Central Coast Zoo

Central Coast Zoo AZA accredited zoo and wildlife conservation organization connecting people and animals in California’s beautiful Central Coast! We hope to see you soon!
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The Central Coast Zoo (formerly Charles Paddock Zoo) is home to about a hundred species of animals found around the world, where they live in our beautiful, wooded Lake Park in Atascadero, California. We are the only zoo in the Central Coast accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for zoos ensuring the highest level of animal welfare. As part of AZA, our animal

s are part of globally managed conservation programs to preserve species and their wild habitats. We hope you will come and relax, learn, and enjoy our animals in a safe and respectful environment, and have fun in our beautiful Atascadero Lake Park with play equipment, lawns, walking pathways, and seasonal paddleboat rentals.

Whew, anyone else feeling the heat? The temperatures are coming down this weekend thankfully. We have many ways of hel...
08/28/2026

Whew, anyone else feeling the heat? The temperatures are coming down this weekend thankfully. We have many ways of helping our animals cool off, like giving a shower to our giant Aldabra tortoises!

Shelby our fossa sure is photogenic isn't she? Fossas are the top mammal predator in Madgascar and they spend a lot of t...
08/22/2026

Shelby our fossa sure is photogenic isn't she? Fossas are the top mammal predator in Madgascar and they spend a lot of time in the trees - you can see how they would blend right in for a sneak attack!

Central Coast Zoo Ambassador Reptiles will be at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden for Scaly Safari on August 9th fro...
08/07/2026

Central Coast Zoo Ambassador Reptiles will be at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden for Scaly Safari on August 9th from 10am to 2 pm! This is a FREE event!
Tell your families, tell your friends, your friends’ friends: Garden admission is waived so pack a picnic and stay for the day! This is an all ages event. Dogs on leash are welcome.
There will be crafts and educational activities in the Children’s Garden. The retail nursery, home to a selection of self-propagated native plants well suited for the Central Coast’s Mediterranean climate, will be open for business. After visiting the ambassador animals stroll through the Fire Safe garden and hike the hill up to the Human Sundial or simply meander through the main Display Garden.
Please note: There is a $5 fee to enter El Chorro park.

We hope to see you there!

JOIN US FOR AN EVENING AT SENSORIO TO BENEFIT THE ZOO!August 9th at 6:30 pm🐾We are excited to partner with Sensorio on a...
08/02/2026

JOIN US FOR AN EVENING AT SENSORIO TO BENEFIT THE ZOO!
August 9th at 6:30 pm🐾

We are excited to partner with Sensorio on an evening you won't want to miss! Sensorio has invited The Central Coast Zoo Foundation to participate in "Sensorio Gives Back", a program that offers non-profit organizations the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful evening at Sensorio where a portion of the proceeds goes to support them. Enjoy the Field of Lights and many other exhibits that make Sensorio spectacular - this is a great way to experience Sensorio and support the Central Coast Zoo Foundation in one magical evening!
Sensorio is located at 4380 Highway 46 East in Paso Robles.

CLICK HERE for more information: https://www.tixr.com/groups/sensoriopaso/events/sensorio-sunday-august-9th-163232?ecr_cid=J7KltyJvheB-jPjfRlgE31RU241IwYmznQ%3D%3D&utm_campaign=cymbal_campaign-6952188_073126&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cymbal

Sensorio Visit Atascadero

Don't let the heat keep you from saving a life! On August 2nd the Bloodmobile will be parked in the zoo parking lot!Make...
07/30/2026

Don't let the heat keep you from saving a life!
On August 2nd the Bloodmobile will be parked in the zoo parking lot!
Make an appointment to give blood at the zoo by visiting vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL! Use Code AUGUST15-2026-V when you schedule to receive a $15 Rewards gift card. All donors will receive a coupon for $1 off zoo admission tickets.

Thank you for helping local patients in need!

With National Zookeeper Week wrapping up, we could not finish it without meeting Crystal. Crystal is our Zoo Supervisor...
07/26/2026

With National Zookeeper Week wrapping up, we could not finish it without meeting Crystal. Crystal is our Zoo Supervisor, and has been a keeper for over 20 years, from manatees to venomous snakes, Crystal has done it all. Her passion now is Monarch butterfly conservation, and here she is on the right as an invited panel speaker. Keepers not only love and care for individual animals, but they are conservationists trying to save entire species. Thank you Crystal for all you do!

As National Zookeeper Week winds to a close, lets meet Lizzy! Lizzy is an indispensable longtime member of our keeper ...
07/26/2026

As National Zookeeper Week winds to a close, lets meet Lizzy! Lizzy is an indispensable longtime member of our keeper team who started out as a volunteer. She cares for all the animals at the zoo and can jump into any area or situation with ease. Here she is with some of our newest additions (you will hear more about them soon). Thank you Lizzy for all you do for the animals and for always brightening our day!

It's Day 6 of National Zookeeper Week, let's meet Kathryn! Kathryn takes care of many animals at the zoo including the ...
07/25/2026

It's Day 6 of National Zookeeper Week, let's meet Kathryn! Kathryn takes care of many animals at the zoo including the meerkats. Here they are learning to touch their nose on a target (the blue plastic ball) to get a treat - this is called target training. We can use this behavior to have them come when needed, or be fed separately. Thank you Kathryn for teaching our older meerkats new things!

It's Day 5 of National Zookeeper Week! Meet Tierney - our newest keeper. Tierney is a Cal Poly grad who interned here ...
07/25/2026

It's Day 5 of National Zookeeper Week! Meet Tierney - our newest keeper. Tierney is a Cal Poly grad who interned here at the zoo and we were so happy to be able to hire her last year. Here she is encouraging one of our Hyacinth macaws to play with and shred paper - a former pet, he didn't know how. Thank you Tierney for being an invaluable addition to our team!

National Zookeeper Week Day 3! Today we meet Katie, our Lead Zookeeper and Registrar. She leads our keeper team and ca...
07/22/2026

National Zookeeper Week Day 3! Today we meet Katie, our Lead Zookeeper and Registrar. She leads our keeper team and cares for all animals (and their records!) at the zoo. Katie had a very impactful encounter with a giant tortoise when she was only 3 years old and that changed her life. Knowing personally the power of that experience, she is now training our Aldabra tortoises for encounters with our visitors. We are so grateful for your lifelong passion and commitment Katie!

Address

9100 Morro Rd
Atascadero, CA
93422

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(805) 461-5080

Website

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