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Gruffalo Discovery Land Twycross Zoo – What to Expect

When the boys were growing up they both loved the Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. And as I discovered at the weekend it turns out Harry isn’t quite ready to leave the much-loved characters and the deep dark wood behind just yet. Even at the age of six, he really wanted to explore the new Gruffalo Discovery Land that was opened last year. When planning our visit to Twycross Zoo I had initially dismissed the idea of walking around the new attraction which is based on the best-selling children’s book. But Harry had other ideas… and we headed to the Gruffalo trail.

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Where is Gruffalo Land?

Gruffalo Land is located inside Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. As you enter the zoo you will see it off to the side of the entrance once you have gone through the ticket booths. It is not hard to miss as it has a large sign above the entrance. Easy for little ones to spot especially from the queues to get into the zoo. I was surprised that Harry decided he wanted to head in that direction immediately and not see the zoo animals. You can use the following address to find Gruffalo Land – East Midland Zoological Society, Burton Rd, Atherstone CV9 3PX

Twycross Zoo has plenty of free parking although I would arrive early to ensure that you get a space. As on the day we visited it was particularly busy. This did lead to cars being abandoned everywhere.

How much does it cost to go to Gruffalo Discovery Land?

The cost of visiting Gruffalo Discovery Land is included in Twycross Zoo’s admission. So you could say it is free! If you are planning on visiting then I would book your zoo tickets in advance online to make a saving on the price charged on the day. The costs on the day are £23.95 per adult and £21.95 per child. Under 2s are free. Online the prices could be as low as £58 for a family of two adults and two children online or at the weekends slightly more expensive at £65 or £69. Unlike other attractions, you are not given an arrival timeslot and your ticket is valid all day.

Top Tip – buy your tickets online before you go to save money.

What will you see at Gruffalo Discovery Land Twycross Zoo?

You will go on an interactive journey around the four-acre area of the zoo. Which blends the natural world and real-life animals with beautiful illustrations from Axel Scheffler and the bestselling children’s book. Including a new purpose-built interactive experience, featuring film clips and a number of creatures from the story.

As you enter you have the chance to go around the trail or head off towards the shop and cafe. The first stop on the trail is the beautiful butterfly house. Which is a must and simply full of stunning butterflies. Many of which were blue to match the illustrations. The zoo’s focus is very much on the importance of conservation and this is not lost in Grufflalo Discovery Land. Information is available throughout to help understanding of the vital role that the zoo plays. The chrysalises in particular were a big hit.

And…

Once out you follow the trail and come to each of the character meetings in turn. Here the children can press a button to hear a snippet of the story. It is an interactive way to bring the story alive. As the animatronic models move and speak in front of you. As you move on there are tree stumps that have the key features of the Gruffalo on them. Including his terrible teeth, terrible claws and terrible jaws. It is a nice touch as it gives them the chance to reinact that part of the story each time.

After the trail takes you into a room made from repurposed shipping containers, where a snippet of the video is playing. The walls are decorated with scenes from the best-selling picture book. So it makes for a wonderful experience, acting as a transition from one character to another. You will find Fox, Snake, Owl and of course The Gruffalo. As you would expect there are also lots of photo opportunities. I am sure the next generation of Gruffalo hunters will love it.

The new area includes real-life owls and the construction of a new aviary as well. The end of the Gruffalo trail will bring you into the main area where you can watch a show, shop for some Gruffalo goodies or eat in the Oh Crumbs Cafe. It has been developed and built in conjunction with brand managers Magic Light Pictures.

Is there somewhere to eat in Gruffalo Land?

Yes! Although it is so popular you are probably better off bringing your own food. Since we waited for over thirty minutes for a sausage roll and a sandwich. However, we did visit during a particularly busy day. Located next to the treetop house play area. The cafe sells a selection of pre-made sandwiches, cakes and hot and cold drinks. A children’s meal deal costs £5.95. It is not the cheapest either. To give you an idea, 3 cold drinks, one hot drink, 2 chocolate brownies, a baguette, 2 packets of crisps and 2 sausage rolls came to over £30.

Of course, the cafe is all in keeping with the much-loved children’s books. But it is not that big and we initially struggled to find a seat. There is seating outside as well although much of that was being used by people eating picnics.

Top Tip – Take your own food to avoid the long queues.

Pros:

I think the arrival of the Gruffalo Discovery Land at Twycross Zoo is a stroke of genius, setting it apart from other zoos in the UK. As it gives younger visitors the chance to have something, especially for them. Aimed at the imaginations of young children and capturing the next generation of zoo-goers early. So that they can see what the conservation organisation is all about and the focus the rest of the zoo has on endangered animals.

The new themed finale area is very impressive, the refurbishment team have done a great job bringing all the elements of the Gruffalo story to life.

The interactive bits are great for holding little ones’ attention. The Gruffalo trail is nicely spread out so that you do not feel as though you are too crammed in, even when it is busy. The fact that there is more than one display for each character also helps with this.

Of course, you also have the zoo included in the entrance fee. Giving you a chance to see more than 400 different animals across 80 different species. Around the zoo, there is lots of information on the important conservation work which they are doing. Charlie in particular left with a good understanding of extinction. He was so happy to see an Amur Leopard. Harry liked the goat enclosure where he could pet them.

Cons:

Billed as a ground-breaking experience did it live up to expectations? I was impressed with the new four-acre land apart from one thing. Many of the buttons did not work and they had signs on them blaming the weather. Yet they are outside and we all know that the British weather is not great. It was a little disappointing and I would have liked to see that they worked whatever the weather.

Top Tip – Try and visit when the weather is fair to make sure the models are working.

Have you visited the home of the Gruffalo Discovery Land? Do you little ones love the Gruffalo trails? Let me know if the comments below.

If you have enjoyed this post and considering arranging a mini break while visiting. Then you maybe interested in our post about Stay Play Explore Short Breaks which include attraction tickets in their price. Including Twycross zoo.