Dudley Zoo and Castle
Dudley Zoo and Castle
4
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
DZC is unique… a home to more than 1300 animals, and has nigh on 200 species, including some of the rarest creatures on Planet Earth. Hundreds of exotic and endangered animals inhabit an ancient wooded hillside, with a rich geological history, around the ruins of the 11th century Dudley Castle and share a site with the world’s largest single collection of Modernist Tecton structures – and the country’s only vintage chairlift!
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • 24Helen
    43 contributions
    Terrible experience and a complete rip-off
    My daughter-in-law and I and my eldest grand-daughter (16) and my youngest grandson (nearly 3) visited the zoo and Santa's Grotto last week and we were extremely unimpressed, particularly with the grotto, which was extremely dull and boring. We all had the same view that no effort had been made with the grotto, the theme of which was meant to be 'The Chronicles of Dudley'. A few jackets and various snowflakes hung up and bare old fashioned Xmas trees with tiny white lights did not make for a winter wonderland. Although the Elves did try to do a reasonable job, the Santa that we saw appeared to have very little idea how to interact with children. The present that my grandson received was barely reasonable, given the cost for our venture, which I have to say overall was not in any way worth it. This is such a shame given that we went to the grotto about 6 years ago with 4 of my grandchildren and it was excellent, with superb decorations throughout the grotto and elves and Santa clearly knowing how to interact with children. Moving onto the actual zoo OMG. This place really does need shutting down. We will not be revisiting either the zoo or the grotto, despite t being on our doorstep
    Visited December 2022
    Written 15 December 2022
  • Charlotte B
    3 contributions
    Alright
    Every time we've been to dudley zoo we have always had a brilliant time but this time I felt let down. I booked a visit to see santa and for the money I paid it was not worth it at all. The staff in the restaurant look at you like you have 3 heads when you walk in. My partner ordered steak pasty and chips, the pasty was cornish. I asked if there was any sauce and they said yeah in the restaurant. Didn't tell me where in the restaurant I was walking round like an idiot for ages. Also very over priced. Then we got to the lemur enclosure and the woman who was in there was so miserable and blunt. As we come to leave we purchased a few things and the person who served us was really snobby. Iv never had a problem with staff before they have always been super friendly
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 December 2022
  • Elisabeth
    Solihull, United Kingdom1 contribution
    Easy access with many animals to see; but small confined areas for animals and many looked miserable :(
    Easy access and parking. Many animals to see. Little train ride up the hill fun for little ones. My only problem really was seeing some of the animals looking distressed. I know it’s a zoo.. and I don’t like the idea of animals in confined spaces.. but the spaces there are definitely very small and I can’t see how the animals have anything other than a miserable life. The snow leopard, lion and bush dogs were all letting out cries. Just couldn’t shake off a sense of misery from the animals. Just doesn’t seem at all right having them in such small spaces.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 December 2022
  • Nat
    22 contributions
    Nice to visit - just take your own food.
    We have annual passes and visit often. For us it’s a nice way to spend a few hours outdoors and getting the kids away from their tech. I would advise to take your own food. The restaurant is very overpriced and is far from value for money. The prices are high and the portions are small.
    Visited January 2023
    Written 29 January 2023
  • Clare
    Telford, United Kingdom4 contributions
    Fab day out
    Visited with my Husband and 3 year old little boy who has Down Syndrome, because of this he was able to get a special rate 'child with a disability' ticket and I was free being his carer. We were pleasantly surprised that they also refunded our parking even though we don't have a blue badge. Our tickets also included a free return pass to use before the end of July. Parking was a bit confusing as we went into a smaller fenced off section, realised there were no spaces free but then couldn't get out as we didn't yet have the parking token, so I'd reccomend parking in the larger section. We were very lucky to see most of the animals out and about, they all looked happy and well cared for. Some of the enclosures are looking a bit tired but we could also see that lots of work is being done around the zoo so hopefully they'll all be revamped eventually. Highlights included seeing the baby orangutan twins, the tigers up close in their inside viewing area, the castle creatures and the otters. My little boy absolutely loved the land train and this makes getting to the top of the zoo where the castle is so much easier. Be mindful that if you have a pushchair or wheelchair with you that you're limited to the routes you can go as there's a lot of stairs and steep slopes. We decided to take a picnic and there were plenty of benches round the zoo to eat this at. We sat on the seating opposite the snow leopards, this is undercover so would be great if it was a rainy day. One thing we did find lacking were the catering facilities, there's 2 cafes at the top of the zoo but none of the kiosks at the bottom were open. Toilets could also do with a bit of attention as they weren't the cleanest. We also stopped off at the fair, tokens are £1 each or you can buy 15 for £10. The rides are either 1 or 2 tokens per go, there's a few that are only suitable for children and a few where adults can go on with them. Overall we had a lovely day and we're looking forward to using our free return tickets.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 February 2023
  • Bondess007GAL
    Wellingborough, United Kingdom94 contributions
    Unexpected
    I was surprised at how many animals were here. Some animals had great habitats and looked healthy and happy but other animals I’m not so sure. The bat’s definitely need more space, a lot more space! There does seem to be some building of new animal enclosures, so happy to see that. As it’s Winter, a few things were closed but I think the entry fee is the same, which seems a bit unfair. Groupon does a great family ticket deal at the moment though. The kids loved it and it’s larger than imagined. We spent the whole day there. Recommend going!
