Marwell Wildlife in Winchester - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

£26.50 for a day pass, although asked for £30 which includes donation. Our party was made up of 5 adults - we didn’t donate. To put into context, my husband and I have been members of Marwell in our days before our children. It holds a special place in our hearts. We moved away but always managed to make at least 2 visits a year as the children grew up & still do - the kids are now into their 20’s and often visit with us. Sadly the experience over the last 10 -15 years has progressively gotten worse. Every time we go we hope it will be better. Marwell was always at the forefront of conservation and education & had an extremely successful breeding program for the rhinos and giraffes. Much money has been spent on enclosures that didn’t work, the snow leopards, the cheeta, the walkway over the persian leopard, now cloud leopard, the new tropical house, the gibbon enclosure, kids play areas. Now it is a shell. Few animals, lots of paddocks full of weeds, & plastic bottles & little or no information. The annual membership is a steal but place feels more of a kiddies play area than a serious home for conservation and education. It’s expensive and disappointing. Bit on context - The Cotswold Wildlife Park is £19 for an adult. A much smaller facility but full of animals and information & staff happy to help and answer questions.

Seriously it was hunt the animals could see hardly any. So many empty or near empty enclosures. So disappointing, think whole place nears a revamp. Toilet & picnic areas were good it’s only good point.

We visited with the family on Saturday. I remember our first experience was underwhelming, but wanted to visit again as we were wondering whether to buy a membership. The cafe as you entered the zoo had no sausage rolls ready considering it was 1pm lunch time( £4 each). We proceeded to the main cafe and got excited with the food ,looked nice and fresh. However, we asked for the kids portion and the staff replied,that for £6.50 you get 1x sausage and 1xside(just overpriced again). Surely, you would want to enhance the experience of people visiting the zoo,not leaving them feel they are being ripped off. Shame really

Never heard of this place before. We were in the area on holiday and was a bit of a spontaneous decision to go to Marwell and what a great decision it was. Very friendly staff and very well laid out. Some of the reviews on here really tickle me. People saying they couldn’t see any animals and thought the entrance fee was excessive. We had a fantastic day and the animals are very well cared for. The only time we have got so close to the animals was at a zoo aboard. Other zoos nearby have really gone down hill in recent times but marwell should be very proud of what they have. We saw all the animals and took our time going round. We didn’t see a few of the animals due to the size of the place but we will definitely return in the future. Marwell Zoo really is a place you should visit

We have been visiting Marwell for years and always enjoy it. We're happy to pay a fairly expensive entrance fee because otherwise these places would close. We had to admit, this time there was a lot of overgrown enclosures and a lot less animals and quite a bit of work going on. This didn't really ruin our day though, being absolutely honest, it was the huge amount of large school parties of kids that made it less enjoyable. Firstly, I don't hate kids, we are parents, I think it's great seeing families enjoying a day at the zoo but the kids were hyped up, loud and took over anywhere, particularly areas inside. We were shoved out the way, we had to endure kids yelling and just being really loud, then the adults were shouting to try and control them. I understand they're all hyped up on a day out from school but it was too much. A low point was an older school party on the hill by the house yelling F off at each other. We were not the only ones actively avoiding areas when the kids were showing up and we heard other people saying about moving on because the kids were coming. Maybe the school parties could be broken up into smaller groups or have less in a day. Maybe even just a couple of times a month have days not allowing big parties because not only did it disrupt our day but some of the animals need quiet and they just weren't getting that in the areas it was required. We even said we may call beforehand next time to see how many parties might be there first because everyone who pays should be able to view the animals and we were avoiding parts because it was just too noisy. We will be visiting again, I will always be happy to pay to go here but this time it just wasn't as good.

Don’t bother coming to this zoo. Extremely disappointing. A lot of empty enclosures and barely any animals. Lots of walking looking at empty enclosures.

Fantastic day out. All the staff were really friendly, especially Elenor. The animals look so happy and relaxed. We stayed all day, it was great!

Our first major trip out with our granddaughter,a lot of preparation and money for a disappointing morning,when I say morning,we left and went back home,4 penguins in there inclosure,many of the enclosures empty,resembled a building site,me and my partner are scratching our heads wondering where these contributions are going to within the zoo, barely saw any of the main zoo animals,I can understand if they had black or brown bears that hibernate through most of the year,but entrance prices should reflect visit times and what you are likely to see on the day,will head to the midlands next time and visit a proper zoo,and at a cheaper entrance price,and stay in the midlands over night,free of charge(family),overall ,very disappointed with marwell zoo😬😳

What happened to Marwell? Used visit all the time but it was become unkept lots of empty run down exhibits.. what happened to all the animals half the cages seemed empty and where did the Farm petting Zoo go??

