We were looking for a smaller, more manageable zoo to take our little one and came across The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College on Yelp--so glad we did! This place is such a hidden gem. It's very affordable with easy parking, which made the whole visit stress-free from the start. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by friendly and helpful staff who let us know about an upcoming animal performance so we could plan our time around it--such a nice touch. The zoo itself is the perfect size for younger kids. They had a great variety of animals including tigers, a lion, several types of birds, and monkeys. The staff throughout the zoo were informative and approachable, making the experience even more enjoyable. Overall, a fun, easy outing that's perfect for little ones. We'll definitely be back! read more

THIS IS NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL ZOO! If you come here hoping for a vast institution with a lot of animals, you will be disappointed but with that being said, I personally really enjoyed my time here. This zoo is so that college students who are studying animal related programs can gain experience meaning they don't have all the animals you see at typical zoos but there were still some really cool ones! And because students are learning they have animals roaming around with them so you could potentially see a beaver or a hawk up close and in demonstration. I honestly think I preferred it here as it was slow paced and not very crowded. I don't believe they had any food here so bring snacks and their gift shop was closed. I don't know if that was only on the day we went or indefinitely. There's plenty of parking - I know it says "permit only" but I think that applies to weekdays only when classes are in session. read more

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My school has been coming here for a while on our yearly field trip. We took a few years off after COVID and we were pleasantly surprised with all the updates they have done to the zoo. The Tiger enclosure was amazing. We keep coming back because the zoo is very easy to work with, you are able to get close to the animals and it's not to overwhelming of a size. We always have a great time and can't wait to go back! read more

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Fun place not too crazy and able to really see the animals. The staff or students? Were all awesome, knowledgeable, and friendly. Great Way to spend my Mother's Day with my Son an Daughter in law! read more

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Lovely place for the kids when they want to go to the zoo on weekends. Short and sweet. Gets the job done. Very close up experience with the animals. read more

As other mentioned, this zoo is for teaching students that can be visited by others. So this zoo is small but still worth a visit for a fun quick afternoon event. The collection of animals is surprising. I definitely saw animals that I haven't seen in other zoos before. The folks that work here really do like and care for the animals. I'd would return here again and bring friends. read more

America's Teaching Zoo - Tiger! - Zoos Near Me - Moorpark, California

This is a great way to spend a few hours strolling around watching animals without having to go to a big commercial zoo. I love this place. Everyone is friendly and welcoming and the animals are always entertaining. read more

This zoo is super tiny, but great for little kids. We like to pair a positive experience with a college campus to create good memories for our child, in hopes that a decision to one day attend college will also be positive. This is the best place for that positive experience. You can get up close and personal with the animals and certain animals are walked around with the trainers and you can pet them. They have little shows at their amphitheater throughout the day. There are no concession stands, so be sure to pack your own food and drinks. read more

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Booked my son's birthday party here. It went well. Staff are helpful and very specific with time otherwise they're gonna set the alarm. You can bring your choice of caterers, be it taco truck or anything as such. The place for the party is enough to accommodate 60-70 guests. Price is just right, not too expensive nor cheap. read more

First timer at the Boo at the Zoo. Such a cute place and they had so many activities for my son to participate. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. We enjoyed the shows and my son even got in the Teslas and was able to draw on the cyber truck. I will definitely read more

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My kids co-op set up a field trip to this Zoo and I'm glad they did! We were able to get discounted tickets which was nice. The first thing we got to do was watch a small show where they showed us different animals and gave us some facts about them! The Zoo itself it's not that large but they have a good amount of animals and the best part is you can see how much they are cared for. One of the people working there explained to us that in order to get into that teaching Zoo you have to enter a lottery and get selected that way. We had a fun time and my children learned a lot. read more

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I've visited a handful of Zoo's, Aquariums and Wild Animal parks throughout California and each are special in their own way. Some have more in depth exhibits. Some allow you to get just a little closer to these magnificent animals than others. While others offer the ability to touch, to feed and to even interact with these amazing wild animals. But what they all have in common... The People. But not just any kind of people... These Zoo's and Aquariums hire People who not only love animals, but go to school, get certified as trainers and/or zoo keepers and dedicate their careers to learning all about the animals that they work with. At the Americas Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, a program is offered where students wanting to pursue a career in zoology can enroll in the EATM program (Exotic Animal Training & Management Program) and learn about working with domestic and non-domestic animals firsthand. As far as the public is concerned, the America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College opens its doors to visitors on the weekends between 11am-430pm where you can see the animals up close, talk with the trainers and staff and learn all about the various animals that are housed here. -My favorite is their 100 year old tortoise named Clarence who taught me "you just need to slow down in life". -The Tigers are also really cool, you will be in shock at how close you can actually get to them! Although fairly small in size, the Zoo is a great place to take the family, the kids and even grandmas! Staff are all really friendly and love questions about the animals they oversee. Parking is free, and admission is only $10 for adults, $8 for Seniors & kids 3-12, and 2 and under are free! read more

