OC Zoo

The OC Zoo is one of Orange County’s two small zoos, alongside the Santa Ana Zoo near Costa Mesa. Unlike the Santa Ana Zoo, which has free parking and higher admission prices, the OC Zoo requires paid parking in Orange’s Irvine Regional Park, but admission is dirt cheap – even for adults.

Both parks have similarly modest collections of animals. The OC Zoo’s standout attractions are a variety of large cats, including snow leopards, ocelots, a black panther, and lynxes, as well as eagles, a black bear, tarantula, beaver, and owl. Many of the zoo’s animals are injured and cannot be returned to the wild, though their injuries are generally in no way obvious to visitors.