Now that our daughter Kairi’s getting a little older we’re able to adventure further away from home. We spent one of our first outings visiting the Zoomars Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano. Not knowing anything about the area we were impressed by all the family-friendly things to do around Zoomars. The petting zoo is located right in the center of San Juan Capistrano’s Historic District. The Historic district is quite impressive and a great surprise considering the fact we were only there to visit Zoomars.
If you are planning a visit to Zoomars consider carving out more of your day to explore the San Juan Capistrano’s Historic downtown, it’s well worth a trip.
Zoomars Petting Zoo Prices
- Children: $8 (12 and under)
- Adults: $10
- Senior: $9 (60 and up)
- Infants: Free under 12 months
- Fruit and veggie basket: $4
Our Experience Visiting Zoomars
Zoomars is perfect for kids, and it’s been a staple in the Los Rios Historic District for over 30 years. From the moment we entered, Kairi was laughing and giggling as she pointed out the animals she knew. While Kairi’s still not big enough to feed the animals, she was able to demand that we feed them specific vegetables from our basket of food.
Out of all the animals Kairi was enamored with the Llamas and Alpacas. If it were up to her, we would have fed all our food to them. Interacting with all the animals was a lot of fun, and it took about 45 minutes. Afterward, we spent another 30 minutes with Kairi as she played in what looked like a fun zone.
Overall we had a fun time visiting the Zoomars Petting Zoo. The animals were friendly, and all the kids we could see were having the time of their lives. Trang and I also had a great time. Petting the Guinea Pigs felt like a weight was taken off our shoulders after we ate a couple of them on a recent trip to Peru. They are so much more fun to feed than eat!
The only drawbacks to the visit were in the price and the subpar bathrooms. Ten dollars gets you in, but a lot of the activities inside cost extra. The food baskets cost $4; the train rides $3, Mining bags $3, it adds up fast. I mean I get it, It’s a business, and it needs to be profitable. It doesn’t excuse the porta-potties, with a significant amount of traffic and young kids that need to touch everything porta-potties aren’t a comfortable option for people looking for a place to clean up.
Thankfully, the bathroom issue is easily fixed by using the restrooms before you go in at the Los Rios Park. It’s a short walk from Zoomars and a lot more comfortable than a heavily trafficked porta-potty.
Types of Animals
- Ponies
- Llamas
- Pigs
- Goats
- Sheep
- Chickens
- Alpaca
- Emu
- Cows
- Rabbits
- Guinea Pigs
- Horses
Additional Activities
In addition to the Petting Zoo, Zoomars offers a few other activities that will keep the kids entertained.
- Train Rides: $3 (kids age 10 and under. No adults allowed) Free with yelp check in
- Horse & Pony rides (Kids age 10 under under): $5 per lap
- Gold & Gemstone Mining: 5 gem – $5, 10 gem – $8, 16 Gem for $12
- A Large Jungle Gym
- A Small Corn Pit
- A Tiny Hay Maze (it’s not really a maze)
Additional Things To Do In San Juan Capistrano
Walking tours of San Juan Capistrano (Information is taken from the San Juan Capistrano Historic Downtown 2018 Map and Guide)
- Architectural Walking Tour
- Duration: 90 minutes
- When: Saturdays at 10 am
- Where: Meet at the Train Depot on Verdugo St.
- Reservations: Not required
- Price: Free (BUT a $5 donation per person supports the Friends of the Library)
- Historical Walking Tours
- Duration: 75 minutes
- When: Sundays at 1 pm
- Where: Meet at the Train Depot on Verdugo St.
- Reservations: Not required
- Price: Donation gratefully appreciated
- San Juan Train depot
- Mission San Juan Capistrano
- O’Neill Museum
- Los Rios Park
Where To Park
Zoomars Address: 31791 Los Rios St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
The closest parking to Zoomars is right across train tracks at the Franciscan Plaza Parking Structure. The parking structure costs $.25 Per hour ($6 max for the day)
Additional Free options include the nearby Los Rios Park (There are public restrooms there that I recommend using before going into ZooMars) and an additional dirt parking lot just past the park located at the corner of Paseo Adelanto and Ramos St.
Links For Further Information
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Los_Rios_Historic_District
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Let us know in the comments below if you end up visiting the Zoomars Petting Zoo. We loved watching Kairi react to all the animals, and plan to go back to visit again once she’s a little older.
If your kiddo isn’t into animals, bring them to The Orange County Model Engineers Club! This 1/8 Scale train station is open free to the public every third weekend of the month. We loved it!
Don’t live near South Orange County?
While Zoomars is very unique we understand that San Juan Capistrano isn’t all the close to most of us in the greater Los Angeles area. You can also try checking out Amy’s Farm near Ontario, CA. The working farm is open to the public and it’s a great way to show your kids how farm animals normally live.
We’re always out exploring California on the weekends and love to share the places and experiences we love most. Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram, to see them when they come out. In the meantime, check out some of the other posts on our Travel Page.
I would love to do the walking tours. I understand that area has some lovely original places to see.
How cute and is important to introduce kids to get to know animals and have a sensory experience with them. Your pictures are really nice too!
I love going to the petting zoo and seeing all the animals! It’s also such a fun adventure for children too! This has some great detail for attending the petty zoo!
The zoo looks great with all the friendly and super cute animals. Quite a nice place to spend a day with the kids. It looks like the animals are very well taken care of.
The petting zoo looks like a lot of fun. I’d love to feed the animals. I had a guinea pig as a kid and I remember that she loved carrots.
This petting zoo looks so cool! My kids love going to petting zoos and riding ponies!
I loved taking my kids to a petting zoo when they were young. I wanted them to learn to love animals and hopefully be an advocate for their protection. I wish we lived close to California. Zoomars would be a fantastic place to take the whole family.
I like how petting zoos have more activities for kids. I feel like only my son would like the animals. My daughter would prefer to get on some swings or some kind of playground.