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This is not a traditional zoo, as its purpose is to train the college students. The zoo is small and the exhibits are not elaborate. But it has some advantages over traditional zoos. The students take animals out of their cages to do interactive displays for the guests. You can get within inches of the animals this way. The students are very friendly and helpful. For the animals in cages, you can get very close to them. There are primates, tigers, a 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise, and a lion, among many other animals. There are also shows throughout the day. For example we saw serval (wild cat) show which was spectacular! read more

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Love this little teaching zoo. The great part is there's enthusiastic students to answer all your questions about the animals. It's small but definitely a VC treasure. read more

America's Teaching Zoo - Tortoise - Zoos Near Me - Moorpark, California

America's Teaching Zoo is a perfect place for a short family outing. Our first time at the zoo was last weekend and we loved it. The best part about the zoo is how close you can get to the animals. We loved seeing the tigers up close and are looking forward to seeing their new enclosure which has much more space for them to roam around in. The zoo is walkable because it is small. There are reptiles, primates, tigers, a lion, a tortoise , an alligator, and many more awesome animals to see. The tickets are very reasonably priced. I suggest checking the daily schedule so you can see the feedings, shows, and demonstrations. We had a great time at the zoo and will definitely be back soon! read more

America's Teaching Zoo - Up close and personal with one of the beautiful tigers - Zoos Near Me - Moorpark, California

My little one came for a field trip and talked highly about it. We have family that lives in Moorpark and are almost always in the area but just never thought of stopping by. It was earth day and we decided why not. Best decision ever. This little place has so the perfect amount of animals to see and learn about. Will be returning soon to bring grandpa. Note: it is not a Zoo so don't expect ALL zoo animals. Give it a try, you will love it. read more

America's Teaching Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Moorpark, California

Fun day at Moorpark College's Teaching Zoo. Right now they are doing the "Boo at the Zoo" theme. This entails additional decorations and trick or treat booths. Tailored to young kids, my 2yo daughter had a blast. Lots of fun activities and things to do. Of course, all the animals make it that much more fun. Most animals were out and active. Overall a fun and affordable day in Moorpark. read more

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This place is a hidden gem. Love the animals and the staff is so well educated about animal facts. My son asked millions of question and they were so happy to answer any and all questions. A year membership is $100 for 2 adults and 2 children. Plus you also get 10% off any birthday party reservations. read more

Great little zoo for small children and an easy outing. Friendly staff as well. Go enjoy

Cute teaching zoo for the whole family to attend. It is located in Moorpark College and has its own parking lot. I brought my 2 year old here for a birthday party and he has a wonderful time. We attended a show where they brought out 8 different animals and got to attend the lion feeding as well. There's all so a ton of other animals to look at. He loved looking at the birds and the monkeys best. The zoo itself is very clean and tidy and the staff was really nice We will definitely come back another time for a fun mini trip! read more

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We have visited this zoo for the past 10 years. It is a good way to spend a few hours with the kids. The enclosures are not all viewing friendly and the shows are skits put up by college students. But why keep coming back? It's for the thrill of a close encounter. Today's were seeing a sugar glider glide, and to catch the low growl of displeasure from the Lion about 3 feet away. I remember the 1st time I saw them exercise the Harris hawk right in the street for visitors to watch. Or when we watched a donor feeding the Galapagos tortoise. There are usually multiple small group opportunities to see an animal up close with the students. One summer we paid extra to see the tigers play in their pool and to step into the tiger enclosure while they were away. There are many other opportunities like this but you have to pay attention to the information, plan your trip and be patient. As my kids have grown older we use this as an opportunity to interact more with the student handlers and to pick up on animal behaviors. The students and staff have always been courteous and helpful. This zoo is ultimately a training ground for exotic animal management taught at the college. Their ticket cost reflects their low budget operations. read more

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I've lived in Thousand Oaks for 2 years and just went for the first time. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Took my nephew as an excuse but I think I enjoyed it more than him lol the students/staff were amazing. I can't wait to return read more

America's Teaching Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Moorpark, California

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We went here tonight for the Wild Lights & Jungle Nights event. They have Christmas lights and inflatables up all around the zoo. It's a smaller zoo so not to long to get through but we enjoyed it with our toddler. She thought all the lights were "beautiful". It's probably not too exciting for older kids but definitely excites the younger ones. Overall cute little event and everyone working there was super friendly. read more