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 February 2023
  • revolutionfrommybed
    West Midlands, United Kingdom315 contributions
    They've done what they could with what they have
    Obviously the zoo is quite limited when it comes to space for new enclosures etc so I think they've done what they could with the space they have and they certainly tried to give the animals the opportunity to hide - which is good. Nevertheless, I'm not a big fan. The area is very steep which is exhausting when you have a pushchair visit with toddlers. There is a good variety of animals but some of the enclosures feel pretty cold, eg the tiger enclosure which lacks greenery. The Lima enclosure is lovely and being able to walk through it is pretty cool. Bottom line, I think the space is just not suitable for a zoo and the animals would be better off in a zoo/park in the countryside where they have more space.
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 February 2023
  • JE66
    Birmingham, United Kingdom486 contributions
    Good day out
    Great day out for the family; cost £18.60 each per adult with access to the castle aswell as the zoo. The grounds are very hilly so be prepared for lots of walking, there is a land train that can take you round if needed. Lots of animals, enclosures are very clean and animals look healthy. Nice to see interactive enclosures like the Lemur wood and the bird avery which you can walk through. Quite a few talks throughout the day from the keepers for certain animals which was interesting. Improvements needed: Lots of maintenance needed on some buildings like the restaurant, it looks run down and shabby. Also the only place to eat and get a drink was the restaurant; no open kiosks around the zoo which is disappointing. Take your own food as it’s expensive; a jacket potato was over £8! Plenty of outdoor seating for picnics. Better signage needed for directions, there is a map but it would be better to have large visible signs for certain animals. Overall good day out especially for families, lots for children to do including a small funfair, farm and educational points throughout the zoo.
    Thank you for taking the time to offer your feedback. We are pleased to hear that you had an enjoyable day and your comments have been noted. Our catering is provided by an outside caterer (Amadeus) and your comments regarding the catering have been passed to them. Thank you once again and we hope to see you again soon.
    Written 28 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 March 2023
  • Angela F
    3 contributions
    Was ok but would not go again
    I was quite disappointed by our visit . Many of the issues to be fair were due to the weather but there were a lot of issues! Positives are the lorikeet lookout where you can feed the birds nectar, it is a lot of fun and beautiful. The animals looked well looked after and there were a lot of different species some I’d never seen or even heard of before. I’m struggling to find much else … Negatives were that many of the main animals that we came to see had to be locked inside so didn’t see the lions or tigers . I know the animals welfare comes first but things could be considered such as an indoor viewing area or being provided with some discount for tickets to use again in the future. Also a lot of the animals you couldn’t see because of the exhibits being closed or having maintenance done . We came to Dudley zoo for my daughter’s birthday because of the red pandas . Didn’t see them…. the exhibit had been moved and when we finally found the area they were being kept there was a keeper in there cleaning it . My daughter was really upset . The fair was closed and the chairlift to because of the weather. Again I think with so much of what you paid for being out of use there should be some sort of compensation. It’s really hard to find your way around the zoo even with the paper map they provide . They do have out of date maps on display but barely any other signposting to find your way. We found it difficult to get around , a lot of very steep inclines but no hand rails to steady yourself. I think someone with a disability would find it very difficult. The castle creatures exhibit is perhaps the worst I’ve ever had the misfortune of experiencing. Smelly , cold and boring. The eating facilities are terrible . The oak kitchen sounded lovely but was disappointing at best .They had ran out of sandwich’s at 13.40. I had a jacket potato which was lukewarm with no butter. The chips came cold like they had been sat out for a while . And they brought tea without providing any milk ?! They did add some when we asked but the Just awful and overpriced . Also they have signs all over about recycling and looking after the planet and their restaurant uses plastic single use plates and cutlery?! The discovery centre looks like an abandoned building from the outside. So yeah maybe if the weather had been better we would have had a better time but still a lot of issues and we wouldn’t go again .
    Visited April 2023
    Written 12 April 2023
  • stedee101
    Birmingham, United Kingdom62 contributions
    Rubbish
    Took our grandchildren for a day out. Was not that impressed the zoo was very dilapidated needs a lot of money spent on it to bring it up to scratch. There were or seemed to be a lot of empty enclosures and cages. The toilets based by the parrot house were filthy and stunk. A lot of things were shut discovery centre, ice cream stalls the fair. Would not recommend. The only positive thing I could say was the staff were very pleasant.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 June 2023
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superhoops2011
Harlington, UK128 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Derek Grove who is chief exec has avoided replying to my numerous emails after they refused to refund me £180 for the oran utan experiences. Avoid at all costs.
Written 22 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gema L
Blackburn, UK78 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Would only visit again if a special offer was on. The zoo is dated as are the enclosures. The train ride up the hill and down on the cable lift was good, the food extortionate in price and should have brought a picnic. Not many animals out. Better for younger children.
Written 30 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