Disappointing trip. Took my daughter for her 9th birthday having been many times before. Penguins were closed, reptile house still closed, many empty exhibits. Didn't see red pandas, sloth, leopards and many more. I accept that zoo's can't make animals be out, but you do expect to see animals at a zoo. Really expensive for what we saw. Saving grace were the rhinos, tiger and giraffes. On the day we went our children saw kids with face painting and posters for events at the hall. Got to the hall and realised it was a private event for John Lewis partnership day, explains why it was so busy. So more disappointment for the children. The train is also chargeable so ruled that out. I've been to Marwell many times and this was a disappointing trip and I don't think we'll be back any time soon.

Just spent the day here and have come away rather shocked at how tiny the enclosures are. There's clearly a lot of spending going on play areas for kids to lure families here but the leopard and snow leopard enclosures in particular were appalling. The leopard was displaying very unhappy, manic behaviour, going round and round in circles and pacing; the snow leopard, one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet, doesn't have enough room to break into a run. They call this conservation, I call it cruelty. Some of the other enclosures seemed fine, size-wise. The rhinos and zebras look happy enough, but then they have far more space.

I have been to Legoland and Drusilla's this week along with marwell and sorry to say marwell is terrible value for money. The toilets have a huge queue because they only let one person in a whole block of toilets. Yet in Legoland and Drusilla's they let as many as the capacity took with social distancing of course. Not the zoo's fault but most of the animals are not out. Not worth £22 a person. Drusilla's is much better and they have discounted the tickets as only some of the zoo is open. Not coming back as feel ripped off, they should have discounted the tickets for loyalty.

We have not been to Marwell for many years but were really pleased to see all the work that is going on to improve the surroundings not only for the animals but for the guests too, a lot of money is being spent to upgrade the whole zoo.We think the winter is a great time to visit as the zoo is never busy and you can take your time with out all the crowds. There are plenty of picnic areas all inside but a nice restaurant too.

Very good. When we visited the weather was crap but we got around. A long walk but there are ample benches and various places to get a drink. Far better than the London Zoo - at least most of the animals have a good space to walk about and graze. The Leopards, Tigers and Snow Leopards are in really good condition - you can see the place cares about their wildlife.

Throughly enjoyed our visit to the zoo after many years passing the Marwell Zoo sighn on our way to Portsmouth from Abingdon near Oxford.

I am not sure why there is so many poor reviews. I thought the park was well maintained and they are improving the areas for the animals bit by bit. You can't expect the animals to be always on show as they be hidden away and don't act on demand. It is arranged over a large area which is quite hilly and it's a great walk around. Hopefully with the continued support they can improve more. I enjoyed my day out there and so did the rest of the family.

We tried to visit today with our three grandchildren for an end of holiday treat On arriving we joined the queue of cars and eventually parked. When we came to pay we were informed that cards were not being accepted and it would be cash only. We hadn't enough cash to pay for the entrance tickets plus ice creams, drinks and probably a souvenir so tried to book online. The site crashed. Reluctantly we were forced to give up, much to the disappointment of three little girls. Why on earth was no one at the entrance to inform us of the situation? Quite simply not good enough, and a 50 mile trip wasted. .

have not been since taking my niece about 25 years ago,saw a big change or perhaps viewing it through older eyes with no children in tow!the whole area appears sad and needing a big injection of money.the animal cages were depressing but the animals seem to be content getting on with what their breed does in a day.I hope that the zoo can get some kind donation to help them out.

I have been to Marwell many times over the years and even volunteered there, however having visited for my sons birthday I was left very disappointed with our day.I appreciate that the zoo receives no government funding so relies on footfall to maintain the environment, care for the animals and pay their staff but I cannot justify the price of £21 per adult compared to other nearby attractions which we have found to be more enjoyable and interactive for us and our son.The variety of animals hasn’t changed in many years, and many that you would expect to see are missing - elephants/ lions/ gorillas etc. The penguins and giraffes are by far the best of a bad bunch and only because you are able to actually see them. You may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of some of the big cats but other than that you are left wanting.Improvements have been made to the lemur enclosure and the tropical house which was good to see - I hope they are planning on further improvements to the same standard as without them I struggle to see what would bring me back.

Enjoyable, food and drinks on site little expensive but on hole a enjoyable experience because of the weather animals were difficult to be seen as they were in the shade

Revisit after many years with grandchildren. A hot day and,as with other zoos,animals right at back of enclosures or indoors. Many enclosures contained Lego animals! Why? Don't come to a zoo for that. Poor choice of animals, kids became bored with amount of walking and,in my opinion poor signage. Felt let down for the £63 paid. Giraffe house was good but the remainder felt tired and in need of massive cash injection. Our local zoo and wish to support it but sadly shan't be returning

Very disappointed on this my first visit. Managed to see 1 leopard from a distance, the only big cat all day!! Apart from the giraffes and about 6 zebras and a few other animals, very few tbe seen. I was was particularly disappointed that the Snow leopards were nowhere to be seen. Food passable but expnsive Sorry to say I shall not be returning

We took our 11 year old granddaughter here after many many years since our last visit.

