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Location
Visitor tip
Purchase a feed basket to significantly enhance your experience with the animals, particularly for the popular guinea pig area where you can sit and relax with individual animals. Note that some animals like bunnies and guinea pigs may not be out on very hot days.
Visitor tip
Plan to spend 1-2 hours at the ranch; it works best for children ages 5+. Younger children may lose interest quickly. Budget extra time to explore nearby shops, restaurants, and ice cream spots in the River Street area to maximize your visit.
Best time
Popular attractions like the excavator have unpredictable wait times with limited communication. Use the on-site playground to keep children occupied while waiting, and consider prioritizing the petting zoo and train rides early to avoid peak wait times.
About River Street Ranch
Petting zoo & kid-friendly activities. Popular spot for families offers a petting zoo, train rides, panning for gold & more.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Petting Zoo
- Location
- San Juan Capistrano, Los Rios Historic District (dating to 1775)
- Animals
- 80 animals including horses, goats, llamas, alpacas, and more
What visitors say
Family friendly petting zoo, would visit again. The location is great - lots of food, shops and people watching in the area. Google maps took me to the far end of the pedestrian way and we got lucky with street parking after circling a…
A bit overpriced but kids under 3 are free. Make sure to sign the waiver while in line, or they may make you turn around and get out of line to do so. It didn’t seem they had printed ones available instead. There was a very long line…
I saw a video about this place on social media Media and saved it For later, since it looked like a fun place to take my son. He is almost 6 years old, and I'm always looking for fun ideas/things we can do on weekends. We drove here…
From 1,433 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- River Street Ranch features 80 animals across 14+ species including the unusual combination of llamas, alpacas, and llampacas (llama-alpaca hybrids)
- The ranch is strategically located in the Los Rios Historic District, one of California's oldest neighborhoods, directly across from River Street Marketplace, creating a unique integrated experience combining historic preservation with modern family activities
- The facility demonstrates animal welfare consideration by adjusting operations based on weather conditions (closing certain animals during extreme heat) and maintaining dietary restrictions for animals like rabbits with designated feeding guidelines
More Family Fun Nearby
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