Danny the Dragon Gets a Roaring Revival at Happy Hollow

San Jose’s beloved Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is breathing new life into one of its most iconic attractions—Danny the Dragon! For over six decades, this whimsical train ride has been a cornerstone of family fun in our city, delighting generations with its quirky charm and playful journey through the park. Now, thanks to a renovation project, Danny is set to soar to new heights, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.

The Happy Hollow Foundation recently launched a $500,000 capital campaign to “reimagine” Danny the Dragon, ensuring this treasured mascot remains a vibrant part of San Jose’s story for years to come. This renovation goes beyond a simple spruce-up—it’s a full transformation. The updated Danny will evolve from a classic train ride into an immersive experience, guiding visitors through themed “lands” that reflect the diverse habitats found at Happy Hollow.

What makes this project extra special is its focus on community. The goal is to fund the entire renovation through local support, with donors earning a unique perk: their names will be featured on “dragon scales” along the ride’s queue fence (I ordered one myself). It’s a chance for San Joseans to leave their mark on a piece of the city’s history.

Below are some of the concepts for the reimagining of the ride, which is expected to be complete later this year. If you are interested in learning more or contributing to the project, head over here!

Meet Donatello at San Jose's Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Happy Hollow has a new resident, a capybara named Donatello. He got his name after picking up sticks with his mouth and swinging them around like a Ninja Turtle. Happy Hollow is also in the process of expanding the capybara habitat to include a larger yard and more vantage points for visitors. It should be ready later this year, but you can go visit Donatello right now.

It's amazing how many San Jose residents have never been to this cute little zoo. It's very nicely maintained and is the perfect size for toddlers and elementary school-aged kids. There is also a historic puppet theater, a handful of carnival-type rides, and a family roller coaster. It's also rarely crowded. If you have kids, it's the perfect outing to work into a weekend.

Source: SJ Today

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Nabs $1M for Upgrades

Happy Hollow has just received an anonymous $1 million donation donation, which is the largest gift it has ever received. The donation will go towards planning a future multispecies exhibit (multiple animals cohabitating) as well as upgrading the lower zoo area.

While not exactly the largest zoo in the world, I was very impressed with the renovation that was done several years ago. The lemur exhibit at the entrance of the park is particularly interesting since it incorporates an area where children can play while watching/imitating the animals. Hopefully they keep this level of interactivity in mind when planning out their renovations and new exhibits.

Source: The Merc

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Grand Opening Weekend

Yesterday I took my goddaughter to the grand re-opening of Happy Hollow! The renovations and expansions are pretty impressive, this is definitely not the Happy Hollow Park & Zoo I remember from my childhood.

The park is now divided into 3 main sections: 1.) massive children's play area with rides and a titanic-sized play set  2.) the main zoo 3.) petting zoo (part of section 2 in the old park) and lemur play area. While everything was substantially renovated, what impressed me the most was the third section--which had one of the most innovative designs I have ever seen in an amusement park. A huge chunk of this area was themed around lemurs; however, instead of just having an expansive zoo exhibit of lemurs there is also a lemur-themed play area adjacent to it. So kids can essentially watch the lemurs while immediately imitating there actions in the play area. Excellent idea!

The entrance, store, restaurant, restrooms, and education facilities are all brand new. There are several new rides as well as new animal exhibits. Also, there are quite a few improvements still to come. Several areas are under construction and there are still 3 animal exhibits that haven't opened yet: bats, bees, and foxes.

One observation I had while walking back to the car was just how much underutilized space there is in Kelly park. We're talking dozens of acres here. How nice would it be to eventually build out a full zoo equivalent to San Francisco or Oakland? I think this current renovation and expansion will put Happy Hollow on the map as an exceptional children's park, but a full-blown zoo would increase it's appeal to a much larger audience. It could also be a profitable venture for San Jose, just a thought!