Category × County
5 Best Zoos and Wildlife Parks In Somerset and Bristol
Five wildlife sites cover Somerset and Bristol, and they are specialists rather than variations on one theme. Noah's Ark Zoo Farm and Bristol Zoo Project (Previously Wild Place Project) are the two built for a full family day, both with indoor space. Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre puts birds at the centre and gives you something closer to a display than a walk round enclosures. Ferne Animal Sanctuary is a rescue site, so the animals are there because they need to be. Apex Leisure and Wildlife Park is parkland with wildlife rather than a zoo. Different visits, different lengths, one category.
Top zoos and wildlife parks in Somerset and Bristol
Showing 1–5 of 5
Parks and PlaygroundsApex Leisure and Wildlife Park
Zoos and Wildlife ParksExmoor Owl and Hawk Centre
Zoos and Wildlife ParksNoah's Ark Zoo Farm
Zoos and Wildlife ParksFerne Animal Sanctuary
Zoos and Wildlife ParksBristol Zoo Project (Previously Wild Place Project)
First visit? Go with one of the two larger sites, where a slow morning and a picnic are part of the design. Save the bird centre and the sanctuary for when your child has a real interest, because both reward attention more than they reward running about.
Zoos and Wildlife Parks in Somerset and Bristol: FAQs
Why does one listing carry two names?
Bristol Zoo Project (Previously Wild Place Project) appears under both because the site changed name and plenty of families still search for the old one. If you have been before under the earlier name, it is the same place, and signage or directions you saved may not match what you find online. Searching either name should get you to the right listing, which is the whole reason we keep both on the record.
How does a sanctuary differ from a zoo day?
A sanctuary exists for the animals rather than for visitors, so the layout is quieter, the pace is slower and the story behind each resident is often the point. Ferne Animal Sanctuary is the one here. Children who like knowing why an animal arrived tend to get a lot from it. Children expecting big enclosures and a play area will find it modest, so set the expectation in the car rather than at the gate.
Is a bird centre a fair swap for a zoo?
It can be, provided everyone knows what they are getting. Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre trades breadth for closeness: fewer species, seen properly, often in flight rather than behind glass. That is a stronger memory than a distant enclosure for many children, and a disappointment for one who came for elephants. Read the listing together beforehand and the visit tends to land far better.