Ranked #2 Best Zoo in the UK on Tripadvisor for 2023 and 2024, theres something for everyone at Hoo Zoo.. With over 100 species of animals, 45 animatronic dinosaurs and beasts and activities taking place all day Hoo Zoo really is a fun day out whatever the age. Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World is extremely passionate about conservation with a strong message throughout the zoo of conservation through education. See over 100 different species of animals including Wolves, Lynx, Meerkats, Lemurs and Capybara. Take part in 15 different talks and feeding activities with animals ranging from reptiles to Ostrich and Deer to Wallabies. Walkthrough animal habitats and get close to the Lemurs and Wallabies (weekends and holidays only) and experience the UKs most realistic dinosaurs and ice age beasts.
Great zoo, the animatronic dinosaurs were absolutely fantastic. My son is obsessed with dinosaurs so we travelled here to see them. The other animals were great but the dinos really won it for us
We did a Lemur Experience at Hoo Zoo and it was excellent. Zoo Keeper very knowledgeable and the Lemurs were friendly and super cute! Arrangements for meet up for experience was good. I was a little put out by having to pay for a locker as that should be included in the experience cost, in my opinion, as you can’t take bags etc into the animal pens (obviously). We paid £3 to hire the locker.
The zoo overall was a decent visit with a great park layout and a nice selection of animals. The dinosaur section was truly amazing, though adding some background themed music during the walk/tour would give it a much better atmosphere. A few areas definitely need attention: Shows: The presenter really needs a microphone. It was hard to hear anything, and the presentation lacked energy. Rides: The Jeep Discovery rides felt overpriced for what was offered, particularly with only two jeeps operating. The other car ride wasn't running at all and looked quite run-down. Atmosphere: The picnic areas felt a bit flat and uninviting. The park overall could do with a boost of energy and enthusiasm. On a positive note, the animal feed was reasonably priced (though you get plenty of it!), and our toddlers had a good time. A bit of fresh effort and maintenance here would go a very long way.
Loved our return visit to Hoo Zoo, all the staff are very friendly and polite. It's a family favourite. We made it in time for the Capybara talk which was excellent and a firm favourite for my daughter's at present. The food prices are really reasonable making it boring hardship to eat there but there are plenty of areas if you bring a picnic also. My daughter's enjoyed doing top trump trail today, especially my eldest who collects top trumps sets.
Lots to do in the zoo, brilliant play areas, fantastic interactive shows for all the family, lovely food and drink and really reasonable prices, very friendly staff
It was a lovely visit all the staff were great, friendly and helpful. we did the carnivore experience which was amazing! The only disappointing factor was it felt very rushed. It was myself and my niece in a group of 8, we went last with the holding of animals and for example with the skunk we only held, between us, for under a minute due to the next group coming towards us so we were told we had to move on which felt unfair as the others in our group got plenty of time with the animal. I wonder if it was smaller groups you would get a better longer experience especially as we all paid the same! Overall, it was a nice day and the rest of the zoo is lovely
Brilliant day out for families. Loved the friendly, helpful staff. Our highlight was the walk with lemurs feature, absolutely brilliant to have the lemurs come do close!
10/10 what a wonderful day we had, I can’t thank the team enough. I’ll start with Will. He helped us book the slot. Went above and beyond. Thank you. We had emails explaining what we needed to do on the day and what clothing to wear, we were met at the entrance and watched a safety video. I think out keeper was named Sarah. She was brilliant! , very knowledgeable and the whole experience was amazing. The rest of the day walking around the zoo and dinosaurs were great, I found it funny watching all the grown men standing watching the TRex they where all amazed by it, also the food was affordable and toilets very clean. What a great little zoo. Can’t wait to return Thanks everyone who made our day a memorable one
Dinosaurs were amazing. Everything very reasonably priced. Amazing time had by us all
What an amazing day out!! We all had a fantastic time; from seeing the cats to feeding the wallaby’s. Dinosaur land was spectacular and my children could have stayed in there for hours going round and round. Fantastic play area- it’s huge and plenty of space for your picnic. Highly recommend!
A fantastic day, even in the rain! All the keepers were so friendly and knowledgeable and great with the kids. The junior keeper experience and the carnivore experience were both brilliant! Banana the skunk was a clear favourite!
Staff at HooZoo were fantastic and they went above and beyond for my 16 year old autistic son who can at times become overwhelmed in groups of people.
