Gibbon Conservation Center

Such a fun experience. The guide was very knowledgeable and kind. The Gibons were so much fun to see and at the end of the tour they all broke into a Gibson song. Amazing time.

Very interesting place for animal lovers. It is a nonprofit rescue and conservation center. The director gave us a tour for one hour and answered all of our questions about the gibbons. She was in no rush to end the tour, and was happy to spend her time talking with us all. They do good work and the gibbons seem very well taken care of and the breeding program is important to the species.

super fun to hear the gibbons singing! and the director was so sweet and humorous. overall awesome experience

The caretakers really do care about the conservation of these Gibbons. They are so neat to see upfront and close vs on TV. The caretakers are very informative and had an answer for every question. They also had all kinds of cool facts about them. It's a neat place to take kids and learn about the conservation of these exotic and BEAUTIFUL animals!

It was a wonderful experience learning about the gibbons. The woman leading the tour was very knowledgable and friendly. Questions were encouraged and answered completely.

Great effort to save the Gibbons! It's a dirt road when you drive in but it's easy to find and the folks working there are very friendly. Cute little gift shop too.

Amazing place! So many gibbon apes and so cool to see them up close. We’ve been going for 10 years. If going on a tour go before 10am to hear the gibbons sing for breakfast. And every Mother’s Day weekend they have a breakfast with the gibbons fundraiser that is a can’t miss. Great for families and kids and totally worth the drive!

Even more interesting than I thought it would be! We were even lucky enough to hear the gibbons' "singing" and it was an amazing display! Definitely well worth a visit!

The tour is very entertaining and educational every time. The gibbons always decide when the tour is over by going nuts, hooting and howling really loudly until everyone leaves. The sanctuary's doing a lot of good for the gibbons, breeding one species that has less than 1000 left in the wild, another with less than 4400. We donated our old car to this sanctuary to be auctioned off to help support them. Deforestation in Indonesia for palm oil plantations is destroying 300 football fields of rainforest every hour and threatening endangered species like Orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Asian elephants, sun bears, and gibbons, as well as significantly contributing to global warming. Indonesia's home to 15% of all known species of plants, mammals, and birds, with Indonesia's peat lands storing 35 billion tons of carbon. According to Indonesian government figures, around 24 million hectares of rainforest in Indonesia were destroyed from 1990-2015, an area the size of the U.K. This has caused Indonesia to become one of the world's largest carbon emitters along with the U.S. and China. Harvard and Columbia University researchers estimate the July, 2015 Indonesian forest and peatland fires caused by plantation development may have caused 100,000 premature deaths and the World Bank calculated the cost of the disaster at US$16bn.

The Gibbon Conservation Center in Santa Clarita represents the life work of Alan Mootnick. Fascinated by these "lesser apes" (as to distinguish them from the great apes such as chimps) from a young age, he dedicated his life to the preservation of these endangered primates. When you enter the GBC, you immediately recognize this is not a zoo. All the enclosures are designed to be ideal habitats for the gibbons: not theatres to observe them. They are given lots of space and since they brachiate (arm over arm movement) at a break neck speed, this is ideal. The gibbons are also kept in a ideal climate with misters being used to keep them cool in the hot summer. You can't simply drop by the Gibbon Conservation Center. You have to make an appointment for a tour (see the website for details.) The money spent is well worth it as you will have an expert giving you detailed information about the species of gibbons present, and the behavior of individual gibbons at the center. I had a tour that included me, an anthropologist, as well as a science educator and a neuro-psychologist. Because of our credentials, we got what I feel was an "upgraded" experience, as it was assumed we knew the basics. It was a truly wonderful experience. The website offer many ways of assisting the continuation of the Gibbon Conservation Center, from donations to "adoptions" (no, you can't take a gibbon home). All money goes to the food, medical care and general running of the center. If you are interested in primates, animals in general or the natural world, this is absolutely a wonderful place to visit. And the money spent will be put to very good use.

We visited the Gibbon Conservation Center through a school field trip. Located in rural Santa Clarita, the GCC is a unique sanctuary for Gibbons that are not able to live in the wild for a variety of reasons. Staff were knowledgeable and provided lots of interesting facts and answered all of our questions. At the end of the tour, we even got to experience the Gibbons "hoo". Reservations required and they offer weekend group tours (purchase tickets in advance online). Would recommend if you are in the area.

