California: Zoo List

snowleopard

snowleopard

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The list below does not include several private facilities that aren’t open to the public, but how many other zoos am I missing? There are several nature centers with very small animal collections but are they worth visiting? Are there some natural history museums with significant animal collections that could qualify as a "zoo"? I already posted a comprehensive list of Texas zoos and ended up with around 50 but California has approximately 60 zoos.

60 California Zoos:

Applegate Park Zoo (Merced)
Aquarium of the Bay (San Francisco)*
Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach)*
Big Bear Alpine Zoo (Big Bear Lake)
Birch Aquarium (San Diego)*
Bolsa Chica Interpretative Center (Huntington Beach)
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (San Pedro)*
California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco)*
California Raptor Center (Davis)
California Science Center (Los Angeles)*
California Living Museum (Bakersfield)
Charles Paddock Zoo (Atascadero)*
CuriOdyssey (San Mateo)*
Doheny State Beach Interpretative Center & Aquarium (Dana Point)
Emerald Forest Bird Gardens (Fallbrook)
Feline Conservation Center (Rosamond)
Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary (Folsom)
Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary (Phelan)
Fresno Chaffee Zoo (Fresno)*
Gibbon Conservation Center (Santa Clarita)
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (San Jose)*
Lindsay Wildlife Museum (Walnut Creek)
Lions Tigers & Bears: A Big Cat & Exotic Animal Rescue (Alpine)
Living Desert Zoo (Palm Desert)*
Los Angeles Zoo (Los Angeles)*
Marine Mammal Care Center (San Pedro)
Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito)
Micke Grove Zoo (Lodi)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey)*
Monterey Zoo (Salinas)
Morro Bay Aquarium (Morro Bay)
Oakland Zoo (Oakland)*
Ocean Institute (Dana Point)
Ocean World (Crescent City)
Orange County Zoo (Orange)
Pacific Marine Mammal Center (Laguna Beach)
Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (Palo Alto)
Project Survival’s Cat Haven (Dunlap)
Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium (Manhattan Beach)
Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento)*
Safari West Wildlife Preserve (Sonoma County)*
San Diego Zoo (San Diego)*
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Escondido)*
San Francisco Zoo (San Francisco)*
Santa Ana Zoo (Santa Ana)*
Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara)*
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (Santa Monica)
Sea Life Carlsbad (Carlsbad)
SeaWorld San Diego (San Diego)*
Sequoia Park Zoo (Eureka)*
Serpentarium (Lodi)
Seymour Marine Discovery Center (Santa Cruz)
Shambala Preserve (Acton)
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo)
Star Eco Station: Exotic Wildlife Rescue Facility (Culver City)
Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary (Orange County)
Turtle Bay Exploration Park (Redding)
Ty Warner Sea Center (Santa Barbara)
Wildlife Learning Center (Sylmar)
Wolf Mountain Sanctuary (Lucerne Valley)

* 23 zoos in California are AZA-accredited.
 
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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has significant animal collections they got live Insect and some others to but they have a huge significant animal collections it the biggest and best Natural History Museum in western United States worth a visit for sure around 35 million specimens in all that in the collections
 
Don't forget the Fountain Valley Reptile Zoo, snowleopard.
I have visited 6 zoos in California, the same amount of zoos I have visited in Ohio.
The zoos I have visited-
1. Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. I rank this #2, even above San Diego (#3) but below Columbus.
2. San Diego Zoo. #3.
3. Sea World San Diego #12. This was spectacular, but it was too gimmicky to get any higher. If it wasn't for the gimmicks this would be #5.
4. Orange County Zoo. #18. I recommend this small, but nice zoo.
5. Santa Ana Zoo. #19. Yuck. This was overpriced and terrible.
6. Reptile Zoo. #23. Double yuck. Never again.
The ones worth it are Living Desert, San Diego, Sea World, OC, and maybe Santa Ana.
 
Thanks for the suggestions and I'm undecided about the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Some zoo nerds would count it for sure and I can name several that have, but I'm sitting on the fence for now.:) I will point out that on my master list I now have exactly 62 zoos listed for both California and Florida, although California has 23 that are AZA-accredited while Florida only has 16 accredited institutions. There must be a few really small places that are still out there...
 