Amazing afternoon out for me and my partner. Warm welcome and farewell from a lovely lady working in the shop named Lauren. Lauren was welcoming, helpful, friendly and very knowledgeable regarding the zoo. Carnivore experience was excellent, the lady Emily (blonde) was very welcoming, she provided us with lots of knowledge and made us feel at ease. 10/10 service, staff and animals, I will definitely return, a very positive experience. Chloe and David 🌸
My husband booked me the capybara experience for my 40th. I went with my daughter. Unfortunately, the capys were not impressed with us - in fact they damn right ignored us 😂 It was fun learning about them from our guide Melissa. She was very warm and engaging. Of course we understood that it is up to the animals whether they want to participate in the experience so even though it was disappointing that we didn’t manage to hand feed them, we completely understood. It was a complete surprise to then learn that we would go and feed the lemurs instead! That was lots of fun. We were also presented with a free return admission voucher as the capys did not want to interact with us - this was definitely above and beyond service! We had a brilliant time at the Zoo seeing all of the animals. It’s a lovely place and I can see why you are award winning. Of course, the capybaras came to eat their food once we had exited their enclosure 😂😂 Definitely my spirit animal 😝
Absolutely wonderful. Really up close encounters with the animals, emu feeding, and the lemurs and meerkats were fantastic. Staff were friendly. Some of the dinos could do with a tune up but it was still brilliant and the sound effects were really on point!
Fabulous place to visit. Very well thought out. It was a particularly wet day but we were still able to get round with a pushchair and we heeded the warning about suitable footwear
Had a great time at hoo zoo , our guide/keeper melissa was very knowledgeable about the wolves and foxes we had great fun feeding, it was nice to get so close them such beautiful creatures , smart and powerful we would recomend this experience i also managed to get myself eaten by a dinosaur who thought it was hilarious , a novel twist and quite ironic , the feeder became food lol
Brilliant place for kids really good day out thought at first the price was high but when your there and see what it’s about and you spend nearly all day there it’s great value for money only one thing for us was gravel track was bit hard at times as we had disabled child in large wheel chair but only in some places not all of it so yeh brill day out highly recommended
Emily and Mel were fantastic, they had great knowledge about the animals and were really engaging. The animals were adorable and it was great getting to feed a big cat!
It was absolutely amazing, loved holding and feeding the animals. The young lady who took us around was informative and really knew each animal and their behaviour patterns. Thoroughly loved every minute of it, thank you Hoo Zoo once again
We did the wolf breakfast experience, it was brilliant, keeper charlotte was very knowledgeable and friendly. Being up close to the foxes and wolves was amazing and we really enjoyed it and as a added bonus we got to feed the bob cats aswell! Admission is also included and we really enjoyed our day, thank you!
My meerkat experience was booked for my husband and myself as a birthday gift. The whole experience was amazing and our guide , Melissa was so informative. She made our visit so memorable and I would definitely recommend this experience. We both thoroughly enjoyed our time at the zoo and will be returning with our grandson😊
My daughter got me the experience as a gift, we got there before the zoo opened and met our lovely keeper Sarah who ran through health and safety then took us into the foxes enclosure to hand feed them chicks, there were 2 red foxes in one area and 2 smaller grey foe in another enclosure, after this we were taken to feed the wolves we were not allowed in there enclosure but fed them in there run through a fence with tongs, Sarah was very helpful telling us all about the foxes and wolves and there was plenty of time to take lots of videos and photos we took turns in feeding we were in a small group only 4 people, after the experience we got to explore the rest of the zoo and dinosaur park and had a fantastic day all the staff were friendly and helpful can't wait to visit again soon
Booked the capabara animal experience for my granddaughter. Absolutely loved it. Something different for a teenager as a birthday present. Keeper Emily was lovely and very informative. Would highly recommend.
Lovely day out. The animals all looked really happy. The dinosaurs are really interesting and they have a good range of the common ones and less known. We spent the whole day there and there was still bits we missed. It was fairly busy from the car park but it didn't feel busy while we were walking around. All the staff were really friendly, approachable and helpful. Would definitely recommend it as a day out and we'll definitely be going again.
Fabulous family day out. Second visit to Hoo Farm and Dinosaur World with VIP animal experience. Highly recommend. Throughly enjoyed all of it. So many animals and the robotic and baby remote controlled dinosaurs are so much fun. Animal experience which included Clementine the fox, Banana the skunk, Dave the snake and Zeus the Serval were absolutely amazing and so informative. Thank you to the keeper (girl with rainbow hair) you did an amazing job.