The Gibbon Conservation Center located in Santa Clarita California has a special place in my heart. The Gibbons are an endangered species sadly due to deforestation of their natural habitat. I have been wanting to visit the center for over two years and finally I was able to. I donated what I could to them on my birthday and recently and was able to book a tour of the facility with my donation. The staff greeted us and before we begin the tour we had to sanitize our shoes for the safety of the Gibbons. The tour is a walk around with a guide that provides so much information on the Gibbons. I highly suggest a tour not only to help the Gibbons but to educate oneself on what we could do to help them. They are planning on relocating in the future.

Came here Fall of 2020. Ended up on the wrong side and started going uphill that led to a dead end. Maybe they should put more signs to let people know not to go down that way. It was very hard to get ahold of them by email after I made my initial reservation. I was inquiring if it would be possible to change the date. They didn't respond to my 9/1/20 email. Last correspondence was with Alma. There was a family with a kid that kept yelling at the gibbons and I thought it was very rude and the parents didn't do anything when their kid was taunting them. I finally had to say Be quiet, because I can't hear the staff speak! Children should not be allowed to yell especially when a tour is being conducted.

This is a fantastic experience and my wife and I really learned a lot and came away with a lot more responsible attitude towards Gibbons monkeys. It is a clean facility and organized very well.

It's a hidden gem in Santa Clarita, Kudos to the GCC for their amazing conservation work on gibbons, If you get lucky you get to hear gibbons sing in unison which is a surreal experience! Plus you get to support in conserving these little amazing animals

It's been years since I've been here but the memories are so fond! Visit if you're in the area. Also worth a short trip!

A friend of ours suggested that we visit the Gibbons Conservation Center one Saturday. I knew nothing about it nor did I know it existed and I live just a few miles away from it. We had a delightful time and learned a lot from our tour guide whose wealth of knowledge made it even better. As the morning wore on we were well rewarded with a choir of gibbons singing. Well, maybe not a choir. Each species has a unique call and they all go at it at the same time. It's an awe inspiring cacaphony that's overwhelmingly loud (can be heard for miles) that will not fail to thrill you. The Gibbons Conservation Center isn't a zoo. It's only open to the public a few hours each week. The gibbons is an endangered species and the center is devoted to preserving these important primates for future generations to appreciate. I was so impressed with everything the center does that I was reluctant to leave when the tour ended. As it turned out I was able to volunteer at the center for about a year (I think, could be less or longer). Since I know my way around the kitchen that's where I ended up. You might say I was a monkey chef (gibbons are not monkeys). I enjoyed my time there and will always look back at it as a of privilege. This is one review that I'd gladly give six stars to if I could.

Nestled in the dry hills of Santa Clarita is a colony of VERY LOUD endangered apes! Who knew? It's kind of sad that they don't have the resources to build a bigger habitat--but the Gibbons seem healthy, happy, and well cared for. Our tour guide was great. Each tour begins and ends with "signing" gibbons. It's hilarious how loud these characters are. I did manage to set off a gibbon riot that was still ongoing after I left when one heard my phone recording them and started shrieking which triggered the entire park and they all erupted in song for seemingly an hour. Make sure you stuff some money in the donation jar. These guys need it.

It was an honor to have the opportunity to see these critically endangered species ! Would recommend to everybody! Bring your family, friends & even a date. Its such a surreal experience to see & hear the various Gibbons play &

We went here for the first time today and had a great time. They are located in Santa Clarita just a few miles up Bouquet Canyon. Alma provided us with a great guided tour for more than an hour. She was extremely informative and made our visit very enjoyable. They have 37 Gibbons and they were a joy to watch. I definitely recommend visiting these amazingly agile and active animals.

What a wonderful morning! The gibbons are just marvelous creatures, and it's delightful to have such an up close and personal visit with them. It's a little sad that we have a need for such a facility, but because of the pet trade and such, the Gibbon Conservation is much needed. And the animals are treated very well! It was worth the donation to do the tour and definitely worth the drive out there. Might go back with different friends just to hear the gibbons sing. Magnificent.

