Zoos and animal parks for kids around the Bay Area
From tiny zoos sized for toddlers to full-day animal parks, these are the Bay Area's best places to see animals with kids.
For little ones, start small: the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San Jose and CuriOdyssey in San Mateo all fit in a morning. Oakland Zoo and the San Francisco Zoo are full days, Children's Fairyland in Oakland is storybook play for preschoolers, and the sea lions at Pier 39 are free to watch.
- 10 places
- 1 free
- 9 stroller-friendly
- closest is 15 min away
10 places
Drive times from Sunnyvale
Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
5.0Palo Alto · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free parking at Rinconada Park
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
5.0San Jose · 22 min drive
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Kelley Park lot about $10; free street parking nearby
CuriOdyssey
5.0San Mateo · 30 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: $6 Coyote Point entry fee; free parking in front of the museum
Oakland Zoo
5.0Oakland · 40 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: $10 parking
Children's Fairyland
5.0Oakland · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Metered street parking along Lake Merritt / Lakeside garage
Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park
4.0Gilroy · 45 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Paid parking (free for premium members)
San Francisco Zoo
4.0San Francisco · 50 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Lot at the entrance, $15
Pier 39 (Sea Lions + Carousel)
4.0San Francisco · 60 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: The Pier 39 garage is pricey ($40+/day); park farther away and walk, or take the F streetcar
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
3.0Vallejo · 75 min drive
5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: $30-40 parking
Safari West (Jeep Safari)
1.0Santa Rosa · 110 min drive
4 h · carrier recommended · reservation needed
$$$ · Parking: Free
💡 Good to know
- The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo only sells timed tickets online — no walk-ups.
- CuriOdyssey is inside Coyote Point park, steps from the bay beach and Magic Mountain playground — do the museum first, since it gets windy after 1pm.