Disappointing day. £18 each entrance fee is good, but as they say you get what you pay for. Long uneven paths from cage to cage. 8 out of 10 cages empty. and if there is some thing in the cage, it was so over grown than you could,nt see the animals. Most cages contained only one animal. Maintanance / gardening is non existent .All animal ponds/ pools are filthy green. Only animals that seem happy were the Rinos. Even the Giraffes were licking poles and windows. Seems zoo is filling cages with birds. No elephants, monkeys. big cats. Certainly not a place to entertain kids. It looked like the zoo was running its self down ready for closure. Whole Zoo seemed very old and tired and in need of a big make over. Would I go again, probably not.

Had high hopes for our visit to Marwell Zoo, booked as part of a Paulton's Park Package (and therefore discounted). Unfortunately I was left quite disappointed by the experience.

Most the enclosures were small, animals didn't appear very happy or in natural environments. There is a couple of bigger areas for animals but most have very small amounts of space.

We arrived at 1.30 in the afternoon and found the site well signposted giving directions.

Had a lovely day and spent four hours there with my other half. Apart from the animals there were ample places to ear and many toilets. Lot's of walking but we are fit. Most enjoyable day out.

Four families, eight children and every year we see Santa together. First time at Marwell and it was magical. Every person there was fantastic and the extra personal details (actual names on screen on the ‘nice list’, the elves knowing all 8 names without looking at a list, Santa who was so chatty, answered all questions, however cheeky/ridiculous). Such a wonderful experience! Thank you xxx

Myself and my wife visited the zoo for a day and wasn't disappointed from the moment we saw the penguins at the beginning, to the giant ant-eater at the end we had an amazing day will definitely be returning

El parque de vida silvestre Marwell es encantador. Me impresionó especialmente que los animales parezcan tener mucho espacio y parece que el zoológico está destinado a ellos, con visitantes que trabajan en torno a sus necesidades y no al revés. En consecuencia, hay un pequeño tren / autobús para moverse que es divertido.

Otra visita a este super zoológico. Es triste que en esos días tan soleados a los grandes felinos en particular no les guste el calor y se escondan. Solo vi un tigre desde una gran distancia y lo mismo con el leopardo de las nieves. Triste de ver un camello en el enorme prado cerca de la cafetería. Que desperdicio. No hay suficiente información en cada pantalla pero me alegro de que los guardianes deban entregar ese buen enfoque amistoso. . . Gran día y volveremos.

Visité el zoológico hace una semana con mis hijos y mi madre. Todos disfrutamos el lugar, hicimos una gran caminata y quedamos impresionados por lo saludables que se veían los animales. Probamos el tren y almorzamos allí. Los precios de los restaurantes son razonables y la comida es buena. Personal muy amable. Recomiendo este lugar para pasar un día divertido.

Después de haber pagado casi 80 para llevar a mis nietos al zoológico de Marwell, hoy me sentí totalmente timada, con muchos parques de juegos (no es lo que buscamos) y no hay muchos animales para ver. un día fresco pero sin tigres, sin rinoceronte, y una sensación general de una atracción que necesita una mejora o un replanteamiento serio de los precios de entrada. íbamos a comprar un pase familiar anual, pero no lo haremos después de la experiencia de hoy.

Visité ayer en un día gris a medio plazo.

Title says it all really. Great to have this place on our doorstep in Winchester. Every time we visit there always seems to be something new to see or some activity to do. Food is still not great, but it is getting better.

Had a lovely day out at the zoo, Giraffe's amazing, busy bank holiday so why was the little train not working and extra ice-cream stands and other treats, but we all still enjoyed our day

A great day out for the family. Admission prices reasonable compared to other similar zoos. Great selection of big cats, close up, and we loved the giraffes enclosure. A long walk for little ones but a free road train, which is fun.

Today 24/02 we took out annual membership again after two years without. Lovely staff in kiosk could not be better. They wished my son a very happy 9th Birthday.

An extensive collection of animals, especially of grazing animals that require large areas to keep effectively. Many rare and endangered species. Also relevant predator - big cats, including snow leopard, Amur tiger and the even more critically endangerd Amur leopard, are my favourites - and other related species. Lots to see year round. Lots of walking needed, though there is a road-train and a rail train (does not run in winter - yes, there are leaves on the line!) Can get muddy and slippery in winter however.

A great place to go and see animals and leanr all about them. Good for children as lots of variety and things for kids to do if they dont find the animals interesting. A great conservation wildlife park, well done to all at Marwell who...

