Hertfordshire Zoo ( formerly known as Paradise Park), is a joy to visit throughout the seasons, yes- even in the winter!
One of the reasons we love visiting Hertfordshire Zoo in the winter is it still makes the perfect day out- it’s local, the animals are beautiful to see, and there are other activities included in your ticket which means you can max out the day and have lots of fun.
I usually like to arrive early as I find a lot of the animals are most active and you have a good chance to see them. The zoo also tends to get busier in the afternoon so the morning is perfect for a relaxing walk around.
The Zoo is seperated across two neighbouring areas which is really handy for planning your visit. As you enter, you have the soft play centre, huge themed outdoor play areas, and the World of the Dinosaurs, which is an adventure in itself! Here there is also a really big sandpit that is open during the winter, and our girls loving playing here, even when it is cold!
Visiting the Dinosaurs is great fun as they are life sized and interactive! Lots of great selfies spots and make sure you see ( or avoid) the cheeky dinosaur at the end of the trail as he sprays water at you! Great fun!
While walking around a Zoo in the winter can get , the animal section breaks this up with indoor enclosures for lots of the animals. These are lovely and toasty so a great place to warm back up! We particularly like the reptile centre with lots of different snakes, and a crocodile.
In January 2025 Hertfordshire Zoo said goodbye to some of their older animals, and retired both the pair of wolves, and two gorgeous lionesses (my favourite), to sanctuaries, so you can’t see these animals here unfortunately. However the Zoo is home to other favourite animals including a red panda, a snow leopard, monkeys, a brown bear, penguins, meerkats and otters, camals and emus. There is also a nature garden and a small farm- home to sheep, goats, guinea pigs and the famous Giant Rabbit.
Once we’d finished seeing the animals we headed over to the indoor softplay and who doesn’t love a softplay! This is seperated into an under 3s section, and an over 3s section, and includes the usual softplay slides and climbing. I really like that they also have two swings and a sensory glitter tube.
If you are seeking even MORE fun on your visit, you can play a game if mini adventure golf (£3) or join one of the talks on throughout the day. We’ve watched the Birds of Prey talk before and it’s really interesting!
There is also a mini train you can go on that takes you around the dinosaur enclosure (£2 per person and lasts a couple of minutes). During the winter, the train runs once on the hour every hour starting at 10am.
Somethings to note if you are planning a visit this winter:
- Always check the website for a discount code . At the moment there is a 25% code for winter tickets
- Some of the areas may be closed during the winter. The Lions enclosure is currently empty and is being renovated. The Waterering hole splash park and paddling pool opens towards the summer.
- Some of the smaller food trucks are closed however there are two main eateries that are open.
- If you have a membership, you can get 10% off the restaurants and the gift shops
Other facilities
There are multiple toilets throughout the zoo, which is always handy! Parking at the zoo is free and during the less busy seasons, the car park closest to the entrance is open for all to use.
