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Twycross Zoo

Norton-Juxta-Twycross, Atherstone, Atherstone

Twycross Zoo
Courtesy of Twycross Zoo
Twycross ZooTwycross ZooTwycross ZooTwycross Zoo

ENTRY

from £21.55

WHERE

Atherstone

WHAT IT’S LIKE

100-acre charity zoo with Gruffalo Discovery Land, splash pad and soft play - buy once and it's free entry for a year.

Twycross Zoo is a 100-acre conservation charity zoo on the Leicestershire/Warwickshire border, home to hundreds of animals including all four great ape species (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos), plus meerkats, penguins, lemurs, big cats and an Eastern black rhino. For families it's built around a full day out: The Gruffalo Discovery Land, an outdoor splash pad (Wet 'n' Wild Play Park), indoor soft play for wet days, a Butterfly House, and a nature reserve to wander round. Daily keeper talks and feeds run throughout the day (meerkats, bonobos, gorillas, penguins, lemurs, big cats, tortoises and more), plus a Plaza Stage quiz at 2:30pm, so there's structure to the day beyond just walking round enclosures. Seasonal events add extra reasons to return - a summer-long Zoolapalooza festival with trails and sticker collecting, a Room on the Broom corn maze in October, and Lanterns of the Wild evening event from November. The zoo's ticket model is buy-a-day-ticket, then visit free for 12 months, which is worth knowing if you're deciding between a single visit and a season of trips. There's a zoo app and paper maps around the site to help navigate with kids, plus cafes and restaurants on site. Open every day except Christmas Day, with last entry typically an hour before close.

Twycross Zoo
Courtesy of Twycross Zoo

Animals

  • Aldabra Tortoises

    Long-living giant tortoises, featured in daily talk and feed.

  • Big Cats (Amur Leopard, Sumatran Tiger, Snow Leopard)

    Big cats including Amur leopard, Sumatran tiger and snow leopard, featured in daily talks.

  • Bonobos

    Twycross Zoo is the only UK zoo caring for bonobos.

  • Chimpanzees

    Chimpanzees, one of the four great ape species at the zoo.

  • Eastern Black Rhino

    Critically endangered rhino species, arrived in 2019.

  • Giraffes

    Giraffe herd at the zoo.

  • Gorillas

    Western Lowland Gorillas, one of the four great ape species at the zoo.

  • Humboldt Penguins

    Penguin colony, subject of daily talk and feed.

  • Meerkats

    African savannah meerkats, featured in daily public talks.

  • Orangutans

    Bornean orangutans, one of the four great ape species at the zoo.

  • Ring-tailed Lemurs

    Lemur troop with daily feed and Q&A sessions.

Experiences

  • Butterfly House

    indoors

    Indoor house with butterflies, moths and birds.

  • Close Encounters

    Animal encounter experience.

Areas to explore

  • Chimpanzee Eden

    Enclosure bringing together the zoo's chimpanzee groups.

  • Gibbon Forest

    Naturalistic enclosure for gibbons opened in 2016.

  • Nature Reserve

    Zoo's expanding nature reserve area.

  • The Gruffalo Discovery Land

    Themed play land inspired by The Gruffalo story.

  • Wet 'n' Wild Play Park

    outdoors

    Splash pad and outdoor water play park.

Facilities

  • Soft Play

    indoors

    Indoor soft play area.

What's on

  • Aldabra Tortoise Talk and Feed

    Talk and feed session about Aldabra tortoises.

  • Amazing Adaptations Talk

    Family-friendly live show from the education team on wildlife adaptations.

  • Ape Feed - Meet the Keeper

    Daily great ape scatter feed, species varies by day (chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla or orangutan).

  • Big Cat Talk & Feed

    Talk on a featured big cat species, varies daily.

  • Bonobo Talk

    Talk on bonobo behaviours and social structures.

  • Butterfly House: Meet the Keeper

    Chat with a keeper inside the Butterfly House about butterflies, moths and birds.

  • Gorilla Ranger Chat

    Ranger talk on Western Lowland Gorilla behaviour and conservation.

  • Humboldt Penguin Talk & Feed

    Talk and feeding session at the penguin habitat.

  • Lanterns of the Wild

    Evening lantern experience through the zoo grounds.

  • Lemur Feed and Keeper Q&A

    Ring-tailed lemur feeding time with live keeper Q&A.

  • Lemur Talk

    Talk on ring-tailed lemur social structure and communication.

  • Meerkat Talk

    Public talk on meerkat behaviours and social dynamics.

  • Room on the Broom Corn Maze

    New corn maze inspired by Room on the Broom, with magical clues and creatures to discover.

  • Zoo Knows Best

    Animal-themed family quiz at the Plaza Stage with a prize wheel.

  • Zoolapalooza: Giraffe Takeover

    Two-week giraffe-themed takeover with facts and interactive family activities.

  • Zoolapalooza: Gorilla Takeover

    Two-week gorilla-themed takeover with activities, keeper talks and troop watching.

  • Zoolapalooza: Our Wildest Summer Yet

    A summer-long festival with new animal takeovers every two weeks, live shows, family challenges, collectible stickers and prizes.