Happy Hollow beckons with eco-friendly renovations

Happy Hollow is open again after two years of renovations. Parents who know and love it are rejoicing, but if you have young children and don't already know about Happy Hollow, now is the time to get acquainted.

The children's park and zoo originally opened in 1961. It was the era of Disneyland, and San Jose followed Oakland's lead in creating their own small version of a paradise play place for children (Oakland's Fairyland is also still open today).

Okay, so it's not exactly Disneyland, but I think that's a good thing. It's plenty big enough to spend an entire day at the park and not get bored. But perhaps what is most exciting is that this renovation was not just an opportunity to modernize the rides, add four acres to the park, and provide ADA compliance, but it was also an opportunity to green Happy Hollow.

The facilities now have LEED silver certification, which means they meet certain environmental standards for conservation. You can also donate old cell phones at the entrance to Happy Hollow, and all proceeds from the recyling efforts benefit the Orangutan Conservation. Plus there are opportunities to incorporate environmental education into the children's day, as you discuss the animals on display, six of whom are part of the Species Survival Plan (jaguar, fishing cat, fennec fox, and three types of lemurs), and visit the new education center.

What were the kids most excited about when we went? The roller coaster was the most popular, followed by Redwood Lookout (a huge play structure, where the slides are camouflaged as redwood trees), the mini putt putt cars (firetrucks and police cars going around a circle - get the firetruck which has a bell to pull), the puppet theater (plays two shows every day, we saw The Three Little Pigs), and the petting zoo (where the children can feed, pet, and even brush the goats).  The carousel - which greets you at the entrance - was a pretty big hit, too.

Admission costs $12 (ages 2 - 69), and $8 (70+). A family membership will set you back $95. And unless you buy one of the more expensive memberships ($250 - $500), you'll also be paying for parking, either $6 or $10, depending on the lot. Unfortunately, while they did improve the restaurant space, the food wasn't that great. You might want to pack your own.

For hours and location, click here to visit Happy Hollow's website.