Bristol Zoo Gardens

About

Discover over 400 species of exotic and endangered animals from across the globe at Bristol Zoo Gardens, all set within award-winning gardens spanning over 12 acres.

Journey into an amazing animal kingdom and meet famous faces as well as some unusual creatures you never knew existed!

Get closer than ever before

Meet your favourite creatures face to face with spectacular immersive experiences. Marvel at a 32-stone gorilla strolling overhead in our glass-floored gorilla house, the only one of its kind in Europe. Crawl through a tunnel to pop up among our cheeky meerkat mob. Journey underwater to watch seals and penguins zoom around you. Enter the leafy home of the lemurs in our walk-through (peak season only), or meet our flock of colourful lorikeets.

Skeloween (26 October – 3 November)

Enjoy fun and gruesome activities all inspired by bones this October half term with Skeloween! Learn more about creepy creature anatomy with bone-chilling x-rays, give your friends a fright with spooky face painting, and try to hold your nerve as you walk through the cobweb-covered boneyard. There will be Halloween crafts and games galore in the Activity Centre, as well as fascinating talks for the whole family!

Daily from 9am.

Santa's Grotto (30th November – 23rd December)

Be transported into a glittering winter wonderland and spend some quality one-to-one time with Santa! You will be guided by our elves through the magical grotto, marvel at the twinkling lights and enjoy festive games and activities.

Additional charge applies; pre-booking online recommended

Incredible animal houses for all-weather fun

With nine animal houses and lots of undercover viewing areas, Bristol Zoo Gardens is a wonderful family day out come rain or shine. Go nocturnal in Twilight World, or meet the Zoo’s slithery, scaled inhabitants in our Reptile House! Other highlights include Monkey Jungle, the Aquarium, Bug World, the Forest of Birds and a dazzling Butterfly House.

Adventure for all the family

Big and little adventurers alike can climb, clamber and swing through the air in our thrilling aerial ropes course, ZooRopia. Travel through the treetops alongside the gibbons and gorillas, tackling 17 gravity-defying challenges before flying down the zip wire to finish. Will ZooRopia make a monkey out of you? (Check website for opening, restrictions and charges.)

Kids also love Splash, a water play area with winding streams, dams and the chance to get toes wet. Run wild in our adventure playground, or head to the Activity Centre for face-painting* and crafts galore from 11am to 4.30pm every day.

Daily Talks and Encounters

Want to know more? Keen animal lovers can meet the keepers and gain a fascinating insight into the Zoo’s inhabitants with daily talks and feeds. You can also get up close to a variety of reptiles and creepy-crawlies in our daily encounters – are you brave enough to hold a hissing cockroach or giant African land snail?

Award-winning gardens

With over 100,000 beautiful, rare and extraordinary plants from across the world, our botanical gardens are well worth a visit in their own right. Stroll along pathways winding through vibrant displays, with lots to enjoy all year round, or relax with a picnic on one of our lawns.

Membership

For unlimited fun all year round, buy annual membership and visit as many times as you like! Want to try before you buy? Upgrade to membership on the day you visit us, or within seven days, and we’ll refund the cost of your entrance fee (just hold on to your receipt, see our website for T&Cs).

Animal and Keeper Experiences

Ever wanted to have a go at being Keeper for a Day? Or fancied feeding penguins? We offer a range of thrilling behind-the-scenes experiences perfect for animal lovers, including spine-tingling encounters with some of your favourite species. Book early at https://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/visitor-information/animal-experiences.

Did you know we’re a charity?

Come along to discover how we’re saving wildlife together. Every visit supports our vital conservation work – thank you!

Essential visitor information

Book online a day or more in advance and save up to 10% at www.bristolzoo.org.uk.

Open daily from 9am to 5.30pm in peak season, closing at 5.00pm off-peak.

Closed Christmas Day.

Last entrance to animal houses is half an hour before closing.

Last entrance to the Zoo is an hour before closing.

*Additional charges apply

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