Metrolink to the LA Zoo

It is incredibly fun to take the train to the LA Zoo. Children have extremely intense interest in loud moving objects and from age 18 months until the age of 2, it is common for youngsters to become fascinated with cars, truck, buses and trains. We have taken advantage of this interest and brought our two-year old on trains and buses. The best way to learn the public transportation system is to take a leap of faith and get out there.

From Northridge, we boarded train 110 on the Ventura County line at 8:27am. We planned to meet up with a group of other moms and little ones. The zoo opens at 10:00am so there was no need to take an earlier train. Weekday service has trains every 30-60 minutes from Northridge.

Train 100 - 5:33am

Train 102 - 6:26am

Train 104 - 7:06am

Train 106 - 8:06am

Train 110 - 8:27am

As we always say, it's a good idea to be 10 minutes early rather than 2 seconds late because there's nothing worse than climbing the stairs to the platform only to see your train pulling away. 

We got there around 8:10am to give us plenty of time to buy our ticket. It cost $12.50 round trip. It was free to transfer to a Metro bus once we got off the train at Burbank - Downtown station. If the price of gas is $6.27 per gallon and my car gets 25 miles per gallon, and the zoo is 22 miles away (one way), that amounts to $11.04 to drive. Parking is free at the LA Zoo. When you consider that the trip took about 1 hour each way with the train and bus, but I didn't have the stress of driving and I got to cuddle with my son on the way there and back, I prefer the train. 

Depending on what time of day you go, driving could take 30-60 minutes. Traffic on the 405 and the 101 and the 134 and the I-5 can be bad and wildly unpredictable. This is what is known as the commuter's paradox. We all know that the car could and should be faster, but often times it is not due to traffic, and this causes endless amounts of frustration. Why stress when you could ride in style with a bathroom and drinking water available?

Transferring from the train to the bus was easy and straightforward. There is an overpass but you don't need to use it. There is an at-grade crossing. Southbound trains are on the track farthest from the station and the bus depot. Northbound trains are on the track closest to the station and bus depot. So when we arrived, we waited for the train to head out, then crossed to where the buses were lined up. It was easy to find Metro Bus 96. It was already parked there. Unfortunately, it didn't leave until 9:15am so we had to chill at the station for about 30 minutes. Luckily the weather was good and we got to watch trains and buses come and go, which my son loves doing.

The Metro Bus 96 took us through downtown Burbank and over to the Zoo. The drop-off point is right by the main entrance. I circled them in yellow in the image below.

Going through downtown Burbank got me thinking, if I had more time after the zoo, I would stop there and chill for awhile. I love the pedestrianized area along San Fernando Rd. We met up with our party shortly after arriving via bus. We had a great day walking the zoo. We had a group of 9 moms and altogether 12 kiddos. We did 2 hours of walking and about 1 hour of eating lunch and chatting. Luckily my kiddo fell asleep in the stroller so I could enjoy the company. 

We left around 1 pm. A bus pulled up 1 minute after I got to the bus stop. This driver asked me to fold my stroller, which is the driver's prerogative and may be required depending on how crowded the bus is. In the future, I would bring an umbrella stroller so that all of my possessions can fit in a single passenger seat. I have done this in the past but I didn't realize that it would be necessary during peak commuting times. You will want to know how to fold up the row of 3 seats that makes more room for wheelchairs if you have a larger stroller. The stroller cannot be blocking the aisle. It was easy to roll my unfolded stroller on and off the OCTA bus, which has wider aisles. It was impossible to roll my stroller to the rear exit of the Metro bus, which has narrow aisles.

The 96 bus is not very frequent. It arrives every 45 minutes on weekdays and every 60 minutes on weekends. It also does not run very late into the evening, the last bus would be between 8-9pm. It runs from Burbank downtown Metrolink station to LA Union Station with stops in Los Feliz and Chinatown. So I'm very lucky I caught it when I did, coming out of the zoo.

I got off the bus at Olive and 1st St. I looked to my right and saw IKEA, which was tempting but I decided it might take too long. I looked to my left and saw the Downtown Burbank area and decided to walk and get some refreshments at Starbucks. There were broad, shaded sidewalks, which was nice because the weather was starting to get pretty hot. Inside Starbucks, the air conditioning was on full-blast and we got water, sparkling water and juice. As a customer, I used the restroom for myself and to change my kid's diaper. He loved standing in the window facing Palm Ave just watching people, cars and dogs.

After that nice stop, we walked back the way we came, except when we got to the intersection of Olive and 1st St, we stayed on Olive. There is an overpass, which is mainly for cars, but it has a raised sidewalk for pedestrians that leads to the iconic elevator / stairway down to the train depot.

We've done this on our bicycles before but it was my first time doing it with a stroller. It was a both a thrill and a walk down memory lane. I can understand that it would be quite overwhelming for a new mom who has never taken public transportation to do it with their young child. 

Your options for trains home are limited, which is why I had to burn some time at Starbucks. The zoo closes at 5pm, but you might want to consider hopping off the bus at Downtown Burbank like I did. There are lots of options for dining and it's a great place to walk around.

Train 109 - 1:01pm

Train 115 - 3:07pm

Train 147 - 4:22pm

Train 117 - 4:46pm

Train 119 - 5:28pm

Train 121 - 6:12pm

Train 123 - 6:44pm

But remember what I said earlier, don't miss that last train! It won't wait for you. We always plan to take the 2nd to the last train. That way if we miss it, there's still one more.