Santa Ana

The Santa Ana Zoo

My kiddos love animals and we are lucky enough to live in Southern California and be surrounded by fantastic zoos and botanical gardens. Have you been to the Santa Ana Zoo? We love this little zoo and had been members for a couple of years. Last year I did not renew my membership and boy did we miss this great place. I decided to take the kiddos over yesterday afternoon and we had a wonderful time.

I like heading to the zoo in the afternoon when there are not many people around. We arrived at 1pm and by the time we left at 3pm, it seemed that we were the only ones left.

There are many reasons why we love this little zoo. First off because parking is convenient and FREE. You cant’ beat FREE! We also love the zoo because membership and admission is extremely reasonable. A family membership for two adults and up to four children is $55 and includes member appreciation days, discounts and my favorite part- they participate in a reciprocal admission program with over 150 zoos and gardens throughout the country. That means that you could get into the Santa Barabara Zoo for free and also receive 50%off admission at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Our family also loves the playground area. It is shaded and there is plenty of seating for parents to watch and have their kids play to their hearts desire. My kiddos love this area and could stay for hours. There is so much to love, from their aviary to the monkey exhibits and farm area, this is the place to have a nice and relaxing time with your kiddos.

For additional info head over here.
Santa Ana Zoo

1801 East Chestnut Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92701
The zoo is open every day except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

Noche De Altares- A celebration of Day of the Dead/Dia De Los Muertos

If you are looking for something a little different to do this Saturday, you should check out the 7th Annual Noche de Altares. The
Celebration will be the largest Day of the Dead Celebration in Orange County. The event will
take place on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 from 2:00pm to 10:00pm at Fiesta Marketplace
in the City of Santa Ana (3rd and Bush Streets).
Organized by non-profit organization El Centro Cultural de México and local business
Calacas Inc., Noche de Altares is a free, family-friendly community event. Throughout the
day there will be arts and crafts workshops, face painting, local artists selling their wares, and
delicious food from local restaurants and vendors. There will also be live music and
entertainment from local and international musicians
 
You can make it a day by doing the Santa Ana Artists village Art Walk. Artists through the Village open the doors to their studios and you
 
can admire their work in a very carefree enviroment. It’s a perfect event for older kids or as a date night. My husband and I have had some
 
great date nights at Art Walk.
 
For additional info head over here.

Boo at the Santa Ana Zoo

We love Halloween and my kiddos want to wear their costumes almost every night. We have been looking for family friendly events at night and I can’t wait to take my kiddos to Boo at the Santa Ana Zoo.
This family-friendly costumed extravaganza will bring FUN, SAFE, trick-or-treating in a “Merry not Scary” Zoo atmosphere, with educational animal presentations, storytelling, and entertainment throughout the evening, with a grand finale costume parade!
For the older kids, they also offer “Teen Scream,” a haunted house filled with thrills and chills. This ghoulish attraction has a separate entrance, but is included with the price of admission.
Boo at the Zoo is held on weekend nights from now through Oct 30th. The event is held from 5;30 to 8pm.
Tickets are $12/person (only $6/Member) ages 2 & up. Children under 2 are free. You can join the Zoo as a Member to get half price by clicking HERE
Admissions are good for any night!
Admissions are available at the front entrance on the night of the event.
You can also purchase tickets online here