Category × County
8 Best Zoos and Wildlife Parks In Norfolk
Sanctuary or zoo? Norfolk makes you answer that question. Two Redwings sites appear in the eight wildlife listings, Redwings Horse Sanctuary Aylsham and Redwings Horse Sanctuary Caldecott, alongside Banham Zoo and Amazona Zoo. Children come away from the two kinds of place with quite different things.
A sanctuary is quieter, usually built around a smaller number of animals with stories attached, and it rewards a child who wants to know why. A zoo is a bigger day with more to see and more walking. Four of the eight have indoor space.
Top zoos and wildlife parks in Norfolk
Showing 1–8 of 8
Zoos and Wildlife ParksWatatunga Wildlife Reserve
SightseeingRoss' Wildlife Boat Trips
Zoos and Wildlife ParksThe Bug Parc
Zoos and Wildlife ParksRedwings Horse Sanctuary Aylsham
Zoos and Wildlife ParksRedwings Horse Sanctuary Caldecott
Zoos and Wildlife ParksThrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens
Zoos and Wildlife ParksBanham Zoo
Zoos and Wildlife ParksAmazona Zoo
Two entries sit outside both categories and are worth a look. Watatunga Wildlife Reserve and Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens are outdoor, and Ross' Wildlife Boat Trips is filed under sightseeing but is one of the best-rated animal listings in the county. The Bug Parc is the small, indoor-capable option for a day when nobody wants to walk far.
Zoos and Wildlife Parks in Norfolk: FAQs
Sanctuary or zoo for younger children?
A sanctuary often wins with under-sixes, because the scale is manageable and there is less pressure to see everything. A big zoo can be overwhelming and involves a lot of walking between exhibits, most of which a three-year-old will not remember. If you do go large, plan to see a third of it and count the day a success.
Are both Redwings sites worth doing?
Probably not on the same trip. They share a name and a purpose, so a second visit will feel familiar rather than new, and children notice that faster than adults. Pick whichever is easier for you to reach, and save the other for another month if the first one goes well.
What works on a hot day?
Somewhere with shade and somewhere to sit, which usually means the sites with indoor space. Four of the eight Norfolk listings have it, The Bug Parc and Redwings Horse Sanctuary Aylsham among them. Animals are often less active in heat, so a hot afternoon at a large outdoor collection can be a long walk for very little payoff.