
The Reptile Zoo
Fountain Valley, CA
By Simir Shah
★★★★★4.3(2,370 Google reviews)
Home to 100+ exotic reptiles and amphibians, this indoor spot is a hit with kids who love snakes, lizards and giant tortoises. For an extra $5 the whole family can hold and pet some of the smaller creatures under staff supervision. It's compact, so it pairs well with another nearby stop.
Good for
- Ages 0–2
Happening near here
- Bowers Museum — Free Sundays (Santa Ana residents)Santa Ana · 7 mi · 10am–4pmFree
- Orange International Street FairOrange · 9 miFree
- Long Beach Greek FestivalLong Beach · 11 mi
- First Thursdays Art WalkLaguna Beach · 14 mi · First Thu 6–9pmFree
18818 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, USA
Hours via Google — confirm before a special trip.
Adults $15, kids 3+ $10 (+$5 to handle animals)
Map
What visitors say
- Sledge Family★★★★★
We had an amazing time at the Reptile Zoo with our family and friends! It's the perfect place to spend quality time together while learning about some incredible animals. The environment is welcoming, family-friendly, and especially great for children. It offers a unique sensory experience that keeps kids engaged while teaching them about reptiles and other fascinating creatures. We were amazed by the variety of animals and how well cared for they all appeared. Some of our favorite experiences included taking photos with snakes, feeding the tortoises and fish, holding a tarantula, and even seeing scorpion babies…something we'd never seen before! The staff was knowledgeable and happy to answer our questions, even offering helpful recommendations for reptiles and other household pets. Every interaction felt safe, educational, and memorable. It was an unforgettable experience for all of us, and we left with a greater appreciation for these amazing animals. Our only wish is that they had an even larger facility because we would have loved to see more! We highly recommend visiting if you're looking for a fun, interactive, and educational outing for the whole family. Great way to celebrate my son’s born day!
a month ago
- Gabriel Tellez★★★★★
We had a wonderful time at the reptile zoo with my son. It’s a great place to spend quality time with your kids. The environment is perfect for children to have a unique sensory experience and learn new things in a fun and engaging way. Being able to interact with and observe such exotic animals makes the visit even more special. Seeing such a wide variety of reptiles in one place was truly amazing. It was an unforgettable and enriching experience for both of us.
3 months ago
- Mick Dunn★★★★★
Despite naysayer’s claims that The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley is not a “real” zoo, the fact is, it very much meets the standard definition of “zoo”. That being, “A zoo (short for zoological garden or park) is a facility where live animals, particularly wild species, are kept in enclosures or, increasingly, in simulated natural habitats, for public exhibition, education, research, and conservation. They function as educational institutions and often participate in breeding programs for endangered species.” In the case of The Reptile Zoo, they also take in rescues. Now, I’m not an expert on reptile habitat. I’m just an average guy who enjoys the occasional post on social media, and decided that since I’m visiting the area I would go check out what this zoo is all about. I had read many of the negative reviews from folks who probably have as little knowledge of the subject matter as I do. Yes, the facility is smaller than I expected, and yes, the individual enclosures are also smaller than I expected for most of the reptile inhabitants, but I don’t have a clue what is actually suitable and acceptable. I would like to think that the folks that run this operation know what they are doing and are doing the best they can for these creatures. All of this said, this is a really interesting place to visit and explore. More than once, staff offered to answer any questions I may have had. They seem quite excited to teach, and talk about the animals. It’s a pretty cool experience for just $15.00. Very much recommended.
6 months ago
- Charlene Basaldua★★★★★
I love reptiles. The place was clean. I really enjoyed feeding the turtles and fish. Watching them fight for the food was fun. I love the friendly Butter snake they had. I got to hold, boa constrictor. I want one one day. They are friendly. Nice pets.
3 months ago
- Judy Margaret Chen★★★★★
We visited this place because it has “zoo” in it when we were searching for zoo to the little one explore about nature. It was so small that when we arrived we thought we came to the wrong place. There are many varieties of different reptiles here, snakes, pythons, geckos, lizards, alligators, turtles, etc. Their exhibitions really weren’t an exhibition, more like a cage, exposed to human guests. This place reminds as a shop that sells pets rather than a zoo. I don’t know much about reptiles, but I do partly agree with some other reviews here. Some exhibits are too small for the reptiles living in it.
7 months ago
Reviews from Google · See more on Google Maps
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