Really Wild Fun at Whipsnade Zoo

As the largest zoo in the UK, Whipsnade Zoo covers over 600 acres of beautiful Bedfordshire countryside, it’s also a zoo near Luton for those who live further south. You’ll find over 10,000 animals living in spacious enclosures throughout the Zoo’s Asia, Africa, and Europe areas, among others. Which are all carefully curated to provide animals with environments as close to their natural habitats as possible.

Spanning over 600 acres, this sprawling haven is home to a diverse collection of animals. From majestic elephants to playful penguins, and from awe-inspiring lions to curious meerkats.

The magic of Whipsnade lies in its commitment to providing a holistic experience for visitors of all ages. For children, it’s a chance to witness wildlife up close and personal, fostering a deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity of the natural world. The zoo’s engaging exhibits and interactive displays make learning about animals and their habitats a joyous adventure. Sparking curiosity and inspiring future conservationists.

You can easily grab Whipsnade Zoo tickets from our website, too! Where you’ll find Whipsnade Zoo prices and opening times.

Learn all about Whipsnade Zoo’s headline species that include: critically endangered Amur Tigers, Grevy’s zebras, European brown bears, rhinos and hippos! Although, Whipsnade Zoo is best known for its elephants. There is a family of seven Asian elephants living across seven grass paddocks and in the £2 million Centre for Elephant Care, and they are helping to inform elephant conservation work in the field. 

Whipsnade Zoo is part of ZSL, a science-based conservation charity. The knowledge their zoo keepers gain working with their herd of Asian elephants is then shared with ZSL colleagues in Nepal. This to help assist their research and education work with wild elephants. But to also inform ZSL’s work in Thailand, Nepal and China to reduce human-wildlife conflict and ensure the peaceful coexistence of elephants and humans. What a fantastic cause and something to support! Every ticket makes a great difference in supporting all their hard efforts.

There is so much to keep children entertained at Whipsnade Zoo! The Hullabazoo Indoor soft play is great fun (although it’s free, be sure to book this in advance). It’s certainly an ideal spot for parents to take a breather while the kids unleash their boundless energy.

For those who prefer the great outdoors, the zoo also offers a fantastic, large adventure playground (Hullabazoo Adventure Play), which includes rope bridges, slides, and climbing structures. Our children could have spent all day here! We also enjoyed the Hullabazoo Farm where we got up close to the farm animals

When visiting the penguins, we came across the most beautiful countryside views overlooking the Aylesbury Vale. You can see for miles and it was the perfect spot for our picnic! There were lots of restaurants, cafes and food vans dotted around the zoo, so you won’t go hungry here! You are also very welcome to bring your own picnic. We enjoyed our food and also bought ice creams and chips later on in the day.

We also loved spotting the free-roaming animals such as mara, wallabies, Chinese water deer and muntjac. There were so many adorable baby animals to see as you go around the zoo, cuddling up next to their mums! Our favourites were their baby Asian elephant, the beautiful zebra foal and the giraffe Calf.

With so many animals to discover, your kids will definitely have a wild adventure they won’t forget anytime soon.

For those who don’t wish to walk so far, Whipsnade Zoo also has the option to drive through the zoo itself for an extra fee, with car parks at many of the exhibit areas as well as exclusive safari-style areas to drive through. We opted for on foot and brought a camping wagon for our 4 and 5-year-olds to hop in when they were tired and it was useful to carry our picnic.

I wondered how safe the park would feel with cars driving around, but this was not a problem at all! The park has good provision for trolleys and buggies including dedicated parking areas. Which was very useful when going indoors, on trains and in restaurants.

There’s also a steam train, The Great Whipsnade Railway, available here (at an additional cost of £4.50 per adult and £2 per child), which is so much fun and allows visitors to cover areas not accessible on foot. The train took us on a delightful journey around the zoo, past various habitats and animal enclosures, where we saw elephants, rhinos and camels to name a few.

Choosing an afternoon train ride for us was the perfect excuse to give our legs a little rest.

Whipsnade’s latest event is Beano Goes Wild (until 4th September).

As part of Beano’s 85th-anniversary celebrations, Whipsnade Zoo has asked the Beanotown residents to create some mischief, and you can find out more about them on this awesome trail with blamtastic games and interactive challenges. Plus kids can play hide and seek and find Gnasher around the zoo (perfect for little ones!).

We also received a free exclusive Beano comic story from the zoo entrance which promotes how to protect wildlife at home and all around the world.

Plus more…

You’ll find lots more Beano fun activities in the Beano hub! From helping Dennis plant his seeds in an unusual way, finding bugs in a bug-friendly habitat to Harsha’s tent of trumps… Can you brave toxic poo smells and sounds of animals’ bathroom habits?

The kids can bring their own scooters for Minnie’s scooter zone, sort rubbish that can be reduced, reused and recycled in Dangerous Dan’s spy mission and attend fun and engaging animal talks!

Don’t forget to head to the craft workstation to make your very own seed bomb to take home!

There’s so many Beano adventures to have here, it’s the perfect event to experience before they go back to school!

A visit to Whipsnade Zoo is not just an outing, it’s an adventure that leaves a lasting impact on young hearts and minds. With its captivating animal encounters, interactive learning opportunities, and engaging play areas, the zoo creates an unforgettable experience for kids and families alike.

The combination of entertainment and education ensures that children leave with a newfound appreciation for the animal kingdom. From the professionalism and knowledge of the staff at the feeding talks to the well-laid-out park and the obvious welfare of the animals. It’s clear the tremendous effort Whipsnade Zoo has made for its inhabitants, in addition to the entertainment of families and children visiting the park.

As you plan your next family excursion, consider whisking your little ones away to Whipsnade Zoo. The excitement of encountering lions, giraffes, lemurs, and more, coupled with the joy of exploring interactive exhibits, promises a day of laughter, learning, and limitless fun!