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Chester Zoo


Chester Zoo is one of the UK’s biggest attractions, with over 1.4 million visitors each year.

The zoo was the vision of George Mottershead who after visiting a zoo as a young boy wanted to open his own but wanted to create something ‘without bars’.  George bought Oakfield manor and 7 acres of land and set about creating Chester Zoo,which opened in 1931. Since then the zoo has grown from a group of animals in 7 acres of land to housing over 11,000 in over 110 acres of award winning zoological gardens, the zoo is ranked in the top 15 of the world and is also recognised for it’s outstanding conservation work.

The original Oakfield Manor is still within the zoos grounds and now houses it’s onsite pub, restaurant and wedding and conference venue.

The Zoo has an outstanding reputation for the conservation work it does, from managed breeding programmes to field conservation and research. More information on the conservation work the zoo does can be found here.

The zoo boasts over 11,000 animals, which includes over 400 rare, exotic or endangered species all within cleverly designed enclosures to make sure you get the best views of the animal, without disturbing them. Some of the top features of the zoo include the walk through bat house, elephant enclosure, penguin house, sealions and the chimpanzees. There is so much to see and do at Chester Zoo it really is a fully packed day out!

The Zoo is open everyday (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day) from 10am but the closing times will vary depending on the season and school holidays. More information on closing times can be found here. You can also buy your tickets on line via their website so that you can go through the fast track admission, to really make the most of your time there!

Ticket prices will also vary on the season and depending on if you book on the day or in advance. Details regarding ticket prices can be found here.

Once in the zoo there are plenty of places to set up a picnic or you can find refreshments at the many kiosks, restaurants and cafes. There are also a range of services and facilities for accessibility for disabled visitors.

Full contact details for the zoo can be found below:

Website: http://www.chesterzoo.org/

Telephone number: 01244 380280

Email address: guest.services@chesterzoo.org

Postal Address : Chester Zoo,Upton-by-Chester,Chester,CH2 1LH.SAT NAV CH2 1EU.