A well-maintained zoo in William Land Park, south of downtown. The Sacramento Zoo covers 14 acres and holds about 140 species, with strong collections of big cats, primates, and birds. The new African Savanna exhibit opened recently, housing giraffes and zebras in an expanded habitat. The zoo is mid-sized by national standards but consistently well reviewed for animal welfare.
The zoo is surrounded by the rest of William Land Park, which adds a golf course, an amusement park (Funderland), a public rose garden, and good picnic areas. The park makes the zoo a full half-day outing for families. Sacramento residents tend to undervalue the zoo because it is not a destination attraction, but by the standards of inland California cities it is genuinely impressive.