I've visited this center twice, and have been impressed by the conservation work they do with breeding these highly endangered primates. I suggest arriving shortly after opening to enjoy the very informative guided tour. I also suggest using the directions provided on their Yelp page to find them. For me, only about a 5-10 minute drive from my home. If you're looking for state of the art zoo exhibits, you'll be highly disappointed. This facility has been described as a "breeding brothel", as I heard on my first visit several years ago; breeding rare gibbons is what they're all about here. If you are coming from more then an hours drive from the Santa Clarita Valley, then the trip may not be worth your time. The entire grounds, including guided tour, will probably be worth no more then a 1-2 hour stay. But if you're into animal conservation as am I, then you'll find it to be time well spent. Plus entertaining when the gibbons decide to whoop it up!

It was so awesome!!! I loved seeing the gibbons! Gabi was super nice and informative! It was a dream come true and I'll definitely be return if given the chance! I'd love to work there hahahaha

We enjoyed coming here and would recommend. What they are doing there is admirable. The Gibbons are very well taken care of and loved. The staff seem passionate about their work. The Gibbon's habitats are clean and have plenty of activity centers for fun and play. They seem very content and the singing was beautiful. I captured a video of the singing with my little girl listening and it has been watched over and over. Quite awesome! We enjoyed the tour with the director a biologist and passionate person. I hope they get to purchase the land so that they can expand and continue to offer refuge to Gibbons. For this they need continued support. It's a shame that us humans have created the need for reserves but I admire that some of us still have compassion and desire to make the best of what has happened.

This lovely conservation is nestled in the hillsides of Santa Clarita. There are people who live and work there and care for the gibbons around the clock and they clearly have a passion for wildlife. The tour was informative and interesting. If you can support them, it is well worth it. A highlight is that the gibbons make loud mating calls which can be heard throughout the conservation center.

Please donate to this place. It was an amazing tour, the Gibbons were beautiful and they had funny personalities. It's pretty small but with so much information. It's good for kids and super safe. Follow all the rules because reaching out to a fence can get you bit.

Amazing center for those who are interested at all in the most acrobatic, arboreal, agile apes on the planet. I wasn't aware there were so many different species of Gibbons. There are four genera spaning from Myanmar to Indonesia, and their distribution was as far north as southern China, but human overpopulation there decimated the gibbon population due to habitat change. Before you are allowed to enter the area, where there are cages housing the gibbons, you are asked to dip your shoes into liquid disinfectant about 1/2 inch deep. Warning: If wearing sandals, you will get your feet wet which is ok if it is a warm day. Gibbons are like people at the now typical, popular Los Angeles restaurants where loud noise and shouting conversations are the most widely known characteristic. Well, going to the Gibbbon Conservation Center is like going to Bottega Louis, Son of a Gun, Animal, etc. except that the Gibbons are probably better behaved. At the center, we were "serenaded" by different groups of gibbons in different cages. The hooting & hollering reminded me of going to a high school football game when spectators who support the two different teams are sitting on opposite sides of the stadium. Each side attempts to out shout the supporters of the opposite team. So there is a back & forth shouting match. When we first got there, all was quiet, but all hell broke loose about an hour into our stay. I assume the shouting match is to establish territory and to warn others to stay away. It was so funny experiencing the behavior of Gibbons, which when you get down to it, isn't so different from humans in terms of behavior & motivation. We may have diverged evolutionarily from the Gibbons approximately 15 million years ago, but it seems that similarity of hominoid behavior shows that the fruit doesn't fall far from the evolutionary tree. Enjoy observing & experiencing our hominoid cousins. Just be glad they haven't figured out how to make guns yet. It shows you just how scary we humans are, the most dangerous hominid of them all. PS Arrange for a docent tour of the Gibbon compound for a far more informative and interesting visit. Otherwise, they hand you a laminated sheet of paper that shows a map of where the cages are located and the associated species of gibbon within.

