Charles Paddock Zoo — Attraction in Atascadero

We recently spent a lovely afternoon at our local gem—Central Coast Zoo. Formerly known as the Charles Paddock Zoo, this compact 5‑acre wonder is tightly packed with over 100 animals across 45 species—and yes, it's absolutely adorable and incredibly chill.

What makes it stand out:

The diverse animal collection is impressive for a zoo of its size. You’ll spot everything from red pandas, fossa, spider monkeys, lemurs, tortoises, and flamingoes, to quirky California natives like the burrowing owl and roadrunner, plus global favorites like Bennett’s wallaby and alligators.

It's AZA-accredited, which shows they mean serious business on conservation and care.

The layout is beautifully landscaped and shaded—calm, restful, and perfect for relaxing. Plenty of picnic spots mean you can leisurely watch animals while munching your snacks.

We were touched by their tribute to Menderu, the beloved Malayan tiger, who sadly passed away at age 17 after a long and healthy life in their care. He arrived as a cub in 2008 and spent his life here as part of the zoo's family—it's clear he made a mark on the hearts of staff and visitors alike.

Rating: Five stars for a zoo that’s big on charm, conservation, and community spirit.

Why It’s Worth Your Visit: Great diversity A surprising array of animals packed into a cozy, accessible space. Relaxed vibe Shaded paths, picnic benches, and friendly crowds = instant downtime. Local pride A true community treasure with conservation and education at its heart.

Also my daughter attended zoo camp there...

I honestly was displeased by this zoo, if that's what you really want to call it. Yeah you've got quite a few animals but none of them are in proper living enclosers and none of them looked at all happy either. It was quite depressing to even be inside to see all this, for the cheap price it literally was not worth it. I do not understand why the poor tiger had such a small encloser, yet the red pandas had a bigger as well as better kept up encloser. The tiger was definitely uncomfortable and afraid as if someone has quite literally beat him. That's no way a tiger should live (or any of the other animals there either) and he's definitely have a better living quality with extension of life, if you were to just give him to San Diego Safari Zoo. At least I know for a fact they well maintain the enclosers with large enough ones for their proper needs. Upon reading others 1 star reviews on this "zoo", what ever happened to the lion? He wasn't there when I came 7/22/2019. Did you guys give him to a better actual caring zoo or did he die in the hands of your miscare? I didn't even see an encloser that would be for a lion unless you replaced him with the poor tiger, who will probably also end up...

Great local zoo that is fantastic for wholesome family fun. Something to kill time and keep your kids entertained.

The zoo is located near a lake and park so you can make an entire day of it. Pack a picnic, take a walk, and go to the zoo. Big parking lot as well.

All the animals that live in captivity here look happy and healthy. We absolutely loved the flamingos, red pandas, and tiger. They were active and fun to watch.

The zoo isn’t that big and there is still a lot under construction, but all the animal habitats look comfortable and clean. Some of the exhibits were closed or empty, but we were really happy that there is even a zoo in this neighborhood that we could enjoy.

Entrance fee is fair, there is a decent gift shop with souvenirs, drinks, and some snacks. The service at the cash register attendant/ticket box was a little unfriendly but other than that, we had a...