Calderglen children's zoo

Calderglen children's zoo is located in the grounds of Calderglen Country Park and is home to a charming and interesting animal collection. Set in attractive gardens and a tropical conservatory the zoo houses a unique mix of domestic and wild species.

You can visit our family of meerkats, parma wallabies, often with a joey and our coatis climbing on their ropes. Most children love and are attracted to the guinea pigs and rabbits. The birds you can see are our barn owl, Amber, white crested laughing thrushes, budgies and finches. If you are lucky you will hear the kookaburras laughing.

Groups may book an informal tour of the zoo with one of the Keepers to find out more about the animals and how we care for them. Find out the animals' favourite foods and how even small zoos like ours are involved in conservation.

For a more formal illustrated talk groups may book a talk on zoo history. This talk charts the evolution of zoos throughout history and changes in attitudes to captive animal care. It illustrates the improvements in zoo management and what zoos are doing to help endangered animals all over the world.

Another illustrated talk is 'My Rainforest'. If you would like to hear personal experiences of the South American Rainforest and find out what makes it so special and worth preserving then this talk is for you.

For schools visiting Calderglen children's zoo, our Discovery pack which is tailor made for school children is a must, ranging from primary right through to early secondary and covers everything teachers need for planning their school trip, from directions, health and safety considerations, catering options, as well as fun ideas for activities back in the classroom.

Topics covered in the Discovery pack are: P1-3 Sense for safety and Feathered friends; P4-6 Food chains and Life cycles; P7-S2 Zoos and conservation and Classification. These fulfil teaching attainment targets set out in the national curriculum.

The Discovery pack also includes a puzzle trail around the conservatory and zoo, word searches, colouring sheets and teacher's answer sheets for all the topics. It comes in an attractive folder with worksheets that can be photocopied. The pack will be available for download soon.

The zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquaria (BIAZA), a charity representing the highest required standards for animal care and welfare.

For further information on Calderglen children's zoo, to book a talk in advance or to order a copy of our Discovery pack, please contact Calderglen Country Park. You can also book a talk by completing our Animal keepers (children's zoo) booking form (293KB PDF) (this document will open in a new window).

Opening Times

Conservatory and Zoo: Summer (April to September) 10.30am-5pm. Winter (October to March) 11am-4pm.
Last ticket admission (Summer) 4.30pm. Last ticket admission (Winter) 3.30pm.

Courtyard Cafe: Summer (April to September) 10.30-5pm. Winter (October to March) 11am-4pm.

Visitor Centre: Summer (April to September) 10.30am-5pm. Winter (October to March) 11am-4pm.

Admission Charges

With effect from 1 April 2010 the following charges will apply for entrance to the conservatory and zoo:

Adult day ticket £1.00

Children under 16 years Free entry

Children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult

Annual family season ticket £25. (valid for one year from the date of purchase, admits two adults per ticket)

Ask at reception for further details.

This service is provided by Community Resources

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