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The staff here are nice but oh my god what poor conditions for the animals. Such small cages. Eagles that have no room to fly. Monkeys left alone by themselves all day. So many animals left by themselves all day with no company. Cages are way way way too small for some of these animals :( read more

Been coming here for years. The zoo is clean and well kept. The animals are well taken care of and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable

I loved this zoo!! It's so good specially for young kids and adults, the staff are so nice and the zoo is so comforting! I love the fact that they have a good selection of animals, and you can see that the animals are well treated and well cared for. The show is entertaining and you get to see animals up close! I definitely recommend this zoo for anyone that wants to have a good time and quality time with your kids and family! read more

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We hadn't been to the Zoo in many years. We have Australian family visiting and thought it would be a great place to take them to. What a disappointment. Hardly any animals and the signage as to what the animals were & where they came from was basically non existent. Also we felt it was not very clean. read more

I was pleasantly surprised to find some beautiful tigers and a lion so close to my house. That alone makes this place worth the price of admission. It's very small and doesn't take more then an hour go through. But it's super cute and worth a quick visit. read more

As we were looking for a quick Saturday outing for our toddler, visiting a zoo seemed like a great idea. However, making the drive to LA or Santa Barbara was likely going to be an expensive and time consuming endeavor since we weren't sure if he'd like the experience or not. So America's Teaching Zoo was a perfect way for us to go on a trial run with him and a zoo. I was pleasantly surprised how close we were able to get to all of the animals. It was great to see all of the handlers interacting with the patrons during the feeding times with the animals. Those kinds of experiences are definitely harder to come by at a more typical zoo. Although there isn't a huge variety of animals, there is just enough of a sampling of species to wet your whistle. We also had the chance to watch a training demo which everyone seemed to enjoy. Seats were plentiful so all the kids were able to get relatively close to the animals during the demonstrations. There's plenty of parking right now as Moorpark CC was not holding in-person classes. It was also nice to purchase our tickets ahead of time which kept the queue to get in the entrance moving. In the end we enjoyed our experience at the teaching zoo. It's a great way to support the students in the program and for our family to breakaway from the norm. read more

I was hoping this would be a five star experience, but i need to be honest, it was not. What was five stars were the gorgeous animals. It is a sweet little zoo and probably perfect for tots. I have a smart tween. The "show" was just torture. Really brutal farce. Again, the animals are wonderful. Really sweet animals, and I think it is great this is a learning zoo, but c'mon get some help from the theatre department before making us sit through that! The animals were great, the human "theater" was rough. Really rough. I am not trying to be mean, wasn't expecting Broadway, but that was not guest friendly. They have mostly closed off cages set back and you must pay extra to see so many of the animals, ocelots, chervils, etc.- which they really should let you know upfront- considering there was also a cover - maybe I would have invited a few less of my daughter's friends. There were a number of vendors, I bought T shirts first and did not really want to feel nickle and dimed at our local neighborhood zoo I was visiting for an hour or two- to see the animals not on the walk, that was annoying. I may not have minded had I known it was coming or was just with family, but, I had a big group. It is nice it is local, small, great animals and the student aspect. The cages are TINY. TEENSY TINY. Heartbreakingly small for the carnivores- but supposedly they do have high interaction play and outdoor play areas. read more

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This place is incredible!! We had our sons 3rd Birthday here today and it was a hit! Perfect set up with fridge, power, sink and several tables including toddler tables. They allow outdoor vendors and parking is ample and easy. The area was shaded and tons of room for activities and fun. Their demonstration was adorable!! They're extremely knowledgeable and passionate and they kept toddlers interested and attentive. Our only wish was that they permitted more time for set up. The space is available from 10-1 but they only allowed us to make entry for setting up at 9:45. This made it nearly impossible to be ready before guest arrival at 10. In the future, I think I'll advise my guest to arrive at 10:15 or 10:20 to give myself more time. If guest are any later than 10:30, they'll miss the private animal demonstration so planning is crucial. Despite the 15 minute set up time, we would def have more events here and so should you!! You won't be let down!! read more

