The school summer holidays always mean more family days out, as many of us struggle to stop the kids (and ourselves) going insane without the usual structure and routine.
For us, last week it was Alton Towers, this week, it was Blackpool Zoo.
We went on a swelteringly hot Wednesday in the middle of August, and despite the heat we had a really fun time. It’s a big site with hundreds of different animals to look at and learn about, not to mention the playground, the miniature train, the wildlife talks, and everyone’s favourite, the sea lion shows!
In this review, I’ll tell you what I thought of Blackpool Zoo, and whether I think it is worth the money to go.
What We Loved About Our Visit
We probably didn’t get the best of Blackpool Zoo because it was so hot on the day we visited a lot of the animals were hiding, but even so, we had a brilliant day.
Once you enter the park, you can go off in a few different directions. We went straight to the monkeys and my boy was instantly thrilled to see one of them doing a wee into the water below. Absolutely made his day 😂
There is no set route, and the place isn’t too big to go back and forth, but the Blackpool Zoo app has route suggestions and geolocation abilities, so you could use that if you want more structure. We didn’t plan anything except the sea lion show, and I don’t think we missed anything.
One of the great things here is the zoo has different ways to view all of the animals. Indoor and outdoor areas to the enclosures for tigers, giraffes, lions, gorillas etc., as well as raised areas.
You can even watch the sea lion show through glass panels in the enclosure wall if you don’t get a seat inside. There are plenty of these viewing panels too, so it never feels too crowded.
The cafes, toilets, and picnic areas are sensibly spread out too, so you’re never more than a minute or two away should you need an emergency ice cream or an emergency nappy change!
Although we came to see the animals, we actually spent quite a lot of time in the play area. This is at the back of the zoo, so if you spend half the day heading in that direction, you can sit down to eat then the kids can have a play before heading back to see anything you missed on the way up. There’s a lot to do here, and it’s suitable for children of all ages. You can let them run free a bit as it’s fairly open and you can see what they are getting up to. It’s great.
There are lots of educational talks throughout the day at various different enclosures. We did one of the early ones but our kids wanted to run around rather than be educated. For slightly older children though, they’re great, with a chance to get hands on with some items like snake skin, and even the animals in some cases.
Our favourite animals were probably the monkeys, the gorillas, and the tiger. My little girl currently loves The Tiger Who Came To Tea, so when the tiger came right up to the glass in front of us she was squealing with delight. It was very cute.
Oh, and there is of course a gift shop on the way out.
So be ready for: “Mummyyyyy… can I have a…”
In Need of Some TLC
I think it’s fair to say that Blackpool Zoo is showing its age somewhat.
This isn’t even a gripe, it’s just the truth. It’s still well worth a visit, but the place needs a little bit of TLC.
It’s only little things. For example, on the dinosaur safari, the water squirting dinosaur no longer works. This was a real thrill for the kids last time I was there (about 10 years ago, when I didn’t have kids of my own), so it was a shame my kids missed out on it.
There was also litter scattered around the place, and I noticed it at about 10:10am, shortly after the park opened. Not loads, and I get that a huge site like a zoo must be difficult to keep tidy, but still.
Even things like the vending machines date the place. They still have those ones where you put a pound in flat and push the mechanism up. I know it doesn’t matter, but combined with the shabby entrance and the peeling paint it creates a general feeling of yesteryear.
Top Tips!
There are a few things it’s worth knowing before you go, if you want to make the most of your visit:
- Book ahead. It’s cheaper than paying on the day. You might find vouchers or be able to swap Tesco Clubcard points for tickets, which is what we did 💁♀️
- Check the schedule before you start. You get a map and a schedule of what’s on when you go in. Have a look right away and plan your day around the things you want to see.
- Arrive early for the sea lion shows. Seats are limited, and they fill up fast. We arrived 20 minutes early for the 12:30 show and it was already over 75% full, so get there in plenty of time.
- Watch out for seagulls! If you are eating, especially around the tables outside the cafés, the seagulls will be plotting to steal your food. Never leave food unattended and if you have small kids holding a sweaty sandwich stay close, because the gulls will steal that sarnie right out of your little one’s hand.
- Take your own food. I’ll cover this in more detail below, but buying food and drink on site is pricey.
- Try to avoid hot days. I know this is difficult if you’re planning way ahead of time, but if at all possible, avoid really hot days. The animals will all be hiding from the sun and your kids will lose their minds in the heat.
- Don’t forget to pay for parking. It costs £4.50 to park for the day, so factor this in the the overall cost.
I would also say that you don’t need to get there for when the zoo opens. It will be easier to find a parking space, but the site isn’t so big that you need the full day to cover it. You can easily spend the whole day there if you want to, but don’t stress if you’re a bit late. We arrived for 10am and were straight through with no wait, and even when it’s busy, the site is big enough that you never really feel the crowds.
In my experience, the only thing you might have to queue for is the food and the toilet.
A Word of Warning on the Prices
I mentioned taking your own food, and I want to reiterate that here. We took plenty, but it was so hot we had to buy extra drinks half way through the day. It cost a bomb. £3.50 for a bottle of juice, and about the same again for an ice cream. You expect to pay a bit over the odds somewhere like this but it was extortionate.
The train ride is £3.50 per person too. That might not sound too bad, but it just goes around the outside of one side of the park, takes about 5 minutes, and you don’t see anything you couldn’t see otherwise. Not worth it in my humble opinion, especially for a family of 4.
On the other hand, it’s not expensive to get into the zoo, and all the talks and the sea lion show are included in the price. Under 3s go free, so we only paid for me, my other half, and my son, but a family ticket is only £71.99 booked in advance which is less than £20 per person.
The takeaway here is that entry prices are reasonable, but they fleece you once you get inside. It’s definitely worth going though, we had a brilliant time, even if I did sweat through all my clothes 🥵