This hidden gem is tucked in the foothills of Santa Clarita. Upon driving to the center, I thought my GPS was broken, leading me onto a dirt/gravel path with signage that is easily missed. Hint: Look for the small blue street sign that says Esguerra Rd. with the word Private right underneath it. Follow the dirt/gravel path as it leads to the unpaved parking lot and entrance. Free parking. Upon entering, you'll need to dip the bottom of your shoe in the pan of water to make sure you don't bring any bacteria/etc to the facility. Don't worry, there'll be a staff member to guide you through the process. Many people seem to have a LivingSocial/Groupon deal, the staff member will scan the voucher or pay the entrance fee ($10 for adults), then you're good to go! They're only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am to 12pm. One tour at day at 10am. Don't worry if you arrive a little late, you can still jump on the tour (I was one of the late ones.) The center isn't that big, I'm confident that you can walk through in less than 30 minutes on your own, which is why I really think the tour is worth joining. The tour guide was beyond awesome, her thoroughness, excitement, enthusiasm, and genuineness really enforced a positive experience. Upon arrival, I was able to hear the gibbons "sing." The gift shop shares a space with the ticket booth. Not too many items for sale, but some of the stuffed animals are super cute, a few t-shirts, and trinkets. I would totally come back again and support this great conversation center!

We were super excited to go to this place however the only thing that meant our expectations were the Gibbons. The staff it was very unfriendly. Which was surprising because of all the reviews I had read previously prior to going. It looks like most of the staff didn't really want to be there especially the person that was feeding the Gibbons. She looked very depressed. Trust me if I was feeding the Givens or my friends we would be thrilled. The man at the front when we entered did not actually greet us and we had to kind of interject to get his attention, plus they were not that busy. You definitely need to invest in a bathroom and not one huge porta potty. I think if you have a handicapped Porta-Potty you need more handicap accessible routes. The Gibbons are worth it to just see them if you don't care about interacting with people that work there. There's a lot of them especially the cute babies are awesome. There song I must warn you is very loud. You do not need the tour unless you really want to get the education in there. But you can figure everything out just by reading all the we must mention that we did not take the tour so we don't know how friendly the tour guide was. But once again be warned the Givens are very loud and it's almost like a thrill screeching car alarm that is surrounding you because when one of them starts the rest of them continue. Pretty surreal to experience and definitely something you might have fun with. But just know it is very loud.

We enjoyed taking our family to see the Gibbons to celebrate Granma's birthday. Joined a group tour (with current Covid restrictions in place, everyone visiting must mask up, maintain social distancing, and be in a tour group only, no independent exploration of the grounds allowed). Our guide, director, took us around to a number of enclosures and provided us thoughtful history of individual Gibbons. We were able to witness one of the daily feedings (Gibbons there are fed 8x a day!). The most delightful moments (at first startling, but then entertaining) was to hear them all howl as a group. The closer it got to feeding time, the more they howled! Every individual has their own voice.

I personally felt that this was a horrible place. A Gibbons natural habitat is in the trees of a humid rain forest and these poor animals are forced to live and reproduce in tiny chain link fence cages sitting in the middle of a dessert with only a small tarp on one side to shield from sun or heat. Most of the cages didn't even have the tarp. Gibbons are intelligent species and this is nothing more than jail in a hot dessert. It was created in the 1970's by a dental hygienist back when exotic pets were the norm in California. Although our understanding of animals needs and welfare have progressed since then, it doesn't seem this facility is concerned about the barren caged environment that was created 40 years ago.

My co-worker volunteers here on the weekends and has always talked about it so I figured I would take my boyfriend to check it out. It was definitely a fun experience! The grounds were big and the Gibbons were more active than we expected. They're only open between 9am and Noon with tours at 10am that you can pop in and out of if you feel like wandering on your own. We spent a good hour watching all the Gibbons playing, eating and swinging around. There's plenty of benches to sit and relax while you observe too. Groupon always has a two person deal so jump on it, but remember all the money goes towards the conservation! *When the Gibbons start singing, it's stirs up a lot of exciting commotion. Best part of the day :)

The site has a dozen cages where the small, tailless apes are mated. Because the males were active while the females were prone to lounge, the guy gibbons provided plentiful opportunities to see their long-arms and skinny bodies bounding in trapeze action during our 30-minute visit. I typically dislike seeing caged animals but the Indonesian gibbons are at risk of extinction. I didn't notice any troubling signs. The gibbons seemed in good spirits. Although not spacious like a real jungle, the enclosures allowed movement. I assume the short visiting hours are better for the gibbons. With no other species to see, I would guess and hope the caretakers are specialized and focused on this one project instead of overextending with a menagerie of animals. To ward off illness, visitors must dip the soles of their shoes in a chemical solution. I had hiking shoes on so it wasn't an issue but I'd be hesitant to put an exposed, open toed shoe like a sandal into a puddle of murky disinfectant.

