On January 23, 2013, the San Francisco Chronicle (
visit link) ran the following story:
"Return to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo: A review
By Peter Hartlaub on January 23, 2013 9:56 AM
My last visit to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose was in September 2007, when my oldest was 2 years old and my youngest wasn’t born yet.
The park closed for a $72 million renovation in 2008, and reopened in 2010 with new buildings and attractions. My 2007 review was gratuitously snarky (common in the first year of The Poop), pointing out the Miss Havisham vibe of the park. I may have made a joke about getting a tetanus shot on the way home. In fairness to Happy Hollow and the fine people of San Jose, I probably should have returned two years ago for an update.
That said, if the Danny the Dragon train was gone, my plan was to walk straight back to my car, drive home, and write a scathing New York Times/Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar-style park and zoo takedown.
I had a free morning with my 4-year-old last Friday, and it was beautiful outside, so we headed south from Oakland to San Jose …
I pulled in the same parking lot I entered in 2007 and had a huge Walley World moment. The old entrance was blocked off with a 10-foot fence. The Administration building appeared to be closed and there were no staff around.
After we wandered around for two minutes in rank despair, a kindly old lady with about 17 children told me in three words of broken English to “follow Danny’s footprints.” Green dragon footprints magically appeared on a walkway around the zoo.
Which led us to …
The entrance was on the opposite side of the zoo. Very nice. We could have played here for the rest of the morning and my 4-year-old would have been happy.
Admission would have cost us $12.95 each, but with our Oakland Zoo reciprocal membership benefits we got in for $12 total. (In 2007, the tickets were $6 each and we got in for free with the Oakland Zoo membership.)
Staff was extraordinarily friendly. Like Trader Joe’s clerk friendly. The cashier and I had one of those awkward Chip ‘n’ Dale-style back and forths where we kept exchanging pleasantries, in a standoff to see who would get in the last “thank you.”
My son pulled me away while she was still telling us to enjoy our visit. I’ll get you next time Happy Hollow cashier!
F*** yeah, Danny the Dragon.
His gas motor has been replaced by an electrical one, so the ride no longer sounds like a pack of Hell’s Angels are running through the park. And the last time we rode Danny in 2007, he puttered through a relatively barren landscape.
Thankfully, part of the $72 million renovation included shooting a Project Genesis torpedo from “Star Trek II” into the Danny the Dragon ride. Lots of storybook-themed structures, cared-for plants and a tunnel with lights were involved.
I wondered why there were no doors on the cars — until the ride started, and I was reminded that Danny moves at about half a mile per hour. It’s a Small World seems like Space Mountain by comparison. I still had a great time on this San Jose institution, which has been around since 1961. Looking forward to riding Danny with my grandchildren.
My favorite new addition is this giant fort-themed play structure. It’s hard to see with my poor photography skills, but it’s three stories tall. If the Magic Mountain Playground at Coyote Point is the Minas Tirith of Bay Area playgrounds, then this is the Helm’s Deep.
Sadly, the old Happy Hollow Crooked House attraction remains closed — with a fresh coat of paint but surrounded by a fence in its lonely meadow. A Happy Hollow worker told me it’s not ADA compliant and they’re raising funds for a renovation but it received funding and is reopening in April.
Overall, the new Happy Hollow skews a little older than the old one. My 4-year-old seemed right about at the midpoint. There’s a small roller coaster, more of an educational focus on the zoo and the play equipment can be enjoyed by preschoolers and elementary schoolers alike.
We were enjoying the Miner’s Maze kiddie labyrinth attraction — until I saw a photo of this dude while coming around the last corner. He has haunted my dreams since.
I agree that it’s OK to scare kids a little, but this prospector seems to be staring into our souls. I would suggest replacing him with something less frightening/unnerving … like a video screen running the Martin Scorsese “Cape Fear” on a constant loop.
The zoo revamp is excellent. It has most of the animals from the old zoo, with a few new additions — including squirrel monkeys. Love the sand area where kids can pretend to be archaeologists unearthing dinosaur bones. Love building furnished to look like an old school naturalist’s outpost, complete with a Loyal Royal. I had a fun 10 minutes explaining to my son what a typewriter is.
The jaguar is still the centerpiece of the exhibit, and he she still has a stuck up/entitled/patronizing attitude. I get it. You’re a carnivore in a zoo full of herbivores. You’re much cooler than the other animals at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. You’re on the Web site home page. But you don’t need to carry yourself like Anne Hathaway on Golden Globes night.
Act like you’ve been there before, jaguar.
The second scariest thing after the creepy miner was the self-serve heat lamp hamburger dispenser at the Picnic Basket Restaurant.
I was underwhelmed with the restaurant, which I was hoping would be more like the San Francisco Zoo’s Leaping Lemur Cafe. But we were able to find some healthy options — I ate a boring pre-made sandwich and there was a fresh fruit cup.
We needed to pick up big brother, so we did a speed walk by the Lemur Woods Exhibit and Double H Ranch Exhibit, which features a much-updated version of the old Happy Hollow petting zoo.
There’s also a very nice new carousel near the entrance that focuses on endangered animals. (Including, apparently, extinct ones. My son rode a triceratops.)
Here’s a photo of the Bent Bridge, which connects the new entrance to a parking lot. Again, my photography doesn’t capture it. This is a very beautiful bridge, which compliments the zoo entry plaza.
The $10 parking fee was a disappointment. I know San Francisco gets away with charging that much, but I expect better from Oakland and San Jose. And parking is not included in memberships, which are otherwise a reasonable $35 per person (with a discount for bulk memberships).
But the rides are all free — which isn’t the norm with other zoos. We spent almost four hours at the park and didn’t come close to seeing everything. I’ll definitely come back in the spring.
More information about Happy Hollow Park and Zoo here.
UPDATED 1/25: I received a very nice note from Heather Lerner at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. She confirms that the Crooked House is reopening in April, and that healthier options (including a turkey burger with honey from Happy Hollow bees) are coming to the restaurant. More info on our Facebook page.
PETER HARTLAUB is the pop culture critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and founder of this parenting blog. Follow him on Twitter @PeterHartlaub. Friend the The Poop on Facebook."