We had a great day. Plenty of on site parking, well maintained grounds and a lot to see and interactions. All the animals looked well cared for and all the habitats looked natural and well kept. Food and beverage prices where not too bad for a location like this, albeit the quality wasn’t too great for the price. Staff on site were incredibly friendly and helpful so over all a great day had by everyone and would certainly visit again in the summer:
Great little zoo well worth a visit
We was delighted with the staff and the zoo. There was plenty to do and see. Me and my family was over the moon with how clean and store the zoo looked. The guys who work there seemed to really care for the animals and the guests. My daughter keeps talking about the gentleman in the burger bar who pulled out a 6 7 joke. Well done guys we will return
Visited with hubby, son, grandchildren aged 2, 4 and 8 and my brother and sister in law and we all loved it! The animals were well cared for and enclosures looked appropriate for them. Lots of keepers and volunteers around to ask questions of. Places to stop for your picnic break. We downloaded the app which had info on when shows and talks were taking place and you could set a reminder. There was also an interactive map. The dinosaurs were incredible- best animatronic t-rex I've seen on a par with the ones at Universal. The grandkids absolutely loved them as they're obsessed with dinosaurs. It was a fantastic day out I would definitely recommend and would visit again without doubt!!
Second time here and same as before. Absolutely amazing!
We visited Hoo Zoo on both Saturday and Sunday with our SEN daughter Millie and had another absolutely wonderful weekend. From the moment we arrived, the welcome was incredible. Dave, Emily and Marc greeted us as soon as we arrived followed by a welcome off Metri Mark the dinosaur. The staff here truly make Hoo Zoo what it is. Every member of staff are so friendly, kind and inclusive. Hoo Zoo is a firm favourite for Millie—not just because of the animals and dinosaurs, but because of how the staff interact with her. Emily was fantastic as always—so patient, fun and engages so well with Millie. Millie loved helping with the animal enrichment activity, making bags and boxes for the bobcats. I would recommend joining in with this activity. It was also lovely to see Emily back doing animal handling and the dinosaur shows—she’s hilarious and always makes time to connect with Millie. Showing her “Mary” the baby dinosaur was really lovely. Dino Dave was brilliant as always, and the shows with Mark, Blue and Millie’s favourite Spino were so entertaining and interactive. Blue being naughty had Millie laughing so much! What really stands out is how aware and supportive the team are with children who may feel nervous—they adjust their approach, give plenty of warning, and even have calm “breakaway” areas during shows. I can imagine this makes a huge difference to those with nervous family members. The dinosaur breakout shows were, as always, funny, exciting and Millie loved being part of it. Bumpy, the new addition, was also fantastic! The SEN awareness at Hoo Zoo really stands out. The dedicated quiet area for autistic visitors is fantastic and makes such a difference to families who may need a calm, safe space. Combined with the staff’s understanding and flexibility, it makes the whole experience feel genuinely inclusive and welcoming. A big mention to Bron as well, who was part of the dino breakout team—she engaged brilliantly with the children. Max who volunteers is full of knowledge about the dinosaurs. Really interesting and clearly loves to be there. The animal care is clearly outstanding. The keepers do an amazing job—every animal is so well looked after, and despite being busy, they always have time to smile and chat. A very special thank you to Zac in the lemur enclosure. We had such an amazing moment when the lemurs gathered around Millie’s wheelchair. Zac made sure everything was safe while also taking the time to tell us about each lemur and their personalities. It was such a personal and memorable experience. Lauren in the shop was also lovely—serving us both days with such warmth and friendliness. Sets off the tone of the whole day. And Marcus, who welcomed us on arrival and even ran out with an umbrella for us on the second day—such kindness really doesn’t go unnoticed. Hoo-rassic Park continues to be a highlight—the dinosaurs are incredibly lifelike with brilliant sound effects, and Millie absolutely loves it every time. Of course, the animals are always a joy. Millie particularly enjoyed feeding the wallabies, deer and goats, and watching the lemurs interact with her. Thank you to everyone at Hoo Zoo for another fantastic weekend. Your extra mile kindness was appreciated so much!!! There is so much to see and do, the day flies by! We’ll definitely be back again very soon.
Start to finish a great experience! The Badger Watching really topped off a fantastic visit. Emily was a brilliant guide and her true love and passion for the animals there was so lovely. Her knowledge really enhanced the whole experience too! Seeing all those lil’badgers was amazing! Nothing could detract from the experience but I just have a couple of quality of life suggestions. The chairs in the experience could’ve been comfier, you are there for four hours so would have been nice to have been a bit cosier to match the cosy experience. Also a note to say that you can bring food & drink as this wasn’t clear on the booking. And as we had parked on the furthest car park from the zoo we were told we’d have to move it to the closer car park as the further one would be locked prior to us finishing the experience. Again a note on the booking would’ve been handy here to avoid having to go back and forth. Would definitely go again to see our badger friends 10/10 ✨
We did the Junior half day zoo keeper. Had an absolutley fantastic day. I want to say a big shout out for Emily our zoo keeper, she was so lovley and made the day extra special. It was my daughters 6th birthday and she says it was her best birthday ever. Thank you Emily you were great.
