1 / 2Orange County Zoo
📍 Orange, CA
Small zoo inside Irvine Regional Park specialising in rescued and non-releasable southwestern wildlife including black bears, mountain lions, bald eagles, and coyotes. Hands-on barnyard with gentle domestic goats and sheep. Ages 3+.
Such a fun place to visit. It's a little quaint zoo perfect for toddlers up to age 6 to entertain for an hour and a half. They have a scavenger hunt and at the end you turn it in an the kids earn some stickers. Lots to see from mountain lions, bears, eagles, to snakes and much more. They have a petting zoo for goats where you can brush them and feed them...just remember to bring quarters to get food. It's near by other attractions, riding horses, train ride, ride a bike or boat cycle in their pond. My 4 year old does not get bored of this place. Entrance is a few dollars. And there is plenty of parking with an outdoor food shack or perfect for a day picnic.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Families with children between ages 3 and 6 get a first zoo experience scaled to young attention spans — the compact layout covers all exhibits in 60 to 90 minutes without fatigue. The barnyard petting area is the strongest draw for under-5s. Older children can engage with the scavenger hunt and audio tour for more depth.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →3,969 Google reviews
Rebe π
3 months ago
“Such a fun place to visit. It's a little quaint zoo perfect for toddlers up to age 6 to entertain for an hour and a half. They have a scavenger hunt and at the end you turn it in an the kids earn some stickers. Lots to see from mountain lions, bears, eagles, to snakes and much more. They have a petting zoo for goats where you can brush them and feed them...just remember to bring quarters to get food. It's near by other attractions, riding horses, train ride, ride a bike or boat cycle in their pond. My 4 year old does not get bored of this place. Entrance is a few dollars. And there is plenty of parking with an outdoor food shack or perfect for a day picnic.”
Big Fish Dive Club
6 months ago
“One great little zoo for your younger ones. We took our 18-month granddaughter to her first ever zoo visit and she had a great time. Her favorite part was to brush the goats in the petting zoo area. All the goats were so gentle that our little granddaughter wasn’t afraid at all. The zoo was small enough that it didn’t tire us out and we even saw several feedings of the animals. At $2 per person (plus $3 per car to enter Irvine Regional Park), this was one the few remaining bargains in Orange County.”
Vijay
3 months ago
“Orange County Zoo is a wonderful place to visit! The staff are extremely friendly and make the experience welcoming from the moment you arrive. The $2 ticket price is truly worth every penny — very affordable and great value for what you get. The zoo has a good number of animals and pets, all well cared for and easy to view. It’s a perfect spot for families, kids, or anyone looking for a relaxing and enjoyable outing in nature. Highly recommended!”
DeeAnna Solorio
5 months ago
“Great place to visit. It's a small cozy zoo. The children enjoyed looking at all the animals. The cost was $5.00 for parking. Finding parking was a challenge so prepare to walk. The cost for the zoo entrance was $2.00 per person including children. Under 2 years old is free. No sorvernior store.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Orange County Zoo houses native southwestern species — many rescued or non-releasable — in naturalistic enclosures across a compact, walkable layout. The barnyard lets children brush and hand-feed domestic goats and sheep with quarters from the dispenser. A scavenger hunt sheet from the entrance kiosk earns stickers at the end. A free cell-phone audio tour provides keeper narration for each exhibit. Park admission and zoo admission are two separate fees.