We hosted a birthday party for my 5 year old daughter here on Sunday afternoon. She being my youngest of 3 kids, I have hosted and been to my fair share of kid's parties. This venue was my favorite one of all that I've been to for the following reasons: 1. The price is a reasonable flat fee of $200. 2. There are no excessive rules and regulations. 3. You can decorate the party space as you want, bring the food, cake, and other things you like and they provide a refrigerator and sink in the outdoor area. 4. There is plenty of picnic table seating on the party patio and you can host a pretty big party. They don't count heads and charge by the person. We had over 50 people in attendance. 5. They offer a small indoor room outside the front gates of the zoo to host your party in if weather is poor. 6. The zoo is small enough so your guests won't get lost or distracted from your party activities. 7. They have a show twice a day and will mention the birthday kid. 8. It's pretty laid back. The negatives are few but my biggest peeve of the day was that the outdoor party area lacked any shade. They take down their mesh sail shades during windy season (god knows when it isn't windy up there). If you are having your party on a beautiful sunny day with a gentle wind (like our party day), the sun's rays are exasperated by the silver metal picnic tables. We had to go home and bring back our personal easy up shade (thankfully they don't mind if you bring your own). The only other issue that I noticed was a complete lack of any personal attention from any employee during our party. They basically leave you alone the entire time you host your party. Not that we had a problem with that but don't expect a service for your fee. You get the space and can use the zoo. The birthday kid gets no real acknowledgement from the zoo for their birthday, there was barely a mention at the show (supposedly it was a show for the birthday kid??? Not. ). But I prefer the lack of hands on monitoring and instead, a relaxed open, do as you please party. Our guests seemed pleased with the venue and I highly recommend this place for young children's parties, especially if you are on a budget. read more

After watching videos on social media of animals at various zoos last year during this pandemic, I paid a visit to the only zoo here in Ventura County, and it did not disappoint! America's Teaching Zoo, which is the home of Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management (EATM) program, is well-kept and cared for by the students of the EATM program. It's not overwhelming in size (which I did not mind), yet still showcases a variety of animals from around the world - birds, monkeys, tortoises, Neil + Karma (the two tigers) and Ira the Lion, among others. I especially enjoyed the live demonstrations of the student trainers working directly with the animals. They are very informative, open to answering any of your questions, and their dedication to caring for these animals definitely shows. It will definitely be worth your weekend afternoon to come out, especially if you have kids, and see these animals! read more

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America's Teaching Zoo was informative and enjoyable for young people. Access to the exotic animals was excellent and there were fun tasks for kids. read more

America's Teaching Zoo - Roar!!! One of the featured exotic animals. - Zoos Near Me - Moorpark, California

The zoo was very cool, it wasn't busy, for the animals that were out in the heat it was great to see them so close especially the tigers.

Came here last weekend for the first time it was amazing my daughter loved it made it just Tim time before it closed by the way they close at 430 pm I guess u can host birthday parties here too .. very nice clean .. and very nice employees working there very helpful there is a small snack area where u can purchase drinks and chips.. read more

The saying 'You can't judge a book by its cover ' certainly applies here. The older cages, the basic layout seems a tad antiquated. A closer look reveals so much more. The animals are well cared for, the students round every hour, each animal has a their own trainer. And their weekend shows are entertaining as well as informative. They've recently received more land and will be expanding, which is very exciting. If you have little ones and are looking for an educational fun filled couple of hours on the weekend, consider this. Ample free parking. read more

America's Teaching Zoo - Meet Clarence, he's a 94 year old Galapagos Tortoise! - Zoos Near Me - Moorpark, California

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Please people, talk to the students and staff when you are here. Come to learn, not to judge. I am so sad to see all the 1 star reviews. One of the hardest things about working in animal care is the skewed opinions of people who think they understand what an animal is experiencing by looking at them. I love that people are being discerning about the places they are visiting. It means you and I and the people in this program are actually on the same page: animal welfare is our concern. Next time you think an animal "looks sad", please talk to one of their caretakers. Animals have very different ways of expressing themselves than humans. Not only that but an animal can live an amazingly enriched life even when in an environment that appears "unnatural" or "cramped". This is an amazing program where students are taught THE best in animal care. And I can say, without a single doubt, that these animals are living healthy, high quality, enriched lives. Maybe even better than some larger, accredited zoos. This is a great place to teach your children respect and care for wildlife, and to have up close encounters with animals. This may not be the biggest or flashiest zoo, but it is a great place to learn. Please try to open your mind. Learn about animal behavior and care from these passionate people who are proud of what they do! These people are truly obsessed with animal care, and your concerns are their concerns. You may find common ground if you just have a conversation. :) Also, if you are concerned about the space provided to the animals, donate to the zoo! They will do good things with that money, I can promise you. read more

This zoo is the perfect size for my children ( ages 2, 5, and 8). The staff was incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and patient. Enjoyed the "small town vibe" of this zoo, much more convenient than the LA Zoo. Highly recommend! read more

Don't go. The price thankfully was $10 for adults but absolutely not worth it. The tigers and lions were sleeping. Not much to see. Save your money and go to the actual zoo. read more