Stumbled upon this while looking for things to do in the SCV. Took my daughter and her friend. We had a great time learning about gibbons. The gibbons even sang for us multiple times.

The Gibbon conservatory which is located off the beaten path in Santa Clarita was founded by Alan Mootnick , he ran the sanctuary until his passing in 2011. Our tour guide Gabriela graduated in 2004 with a Masters degree in biology at the University of Szeged in Hungary and came to the US is 2005 to specifically volunteer at the Gibbon Conservatory where she would work with Mr. Mootnick for the next 7 years and is now the director. Gabriela (Gabi) and her staff have a deep love for the Gibbons you can hear it in their voices when the speak of these rare Asian Apes that are quite a site to be seen & heard. They have a Port a potty for a restroom and they do not have a concession stand, so if you are planning to stay the entire day, pack a lunch or bring snacks. Taking the advice of tips and reviews from past Yelp reviewers we made sure to be at the conservatory by 10AM and sure enough the Gibbons were in full song mode. As told by Gabi the female is the dominant of this species and she begins to warble and soon enough she starts to sing, then her neighbors call back as if in competition at who has the best voice. The Gibbons normally mate for life, but occasionally the male does stray, (I'm not making that up either). I loved the fact that the Father is very doting to the babies, often grooming them, but otherwise, The Mom calls the shots in the long run. This isn't a long tour, we arrived at 10AM and left at Noon, but you can stay the day if you want, they have several tables and chairs set up. Eventually the sanctuary Wishes to move to the Ventura County as the Climate will be better suited for the Gibbons as their natural habitat is the rainforest. This tour is for all ages, if you love wildlife, science, and the sound of animals singing stop in soon. $15 for adults , and make sure to check Groupon they have 2 for 1 deals all the time.

If you roll down you windows and listen close enough, you can probably hear the gibbons as you drive along the dirt road up to the conservation center. Once in the parking lot, you will begin to definitely see some activity, even in the hot Santa Clarita heat. They are open to the public every Saturday and Sunday morning from 9:30 to 12 (except for rainy days and holidays). It's $15 bucks for adults to get in and a quite informative tour is given at 10:00 in the morning which lasts about an hour, but you can certainly hang out longer. As a conservation center and a registered charity, their mission is to promote, study and care of gibbons through public education and habitat preservation. This is not a petting zoo and you don't get to feed the animals, but it's pretty neat to be able to see them so close. And even more fun if there are babies when you come visit. It's a fairly small facility that's completely outdoors with some dozen or so enclosures that you situated in a circle formation. The trees provide a bit of shade. Each enclosure houses different personalities and family structures. It's very fun to watch the gibbons play and interact with each other. Be sure to bring water, snacks and sunscreen or a hat...they don't sell any and it can get very hot out here.

I've been following this organization on Facebook for a while and never had the chance to visit. Saw that they had a charity brunch happening and thought this was a perfect time to go. Located near the bouquet canyon section part of Santa Clarita, great spot for the organization. Dirt road parking with the surrounding mountains as your view. The center is small. But again, this isn't a zoo so don't expect this to be one. There are several rocking bench located in front of each cages, so you may just sit down relax, sketch, take pictures, or just enjoy the view of the gibbons "monkeying". I read that the Gibbons usually do their "singing" mid mornings. So getting around noon, I already anticipated that I wasn't going to be able to hear them sing. To my joy, they were singing throughout the day. So surreal to have that many gibbons singing at once. Unfortunately as this is an on ordinary day, I didn't fail to look at tour time, but tours were happening throughout the day. I was lucky however for the tour guide invite me to come along with them to go behind the gates to see the mother with the two young gibbons. Such a treat. I definitely enjoyed the event and will come back again and again.

