Rodbaston Animal Zone
ENTRY
from £6
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Stafford
What it’s like
Keeper talks all day and roughly 600 animals from over 140 species to spot, with no need to book ahead.
The pull here is the sheer number of animals: around 600 of them, covering more than 140 species, so you're not just doing one lap and heading home. Keeper talks run throughout the day, with the Lemur Talk, Otter Talk and Meerkat Talk named on their schedule, and that's the bit worth timing your visit around rather than an afterthought.
It's open weekends, school holidays and seasonal events only, 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm, so this isn't a random-Tuesday sort of trip unless it's the holidays. There's no booking, you just turn up and pay on arrival, which takes the faff out of planning but means you're at the mercy of how busy a Saturday gets. £9 for an adult and £6 for a child feels fair for the number of animals on offer, and under 3s get in free.
Food-wise there's an indoor tea room doing hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and cakes, and an outdoor picnic area if you'd rather bring your own and let the kids eat with one eye on the meerkats. There's a gift shop too, for the inevitable soft toy negotiation on the way out.
Wheelchair access is catered for and there's disabled parking right at the front of the Visitor Centre, which is a small but useful detail if you're juggling a pushchair or a wheelchair and don't fancy a long walk in from a car park.
Facilities
Need to know
- Last entry
- 3pm
- Booking
- No advance booking needed, walk-ups accepted with payment on arrival
- Parking
- Disabled parking bays available at the front of the Visitor Centre
- Food
- Indoor tea room selling hot and cold refreshments, drinks, sandwiches, cakes and confectionery
- Picnics
- Outdoor picnic area available
- Worth knowing
- Under 3s visit free. Student Union members get 10% off ticket price
- Last entry is 3pm even though it's open until 4pm
- Only open weekends, school holidays and seasonal events, not a normal weekday drop-in
- Student Union members get 10% off admission
- Extra talks get added for Easter, half terms and Halloween
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£9 for an adult, £6 for a child, and under 3s go free. Student Union members get 10% off.
Do we need to book?
No, you can just turn up and pay on arrival.
What are the opening hours?
10am to 4pm, but only on weekends, school holidays and seasonal events. Last entry is 3pm.
What is there to see and do?
Around 600 animals across more than 140 species, plus keeper talks like the Lemur, Otter and Meerkat Talks running through the day. There are also animal encounters and craft sessions.
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's an indoor tea room with hot and cold food, or you can use the outdoor picnic area if you bring your own.
Is it open in the week during term time?
It only opens on weekends, school holidays and seasonal events.
Is it accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs?
It's wheelchair accessible and there are disabled parking bays right at the front of the Visitor Centre.
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