City Editor Alyson here. 👋 When was the last time you were able to activate your inner child? For me, it was recently at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo — which I haven’t visited in over ten years.
I was able to tour the park with Happy Hollow’s Conservation + Communication Manager Caitlin O’Hara, who told me all about the zoo’s conservation work and introduced me to a few of the animals. Here’s how you can Try This.
What we tried (with pricing):
The cool thing about a ticket to Happy Hollow is that it includes just about everything. There’s no extra cost to your $17.25 ticket to get on rides, catch a puppet show, or meet (and possibly touch) some education animals.
While touring their Double-H Ranch + Zoo on the Hill, we ran into a few zoo docents who gave us some insight on the animals we saw — like how the anteaters love oranges and avocados, and their alligator was found in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
What not to miss:
In the case that you aren’t able to see everything (but we highly recommend you take the time), Caitlin tells us there’s a few things that definitely have to be on your Happy Hollow itinerary:
- Meet their resident jaguar, Sophia.
- Catch a puppet show from one of the oldest puppet theaters in California.
- Ride on one of the nine amusement park rides, like the iconic (and ADA-accessible) Danny the Dragon train.
- Pet a dwarf zebu cow + pygmy goats at the contact yard.
What we’re still talking about:
My biggest takeaway from this visit? How everything they do is with intention.
Happy Hollow encourages learning in every aspect. Next to the lemur exhibit is a lemur-themed play area for little ones to jump, climb, and swing. There’s also an open window to view their surgery room — but it’s just tall enough so that parents can choose if they’d like their children to see what is going on.
For their puppet shows, all the puppets + sets are handmade. The Mini Putt-Putt cars featured in the amusement park ride area are made with recycled bits of old police cars. I can go on, but you get the idea.
How you can experience this:
Head over to Happy Hollow Park & Zoo’s website to plan a visit.
Things to know if you go:
- Experience: Spend a day at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
- Price: $17.25 general admission
- Website: https://happyhollow.org/visit/
- Address: 748 Story Rd., San Jose, CA 95112
- Hours: Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Mon.-Tues.)
- Social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube *
