Top 3 Zoos In San Jose, California With Tips 2023

Zoos in San Jose make your children more adventurous. The city of San Jose also holds some of the best zoos in California state.

We will also show you some bay area zoos with more animals and adventures.

So, let’s find zoos in San Jose with ticket prices, contact, hours, and address.

Zoos In San Jose

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, CuriOdyssey, and Monterey Bay Aquarium are the most popular Zoos in San Jose.

The list of Zoos in San Jose:

1. Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
2. Monterey Bay Aquarium
3. CuriOdyssey

1. Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is the most popular zoo in San Jose and all around California.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is an amusement park and accredited zoo that was established in 1961.

In 1957, Happy Hollow Park and Zoo started their journey with only 7.5 acres of land area, but now it’s 16 acres.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is a family-friendly zoo with various features for children and adults.

Fossa, Fennec Fox, Jaguar, Parma Wallaby, Pygmy Goat, Capybara, Meerkats, Eclectus Pigeon, Turkey Vulture, White Faced Whistling Duck, Guinea Pigs, Collared Peccary, and more animals are available on exhibit at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo offers a puppet theater, an animal hospital, rides for children and toddlers, roller coasters, and more features.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo can be a better place to enjoy an education for everybody, especially for kids.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Tickets:

• Children under age 2 – Free
• General (ages 2 to 59) – $17.25
• Military (Active) – $14.25
• Senior citizen – 14.25

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Membership:

• Student or Senior – $45
• Individual – $55
• Individual Plus – $100
• Community – $300
• Danny the Dragon’s Dreambuilders – $1000

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Map:

Address: 748 Story Rd, San Jose, California 95112

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Hours:

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Contact:

• Phone: 408-794-6400
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://happyhollow.org/

Related: Best Parks in San Jose

2. Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium can give you a chance to see the ocean life closely. Monterey Bay Aquarium is also a popular museum in San Jose.

Monterey Bay Aquarium has been open for over thirty-five years now and showcases marine habitats with the motto “To inspire conservation of the ocean”.

The total floor space of Monterey Bay Aquarium has 322,000 square feet, which is humongous.

Monterey Bay Aquarium showcases more than 80,000 ocean plants and animals.

Over two hundred exhibits have been held at Monterey Bay Aquarium so far.

Monterey Bay Aquarium has an average of 1.8 million visitors each year, and the number of visitors is going up gradually.

Bell Jelly, Bat star, Apple anemone, African penguin, Abalone, California barracuda, Clownfish, Com jelly, Flapjack octopus, Garibaldi, Horn Shark, and more animals are available to see at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

With the massive space of Monterey Bay Aquarium, your kids can experience more.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Tickets:

• Adults (18-64 years) – $49.95
• Child (5-12 years) – $34.95
• Youth (13-17 years) – $39.95
• Senior (65+ years) – $39.95
• Infant (under 4 years) – Free

Monterey Bay Aquarium Membership Level:

• Individual – $95
• Ocean Advocate – $500
• Family – $250
• Student – $75
• Senior – $75
• Gift Membership – $75+

Monterey Bay Aquarium Map:

Address: 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California 93940

Monterey Bay Aquarium Hours:

Monterey Bay Aquarium opens at 10 AM and closes at 5 PM every day.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Contact:

• Phone: 831-648-4800
• Website: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

See Also: Golf Courses in San Jose

3. CuriOdyssey

CuriOdyssey is more than a zoo because CuriOdyssey is also a museum for education.

CuriOdyssey exhibits more than one hundred animals, most of them native California animals.

In 1954, CuriOdyssey was built in San Mateo, California, as San Mateo County Junior Museum.

CuriOdyssey zoo exhibits animals are Great Horned Owl, Green-Winged Teal, Barn Owl, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Swainson’s Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Western Turtle, Raccoon, Dutch Rabbit, Rubber Boa, Giant African Millipede, California Newt and more.

CuriOdyssey zoo also allows science experiences for kids and birthday parties.

The land area of CuriOdyssey zoo is more than 3 acres, and most of the area is used for animal exhibitions.

CuriOdyssey zoo holds more than seventy-five thousand visitors annually. Visitors can access CuriOdyssey zoo using tickets or membership cards.

CuriOdyssey Tickets:

• Child (General Admission) – $12.95
• Senior (ages 62 or over) – $12.95
• Infant (ages 0 to 17 months) – Free
• Student (General Admission) – $12.95
• Adult (General Admission) – $15.95

CuriOdyssey Membership:

• Family – $145
• Family Plus – $295
• Advocate – $695
• Membership for All – $35
• Innovators Circle – $1000

CuriOdyssey Map:

Address: 1651 Coyote Point Dr, San Mateo, California 94401, United States

CuriOdyssey Hours:

CuriOdyssey zoo opens at 10 AM and closes at 5 PM from Wednesday to Sunday.

CuriOdyssey Contact:

• Phone: +1 650-342-7755
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://curiodyssey.org/

Tips for an Awesome Zoo Trip

When you make plans to go to the zoo with your kids and family, you should know some tips that will help you make awesome zoop trips.

Here are some tips for a zoo trip:

• Make a Plan: You must make a plan before going to the zoo. You should be certain what zoo you want to visit and when.

• Create a Budget: Doing a budget will help you to be aware of the cost of the zoo trip.

• Try to Go During the Week: Zoos are always crowded on weekends, that’s why if you manage time to go to the zoo during the weekdays, that would be very relaxing.

• Pack Your Own Food: Restaurants in zoos are comparatively more expensive than outside restaurants. That’s why packing your own food saves extra cost.

• Get to the Zoo Early: Going to the zoo early is always a great idea because you get more than to enjoy.

Final Thoughts

Zoos in San Jose are limited, but they are the most famous zoos in the state of California.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is one of the most popular zoo in San Jose, and this zoo is also budget and kids friendly.

You should check out Monterey Bay Aquarium to see the marine world because you find every ocean plant and animal there.

In most zoos, infants or under four years old kids get a free pass.

So, choose the best zoo in San Jose and go on a fantastic zoo trip with your family.