Well I guess this place is not open to the public, so it will not count. Too bad, because it is fascinating for anyone who likes turtles.

Behler Chelonian Center (operated by Turtle Conservancy)
Behler Chelonian Center
 
Arizona Docent said:
Well I guess this place is not open to the public, so it will not count. Too bad, because it is fascinating for anyone who likes turtles.

Behler Chelonian Center (operated by Turtle Conservancy)
Behler Chelonian Center
Click to expand...

I've heard of that establishment, as the Frenchman Jonas Livet visited it in the past couple of years. He is an individual who is not yet 29 years old and he's already visited over 1,000 zoos!

Here is his website:

http://www.leszoosdanslemonde.com/
 
It's pretty comprehensive list, snowleopard, but I thought I would chime in with the Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Del Mar. It's pretty small, but they have a cool little collection.

Exotic Bird Sanctuary



There's a raptor center somewhere near the WAP, but I'm drawing a blank on the name. It was fun, but it's been years since I was last there.
 
Updated list:

My "Master List" of USA zoos is now at approximately 670.

68 California Zoos:

Applegate Park Zoo (Merced)
Aquarium of the Bay (San Francisco)*
Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach)*
B. Bryan Preserve (Point Arena)
Big Bear Alpine Zoo (Big Bear Lake)
Birch Aquarium (San Diego)*
Bolsa Chica Interpretative Center (Huntington Beach)
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (San Pedro)*
California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco)*
California Raptor Center (Davis)
California Science Center (Los Angeles)*
California Living Museum (Bakersfield)
California Wolf Center (Julian)
Charles Paddock Zoo (Atascadero)*
CuriOdyssey (San Mateo)*
Doheny State Beach Interpretative Center & Aquarium (Dana Point)
Emerald Forest Bird Gardens (Fallbrook)
Exotic Bird Sanctuary (Del Mar)
Feline Conservation Center (Rosamond)
Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary (Folsom)
Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary (Phelan)
Fresno Chaffee Zoo (Fresno)*
Gibbon Conservation Center (Santa Clarita)
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (San Jose)*
Hesperia Zoo (Hesperia)
Lindsay Wildlife Museum (Walnut Creek)
Lions Tigers & Bears: A Big Cat & Exotic Animal Rescue (Alpine)
Living Coast Discovery Center (Chula Vista)
Living Desert Zoo (Palm Desert)*
Los Angeles Zoo (Los Angeles)*
Marine Mammal Care Center (San Pedro)
Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito)
Micke Grove Zoo (Lodi)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey)*
Monterey Zoo (Salinas)
Morro Bay Aquarium (Morro Bay)
Natural History Museum: Butterfly Pavilion (Los Angeles)
Oakland Zoo (Oakland)*
Ocean Institute (Dana Point)
Ocean World (Crescent City)
Orange County Zoo (Orange)
Pacific Marine Mammal Center (Laguna Beach)
Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (Palo Alto)
Project Survival’s Cat Haven (Dunlap)
Reptile Zoo (Fountain Valley)
Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium (Manhattan Beach)
Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento)*
Safari West Wildlife Preserve (Sonoma County)*
San Diego Zoo (San Diego)*
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Escondido)*
San Francisco Zoo (San Francisco)*
Santa Ana Zoo (Santa Ana)*
Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara)*
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (Santa Monica)
Sea Life Carlsbad (Carlsbad)
SeaWorld San Diego (San Diego)*
Sequoia Park Zoo (Eureka)*
Serpentarium (Lodi)
Seymour Marine Discovery Center (Santa Cruz)
Shambala Preserve (Acton)
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo)
Star Eco Station: Exotic Wildlife Rescue Facility (Culver City)
Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary (Orange County)
Turtle Bay Exploration Park (Redding)
Ty Warner Sea Center (Santa Barbara)
Wildhaven Ranch (Lake Arrowhead)
Wildlife Learning Center (Sylmar)
Wolf Mountain Sanctuary (Lucerne Valley)

* 23 zoos in California are AZA-accredited.
 
Buldeo said:
Are you counting Discovery Kingdom in that tally? If I remember correctly, it was granted a five-year accreditation in 2011.
Click to expand...