We visited on Saturday 30th September four of us it was very busy as the Lego atraction was coming to an end.the train ride was enjoyable for Children and Adults .a few cafes to choose from reasonably priced.a nice gift shop and plenty of toilets,...

Marwell park is well worth visiting. A well run and presented zoo in the English countryside where the animals are very well cared for and have ample natural habitat. This is a nice place for a family day out.

I last visited Marwell about 8 years ago. Wow, it has expanded in size somewhat. There has been a lot of improvement and new additions in the past few years which makes the day out last so much longer. There is a huge variety of...

We had a great day yesterday despite the weather trying to spoil it. This is our favourite Zoo. We took our grandson Scott along as part of his birthday treat as they have the brick Safari on at present. Lots of animals made of Lego. I have to say we visit at least once a year and this made the visit really special I know Scott enjoyed it he never stopped telling his mum about it last night. Great idea it was lovely to see all the children searching them out and ticking them of their lists. Can't wait to see the new tropical house next year. Looks big. Keep up the good work love the place.

Marwell Wildlife es una excelente atracción. Mi esposa y yo visitamos a mediados de la semana que nosotros marwell beneficiado aunque estaba muy ocupado, el parque no estaba muy llena, lo que significaba vistas claras de todos los animales. Tiene una amplia selección de animales y los grandes felinos eran magníficas. A mi esposa le encantó ver el pigmy hipopótamos, uno de los cuales fue adoptada para ella como un regalo de los amigos.

Siempre ha sido un buen día en familia. Desde la última vez que fuimos, ahora hay un nuevo recinto de lémures que caminar a través, así que tienes muy cerca ya que literalmente a pie alrededor de sus pies.

Tenía un fantástico día fuera. Muchos de los animales para ver. A los niños les encantó. Bien vale la pena cada céntimo. Gracias. Muy limpio y el personal era muy agradable.

Increíble. Llevamos nuestra hija (6 años) para encontrarse con el Padre de Navidad el 23 de diciembre en rd 17:45 Viernes. Era caro y estábamos un poco preocupados, sin embargo, desde el momento en que subimos al tren, nos transportaron al Polo Norte. Marwell hall estaba muy bien decorado, el equipo era fantástico y nos ayudaron a llevar la magia a la vida. Padre Navidad era excelente y nuestra hija le encantó. Obtuvimos pases a visitar durante el día y sin duda hacer esto otra vez. No puedo recomendar lo suficiente y el costo valió la pena.

Visited Oct 26. Great day out with very good wheelchair access. Good value for money and lots to see. Reading some other reviews make you think they've been to another place. Good upkeep of gardens, no rubbish, animals, well, I am not qualified to say if they are well looked after or not but they all seemed to be smiling at me...One more mention is for the staff at the cafe overlooking the Zebras. nice, friendly, helpful and caring. It would be a shame if anyone reading bad reviews stayed away. It would be their loss.Whatever it is you are doing in Marwell Zoo, keep it up. its great.

Love this place. The Good News is that the zoo keeps improving . Great selection of animals. Some wonderful new enclosures. Much well thought out effort is always being put in to keep the improvements coming! However like most people we want the zoo to reintroduce the Marwell Flask!

we went here on a family day out and we loved every minute of it.the animal enclosures all have several viewing locations so even if the animals are hiding you can still see them.because of the stile of the enclosures you can also get really close to the animals.i just wish the day hadnt gone so quick,we could have quite happily stayed there for several more hours.we were so happy we got to see the giraffes up close and the penguins and of course so lucky to see the three gorgeous tiger cubs!! unfortunately the rinos were chilling out in their house so only got to see them through the glass.we will definitely be going back tho.this is the best zoo we have ever been to.

What a lovely place to spend the day, good layout with plenty of open space for the animals. Be prepared to walk a few miles during your visit. There is a free land train that runs around the park for those who can't manage the walking. Seeing the three tiger cubs was worth the entrance fee alone.Highly recommended this place for a family day out.

Make sure you have your comfy shoes on as there is lots of walking. Having said that there is a road train, electric train that stops all over the park.Lots of animals to see, a must is the Penguins at feeding time, sure to put a smile on your faces.Get up for a close for a look at the giraffes, who have an amazing inclosure, all the usual animals for you to see too.A Lovely little cafe, for all you seasoned coffee lovers. Although best take a picnic, if looking to cut costs. A massive outdoor play area is just the tickets for the children. For your little tikes try the smaller Sandy play area by the coffee shop.They also have a building where you can touch, snake skin, also other animal fur which was surprisingly quite good fun.This Zoo is in my personal opinion excellent value.Go on have a good old fashioned day out.....you will love it!!!!

We loved it there, only lots of animals had "a day off", not available to be seen by the public. Other than that best place to go with family.

