Twycross Zoo – Review
By Rachel Howard, September 2025
The school summer holidays may well be coming to an end, but hopefully we have a few more weeks of decent weather to enjoy a day out, and as I recently found out, it doesn’t get much better than a trip to the West Midlands for a day at Twycross Zoo.
Just a couple of hours down the M1 from East Yorkshire, Twycross Zoo is dead easy to find, sitting amongst beautiful countryside on the Leicestershire/Warwickshire border. The day out is a real family affair as my partner, Jon, and I set off with his two daughters (Poppy, 12 and Dolly, 10) and his Mum, Gaynor (aka Nana). We’re also meeting his Uncle and Auntie when we get there, so Twycross really have their work cut out appealing to all ages and interests… fingers crossed they manage to tick all the boxes!
It’s August bank holiday weekend so it’s no surprise the car park is rammed when we arrive. It leaves us with a good walk to the entrance gates, but demonstrates how, more than 60 years after it opened, the zoo still manages to pull a crowd.
“Must-see areas”
Founded in 1963 by Molly Badham MBE and Nathalie Evans, Twycross was the first female-founded zoo in the UK. Originally rival pet-shop owners, the groundbreaking duo joined forces and dedicated the rest of their lives to the care and conservation of wildlife. This focus on conservation and protection is still at the heart of Twycross’s raison d’être, meaning a trip to this zoo isn’t about seeing animals being held in terrible captive conditions, but more about education, research and collaboration. In the last ten years alone, Twycross has successfully bred 72 different species of animal, contributed over £450,000 to the work of global conservation organisations and facilitated more than 500 research projects. Quite the accolade, and quite the legacy left by the trailblazing twosome.
Covering 100 acres, the zoo is set out in sections, making it simple to navigate your way around. Complimentary maps are provided at the entrance so you can earmark your must-see areas, but the size of Twycross makes it perfectly feasible to do the whole park in a day – even with plenty of stops for photographs, snacks etc.
“Enthralled”
Twycross is the only UK zoo, and one of just a few worldwide, that houses all four great ape species – chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos. The first section we come to houses De Brazza’s monkeys, emperor tamarins, mongoose lemurs, pygmy marmosets and copper titi monkeys. Despite it being a hot day, we are lucky enough to see most of the animals on display, although some take a little more finding than others – hiding in their lush habitats and camouflaging in well with the surrounding vegetation.
Next up are the orangutans, one of my personal favourites! I could watch them all day, there’s something mesmerising about their human-like behaviour and characterful faces. We are all enthralled with watching one of them push a stick into a hole in the wall that obviously had something sweet inside. The hand-eye coordination is better than mine!
Next up are the ever-popular meerkats, Chilean flamingoes, giant tortoises, zebras and the majestic Amur leopard. We also get to watch the Humboldt penguins enjoying their lunch, but a word of warning – the smell of fish is overwhelming so avoid feeding time unless you have a strong stomach!
Giraffe enjoys a feed
“Refuel”
Speaking of lunch, it is time for us to devour something tasty too, so we head for the newly-opened Jungle Eats outlet. Here you can grab burgers and fries and enjoy them on the surrounding picnic tables – conveniently located next to the children’s splash park. We opt for loaded fries, where options include pulled pork, beef chilli, veggie chilli or the classic cheesy chips. It is just what we need to refuel and get back on track. Other food options around the zoo include The View Restaurant (featuring a front-line view of the snow leopard enclosure), The Outpost (hot dogs, nachos etc) and The Doughnut Den, Oh Crumbs! Cafe and The Catch Fish and Chip Bar. You can of course keep the cost down and bring your own picnic.
The Eastern black rhino is next, closely followed by our family’s overall favourite – the giraffes. Housed in a huge hangar-type enclosure, we are able to get really close to these statuesque animals and closely watch them feeding and playing. I’ve been to a few zoos over the years but I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to a giraffe and been able to witness just how wonderful they are.
Sumatran tiger
“Awesome”
From there we head to Chimpanzee Eden, a huge enclosure housing a number of chimps. Again, we all loved watching them socialise and the girls are amazed by their human-like interactions.
Next up, we accidentally time our visit to the Sumatran tiger perfectly as a huge carcass has just been hung in the enclosure, so we get to witness the awesome, if not slightly terrifying, spectacle of a fully grown tiger devouring its lunch. The covered walkway goes right through the enclosure and provides you with a really wonderful view of this impressive big cat.
The vicuna, a member of the camel family and thought to be the wild ancestor of the alpaca, lays peacefully in the next enclosure, allowing us a close look at this South American beauty.
The final section on our tour is the Gruffalo Discovery Land, an interactive journey through the deep, dark wood based on the best-selling children’s book by Julia Donaldson. Here, we get to see owls, snakes and butterflies, amongst others. Despite being aimed at younger children, we all enjoy this area, particularly the butterfly house and the goat walk-through, where you can get up close and personal with adorable pygmy goats.
Rachel and family at Twycross Zoo
“Magical world”
We round off our visit with a cuppa in The View while watching the snow leopard prowl around the outskirts of its compound. Not something you see every day!
As we discuss the day and everyone reveals their favourite parts, it’s clear to see there has been something for everyone in our group, no matter what their age. There aren’t many days out that are genuinely completely inclusive but this one really is. The pathways are suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and there are plenty of interactive areas to keep little ones interested. Plus, when you pay for a day, you can visit free for 12 months!
The zoo runs special events all year round, including this summer’s Monopoly Summer, celebrating the launch of the Twycross Zoo Monopoly board game. There is a soft-play offer throughout September, and from November to February the park hosts Lanterns of the Wild – a special evening event featuring a 1-mile path of breathtaking lanterns, transforming the zoo into a glowing, magical world – complete with festive treats.
Twycross Zoo has certainly come a long way since it was founded back in the 1960s, but it’s still a day out that the whole family can enjoy, safe in the knowledge that you’re supporting an internationally recognised conservation charity who have the protection of animals at the very heart of everything they do.
Twycross Zoo is located at Burton Road, Atherstone CV9 3PX, open daily from 10:00 am.
Annual Tickets with 12 months of free return visits start from £26.95 for adults and £19.75 for children, and the Annual Pass Plus from £39.55 and £28.75 with additional benefits such as free parking spaces, a free Zoo Crew Champions Pack per child, and onsite discounts on activities, food and gifts.
Launched in September 2025, the new Universal Credit Ticket for families receiving income-related benefits costs £7.00 for one-day access to Twycross Zoo (terms and conditions apply). For further information visit www.twycrosszoo.org.
After studying English at university and having a lifelong love of writing, Rachel, a full-time editor, came to On Yorkshire in 2017 where she started off reviewing theatre productions in and around the East Yorkshire area. That love of theatre soon expanded into hotels, restaurants and travel, not to mention becoming one of On Yorkshire’s resident beauty editors, reviewing the latest products, spas and treatments. Rachel loves to sample the very best Yorkshire and the UK have to offer in order to bring you the low down on the high life!
