA zoo. But it is very cute and has a nice variety of unique animals that you might normally see if your local zoo. -Mountain Lions -Panther -Black Bears -American Bald Eagle and so much more! And it only cost $2!!!! What kind of family fun is out there for $2. Our family spent a little over an hour enjoying this zoo. The keepers were so friendly and they do bring some of the animals out to interact with the guest. One of the keepers walked around with an owl and the other had a baby opossum that our kids were able to pet. After walking around the zoo, the Irvine Regional Park has many more things to enjoy. Including bike rentals, paddle boat rentals, pony rides and a train ride. Tons of open grass space for picnics. This park is amazing. There is even a little snack bar outside of the zoo that had some tasty treats. We will definitely be making our way back again. read more

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A fun and endearing little zoo. My kids love it. You can't beat the price, and you get up close to the animals. Staff is extremely friendly, and the petting zoo is amazing. Did you see the price? Absolute can't beat it anywhere. 10/10 rec read more

Orange County Zoo - Reptile exhibit at the zoo! Slithery snakes! Lol - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

Goodness I can't imagine anyone not giving the Orange County Zoo a 5 star rating. Cost was $3 to get inside the park. Basically covering parking. Additional cost of $2 was for the cost of the Zoo entry fee. These were the weekday prices. Once you pay the park entrance fee you follow the signs for OC zoo. You will pass a cute train station, little old fashion town and horse stables. There was plenty of parking on the day I went. They did accept cash and credit card even though the cost was only $2 per person. The zoo is really small but the animals were so close up and active. There's a section of big cats, bears and other random animals. There's lot of peacocks just walking around the zoo and that was so cool. Plenty of clean bathrooms too. No restaurants or food truck but you can walk over to the Train station and they had some sandwiches and snacks available. Would recommend for something other than a beach day. Definitely great for children and families. Best $5 spent in a long time. read more

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Like most people have stated, best $2 ever spent. It's not the biggest zoo, but does it need to be. No it was great way to enjoy a nice weekend afternoon strolling seeing the animals. Most were just chilling and the nocturnal ones were sleeping the day away so can't really blame them for afternoon naps. Great place to take kids and there's even a wander zoo expert that brings out various animals that kids can pet. He only brings them out one at a time and different location in the zoo so you'll have to spot him. I only saw and petted the opossum but it was definitely kind of nice to have that experience because in the wild, I would never do that because of fear of disease. But in a controlled environment like the zoo, great place to give in to curiosity. Two word take away, WORTH IT! read more

Orange County Zoo - Rattlesnake - Zoos Near Me - Orange, California

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