I booked the full day keeper experience for my 21 year old daughter and her boyfriend and took my younger daughter with us where we were spectators. What an amazing memory for my older daughter, i cant remember the names of the lady that took them round for the day but she was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and tailored the day around my daughters interests. Highlights for them were definitely the lemurs, marmoset and meerkats, along with being able to cuddle the beautiful sleepy Skunk. Lunch for them was included too and even though it sounds expensive, for what you get it was great value for money. Im not sure we would manage a full day without the experience but it was a lovely zoo with well looked after animals and lovely staff. The dinosaurs are brilliant, especially the escapies. Thankyou so much for making it such a wonderful day for my daughter, memories that last.
Staff was very friendly and feeding the wallaby was a amazing experience
It was a truely magical day of the 3 experiences and a day we will never forget. We spent the whole day at the zoo to do the experiences which, across the 3, meant we interacted with 8 different animals. They were: Feeding Artic + Grey Wolves and Corsac foxes - Feeding Lemurs and Meerkats - and the Carnivore Combo (Skunk, Red Foxes, Serval Big Cat and a Python) The staff who guided the encounters were very informative and friendly, and happy to help with taking photographs. The Lemur and Meerkat experience is now called 'the manic hour' by us as it was mad and great fun. The unexpected highlight of the day was cuddling a skunk, who was the sweetest and gentlest creature who snuggled into us. All the animals were very well looked after and varied, and the dinosaur trail was extensive and very well done - fun for all ages and not just kids. Because we were spending the whole day there we did find the catering facilities a little limited for choice, but we got by.
Been there a bunch of times but the new additions are great, the new animatronic dinosaurs are a vast improvement over the previous ones. The Dino "outbreak" was super fun. Plenty of animals to see, spent the whole afternoon there, learnt a bit about meerkats whilst feeding them.
We had a great evening photographing 5 Badgers for a couple of hours Emily was our guide/ keeper from 5pm and she was full of important facts about not just the badgers but the nearby big cats and wolves. We all really appreciated her time and support over the evening Thankyou
Experience was incredible! Sara the guide was so knowledgeable and friendly, we were set to the capybara experience but they unfortunately weren't up for company that day so she made up for it by letting us see and feed the lemars which was so special (Little Mouse is a national treasure And should be protected at all costs!) staff couldn't of done more if they tried, highly recommend.
Brilliant experiences for the whole family. Interactive and immersive zoo, where you can engage with many of the animals through feeding, handling, and close-up educational talks. Loved the dinosaur and prehistoric woodland walks, with interesting facts, and so many laughs along the way. Great day
Absolutely fab get to meet and feed both - the Lemurs take your food very nice and even put their hand on yours if lucky.. the meerkats are brilliant just dive on you and feed off ya hand. The guide was great as well very informative and happy to answer any questions - well worth a visit..
We had a fantastic afternoon looking around the Zoo and, then, at 5.30, met up with Emily and the others to go badger watching. It was an amazing experience and would recommend it. As well as knowing so much about the badgers Emily had a wealth of knowledge on the other residents at the Zoo. She clearly loves her job, the Zoo and all the animals and it was a pleasure to be in her company for the four hours (which just flew by!). We will certainly be visiting the Zoo again and will be back for more badger watching next year. A brilliant experience - thank you Emily.
Booked a zoo keeper experience for my daughters birthday. She had a blast holding, fussing and feeding some of the smaller animals. So much so she wants to do the big cat experience. The guides were amazing, giving facts and answering questions.
We had the carnivore experience booked and Jody and Emily our keepers for the experience were incredible
The zoo is exceptionally well maintained & clean. Staff were helpful & friendly. The meerkat experience was brilliant & the welfare of all the animals is obviously their main concern. Only criticism was the temporary toilets as the toilet block was having work done.
We had the most incredible day here! Thank you so much to all the staff who were amazing from the very first interaction upon arrival to the keepers, staff serving food and other staff round the zoo. We had the privilege of feeding wallabies, lemurs and meerkats and the keeper Sarah was incredible. Faultless day. Thank you so much Hoo Zoo.
Did the Wild Wolf Breakfast. Amazing experience, loads of info on what to expect & info before hand. All the staff were super friendly. Sarah the keeper who did our experience was excellent. Super knowledgeable, friendly, confident & funny. The Wolves were incredible, an experience that we will remember for many years to come. Would throughly recommend.
Brilliant to feed and pet lemurs and meerkats. Very knowledgeable guide who was very friendly and happy
2nd visit as went in January, this time got the family involved so eight of us. Sarah, our keeper was excellent and made the visit really special highly recommended.. PS apparently you are not allowed to steal the meerkats... but we were tempted.
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