Blackpool Zoo — Attraction in England

Fantastic zoo . We spent all day here as weather was good. There were loads of different animals and creatures to see. My children's favourites were the penguins .

I do recommend buying the meal tickets /vouchers in advance as I heard it was slightly cheaper and there were a few of us. They come with a refundable cup £1 each included in price but you can claim that back by going back in the queue and handing it in. They were a good size so we decided to keep them as souvenirs . You could buy a refillable cup for pop to fill up around park for around about £16 but I'll be honest I only seen one station where you could refil. (Again I could very well have missed some ) I noticed all the food and drinks kiosks and stations were all closed minus the cafe. I don't know if this was a one off or a regular thing so plan your trip well . There were a fair few picnic benches , all seemed to be outside mind so great on a nice day but if raining maybe not so much ? At busy times I would bring a picnic blanket and maybe a camping chair in a backpack carrier .

On arrival check in was fast and efficient and we were given our meal vouchers we pre paid online , and a very easy to follow map of the park . The map also shows the timing of the animal talks around the zoo which we found very interesting . Male giraffes do not have hair on their horns but females do ! And explained why ! For one example.... I found it worth a listen.. Oh and if you need to leave the park for any reason you can have your hand stamped and come back in !

You have to walk past the cafe when you first arrive which also has toilets when you first walk in so it's handy you will know where to go if and when needed.

I did find the picture machine a bit difficult to work and to collect my pictures my fingerprint wouldn't work. Not a massive issue but could annoy some..

The terrain we found wasn't that difficult to push a double buggy around on . The only bits that took some *welly * were the wolves bit and getting to the top of the penguins ...mind we had been walking around a fair bit by this point !

There is a little train which you have an option to ride. (£3 pp ) But it was closed for the day when we went and found it so maybe worth asking when you arrive, the times of it running.

There is so much to see here I couldn't imagine people being disappointed to be honest And also they have certain discounts like carers free - there are only certain proof they will take also .

Hope this helps and enjoy your visit we had a...

Blackpool Zoo has been through quite a history (see the history section on your RHS as you go in!) but in recent times there has been a lot of investment and this has made a difference. The zoo retains its traditional starting animals in the form of the giant tortoises (as you go in) and sea-lions, which have a nice looking refurbished pool as well as the elephants. The Elephants had moved to a really nice enclosure next to the dinosaur exhibit, and we spent quite a while watching them take sand baths, bathe and generally have a good time. Investments like the elephant enclosure and the big cat area show that the zoo has really invested, and it's still in my mind a good day out for all ages.

The price - Zoo's and attractions in general are expensive, and so paying close to £30 per adult actually seems ok nowadays. There is an additional charge for the car park, but the zoo is well served by busses which come right up to the door, so public transport is an option. Like most zoos there are balloons, bubble machines and food to buy, which add even more expense! but there are also plenty of places to eat your picnic so you don't have to spend too much extra.

The visitor experience - We visited on a Saturday in May. There were no queues, and although the sea lion shows and some of the talks were busy, there was nothing we had to miss, and the staff we encountered were all helpful and friendly. They really have done a good job with signage, including for autistic (careful of those noisy hand driers) and even with many signs in braille. There are A-Z signs (A is for Aardvark), which are fun for all ages, although I was disappointed to find that P was for Panda, rather than R for Red Panda. We only failed to find animals for N, Q, U, X and Y :-) There is a train (£3), plenty of free playgrounds as well as other paid activities and cafes etc. Beware of seagulls! One tried and almost succeeded in taking a sandwich out of my hand. The range of animals is good and if you follow the daily program of events you get a good amount of information.

It was quite hard to hear some of the talks, although I believe an investment in sound systems is some areas is in progress.

All in all, it's a good day out and judging by some of the constructions works there are plans to make further improvements.

What would have made it a 5* i hear you ask. I think some of the areas do look a bit tired, and so completing them as part of the masterplan, plus addressing some of the audio for the talks.

Well done...

Our family (3 adults, a 17yo and an autistic 9yo) visited Blackpool Zoo on Saturday 20th August 2022. The weather was bright but very windy, and due to the summer holidays we knew in advance that the zoo was likely to be busy. We’d never visited before so we were excited about our visit.

Blackpool Zoo is a very large park with various animals to enjoy watching as well as a ‘dinosaur exhibit’ with large lifelike models and some interactive features. The lake area was very impressive. My younger son particularly loved this dino area!

It’s a shame the Big Cat enclosure was closed when we visited, due to upgrading, but we did know this before we arrived and it didn’t dampen our day in the slightest.

There are maps available via signposts around the zoo as well as a paper map you can pick up when you enter, plus there’s a great quality app for Blackpool Zoo which I strongly recommend downloading. You can access your entrance ticket barcodes on the app before visiting (if you buy in advance, also strongly recommended) for fast and hassle-free entry.

The staff were all friendly and helpful, and the animals in large enclosures and seemed extremely happy, well fed and cared for. We also pre-ordered our meals on the website, the barcodes for which were also stored in the app until our arrival then exchanged for meal tokens for the main, central restaurant/café. The meal options are limited when you order your lunch in this way, but we didn’t mind. It’s the usual café style fayre; burger/veggie burger, hot dog, pizza slice - with chips and a drink.

The café became extremely busy (again, to be expected in the summer hols) from around 12.30pm onwards but luckily we had the foresight to grab a table early, at 11.30am, and enjoyed our lunch over about an hour. Watch out for the seagulls outside – they’re cheeky gets and will quickly grab any food left over… Please don’t feed them!

There are educational talks and shows throughout the day – the giraffe feeding event was particularly fantastic. It’s outside and some lucky people were able to feed branches directly to the giraffes, from a tall platform.

It’s easy to get a wealth of brilliant keepsake photos from your day out here, and there’s enough room for everyone to move around the zoo whether you’re on foot, in a wheelchair or have a pram. Plenty of grassy areas if you’d like to sit and have a picnic too.

Loved our time here at Blackpool Zoo and have no problems recommending it as a fab...