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Oh my GOSH we haven’t been back to Emma Prusch Farm Park since they installed this absolutely massive chicken (LOL!) look at it!!!
Inside the chicken, it’s actually a pretty technical climbing gym with multiple routes and little spots for the kids to hang out. If they make it to the top, they can literally look out through the chicken’s eyes for a panoramic view of the farm before taking this gigantic slide down. I’m also super glad they kept the original playground structure nearby… it’s nice when parks don’t just tear down the classics for the sake of it.
At Emma Prusch Farm Park, you’ll find San Jose’s largest barn here! It’s home to a huge 4H program, so you’ll see plenty of farm animals. The best part? The chickens and peacocks often roam freely.
It’s a beautiful spot with tons of acres of open grass.. so much room for just layin’ and lazin’ in the grass, flying kites and frisbees, or playing sharks and minnows (do your kids play that? It’s like a different version of tag. So cute). Don’t forget to check out the rare fruit orchard in the community gardens too!
To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to come back here because as luck would have it and in a total rare occurrence, my middle boy was walking towards the chickens (who walk around freely here, by the way) and I guess the chickens didn’t like him getting too close and my eldest was closer to the chickens than my middle was….and so… one of the darn tootin’ chickens launched up on my eldest sons back and nipped him. Enough so, to leave a mark on him. I was honestly a bit traumatized and I guess the chickens were just having an off day… gah!
Emma Prusch Farm Park // 647 S King Rd, San Jose, CA 95122
They were even taller than I had imagined, and watching them gracefully move around was such a sight, whooowee. Reading to my boys each night have me naming off so many facts about animals I had never even heard of before, so I mean, I know a few things about giraffes (any so much more information than I truly care about to name off about dinosaurs). Just let me pat myself on the back there for a momento.
One highlight of our trip was the gondola ride, which offered an excellent view of the zoo from above and a secondary area of the zoo itself, which included the grizzly (yikes), jaguar, condor, and some wolves. Oh and fun playground for kids too! We could see the sprawling landscape and a great view of San Francisco at a few different vantage points and the different animal habitats from a unique perspective. It was truly breathtaking.
I’d say the most thrilling moment for me was when we came face to face with a grizzly bear. We first saw it from a distance, but as we entered the glass viewing area, the bear walked down the makeshift river, and we could see its face jiggling and swaying as it walked across the water. It was both mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time!
We spent about 4-5 hours at the zoo, and the weather was quite hot (I think it was about 25*C or so). We found shade in a picnic area to enjoy our lunch and made sure to refill our water bottles frequently to stay hydrated.
One of the most entertaining exhibits was the baboons. Their playful antics and the vibrant red colour of their behinds made my oldest son and I laugh like immature kids. It was a moment of pure joy watching them interact and play around.
Our trip to the Oakland Zoo was definitely a great experience. Seeing the giraffes in person, witnessing the grizzly bear up close, and enjoying the gondola ride were all highlights of the day. It was a perfect family outing, and I highly recommend visiting the zoo around this time of year to make the most of the pleasant weather before it gets too scorchin’.