Twycross Zoo - Follow Your Heart

Opening Times: 10am - 6pm

Charity Heart

Twycross Zoo is a registered charity (number 501841) which exists to support conservation, education and research.

Book Tickets BOOK NOW DONATE
Search Icon
Menu Icon

About Twycross Zoo

Twycross Zoo > About Twycross Zoo

Set in the heart of England on the Leicestershire/Warwickshire border, Twycross Zoo is an award-winning conservation charity, with acclaimed school programmes, and fun for all the family to enjoy all year round.

Spanning more than 80 acres, we have around 400 animals of almost 80 species to see, including many endangered animals and native species in the Zoo’s Nature Reserve.

Bonobo Mom and BabyTwycross Zoo is now renowned as a World Primate Centre and has a wide variety of monkeys and apes including the UK’s only group of bonobos.

We have breeding groups of many endangered primate species, so we often have babies and toddlers playing around in our great ape groups, and in many of our monkey groups.

We also hold a range of other species including giraffes, snow leopards, penguins, meerkats, tapirs, snakes, flamingos, and the world’s rarest big cat, the Amur leopard. You can access our full list of animals here.

What can you do at Twycross Zoo?

Twycross Zoo offers a lot of family and educational activities including animal experiences and tours, photography workshops, and more. Here’s a list of some of our favourite and most popular activities:

  • You can see our troop of emperor tamarins leap above your head in their treetop exhibit.
  • Watch 4 species of gibbon swing around in Gibbon Forest and see all 4 great apes: gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee and the UK’s only group of bonobos.
  • Feed the lorikeets, watch the Penguins, and listen to our regular talks and feeds.
  • Journey through the deep, dark wood in our brand new Gruffalo Discovery Land and meet Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake plus the Gruffalo, alongside a whole range of woodland creatures!
  • There’s an indoor soft play area, outdoor play areas, and a huge Wet & Wild water play area – so don’t forget a towel!

You can access the full range of activities here.

Zoo facts

Twycross Zoo was founded in 1963 by pet shop owners Molly Badham and Nathalie Evans, after the pair’s increasing zoological collection outgrew their three-quarter-acre site in Hints, Staffordshire.

In 2013, we won BIAZA’s Best Sustainable Zoo or Aquarium and Best Education Project (public and general visitor) awards and were commended in the Significant Advance in Husbandry and Welfare, Significant Advances in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, and Best Education Project (Schools and Educational Institutions) categories.

Our conservation breeding programmes flourished last year as we welcomed a critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, an endangered bonobo, and many more zoo babies, including two endangered snow leopard cubs, meerkat pups, our first ever spectacled owl chick, and several babies in many of our primate groups.

Twycross Zoo’s award winning Education Department offers a variety of discovery opportunities for many different types of groups and parties. Amongst others, the Zoo holds the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge. All sessions are curriculum linked and all are designed to best engage all age groups.

More information about our East Midlands Zoo

We’re open 364 days a year (closed on Christmas Day), with regular events, Kids Clubs, Conservation Talks and other special events taking place throughout the year.

The Zoo is currently undergoing an ambitious 20-year, £55million Master plan development, marrying conservation with education – as part of that, earlier this year we launched the Gruffalo Discovery Land project. In addition, a brand new National Science and Conservation Centre project is currently underway, designed to provide conservationists and scientists from around the globe with a facility to support world-changing research and teaching.

Our world-class Himalaya Centre is home to The View restaurant, where you can enjoy a range of homemade, freshly prepared meals. Pick up a snack or drink from our new Vine Cafe serving Costa Coffee, all overlooking the Himalayan-themed snow leopard enclosure. The centre also plays host to conference facilities in Windows on the Wild with several other eateries on site, including The Catch Fish & Chips Bar.

You can also leave with a memory of your day out from our zoo shop – or, if you forget, you can buy gifts, treats and more online from the Twycross Zoo Gift Shop.

Where is Twycross Zoo located?

The Zoo is only four miles from junction 11 of the M42/A42 (which links the M1 and M6), making it readily accessible from anywhere in central England. Free parking is available on site.

Book your tickets to Visit Twycross Zoo for a perfect day out for the whole family.

How to stay in touch with Twycross Zoo

Our HistoryCareersPartners & AffiliationsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS