I took my family to this lesser-known zoo just 30 minutes from Birmingham and we can’t wait to go back
It’s been years since I visited Twycross Zoo. So long in fact, I think I was a young child myself.
And with its close proximity to Birmingham (around a 30 minute drive give or take) I don’t know why I haven’t been back sooner.
Now I have my own little girl, who has just turned one years old, I will most definitely be back sooner – and more regularly.
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Read next: February half term things to do around Birmingham including free entries and discounts
Visiting at the start of February half term I expected the zoo to be really busy, but we actually found the crowds quite manageable. And saw everything we had wanted to see.
I’d read some earlier reviews on TripAdvisor that they struggled to see animals, or it wasn’t worth the entry fee – and I don’t think this is necessarily true at all, and you have to remember they don’t have to be on show for us all.
We saw so many animals during our visit – gorillas, gibbons, chimpanzees, tigers, giraffes, leopards, zebras, penguins, birds, meerkats, you name it. The only animals we didn’t spot were the rhinos and flamingos – the latter of which were being kept indoors for safety.
We saw plenty of monkeys, including this friendly guy -Credit:Dayna Farrington
My little girl was fascinated. She’s just starting to take everything in now and she couldn’t take her eyes off the two gorillas in their outdoor enclosures. She was smiling away as she watched them stride around.
She also loved watching the meerkats too, as well as the butterflies and lorikeets flying around. It was so lovely to see.
We didn’t get to use the playgrounds much as it was a chilly February day, and the zoo’s splash park was also closed. But I can imagine these will be a lot of fun as the weather warms up!
There was also a soft play (extra charge) which may have been suitable for slightly older toddlers. There’s plenty of places to grab a bite to eat too, or picnic benches if you’ve chosen to bring your own food.
We also spotted giraffes, tigers, zebras and more! -Credit:Dayna Farrington
We also spotted a few Lego sculptures of animals around the park too, which made for lovely photo opportunities. A quick search and I found these were from last year’s ‘Bricktacular’ event. But it was nice to see the park still featuring some!
However our favourite part was the Gruffalo Discovery Land. You can journey into the deep, dark wood meeting interactive characters from the much-loved The Gruffalo story – currently a firm favourite in our house!
As you walk round there’s plenty of interactive sections, as you meet Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake and, of course, the Gruffalo. There was buttons to press, things to spin, touch and feel activities, film clips and more.
The Gruffalo Discovery Land is perfect for any fans of the Julia Donaldson book -Credit:Dayna Farrington
This was our favourite part of the whole day – and definitely something we will be coming back to visit. It was so much fun and I can only imagine my daughter loving it more and more as she grows.
We also headed back to Twycross Zoo for their Lanterns of the Wild event in the evening and you can find our separate review here.
We had so much fun at Twycross Zoo and will most definitely be back. It’s great value for money, there’s so much to see and do. It might become our new favourite family day out.
Need to know
Tickets to visit Twycross Zoo for adults start from £22.45, while children’s tickets start from £16.45 and under twos are free. Day admission tickets also include free return visits for a whole 12 months.
We loved the Gruffalo Discovery Land at Twycross Zoo -Credit:Dayna Farrington
Parking costs £3.50 per vehicle. You can find out more and book tickets, here.
Twycross Zoo is located off Burton Road, in Atherstone, CV9 3PX.
This visit was gifted as part of the review of Twycross Zoo – but all opinions held are from the writer.