YES. Dirt road. Gibbons. Who sing. At 11am. Every morning. Perfect ? Or perfect?!? I had to come here for extra credit for my class and I am so lucky I did! The gibbons were so entertaining. I got my ticket from Amazon local, which was...wait for it... $6! Steal this offer and spend your Saturday watching Gibbons! You can also buy it at the location, which I believe is $12 but all proceedings are donations goes to the conservation and care for the wonderful primates. Definitely make it to the tour. I took a student tour which was so interesting! It was really awesome learn about them, even though I was already aware of their awesomeness in my Anthropology class! Even if you're not here for a class, I would still recommend going. It's a good experience! Plus, these poor babies are endangered. I would try seeing them before they're extinct. I just feel really bad that these poor babies are stuck in tiny cages and under the heat, which is not at all close to their natural habitat and they are being hand fed; gibbons go crazy when they get close to humans!

the GIBBONS! We had been talking about visiting this place for sometime and finally made it out this past weekend. The conservation center was a great place to visit and it seemed that the gibbon habitats were well maintained. - Parking: Lots of parking...dirt road leading up to the center - Entrance: $15 per adult - Shoes: Dip your shoes in the bucket of water to help keep the bacteria out (Gibbons are very susceptible to human illnesses - the center also recommends that you do not visit when you are sick) - Tour Guide: We started out following the tour, but quickly broke away to explore on our own...the center is quite small, so you can definitely hear the tour and some facts even though you're not following right along with the group. It took about an hour with lots of stopping and observing the gibbons to get through the whole center without the group.

This place is amazing! :) I love going to zoos and I love doing anything with animals! So I was excited to go and see the gibbons this past Sunday! First off, this place is only open to the public on Saturday and Sunday and then only from 9:30 am to noon... (which is early for me!) and there is a tour at 10:00.. although you can definitely wander around and look at all the enclosures on your own. However, I highly recommend the tour... in fact I think it's pretty necessary! When you first get there, there is a little pan with water and disinfectant for your shoes. Apparently the gibbons are really susceptible to disease and they want to keep that at a minimum. You are then given a little laminated map of the enclosures and then the corresponding numbers with the names of the gibbons, their birthdays and a tiny bit about them. Hence, why I said the tour is so necessary. You can't really learn much from the little map and the tour is so informative and really gives you more insight into their personalities and the goings on there. After the tour, we proceeded to watch the littlest one of them all, Goliath, who was roughly about a year old. He was apparently hand raised by the center and was just adapting to being outside. He was so tiny and cute and had this little blankie and would clean off his feet since he didn't like getting them dirty! (Too cute and reminds me of my pup at home!) All in all, it's a really interesting place and as someone else mentioned one of the few places you can see so many gibbons.

This was definitely an amazing place to experience...don't get me wrong for giving it 4 stars. The 4 stars is because it's down a dirt road, the place is all dirt flooring and IF the gibbons hadn't sang, it would've been quite boring. BUT they did sing and it was so awesome!!! It lasted about 10minutes. You'll have to check it out for yourself! Right now they have a GROUPON deal so that's well worth it

It's a place out of sight and no spectacular entrance, but I guess that's it's charm. When visiting be prepared for outside conditions women, tennis shoes/sneakers recommended in my opinion. There is no paved path, outdoors environment. Bring your water bottles and a sandwich, there is no drinks sold or snacks. The hostess is pleasant and sweet. The Gibbon's are beautiful, musical, territorial , and a limited edition, so go visit with them. Gibbon's are family oriented, they are caged together. You will notice there is a mailbox in front of their cages for each to receive donations for medical support and what ever else is needed. Please help them out, go to their facebook and look at their beautiful families and make donations.

First let me start off by saying, my voicemail was not rude. It matched my review on here (Yelp). Secondly, you would think that with today's time, you wouldn't associate my child to be a girl because "he" has long hair. He's also 2, which didn't require a fee for him. You never jotted our name to be added on for the following day tour, instead you grabbed my phone from me to prove if we in fact did purchased tickets (we did). I was also not given an option to chose a day especially with your assertiveness. Who knows why you were so indifferent to us, maybe because we're hispanic? And to be quite frank, I do not care. As stated before, I would never step foot onto this establishment ever again solely based on your customer service. And thank you for responding the way you did, it proves to any future guests the type of service that should not be provided. Show accountability and try to do better.

