A compact 20-acre zoo focusing on the animals and plants of Central and South America, operated by the City of Santa Ana within the pleasant surroundings of Prentice Park. The collection leans heavily on primates — spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and a collection of Amazon species — but also includes jaguars, tapirs, and a small farm animal area for younger children.
The zoo is small enough to do comfortably in two hours, which makes it a natural pairing with a picnic in the park or a walk along the Santa Ana River trail. It is a genuinely charming place, without the overwhelming scale of larger California zoos, and the animal enclosures are well-maintained. Admission is inexpensive by Orange County standards.