McRae y
UK North West15 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
My 10 year old and me were the first visitors in on a drizzly day. It was half term for us, but school was still in for local kids. Having Chester Zoo on my doorstep, it was the Tectons that drew me here however, the animal experience at Dudley is different and special in its own right. Lemur forest was a stand out. We loved that. It’s possible to get closer to the animals here than at other zoos I have been to. That includes the tiger, flamingos and orangutans. Despite the dreary weather we saw everything.

The Tectons didn’t disappoint. There are orientation boards by them showing historical photos with the original animals in situ. This gives a good feel for how the design was intended. The zoo could maybe have considered how to maintain the clear lines of the structures a little more - some aspects are obscured by other structures, posters or wheely bins. I think to avoid the accusations of being ‘shabby’ some explanation of the repairs in progress would be useful too. The new entrance is labelled as having a Tecton exhibition however I couldn’t see anything there though I was a bit footsore by that point so I didn’t enquire further so maybe it was there?

Apart from the animals and the Tectons we enjoyed the land train and absolutely loved the restored chair lift. It was quiet so we rode several times. A climb up the castle keep to admire the views made for a really varied day out for my child and me. October and November has an offer of a free child place with a paying adult so it felt like we got excellent value for money too. A great day out.
Written 27 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jane_whittard
Bristol, UK8 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Animals were lovely, zoo was very dated, 1970's , definitely needs updating. Cafe facilities were not the best, saying that the girls enjoyed it
Written 25 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sharon E
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
Had a ‘Zookeeper Experience’ today as a birthday present from my son. It was amazing. The keepers were so friendly and certainly knew and loved their animals.
Was it expensive - yes
Was it worth it - absolutely
Would I do it again - without a doubt!
All the proceeds go towards the upkeep and welfare of the animals so it is certainly money well spent and I would recommend the experience to anyone and everyone. Just make sure you wear appropriate and sturdy footwear and clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty !
Written 16 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jessica l
Spalding, UK1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
We visited hear in September for my youngest sons birthday and we had a fantastic time, from start to finish there was so much to see and do, all of the animals were so well cared for, the zoo was clean and tidy and there were some fantastic animal talks throughout the day
The highlight of our trip were the two stunning tigers 🐅 A* FANTASTIC
I would highly recommend a visit and we will be returning soon, thank you Dudley castle and zoo
Written 15 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fazlurrehman Ansari
London, UK1,313 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
A very good family day out.
Site is hilly so we started with train ride. Lovely scenes both sides. Monkeys run was amazing.
Animals seems very well looked after.
Signage for guidance towards different enclosures of animals is visible.
The Castle visit was great. Very quite and peaceful atmosphere.
Panoramic view of city from top was mesmerising. Best place to take photos.
Short journey of Ski lift was good and our grand children had multiple ride as they have seen monkeys running.
Staff patrolling was minimum. Food prices are bit high and quality is also not up to mark.
But overall it was a good trip. We enjoyed.
Written 9 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GrandTour31297520288
2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
Lovely place, very clean and staff very helpful and informative about the animals. Lots of animals to see and clean places to eat indoors and out.
Written 7 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Toni b
7 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
We have been members for a few years and have been so many times; it's only down the road so sometimes we do whole days, sometimes a couple of hours.

We always have a nice time. I do think the restaurant could offer a bit more variety but it's standard food at attraction prices, nothing unexpected. There are plenty of picnic tables if you decide to bring your own food.

The shop is very good with a mix of items at a mix of prices.

The chair lift is always good fun as is the train.

The animals seem happy and stimulated, and while some of the enclosures do look tired and in need of upgrading, it's obvious this is a work in progress and work is being done. There is a new Orangutan space, new bird enclosures and currently work on the Bush dog section is being finished. I'm sure there are more plans for the future.

Around the site are photos of the zoo through the years. They don't shy away from some of the less pleasant parts of their history (killer whale in a tiny pool) but it's clear they are trying to educate and play a big part in the conservation of animals around the world as they support projects in the wild for various animals, raising money and awareness.

I recommend Dudley zoo for a day out.
Written 28 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for both your support with purchasing a membership and your kind feedback. We do have a continual programme of improvements and are pleased that you noticed these. The concrete Tecton buildings are listed buildings and cannot simply be painted due to legal restrictions. We are hoping to make improvements to these as soon as we are able. Education and Conservation is now one our priorities, so we are pleased that this was recognised. Thank you once again and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Written 5 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CLAIRE3053
Solihull, UK7 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Have been for couple years. It has been done up enjoyed. I have been coming here for years. Nice to see chair lifts earning again
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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DUDLEY ZOO AND CASTLE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Dudley Zoo and Castle

Dudley Zoo and Castle is open:
  • Sun - Sat 10:00 - 17:30


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