I didn't know this place existed until after I purchased a groupon for it. It is a really neat place for both entertainment and education. I was a bit nervous as my GPS was leading me to unpaved roads on my way to the center... but both my car and I made it safe and sound to the destination :) The center is an outdoor area with several enclosures, with each housing a different gibbon family. Chris, the tour guide, was extremely informative and knowledgeable about every gibbon in the center. I felt like the tour gave me enough time to know the gibbons at the center to really enjoy my overall experience there. Nothing beats knowing what you are seeing and observing! PS the Lombardi pumpkin patch is now opened and just 5 minutes away from the center. Make your drive worth its money while you are there!

If you have heart for apes or just animals, this place will lift your heart. The guide/partner is so knowledgeable, dedicated, and has pure love for these gibbons. We were fortunate to hear their amazing vocalizations they make every morning for socialization and territorial identification. One of the gibbons began with a low throaty sound until it seems all of them began to make their own unique sounds. So loud, so inspiring, we couldn't help but smile. It's a small place but absolutely worth the drive. They are committed to helping to protect the increasingly threatened group of gibbon species. Loved the experience and inspired by the place and the people.

This is a very nice place to bring little kids. You can teach them the difference between apes and monkeys (gibbons are a type of ape -- a "lesser" ape) and the importance of conservation and not chopping down animal homes (gibbons live in trees)j. It is hot and dusty in the summer - sun hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and water are recommended. There is a place in the shade for snacks, so bring some food if you bring little ones (throw all trash carefully away; gibbons eat everything that flies into their enclosures so the signs say). We used a living social deal to bring my parents and my kids for $18 total. (Kids five and under are free.) Normally adults are $15, seniors are $10, so we saved almost 50% with the living social deal.

This place is really cool. We got there at 930a, and started the (Free) tour at 10am. The director herself gave the tour so it kind of felt VIP-ish. I loved how much info she gave about each Gibbon (where they came from, their history and personality) and she was so patient with every question and didn't rush through answering. You could tell she enjoyed her job. The lady who fed the gibbons told us a lot about them as well. During the tour the gibbons broke out in "song" which was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. Wow. It was like you were in the middle of the rainforest. I would absolutely recommend this amazing place. Oh...they had a baby Gibbon (about a year old). Sooooo cute!! His name is Howard. He was flipping around a bar in circles doing full head over heals flips over and over. So cute.

I have a great appreciation for people who are taking care of the planet & working towards the future survival of living things. Not only are they important to our eco system and the planet but they bring the world so much joy and interest. I took my older parents & daughter on the private tour and our guide was excellent. Our lovely guide showed such a high care factor for these amazing animals and the Conservation Center. We all thoroughly enjoyed the tour, learned a lot and found it quite fascinating. We were very fortunate to hear the Gibbons singing and giving us a bit of a show. The guide educated us all about the singing, how the Gibbons harmonize and such. Quite fascinating. Who would have known that this amazing place is right in our backyard in Santa Clarita. Thank you for all you are doing! You can book a private tour for 5 people during Covid for a mere $75. You do have to pay before they give you a date & time, but if you email them they respond very quickly with any questions about possible dates and or tour times. My teen daughter really liked the tour. Just a note for those who may have seniors in their group...my dad is 85 and it was just the right amount of time...1 hour and not heavy walking, but a few bumpy dirt mounds that he was able to navigate. There are benches if needed to sit during the tour as well which my 84 yr mom appreciated. Might not be good for wheelchairs.

The GCC is a pretty special place. It's purpose is quite noble as it is dedicated solely to the conservation and noninvasive study of Gibbons. We had a private tour with the director and am so grateful for the experience. We got a really detailed perspective of the different families of Gibbons and even the different personalities of some of them. The highlight of the tour was when the Gibbons were provoked to start singing a territorial call and it was a truly novel experience. The only thing I would change about our tour is that I would make myself a millionaire so as to donate lots of money to this place to help keep it going. From a practical standpoint: It can be hot and sunny in Santa Clarita and thus, shorts and skirts are a must. Sun screen is also a good idea. Similarly, there isn't really a concession stand so a refillable water bottle might help too. I'm not sure about the rules regarding bringing in outside food, but in honor of keeping the Gibbons healthy, I wouldn't bring anything in that you or your kiddo might want to feed to the wee primates.