I am not counting Six Flags Discovery Kingdom as they are not accredited. The facility was AZA-accredited in 2011 for another 5 years but subsequently lost that accreditation and all of the recent updates on the official AZA site do not include the establishment. The whole fiasco is linked to improper treatment of elephants, whether by training methods or the rides given to the public.
 
snowleopard said:
I am not counting Six Flags Discovery Kingdom as they are not accredited. The facility was AZA-accredited in 2011 for another 5 years but subsequently lost that accreditation and all of the recent updates on the official AZA site do not include the establishment. The whole fiasco is linked to improper treatment of elephants, whether by training methods or the rides given to the public.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I wasn't aware that they had lost their accreditation. In fact, I remember them advertising the fact that were one of two AZA accredited facilities where you could ride elephants.
 
One day I'm going to have to take another road trip through California and tour all 70 of these places. :)

Updated list of 70 California Zoos:

Applegate Park Zoo (Merced)
Aquarium of the Bay (San Francisco)*
Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach)*
Aquatica (San Diego)
B. Bryan Preserve (Point Arena)
Big Bear Alpine Zoo (Big Bear Lake)
Birch Aquarium (San Diego)*
Bolsa Chica Interpretative Center (Huntington Beach)
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (San Pedro)*
California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco)*- Steinhart Aquarium
California Raptor Center (Davis)
California Science Center (Los Angeles)*
California Living Museum (Bakersfield)
California Wolf Center (Julian)
Central Coast Aquarium (Avila Beach)
Charles Paddock Zoo (Atascadero)*
CuriOdyssey (San Mateo)*
Doheny State Beach Interpret. Center & Aquarium (Dana Point)
Emerald Forest Bird Gardens (Fallbrook)
Exotic Bird Sanctuary (Del Mar)
Feline Conservation Center (Rosamond)
Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary (Folsom)
Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary (Phelan)
Fresno Chaffee Zoo (Fresno)*
Gibbon Conservation Center (Santa Clarita)
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (San Jose)*
Hesperia Zoo (Hesperia)
Lindsay Wildlife Museum (Walnut Creek)
Lions Tigers & Bears: A Big Cat & Exotic Animal Rescue (Alpine)
Living Coast Discovery Center (Chula Vista)
Living Desert Zoo (Palm Desert)*
Los Angeles Zoo (Los Angeles)*
Marine Mammal Care Center (San Pedro)
Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito)
Micke Grove Zoo (Lodi)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey)*
Monterey Zoo (Salinas)
Morro Bay Aquarium (Morro Bay)
Natural History Museum: Butterfly Pavilion (Los Angeles)
Oakland Zoo (Oakland)*
Ocean Institute (Dana Point) – Ocean Education Center
Ocean World (Crescent City)
Orange County Zoo (Orange)
Pacific Marine Mammal Center (Laguna Beach)
Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (Palo Alto)
Project Survival’s Cat Haven (Dunlap)
Reptile Zoo (Fountain Valley)
Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium (Manhattan Beach)
Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento)*
Safari West Wildlife Preserve (Sonoma County)*
San Diego Zoo (San Diego)*
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Escondido)*
San Francisco Zoo (San Francisco)*
Santa Ana Zoo (Santa Ana)*
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center (Santa Barbara)
Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara)*
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (Santa Monica)
Sea Life Carlsbad (Carlsbad)
SeaWorld San Diego (San Diego)*
Sequoia Park Zoo (Eureka)*
Serpentarium (Lodi)
Seymour Marine Discovery Center (Santa Cruz)
Shambala Preserve (Acton)
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo)
Star Eco Station: Exotic Wildlife Rescue Facility (Culver City)
Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary (Orange County)
Turtle Bay Exploration Park (Redding)
Wildhaven Ranch (Lake Arrowhead)
Wildlife Learning Center (Sylmar)
Wolf Mountain Sanctuary (Lucerne Valley)

* 23 zoos in California are AZA-accredited.
 
Thanks Snowleopard for this very interesting thread!

Here is my own list for California with 87 zoological institutions.

