This friendly zoo in Leicestershire, England is a conservation site which has been operating for many years. It originally focussed on primates and apes and famously was home to the PG Tips chimpanzees. These days it has something for everyone. You enter through a purpose built welcome centre and we found parking and admission really smooth, with no queues despite it being the main summer holiday. There were loads of staff on hand to help you out and answer questions.
Once inside the zoo, make sure you check out the sign board which tells you about the events taking place that day. There are lots of areas to explore at the zoo and it even includes a water park. The newest attraction when we last visited was the Gruffalo Discovery Land. This trail intersperses animatronic sections of the Gruffalo story with occasional real animals that feature in it. There are several buildings along the trail, but inside some there are just video screens showing clips of the animated version of the story. There weren’t as many animals as you’d expect in a zoo! For our 8 year-old, it was worth doing, but younger children will get more out of it.
Elsewhere the zoo is more traditional with lots of animals from around the world on display. The more modern enclosures are spacious and well equipped. We liked the huge Gibbon Forest building, the Chimpanzee Eden and the Giraffe House. The rhino enclosure was spacious, but when we visited they had no access to water to frolic in as the water pool was empty. The tigers had lots of space, but chose not to use it, instead hiding away inside out of view of the crowds. The Orangutans had lots of outdoor equipment to play with, but like the tigers, preferred to stay indoors. The penguins were the complete opposite though, showing off for visitors and posing for photos. The Zebra and Flamingos seemed happy in their fairly limited spaces.
We liked that the whole zoo site is fairly compact and easy to walk around. The flip side to this is that space for the animals is always going to be limited. As it was the summer holidays when we visited, the zoo had fun educational activities for children on offer which were very good. There are lots of food areas for visitors around the site including a fish and chip restaurant, hot dog stand and a donut kiosk. The picnic zone near the Orangutans was surrounded with trailers offering various foods too although it could have done with more picnic benches and fewer wasps!
There’s no doubt that Twycross Zoo is a ‘work in progress’. The newer buildings show that it’s on the right track, but there are multiple abandoned enclosures as you walk around the site, presumably waiting for repurposing or replacing. Overall we would recommend a visit to Twycross Zoo. There’s lots to see and do and we look forward to seeing how the zoo improves further in the years to come. Twycross Zoo is open daily from 9.30am in the summer and 10am in the winter. Closing times vary depending on the time of year, between 3pm and 5pm. Adult admission is £26.95 but includes free return visits for 12 months (2025 prices). You can often get discounts on this price if you shop around. Check out latest offers here at GetYourGuide.
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: Twycross Zoo, Little Orton, Leicestershire, England
Phone: +44 1827 880250
Email: info@twycrosszoo.org
Twycross Zoo is in the Leicestershire countryside, just off the main A444 highway.
MORE ON TWYCROSS ZOO
Twycross Zoo – Official Website
Twycross Zoo – Wikipedia