No lions no elephants no gorillas no bears just empty fields nothing like it used to be boring also expensive to eat and drink

Went away with the wife to stay in Winchester, so we stayed in Winchester hotel which is literally 2 minute walk away from the marwell wildlife. The hotel is very family friendly with swimming pool etc...Highly recommend it but the entrance fee could be cheaper but oh well was a nice day out.

Great experience of all animals.. My two year old loved it. Great variety of cats x only issue we had there were way too many school children

The cafe at the zoo is always packed! It's a bit of a bun fight to get a table to be honest. It isn't so bad in the summer when you can sit outside but in the winter it's just too cold. Though there were some hardy souls braving the elements. There's a good choice of hot food and the kids picnic boxes are good value.

I have mainly been visiting when attending conferences and workshops so there has been limited time to thoroughly investigating the zoo grounds. But the overall impression is a tidy and well laid out place with a good variety of animals to see.

Clean well kept Zoo with amazing information and interaction for the children. Good Picnic areas including an indoors area.

As zoos go Marwell is quite small, but I still find it an enjoyable place to visit. The restaurants are expensive so would recommend taking a picnic to make the trip more affordable

THIS IS WHAT I SENT MARWELL ZOO AND NEVER EVEN HAD AN APOLOGY OR EMAIL!! Hi, my name is Mike and I came up to visit marwell zoo on Saturday 19th September 2015 with my family, as we came to the entrance to pay we were quoted a voluntary donation! And to us we don't have the money to say yes to every charity and we said yes because we felt embarrassed if we said no, I didn't like to be put on the spot like this as it's very uncomfortable in front of people who were waiting behind us, we should of been quoted without a donation first! we had a good day seeing all the Penguins an tigers as my little 3 year old daughter loves them, but the most she really likes is the green house full of funny things as she calls it and as we got to the green house they said sorry we are closed! Now this was at 4:00pm, and there were so many people very unhappy outside all talking about how early they closed it and so for that reason we were unable to take my little daughter inside the green house and she didn't understand why we couldn't go in! Then we wanted to go to the gift shop and they were closing so the woman said be quick, so then we had to rush around the shop quickly to make my little girl happy with some toys as she started crying over the green house being closed. I'm not very happy the fact we were told we couldn't go somewhere and hour before closing and being rushed around after we have just paid £53 for tickets, £20 in the cafe and £33 in the gift shop, so after spending £106.00 at marwell zoo we couldn't View everything that you have to offer as we didn't even get time to see all the birds as 6 member of staff kept saying were closing now can you make your way to the exit, so we had to turn around and go home, when we paid for the tickets at the window no one said to us that we will be closing in 2 hours other wise I would of said we will come back tomorrow an have more time but no one did, so after spending a lot of money I don't expect only 2 hours to go around and being rushed around and being told no after we spent a lot of money when we can only afford to go once a year, we felt like our day was ruined as it was for the little one to enjoy, it states on your website quoting... Be sure to allow at least 4-5 hours for your visit. With our amazing range of animals and 140 acres of beautiful, landscaped grounds there’s a lot to pack in. So I just think the woman on the entrance should of said to us we will be closing in 2 hours but no one did until a lot of member of staff kept saying make your way out, I really liked marwell zoo but after today I was really disappointed and I would like to hear from someone who could do something about this as I spent good money on traveling and at marwell zoo, I'm sorry to say this but if nothing get sorted about our day be disappointed then I won't be returning marwell zoo and will be reporting to trip advisor. Thank you

Tasty and good value, an opportunity to rest the legs. Very comfortable and disabled friendly. Light and airy.

As it was a bank holiday weekend it was pretty busy however the food was ok if a little overpriced. I do have to say though that there were plenty of places to pick up the odd snack or ice cream as you wandered around the park.

We walked around the park & the animals were simply wonderful to watch, the meerkats were stunning, funny to watch & came close to us. Entry was inexpensive and the visit was a day to remember

My husband and I spent the day here, lots to see and do, reasonably priced cafe, £2.50 each to go on the train, but it was a pleasant 20 minute ride in the park.Lots of toilets, and snack bars,

Fantastic for kids with all the wild animals you hope to see and 3 play parks. train also to go round the park when you get tiered of walking but is can all be done in a day.

