Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park
BEST FOR
Ages 3+
ENTRY
from £5.50
WHERE
York
What it’s like
Feed meerkats and lemurs, meet giant tortoises and get behind the scenes with otters and their keepers.
This is a hands-on animal day rather than a walk-round-and-look one. Kids meet meerkats and feed the ring-tailed lemur troop in keeper-led sessions, get up close to giant tortoises, and there's a behind-the-scenes otter visit where you watch keepers run puzzle enrichment with them. Over at the Heritage Conservation Farm there are alpacas to feed too, plus keeper talks throughout the day if your child is the sort who asks a hundred questions about animal welfare. There's bushcraft sessions and Nature Bingo as well, so it isn't just cages and feeding times.
Entry is £6.50 for a child and £8.50 for an adult, or £29.50 for a family of two adults and two kids, which feels about right for a day that's built around actual encounters rather than a quick loop. If you're going more than a couple of times a year the season ticket makes more sense: £25 for an adult and £20 for a child, £75 for a family of four, and that also gets you 10% off experiences, adoptions and the gift shop. Worth doing the maths before you buy the day ticket twice.
The named animal encounters (the ones where you're properly in with the meerkats or the otters) are a separate cost on top of general admission and only run on weekends and school holidays, so don't expect to book one for a random Tuesday. They're also 20 minutes long and restricted to age 7 and up, which is a bit of a blow if you've got a three or four-year-old desperate to hold a lemur, they'll be limited to the general viewing and feeding activities. Every child needs a fee-paying adult with them too, there's no dropping the kids off and finding a bench.
Weekends and school holidays are open access from 10am to 4pm, last entry 3pm. Weekdays need pre-booking, and during autumn term (1st September to 25th October 2026) it's weekends only anyway. The whole park closes from 2nd November 2026 through to 8th February 2027 for its annual winter break, so this is very much a spring-to-autumn plan. One nice touch: under-16s go free with a paying adult during February half term.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 3 to 12; the named animal encounters need age 7 plus
- Last entry
- 3pm
- Booking
- Weekday visits must be pre-booked
- Worth knowing
- Season tickets include 10% discount on experiences, adoptions and gift shop items
- Book animal encounters in the comment box with any allergy or mobility info so keepers can plan for it
- Weekday visits need pre-booking, weekends and holidays don't
- Under-16s go free with a paying adult during February half term
- Autumn term weekdays (1 Sept to 25 Oct 2026) are closed, weekends only
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£6.50 for a child, £8.50 for an adult, or £29.50 for a family of two adults and two children. Concessions are £7.50.
Are season tickets worth it?
If you're visiting three times a year or more they pay for themselves. £25 adult, £20 child, £75 for a family of four, all for 12 months, and you get 10% off experiences, adoptions and the gift shop.
Do we need to book ahead?
Weekends and school holidays are open access, just turn up during opening hours. Weekday visits need booking in advance.
What age is it good for?
From age 3 for general admission and the feeding activities. The named animal encounters need children to be at least 7.
Can my toddler do the animal encounters?
Not the paid encounters, those start at age 7. Younger kids can still do the general meet-and-feed activities like meerkats, lemurs and alpacas.
What are the animal encounters and when do they run?
20-minute keeper-led sessions with animals like otters and meerkats, running on weekends and school holidays only. They're booked separately from general admission.
What time does it open and shut?
10am to 4pm on weekends and school holidays, with last entry at 3pm. Check the specific dates for term-time weekday hours.
Is it open all year?
No, it closes from 2nd November 2026 to 8th February 2027 for its winter break.
Do kids need an adult with them?
Every child must be accompanied by a fee-paying adult, there's no drop-off option.
Can you touch the animals?
Encounters don't include handling unless it's for the animal's welfare, so it's feeding and watching rather than cuddling.
Do they do birthday parties or group visits?
They offer birthday parties, group bookings and school visits. Groups of 15 or more get a reduced ticket price.
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