Santa Barbara Zoo

[WickedScorp]

All the years I have driven to and through Santa Barbara, I have always wondered about the highway sign pointing towards the city zoo. This past week, having an event to attend the beautiful seaside California town and some time to kill, I decided to finally give it a look.

Nestled between the 101 freeway and the beach, the zoo is at the southern tip of the city.


the land is well manicured and has some beautiful landscaping like this cactus garden


pincushion protea - one of my favorite flowers


beautiful spot for a picnic


they have a thing for macaws at this zoo - they are everywhere.


sleepy-time otters


elephants getting a great view of the Santa Barbara mountains


cali condors showing off


can I take you home?


giraffes feasting


giraffes are hooked up with a killer view


lazy kitties


kiss


capybarra - world's largest rodent.. and kinda cute


macaw all by his lonesome


flamingos!


lonely touci


can I just sqeeze you?


stingrays! wish I could touch 'em


aww... so loving

There's more to see. It's a pleasant enough diversion for a few hours and a beautiful spot for a picnic.

The keepers are friendly and gregarious. They'll engage you to ask anything you might be curious about.

Admission is $11 for adults and $9 for children and seniors. Parking is $4 though they have an odd way of enforcing that (they ask for it at the admission gate and I guess ask you to show proof on exit though there was no one checking as we left). There is a train that runs along the zoo's perimeter and although the cost to ride is a bit steep for what you get ($3.50) it's hard to balk when the proceeds go directly to the zoo. There is also giraffe feeding at $4 per person which we missed but I have participated in before and that is an experience worth the price.

[WOKcreative]

It's a great zoo, and in a nice location. So much fun stuff to do in SB.
Nice shots!

[sir clinksalot]

LOVE the Santa Barbara Zoo. Were only about 45 minutes away. We don't visit often enough. We may have to fix that soon.

Great pics. Glad you enjoyed it.

[The_Goofster]

Is that the giraffe with the crooked neck in that picture? I remember seeing it there when I was little but have no idea if it is still alive today.

[spunkymonkey]

The zoo is great, but the Giraffe w/ the crooked neck died abiut a year or 2 ago.

Love the train ride that brings ou pretty close to the lions, you feel like they can tear through the fence and get you.

[mamabot]

I absolutely love the Santa Barbara Zoo! I used to go with my Grandma when she lived in Camarillo. I have been wanting to take my kids to share the zoo with them. One of these days I have to do it.

Do people still feed the otters?

[LLCMC]

I've always wanted to go to that zoo! Thanks for the pictures, I'll have to make my way up there some time! I love the LA Zoo and of course the San Diego Zoo here in my hometown. San Diego is fantastic, of course... but just so expensive! LA was only 10 bucks when I went (heard it's up to 12) AND they have kangaroos!

[IzzyInWonderland]

My grandparents have lived in Montecito and Santa Barbara for a good portion of my life and we used to go to that zoo when I was little. Thanks for the pictures it brought back some lovely memories.

[Coheteboy]

Yah, I wanna know if the Giraffe with the crooked neck is still there too!