Hello hello!
Today I will be reviewing Sacramento Zoo (a.k.a. SacZoo), a quaint small zoo in northern California. I first visited SacZoo at the end of 2025 (I have photos from that visit and plan to eventually make a separate post about it). However, I had the opportunity to visit SacZoo again this year and here is a more timely post, with my new phone so the image quality will be better than that of my previous visit.
I'm definitely behind on my Bay Area posts covering San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento. Thus far, I have only:
F1: San Francisco (SFO) & San Jose (SJC) Airports
F2: Sacramento Zoo (2026) (this post)
F4: California State Capitol Museum & California State Capitol
I have a very lengthy backlog that includes:
All of the pictures in this post were taken by me except for the map of the zoo. If you want to use any of my photos, please contact me to first obtain permission.
SACRAMENTO ZOO
3930 West Land Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95822
Website: https://www.saczoo.org/
Hours:
Open Daily, 9 AM - 4 PM.
Grounds open until 5 PM.
Cost (as of 2026):
Plan-Ahead (dynamic) pricing ranging from $17.75 - $25.75.
There is a small discount for Seniors (65+) and Veterans/Active Military. There is a larger discount for Children (2 - 11).
There may also be special discounts for certain holidays. For example, July 3rd & 4th is $10 for everyone.
Parking is free.
Sacramento Zoo participates in the AZA Reciprocity program at the 50% rate. Members of all other participating zoos (whether those zoos participate at 50% or 100%) get 50% off the admission rate at Sacramento Zoo. And Sacramento Zoo members get 50% off the admission of all participating zoos (regardless of whether that zoo participates at 50% or 100%).
Although reciprocal tickets cannot be purchased via the online ticketing system, you can call the zoo and purchase the tickets via the phone to take advantage of cheaper Plan-Ahead pricing.
Since I was a member of Buttonwood Park Zoo, I got 50% off admission so I only had to pay $10.50 instead of the full $21 (the price a few days in advance).
Estimated Time: 1 - 2 hours.
On this visit, I spent about 2 hours but went through most areas of the zoo at least twice.
SUMMARY
Even though Sacramento Zoo is relatively small, I have enjoyed each of my visits. I would rate it as a good, above-average 3 stars. On my 2025 visit, I got to see a very fine vet operating on an adorable meercat, 3 red pandas, and closeups of the cheetahs and clouded leopard. For my 2026 visit, besides the red pandas the highlights were baby capybaras, the new orangutan exhibit, a new mole-rat exhibit, and a bunch of animatronic dinosaurs.
I'm usually able to see most of the animals, though many are sleeping. Both times, the red pandas and jaguar were mostly sleeping. In 2026, the lions, clouded leopard, and opossum were all snoozing. I did not see the Wolf's guenon or sloth. In 2025, the orangutans were off exhibit because their habitat was still under construction and the sloth wasn't present either - when I asked an employee they said they no longer had a sloth. The zoo map still shows a sloth but it doesn't show up on the zoo's online list of animals.
Every day there are 1 - 3 special animal viewing opportunities depending on the day of the week. I stuck around for the cheetah event but it was quite anticlimactic. Zookeepers put out two pieces of meat on a rock. For a few seconds I got to glimpse the cheetahs grabbing the slabs of meat but then they dragged their meal off into a private area where spectators were unable to view them. It was all over in under a minute or two.
At 14.3 acres, SacZoo is among the smaller AZA zoos. As AZA standards have evolved towards larger enclosures and habitats, SacZoo has lost iconic species like tigers, hippos, and elephants because the zoo did not have sufficient space. A previous relocation project was canceled due to financial concerns. Right now, there is a Land Park expansion proposal to expand into adjacent land north of the zoo and across the street to the east. If approved, this would increase SacZoo's size by 5 - 6 acres.
Comparing Sacramento Zoo to other zoos:
5 stars:
4 stars:
3 stars:
2 stars:
1 star:
RED PANDAS
SacZoo currently has two red pandas after an elderly 14-year old red panda named Pili passed away at the beginning of the year. The ones I saw are Basu (age 12) and Amaya (age 10). Last year, I saw a third red panda (probably Amaya's daughter, Stevie Nicks who is now 6 years old and presumably has moved to a new zoo). The red pandas spent most of the time sleeping, which was also the case during my previous visit.
Himalayan Red Panda
Ailurus fulgens fulgens
KITTIES
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
African Lion
Panthera leo krugeri
My, what big teeth you have!
The clouded leopard was sleeping during my visit. I got better pictures of it last year.
Clouded Leopard
Neofelis nebulosa
Jaguar
Panthera onca
CAPYBARAS
Capybara
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
SacZoo has 6 new capybara pups that were born April 18th, 2026. That means they were about a month old when I saw them.
ORANGUTANS
The orangutan habitat is newly finished. When I last visited SacZoo 7 months earlier it was still under construction.