I may have included some private collections which would not fit in the definition of a zoo most of you may have. ;-)

Acton - Shambala Preserve
Alpine - Lions Tigers & Bears Big Cat and Exotic Animal Rescue
Atascadero - Charles Paddock Zoo
Bakersfield - Cailfornia Living Museum (CALM)
Berkeley - Field Station for the Study of Behavior, Ecology and Reproduction (FSSBER) (P) (1985-2014?)
Bonsall - Wild Wonders
Big Bear Lake - Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Carlsbad - Sea Life Carlsbad
Cedar Glen - Wildhaven Ranch
Chula Vista - Living Coast Discovery Center
Cobb Mountain - The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary/Fear-No-More Zoo
Crescent City - Ocean World
Culver City - Star Eco Station
Dana Point - Doheny State Beach Aquariums & Visitor Center (1988-2007 & 2014-)
Dana Point - Ocean Institute
Davis - California Raptor Center (P?)
Davis - California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) (P)
Del Mar - Exotic Bird Sanctuary
Dunlap - Project Survival's Cat Haven
Elk Grove - The Serpentarium
Escondido - San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park
Eureka - Sequoia Park Zoo
Fallbrook - Emerald Forest Bird Gardens (P)
Folsom - Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary
Fountain Valley - The Reptile Zoo
Fresno - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Hesperia - Hesperia Zoo
Huntington Beach - Bolsa Chica Conservancy Interpretive Center
Julian - California Wolf Center
La Jolla - Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Laguna Beach - Pacific Marine Mammal Center
Lodi - Micke Grove Zoo
Lodi - The Serpentarium
Long Beach - Aquarium of the Pacific
Los Angeles - Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles - California Science Center
Los Angeles - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles - Playboy Mansion Zoo (P)
Los Olivos - Neverland Valley Ranch (P)
Lucerne Valley - Wolf Mountain Sanctuary
Manhattan Beach - Roundhouse Lab and Aquarium
Merced - Applegate Park Zoo
Modjeska Canyon - Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
Monterey - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Moorpark - America's Teaching Zoo
Morro Bay - Morro Bay Aquarium
Newhall - William S. Hart Ranch and Museum
Oakland - Oakland Zoo
Ojai - Behler Chelonian Center (P)
Orange - Orange County Zoo
Palm Desert - The Living Desert
Palo Alto - Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
Perris - Have Trunk Will Travel
Phelan - Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary
Point Arena - B. Bryan Preserve
Redding - Turtle Bay Exploration Park
Rosamond - EFBC's Feline Conservation Center
Sacramento - Sacramento Zoo
Salinas - Wild Things/Monterey Zoo/Vision Quest Ranch
San Diego - San Diego Zoo
San Diego - SeaWorld San Diego
San Diego - San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego - United States Navy Marine Mammal Program (P)
San Francisco - San Francisco Zoological Gardens
San Francisco - Aquarium of The Bay
San Francisco - California Academy of Sciences/Steinhart Aquarium
San Jose - Happy Hollow Zoo
San Mateo - Coyote Point Museum/CuriOdyssey
San Pedro - Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
San Pedro - Marine Mammal Care Center
San Simeon - Hearst Castle
Santa Ana - Santa Ana Zoo
Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara - Ty Warner Sea Center
Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Santa Clarita - Gibbon Conservation Center (GCC)
Santa Cruz - Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Santa Monica - Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
Santa Rosa - Safari West Wildlife Preserve
Sausalito - Marine Mammal Center
Shafter - Insect Lore Bugseum
Sunland - Shadow Hills Zoological Park (P)
Sylmar - Wildlife Waystation
Sylmar - Wildlife Learning Center
Vallejo - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Walnut Creek - Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Woodside - The Gorilla Foundation (P)
 
@JonasLivet - I am intrigued by the place in Sunland - Shadow Hills Zoological Park. I grew up right next to Sunland in La Crescenta, assuming that is the same Sunland. (I could see a popular name like that being used in more than one place in California). Can you tell me what it is about?
 
Thanks for the list, Jonas.

The zoo at Hearst Castle closed in the 1930s when Hearst gave away his animals. You can still see some of the old bear and big cat grottoes on the tour and there are still some zebras running around, but that's it.

Michael Jackson's zoo at Neverland was disbanded before he died in 2009.

The California Raptor Center is a public facility for rehabilitating injured raptors. It is open for public tours and has several non-releasable birds.
 
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