This place is so neat and the animals are very lively! When I was there the gibbons started calling out to each other and it sounded like a musical chant that went on for a long time...it was awesome...I felt like I was in the wild. There is a baby in exhibit 13 neAr the back that is so tiny and adorable...must see.

My son and I really enjoyed the Gibbon Conservatory. I could tell that lady giving the tour truly cares about the gibbons. She told stories of each of the gibbons describing their personalities as if they were family. It was fun and educational.

Really enjoyed the visit to the gibbon center! Saw so many gibbons swinging on the branches! Came for the 10 am tour which was very informative and highly recommended! The gibbons singing towards the end of the tour was the main highlight of the visit! Wear comfortable shoes because the walking and driving path were unpaved and mostly dirt. The area was otherwise well maintained and there was plenty of parking available.

Amazing place for families to go see great people and great views for the animals I would always be up for a trip here

Great place and the only one of its kind in the country. Learned so much in the tour and it was really fun and interesting.

Stop what you are doing - pick up the phone - and set up a time to go and spend the morning at the Gibbon Conservation Center. This is the largest such facility in the Northern Hemisphere for the study, propagation and conservation of the endangered Gibbon (small ape). It's not often I leave the confines of Downtown to venture out into the nether parts of Los Angeles other than for business (or a hot restaurant tip) and this past week's ride out to Santa Clarita was no exception (no - I didn't eat a gibbons...). The ride along the 5 was easy - not too much traffic and once I turned off the exit for Santa Clarita Southern Californian suburbia opened up into big expanses of rolling hills and horse country. Raised on the East coast and single - the thought of any suburb scares me with visions of commitment, PTA meetings, white picket fences, neighbors I'm forced to say hello to (could there be anything worse?) and mini-malls (oh shit - mini malls are worse - oh and grown men dressed up as clowns - I'm talking to you creepy man at the Sunday Hollywood Farmers Market). The air out here is lighter with hints of summer and a lightness Downtown LA just doesn't possess (Downtown has the clean scent of homeless urine amongst the sweaty stench of big firm attorneys and accountants). Pulling into the center I was greeted by Alan Mootnick and instantly reminded through his words of passion and commitment to preserving this species that there are things in life which reach beyond self and no matter what I was doing - he somehow was doing more. The gibbons are amazing primates - singing in the mornings they can be heard for almost a two mile radius (note to self - if ever I move to the suburbs check for gibbons centers nearby) and mating for life. For life!! I thought about this the entire ride home. I can barely commit through dinner and these primates have monogamy and life long commitment figured out before lunch. As I rode back into Los Angeles and the skyline of the city came up above the horizon Dylan was was on my iPod singing "may your wishes all come true - may you always do for others - and let others do for you - may you build a ladder to the stars - and climb on every rung - and may you stay forever young" and I knew in my bones I wasn't going to stay forever young and at some point very soon I would have to make that same level of commitment as those gibbons - and build a strong foundation as I move to the next stage of my life - and that might just involve a suburb or two... Go see those gibbons.

This place is so cool! My 2 year old had a great time looking at all the monkeys, the monkeys singing is an incredible experience in itself! The knowledge that Gabby has is unbelievable about all of the Gibbons. Definitely a place to visit and I love supporting non profit organizations like this.

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! I surprised my girlfriend (now fiancee) with a trip out to LA and the GCC. I had arranged a private tour and worked with GCC to set up a unique marriage proposal experience. GCC was extremely accommodating and I really appreciated them going to extra mile for us. We spend several hours being the only two, along with our tour guide, roaming the facility watching gibbons do their crazy displays and make hilarious noises. Overall, this place was a extremely fun and I recommend it to everyone. The gibbons are so cute my fiancee nearly died, I haven't laughed so hard in my life, and neither of us have witnessed a place where the staff genuinely care so much for the animals and their cause as they do here. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and really helped make the day special as she brought out a newborn to see his mother during our visit! Great place, great cause. You should go NOW!