I went with my Wife and daughter, we are all over 21 and this park showed it is not just and place for kids as some feel Zoo parks are for. This was a baking hot day and the park was quite busy. There is a lot to do and if you don't want to walk around there is the train and also a tractor ride, which both take you on a great tour of the park. We did not eat at the park but did have the ice cream. some of the animals were hard to spot but that added to the fun

Whilst not being a Zoo Director and therefore unable to comment on the technical and management decisions happening behind the scenes, there were some fundamental issues we experienced when visiting Marwell Zoo recently. The Wild Explorers feature has clearly been a big investment. The central installation overlooking the plains populated by Zebras and Rhinos does look impressive and the play area was certainly popular with the children. However, the exercise to entertain children by obtaining stamps in their Wild Explorers handbook needs attention. It is brand new, however the stamps are so poorly labelled that repeat visits were needed to some of the enclosures before they were discovered. Additionally, the signage on some of the enclosures provided scant information about the creatures in question beyond how rare they were. At least three enclosures had signs saying that the inhabitants had moved and some had nothing at all (in the tropical hothouse). The keeper talks should have been a highlight but the keeper was over five minutes late to the morning Giraffe talk, by which time at least thirty people had lost interest and moved on. The Hornbill feeding was as bad. When the keeper turned up she aimlessly threw the food stuffs around and then stood there saying nothing. Absolutely nothing. The educational value of such an experience seems completely absent. Marwell Zoo certainly has value in providing something of an educational resource for the region but equally there are grounds for improvement of the customer experience and at a very basic level. We will not be returning.

Fantastic zoo! Lots to see and do especially for the kids! The new wild explorers bit is now our favourite! Nice to see the animals with lots of space!

We went on a scouting trip for our Grandchildren and we will all be returning very soon. There's so much to see in a great location. Plenty of free parking, playgrounds for children, and relatively cheap eating. I'm a keen photographer and hate being faced with mesh fencing. So being presented with fairley clean perspex style windows was a bonus. The zoo is well laid out and easy to navigate, and plenty of resting spots. We walked around three times and you don't realise the amount of leg work you've done as there's so much to see. I would highly recommend a visit.

This zoo was amazing. We got so close to the Meerkats, tigers, giraffes and lemurs. We had a 2 year old with us and she enjoyed it and was kept busy all day.

A wonderful place to take your children to be in contact with wild animals. The proximity that you can experience with the animals is really good, but completely secure!The open space that most of the animals have make the experience even better, makes you feel that you are interfering with their day-to-day life! Although we visited the zoo in October and the day was a little gray, we were able to see almost all animals. If not in the first attempt in a second, since we spent the whole day in the zoo.We took our own food, and there lots of places to make a picnic, even indoor ones in case of rain! There are also restaurants.The tractor|train was for my 3 old son a really good plus!! (and free of extra charge) And an extra chance to see the animals relaxing and sitting down!!In resume a wonderful day out!

Brilliant place to visit we went on our anniversary and had a wonderful day as we just strolled around in our own time.

We traveled all the way from the Isle of Wight just to go to Marwell zoo. It has actually been on my bucket list for a long time but as I have suffered with agorophobia for years, it took a lot of courage to do. Firstly the carpark was so badly signposted that we and other people had no idea where the zoo entrance was and ended up walking to the couch area as we thought it must be there. After paying the pricey entrance fee with the donation we walked around the park playing spot the animal. The most animal interaction we got was from the crows trying to nick our chips. I understand that animals hide etc but the majority of the places just seemed empty. It really needs something to bring it to life, firstly some animals would help.

Was very disappointed, most of the cages were empty, many of the animals were hard to locate. 3yr old wanted her face painted as it was her birthday, shop was closed, apparently only open weekends, so were ice cream kiosks, took packed lunch, had to sit outside in freezing cold, with 1yr old also, and kept getting our food snatched by the crows/blackbirds ! And to make things worse, they were pooping all over the tables!! If they're going to close all the shops etc because it's a weekday, then surely they should reduce the admission fee!! Got very bored, left tired, hungry and thirsty from pushing a pushchair with two young kiddies up the slope, with nowhere to get refreshments, the only one we did find find, we were kept waiting for 10 mins whilst waiting for the attendant to finish her personal phone call!! never again I'm afraid, very dissatisfied!

For a family of 3 (2 adults and a 5 year old) we were faced with a £50.00 entry fee. I was really shocked when the attendant told us this price included their recommended donation of 10%, they just automatically added it in! I asked her to remove the donation as I didn't like the way it was just added in and therefore leaving people in an awkward position having to ask for it to be taken off. I appreciate they are a charity and do a lot of conservation work but I was quite offended at the way they went about collecting their donations. It would be much better to ask customers "would you like to contribute a 10% donation to our charity", giving the customer the option to say "yes" or "no" rather than just adding it in. It was a bit cheeky. I also overheard quite a few other customers complaining about the same thing. All in all the zoo is worth a visit (if you can afford it) oh and you will need extra funds for the train too which would have cost us and extra £7.50 (£2.50 per person) for a ride. We didn't go on the train and I felt that the train should have been free considering the price for entry. We liked getting up close to the penguins and giraffes and the many other African animals to be found there. It is a really long walk on foot so I would recommend a buggy as a must if you are bringing younger children. There are plenty of park areas with climbing equipment for the kids and benches for a picnic. The location is nice and very green, lovely surroundings.