Sumatran Orangutan
Pongo abelii
MAMMALS
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Red Kangaroo
Macropus rufus
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Lemur catta
Mongoose Lemur
Eulemer mongoz
This little critter ain't so good with hide-and-seek! I can still see you!
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Varecia variegata
Squirrel Monkey
Saimiri sciureus
I couldn't see the white-faced sakis well. They were apparently grooming each other.
White-Faced Saki
Pithecia pithecia
Slender-Tailed Meercat
Suricata suricatta
Okapi
Okapia johnstoni
Southern White Rhinocerous
Ceratotherium simum simum
Masai Giraffe
Giraffa tippelskirchi
Grevy's Zebra
Equus grevyi
Naked Mole-Rat
Heterocephalus glaber
BIRDS
The Himalayan monals are a pair of siblings named Luke and Leia, who hatched May 24, 2010. Pixar Animation Studios, creators of the movie "UP", filmed these specific Himalayan monals as they were designing the iconic character of "Kevin".
Himalayan Monal
Lophophorus impejanus
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Bucorvus abyssinicus
Caribbean Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber
Emu
Dromaius novaehollandiae
White-Cheeked Turaco
Tauraco leucotis
Hawk-Headed Parrot
Deroptyus accipitrinus
Thick-Billed Parrot
Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha
Red-Billed Hornbill
Tockus erythrorhynchus
Spur-Winged Lapwing
Vanellus spinosus
Southern White-Faced Owl
Ptilopsis granti
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
Smooth-Fronted Caiman
Paleosuchus trigonatus
Galapagos Tortoise
Chelonoidis nigra
Chinese Stripe-Necked Turtle
Maureyms sinensis
Madagascar Big-Headed Turtle
Erymnchelys madagascariensis
Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
Western Pond Turtle
Actinemys marmorata
Spider Tortoise
Pyxis arachnoides
Boa Constrictor
Boa Constrictor
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus helleri
Rhinocerous Iguana
Cyclura cornuta
Geyr's Spiny-Tailed Lizard
Uromastyx geyri
Mexican Beaded Lizard
Heloderma horridum
Madagascar Giant Day Gecko
Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis
Tokay Gecko
Gekko gecko
Smallwood's Anole
Anolis smallwoodi
Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum
Amazon Milk Frog
Trachycephalus resinifictrix
Magnificent Tree Frog
Litoria splendida
Smoky Jungle Frog
Leptodactylus pentadactylus
VETINARY HOSPITAL
On this visit there was nothing going on at the Dr. Murray E. Fowler Veterinary Hospital. On my previous visit, there was a very nice vet taking care of a cute meerkat!
KOI POND
There is a small, tranquil koi pond located near the playground.
ZOO'S BACKYARD
This garden area is located in the Okapi Trail section of the zoo.
Flannel Bush
Fremontodendron californicum
CA Native
Probably Shores of Time Daylily
Hemerocallis
Daylily
Hemerocallis
Probably Bear's Breeches
Acanthus mollis
Probably Mexican Lobelia
Lobelia laxiflora
DINOSAUR SAFARI
This is a collection of animatronic dinosaurs (brought to you by Bonney Plumbing) that will be exhibited until October 5, 2026.
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Brachiosaurus
Dilophosaurus
Allosaurus
Stegosaurus
Tupandactylus
Quetzalcoatlus
Utahraptor
Parasaurolophus
Deinonychus
Tenontosaurus
Tyrannosaurus Rex Photo Spot
Camarasaurus Wall Plaque
FLORA
Probably Firecracker Plant / Coral Plant / Fountainbush
Russelia equisetiformis
Probably Magenta Chiffon Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus
Probably Blue Plumbago
Plumbago auriculata
Probably White Plumbago
Plumbago auriculata 'Alba'
ART
Lion mural above Savannah Snacks
Giraffe sculpture
Alligator sculpture
Crocodile statue
OTHER
Playground
Zoo Train
Conservation Carousel
Amphitheater
VR Experience
Souvenir Coin Machine
Photo Booth
Misc.
GIFT SHOP
Dinosaur themed memorabilia
Tiger, Cheetah, and Elephant Mugs
Assorted Wild Republic Plushes
$26.99
Assorted Earth Pals Plushes
$34.99
Squishmallow Plushes
Clearance sale: $13.99
Wild Republic Huggers Plushes
SacZoo Branded Plushes:
Hello Kitty Jungle Plushes
Mbare Sculptures Handcrafted in Zimbabwe
Elephant: $59.99
Hippo: $49.99
Lion: $54.99
Unfortunately, the only red panda magnet they had was the same one with a spring I had already bought at the Cincinnati Zoo (and which they also had at Fort Wayne Zoo). Last year when I visited, I bought a red panda magnet with a photo of one of their old red pandas.
On this visit I bought the "King" Snow Leopard Cub Little Critterz porcelain figurine. On my prior visit in 2025, I had bought the "Hua Mei" Panda Cub Little Critterz.
