Description
Colchester Zoo is a large and exciting wildlife park in Essex, home to over 155 different species of animals. Visitors can see amazing creatures like giraffes, tigers, elephants, penguins, and lions up close in beautifully designed habitats. The zoo also has special walk-through areas where you can meet lemurs and feed birds or farm animals.
There are lots of fun activities for kids, including an indoor soft play area, adventure playgrounds, face painting, and a mini train ride through the zoo. Visitors can also watch daily animal feeding talks, explore the Discovery Centre, and enjoy sand crafts or the Crazy Sand Station on weekends.
Ticket prices vary depending on the season and age, with online discounts often available. Children under 3 usually go free. The zoo is open every day except Christmas Day, with opening hours from 9:30 AM and closing times that vary by season.
Colchester Zoo also hosts seasonal events and themed days throughout the year, like Easter trails, summer activities, and spooky fun during Halloween, making it a great place to visit again and again.
Features
- Paid
- Host birthday parties: No
Features
Animal Experiences & Interactions :
- Animal Experiences : Find your perfect animal experience, from getting closer to your favorite species to planning your next corporate team building event.Discover over 150 species, including some of the rarest animals on the planet.
- Animal Adoptions : An animal adoption is the pur-fect gift for any animal lover. Not only will you be helping to care for your favourite animal, but also conservation projects around the world!
- Animal Encounters : Attend some of their daily encounters for a great way to see and find out more about our amazing animals during your visit. Each encounter may be based on a feeding time, training session, enrichment activity or simply the chance to hear from Animal Care Team.
- Keeper for the Day : Step into the boots of the Animal Care Team in our Keeper for the Day Animal Experiences that take you closer to the animals than ever before.
Play Areas & Creative Fun :
- Outdoor Play Areas : As you walk around the zoo you will come across plenty of different outdoor adventure play areas perfect for the kids to let off some steam, with benches, toilet facilities and snack shops also close by each area.
- Face Painting Station : Transform into your favourite species at our Face Painting Station! Have your face painted as a growling leopard or maybe a cheeky chimpanzee for a small charge!
- Hand Feed Goats & Sheep : Visit their African village of Colenso and have the chance to feed the friendly sheep and goats a treat for a small cash charge!
- Crazy Sand : Create your own colourful sand bottles and pendants at Crazy Sand which is located next to Meerkat Hangout. All items are available whilst stocks last.
- Jungle Tumble : Release your wild side at our indoor soft play area, Jungle Tumble! Open daily from 10:30am. Simply book a FREE pre-bookable slot for your child to enjoy this play area.
- Discovery Den : Get hands on at interactive sand table where you can build different animal habitats or watch as your creations come to life on the Draw Alive wall. PLUS get up close to creepy crawlies!
Prehistoric Attractions :
- Dinosaur Realm : Located inside Colchester Zoo opposite Lion Rock, visitors can embark on a journey as they come face to face with a herd of static and animatronic dinosaurs, including a Brachiosaurus that stands just under 5 metres tall. Adults and children will be able to experience the presence of these prehistoric creatures and movement is triggered from state of the art sensory.
- Lost Madagascar Express Road Train : The Lost Madagascar Express will take visitors across countries and continents to spot many exciting species along the way, before disembarking at the Lost Madagascar Lemur Walkthrough, where the adventure will really begin.
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