Santa Barbara Zoo
The Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres (12 ha) near the ocean in Santa Barbara, California. It goes back to 1963. A drive of 18 mi reaches Los Padres National Forest.
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A zoo & aquarium inside Santa Barbara
You can stay in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Zoo is inside Santa Barbara, which has 88 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Los Angeles
Los Angeles is about 77 miles east (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 65–77°. When to go ↓
An airport 10 miles away
Santa Barbara Municipal (SBA) has airline service, about 10 miles from Santa Barbara Zoo.
Established in 1963
Santa Barbara Zoo dates from 1963. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Warm months and cold ones
A visit to Santa Barbara Zoo can follow the seasons below.
Santa Barbara Zoo
The Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres (12 ha) near the ocean in Santa Barbara, California. It was built on the site of what was known as the Child Estate. It has more than 500 animals in numerous exhibits, including capybara and California condors, and was known for having had a giraffe with a crooked neck. It has a few non-animal attractions, such as the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Zoo Train, complete with a pair of Chance Rides C. P. Huntington locomotives. The zoo first opened in August 1963.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 600 animals · 160 species
- Area
- 30 acres
- Established
- 1963
- Wikipedia readers
- 4.4K a year
Nights near Santa Barbara Zoo
Close by, places to stay are in Santa Barbara (88) and Carpinteria (12).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Santa Barbara Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | in town | — | 88 55 hotels · 6 motels · 23 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 hostels · 1 RV park | 86,422 | $1,571K | D |
| Carpinteria | 9 mi east | 15 min | 12 5 hotels · 4 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 12,734 | $1,043K | C+ |
| Goleta | 11 mi west | 15 min | 13 12 hotels · 1 motel | 32,401 | $1,062K | C+ |
| Eastern Goleta Valley | 7 mi west | 10 min | 6 5 hotels · 1 campground | 28,295 | $1,362K | — |
| San Buenaventura (Ventura) | 26 mi southeast | 40 min | 54 23 hotels · 17 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 109,914 | $827K | C− |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | 10 mi west | 15 min | 5 3 hotels · 2 campgrounds | 12,121 | $453K | — |
| Montecito | 2 mi east | 5 min | 2 2 hotels | 9,031 | $2,000K | — |
| Summerland | 4 mi east | 5 min | 2 2 inns & B&Bs | 1,348 | $2,000K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Around Santa Barbara Zoo
Places worth adding lie within 68 miles.
Big draw61 mi Theme parkSix Flags Magic Mountain3.2M visitors a year
Big draw66 mi DamSt. Francis Dam
49 mi MuseumRonald Reagan Presidential Library
68 mi MuseumGetty Villa454K visitors a year
118 mi National forestLos Padres National Forest
22 mi GardenLotusland
32 mi LandmarkPresidio of Santa Barbara
52 mi LakeLake PiruPhoto credits
Six Flags Magic Mountain: Alton, CC BY 3.0 · St. Francis Dam: Stearns, H.T. USGS, Public domain · Ronald Reagan Presidential Library: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Getty Villa: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Los Padres National Forest: Taken by Antandrus, Public domain · Lotusland: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Presidio of Santa Barbara: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Piru: tomsaint11, CC BY 2.0
Visiting Santa Barbara Zoo
Is Santa Barbara Zoo in Santa Barbara?
Yes. It’s inside Santa Barbara, CA.
When is the best time to visit Santa Barbara Zoo?
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December, with highs of 65–77°.
How far is Santa Barbara Zoo from Bakersfield and Los Angeles?
About 74 miles northeast of Bakersfield and about 77 miles east of Los Angeles, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Santa Barbara Zoo?
Santa Barbara Municipal (SBA), about 10 miles away. The nearest big hub is Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope (BUR), about 76 miles.
Where should I stay near Santa Barbara Zoo?
Santa Barbara (in town, 88 places to stay), Carpinteria (9 mi, 12 places to stay) and Goleta (11 mi, 13 places to stay).
Tips from Santa Barbara
Questions and tips go in Santa Barbara’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.