Charles Paddock Zoo
The Central Coast Zoo (formerly Atascadero Children's Zoo and most recently Charles Paddock Zoo) is a five-acre (2.0 ha) community zoo located in San Luis Obispo County, California, in the City of Atascadero on the Central Coast. It dates back to 1955. Look also at Landing of the first Filipinos, 13 mi away.
A zoo & aquarium inside Atascadero
You can stay in Atascadero
Charles Paddock Zoo is inside Atascadero, which has 13 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct and Nov
March, April, May, June, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 66–82°. When to go ↓
Established in 1955
Charles Paddock Zoo dates from 1955. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather through the year
Every month near Charles Paddock Zoo is set out below.
Charles Paddock Zoo
The Central Coast Zoo (formerly Atascadero Children's Zoo and most recently Charles Paddock Zoo) is a five-acre (2.0 ha) community zoo located in San Luis Obispo County, California, in the City of Atascadero on the Central Coast. It was home to an endangered male Malayan tiger named Menderu, who died in 2025.
Accredited since 1991, the zoo is one of the smallest zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 100 animals · 45 species
- Area
- 5 acres
- Established
- 1955
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.5K a year
Overnight near Charles Paddock Zoo
Places to stay start in Atascadero (13) and Morro Bay (56).
- 1Landing of the first Filipinos
- 2Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
- 3Mission San Miguel Arcángel
- 4Montaña de Oro
- 5San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Charles Paddock Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atascadero | in town | — | 13 8 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 29,464 | $717K | B |
| Morro Bay | 13 mi southwest | 20 min | 56 28 hotels · 3 motels · 14 inns & B&Bs · 6 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 10,613 | $918K | B− |
| El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) | 11 mi north | 15 min | 41 25 hotels · 5 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 31,626 | $687K | C |
| San Luis Obispo | 14 mi south | 20 min | 49 32 hotels · 6 motels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel | 50,636 | $935K | C− |
| Cayucos 40% vacation homes | 13 mi west | 20 min | 14 4 hotels · 5 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 2,427 | $1,012K | — |
| Pismo Beach 26% vacation homes | 22 mi south | 35 min | 40 22 hotels · 7 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 4 RV parks | 7,911 | $1,021K | C− |
| Cambria 23% vacation homes | 24 mi west | 35 min | 47 15 hotels · 1 motel · 26 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 5,978 | $930K | — |
| Templeton | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 5 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 9,580 | $810K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
While you are near Charles Paddock Zoo
Within 67 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw32 mi State parkHearst Castle
66 mi LakeTulare Lake113 mi LandmarkLanding of the first Filipinos
213 mi MuseumMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
319 mi MuseumMission San Miguel Arcángel
46 mi LandmarkFort Hunter Liggett
418 mi State parkMontaña de Oro State Park
513 mi MuseumSan Luis Obispo Railroad MuseumPhoto credits
Hearst Castle: No machine-readable author provided. Urban~commonswiki assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tulare Lake: Trace Fleeman Garcia, CC0 · Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa: Stephen Lea, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mission San Miguel Arcángel: Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Hunter Liggett: Binksternet, Public domain · Montaña de Oro State Park: BorisFromStockdale, CC BY-SA 3.0 · San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum: SLOGlen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Planning a visit to Charles Paddock Zoo
Is Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero?
Yes. It’s inside Atascadero, CA.
When is the best time to visit Charles Paddock Zoo?
March, April, May, June, October and November, with highs of 66–82°.
How far is Charles Paddock Zoo from Bakersfield?
About 92 miles east of Bakersfield, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Charles Paddock Zoo?
San Luis County Regional (SBP), about 16 miles away. The nearest big hub is Fresno Yosemite (FAT), about 105 miles.
Where should I stay near Charles Paddock Zoo?
Morro Bay (13 mi, 56 places to stay), El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) (11 mi, 41 places to stay) and San Luis Obispo (14 mi, 49 places to stay).
From people who live in Atascadero
Start the conversation in Atascadero’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.