Nice spacious grounds, well kept animal enclosures, very reasonably priced restaurants.Only drawback is there are no elephants or chimpanzees. This doesn't spoil the zoo but since they're my favourite animals to see in a zoo, I feel the need to point it out.

I was really looking forward to a day out here but was soon disappointed when most of the walk ways and interactive pieces were out of service / out of bounds plus half the animals were no where to be seen. I know that weather can cause some animals to hide but needless to say you'd still expect some value for money. Thankfully the money raised at the door goes to charity so I don't feel as robbed as I could feel but still, very disappointing. What was good? - Staff talks on animals (good knowledge)- Scheduled Feeding times What was bad?- Walk ways uneven and/or closed with some silly signs about frost damage?!- Litter due to lack of bins - A lot of animal enclosures were empty.- Snack shops all seemed to stock different things.Favourite parts of the park?- Meerkats- PenguinsWorst part of the park?- Cheetahs - Monkeys (Where were they??!!)Price: £36 for 2 adultsInclusive of 10% charity donationTop tip: take a packed lunch as expensive

Had a lovely day. Most of the staff were friendly and helpful. The facilities were clean and the restaurants offered a good range to meet individual needs. We were able to see all the animals and lots of signs directing where to look and where the animals might be.

I visited today using my annual pass only to be accused of misuse of my refillable cup without justification. I only wanted one cup of hot chocolate! The land train was out of service. The leopard lookout was closed, The snow leopard viewing platform was closed, the toilets at the far end of the zoo were closed, the patio eating area at the graze cafe was closed, the children's race area was still out of order, The petting zoo area is still lacking in animals. And while the new areas which are being worked on look exciting, it means there is still a lot of Zoo which doesn't have any animals and which is replaced with the sound of building works. I would like to suggest that they could spend just a few pounds to make visitor experiences a lot better rather than just concentrating on new building projects. I visited today to have a relaxing walk and view the animals and was insulted and disappointed. Not a happy customer!

We had seen everything 3 hours into our day! Quite expensive for what it is. Would deffo recommend spending the little bit extra and visiting longleat as there is so much more to do there!

Had a great day much better than london zoo just a bit pricey for a family had to pay £11 for a 4 year old which I thought was a bit steep

So much better than London zoo! Grounds are huge So much space not rushed , saw cheetahs close up and giraffes and so much more. Amazing experience it's like a huge park u can casually stroll

We have annual membership and so visit often. Fantastic zoo with all the animals out and about. However every time we visit before the main season they never get the resourcing right. Massive queues to get in as not all the gates were open (as members we got to by pass this however hugely frustrating for others). They only had the grazing cafe and the outback cafe open. Again queued for ages as only staffed by 2 people ! The gift shop cafe had no food as they had been too busy serving the q ! None of the other Mobile coffee stops/ ice cream were open. Gift shop queue was almost out the door ! It happens time and time again !! I know it was an unexpectedly sunny day in half term !!! That will be the reason/ justification as always !

had a wonderful time at dream night, when they open the zoo at night time for disabled children. The staff were kind and friendly. We did not see a lot of animals as it was night time but the ones we did were up close and personal. the staff could not do enough to help us.

My Boyfriend and I took my 8 year old sister to Marwell on the 2nd of January, I had not been in a few years and keen on photography so wanted to get a few pictures.The animals were amazing as well as the lay out of the park and the staff were very caring. The best animals were the Giraffes and the Zebra! A couple of negatives which was down to poor communication, the "Ark" gift shop was closed for a referb starting the 2nd but the other one did not open until the 3rd so we couldn't buy any toys or suevenires, this was not a major problem but it would have been nice to have been told in advance we may have changed the day. Also all of the board walks and viewing platforms were closed due to the frost however it was a bright sunny day today no frost it would have been nice to see the animals from the platforms for photography purposes But over all a lovely day out will most likely visit again later in the year :)

Love Marwell! I got a season pass in September so I could take my toddler. We've been most weeks I think. Great for a couple of hours fun. He loves the meerkats and the tigers. I'd def recommend a visit whether you have kids or not. The cafe at the top is the best. The one in the gift shop isn't that good. Pros: You get to see the animals fairly close and can see in theirs houses if they're asleep. It's not too big so and there's a train so suitable for anyone to get round. Wheelchair/pushchair friendly. They have regular feeding times and the keepers tell you a little bit about the animals.The best time to visit is when the weather is awful!!! The animals are all out and there's hardly anyone else there so you could spend a good 30mins watch the animals.Cons: some of the enclosures aren't that big and could do with enlarging.The variety of animals isn't great. Longleat is far superior in that fact.The Resturant/cafe have a very limited selection of food for those with special dietary requirements.There's only one decent baby changing location at the end of the park, so if your the other side then you'd have to walk back.All in all worth a day out with the family. I got a pass as we only live 15mins away so easy for us to pop there for the morning and keeps the kids amused.

