Category × County
7 Best Zoos and Wildlife Parks In Hampshire
Birds run through Hampshire's wildlife listings. Hawk Conservancy Trust, Liberty's Owl, Raptor And Reptile Centre and TWO Bird Experiences all put raptors front and centre, which means flying displays, handling and standing outside in whatever weather is going. Beyond them the county holds Marwell Zoo for a conventional zoo day, New Forest Wildlife Park for woodland species, and two smaller New Forest sites, Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary and New Forest Reptile Centre. Seven venues, all recorded as mainly outdoors, and only two with any indoor space at all.
Top zoos and wildlife parks in Hampshire
Showing 1–7 of 7
Zoos and Wildlife ParksTWO Bird Experiences
Zoos and Wildlife ParksHawk Conservancy Trust
Zoos and Wildlife ParksBolderwood Deer Sanctuary
Zoos and Wildlife ParksLiberty's Owl, Raptor And Reptile Centre
Zoos and Wildlife ParksNew Forest Wildlife Park
Zoos and Wildlife ParksMarwell Zoo
Zoos and Wildlife ParksNew Forest Reptile Centre
Dress for a field. That single piece of advice covers most of this list, because the displays and the deer are outside regardless of the sky. If your child wants a wide range of animals in one place rather than a specialism done well, the zoo is the obvious starting point.
Zoos and Wildlife Parks in Hampshire: FAQs
We want a proper zoo rather than a bird centre. Which is it?
Marwell Zoo is the county's conventional zoo in this list and the one that carries a full day, with indoor space as well as its grounds. New Forest Wildlife Park is the other broad site, focused on species you would find in northern woodland rather than the tropics. The bird centres do something narrower and do it well, but they are not a substitute if a child has spent a week asking about giraffes.
What should we bring to a birds of prey display?
Layers and boots, mostly. The flying areas are open ground, and five of the seven wildlife sites in the county record no indoor space at all, so there is often nowhere to duck into if the wind gets up. Children stand still for longer than they expect during a display, which makes them colder than a normal walk would. A hat, a drink and something to sit on cover almost every complaint.
Are the smaller New Forest sites worth a special trip?
They work best as part of a wider day in the forest rather than as the whole plan. Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary and New Forest Reptile Centre are compact, and a family driving a long way purely for one of them can feel short-changed. Combine one with a walk and lunch and the balance is right. Check each listing for what is actually on site so you know how long to allow.
Which suits a child who wants to be close to the animals?
The specialist centres, without much doubt. Handling and flying sessions bring a bird within a few feet of a child in a way a large enclosure never will, and TWO Bird Experiences and Liberty's Owl, Raptor And Reptile Centre are built around that closeness. The trade is breadth: you will see a handful of species rather than dozens. For a child who cares about one animal in particular, that is a good deal.