I have many memories of my visits to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in my hometown San Jose, as a child, and while it has changed and been updated, it still has the same charm and excitement for a toddler. This is a great “Bay Area Summer Stop” for an outing with a toddler or small child. There is plenty of room to maneuver a stroller and you won’t be alone, lots of stroller parking around the park.
Happy Hollow has a nice combination of animals and rides. There’s a huge play structure and play area located inside the park too, which is a great way to take a break while the kids keep climbing, sliding and bouncing around.
My kids focused on the rides. The lines were short and I really appreciate that most of the attractions are perfect for toddler size, meaning they were able to ride most of them alone, without a “grown up.” There are a couple rides where they needed to be chaperoned – the roller coaster and Danny the Dragon, but other than that, I was mostly sitting back and watching them enjoy the rides and attractions.
If you’re taking a trip to Happy Hollow, plan on about 3 hours in the park. You do have to pay for parking, and you can also purchase tickets online ahead of time. Bring your own bottle(s) for water to, they have filling stations located in the park.