Upon visiting Marwell zoo I had a very good day but it is nothing special has a lot of similarities to other ZoosSmall enclosures, a lot of empty enclosures and not much signage. It's very hard to know what way round to go and where things are as there aren't enough signs. Also the amount of animals off show and empty enclosures makes the expensive pricing seem even more of a waste of money. Any enclosures that did have animals in were full of crowds so couldn't get a good view anyway.Overall I was disappointed with my visit

We had a great day out here I haven't been since a child so it was nice to go back. A family ticket was £60 but personally I think it was worth it.We did ask about a park map when we walked in for my 5 year old grandson the man was quite miserable when answering me and said there's park maps around and grunted,very helpful then!!!!The few zookeepers I saw also seemed quite miserable. The park was clean and tidy and the food looked nice & was and reasonably priced,lots of seating areas for picnics and play areas for the little ones,plenty of drink/ food stops all round the park too.Lots of nice animals to see,tigers,monkeys,hippos,meerkats. The giraffe house was great, we spent a while in here, they are truly fascinating and you are so close to them,they have a viewing platform in their field so you can get even closer!It was a really nice walk and it didn't feel like you walked that far, there is a train of you feel tired. All in all a great day out & would definitley go again.

Visited in September as staying in the area & never been. Well sign posted. Visited with my sister & mum who is in a wheelchair. The carer gets in free with proof of disability. It is rather hilly so can be hard sometimes pushing the wheelchair around and alot of the enclosures have gravel paths next to them which is also very hard for wheelchairs. Used the disabled toilet near to the wallaby walkthough, and the path was all broken & gravel had just been laid so trying to get a wheelchair to it was very hard. Good job there was 2 of us to move it. Went on the tractor train which is free & also has a carriage for wheelchair users. This tractor train is free. Had lunch at the main cafe which was very nice portion size & good value for money. Had a wide choice of food available as well. Some of the animals where not out in the enclosures but majority of them where. Saw the baby pigmy hippo which was nice. Gift shop on site selling all the usual things.

fantastic day out, staff were all very knowledgable, and helpful, went with my 12 and 5 yr old, there is something for every age, the trip on the train round the park is something i recommend, if only to rest your feet!

Visited today having not been for a very long time. Sadly disappointed at lack of animals to be seen, understandably some may have been hiding but not a hot day today. Animals looked depressed at times. Would be helpful if empty enclosures had signs to say whether empty or not instead of standing and staring! Would also be helpful to have more picnic benches for those of us sensible enough to bring our own food, would be grateful for more odd benches to sit and rest for us that are more less able but want to remain independent in our walk around. I did not eat in restaurant but had a luke warm peppermint tea.

Have a season ticket to Marwell, I love taking my daughter here to see all the animals! Good bit of exercise and lots of places to sit. Love the big field by the café to see all the animals in the open. Good to see all the work being done there all the time to improve the park

Our first time here and for to say it was very enjoyable, very clean and staff very friendly and helpful, plenty of areas for a picnic and a good indoor one if weather is bad. Good play areas for the kids and the dinosaurs are amazingSaw lots of animals from giraffes,rhinos,hippos,tigers and many more.There is a land train which you can get a tour of the park for freeBiggest disappointment for us and mainly our son who is train mad was the fact the miniature train wasn't working "due to maintenance". Sorry but it's the first day of the summer holidays and your only other attractions is out of ordered very poor. There is no mention of this on the website and as no one could tell us when the train would be fix think you need to inform customers of this. Apart from that had a great day and would return once the train was running.Would give it 5 star rating if train had been working but big disappoint esp for our son so only a 4.

I love this zoo! I love everything about it! I would recommend it for anyone as it is a great day out.

Took our niece here today, we all had a great day out and spent the time here and saw all the animals . Was a great day out and we look forward to visiting again, friendly and helpfull staff from entering to leaving.

Visited the park with my children and grandchildren. Lots of school parties but park is very well laid out and spacious. All animals were in their enclosures, which meant we got to see them all, but would have liked to see them roaming free in the big enclosure there. Entry was very reasonable, £63 for 2 adults/2 children. ..toddlers under 3 go in free. Tractor ride was great fun and made it easy to get round when little legs got tired. Plenty of picnic spots. Staff very friendly and helpful. Excellent variety of animals and enclosures were well thought out . Park was very clean.

We spent a family day out here today and enjoyed it. It is quite expensive to get in, but there is plenty to see and do. Some animals were a little elusive and was disappointed not to see them (cheetahs and tigers?).The giraffes were impressive and really great to see up close. There's lots of little pathways that lead off the main path, be sure to check them out. We didn't visit the café, but instead took our own food. With plenty of areas set a side for picnics save yourself a small fortune.