Accessibility

Visitors with disabilities may admit one accompanying carer free of charge when they pay for a full price Adult, Student or Child ticket type; tickets can be collected from our Ticket Sales windows when you arrive. To collect the carer ticket, please make sure you bring along your supporting documents that shows you require a carer. We accept the following documents:

• Disability Allowance Letter
• PIP letter
• Access Pass
• Any other appropriate supporting documentation as issued by your local council.

For T&C’s surrounding our Adult, Student and Child ticket types including age restrictions please visit our terms and conditions.

We’re a fully accessible visitor attraction so visitors with wheelchairs, mobility scooters and limited mobility can relax and enjoy their day. We offer:

• Free disabled parking at the main entrance. Just let a car park attendant know when you arrive and they will direct you to one of our disabled parking spaces.
• Free entry for carers (see above for more information).
• Accessible pathways.
• Free wheelchair and electric scooter hire, subject to a £25 refundable deposit. Pre-booking is essential, and cannot be hired on the day. Find out more here.
• Accessible toilet facilities are available across the zoo site, including a changing spaces inside the Jubilee toilets with a hoist, adjustable bed and sink. Find our accessible facilities on our map here.
• A wheelchair lift is available at the Realm of the Red Ape house for those who will struggle to use the ramp.
• Our Lazy River Boat Trip has wheelchair access (we’re sorry but electric scooters are not allowed, however if possible we can offer the use of a wheelchair for your boat trip at the Jetty. Please head down our exit and meet a member of the team there.
• Elephant Bridge and Wooden Bats Bridge have a steep gradient so please ask if you need assistance in these areas.
• Our Wooden Bats Bridge is not fully accessible for wheelchair users, who may prefer going back over Elephant Bridge.
• Many animal habitats have multiple viewing points so let us know if you need advice about the best places to view our amazing animals.

• We acknowledge the Sunflower Scheme and many members of staff are trained to recognise the symbol and offer assistance where needed.
• If you have any particular issues with queueing, our team will be happy to help.
• For visitors who prefer not to be here during our busier times we would recommend that you visit outside of the school holidays and on weekdays where possible. We find our ‘off peak’ seasons a great time to be here at the zoo so that you can spend as long as you like with the animals that you love.
• If you’d like to visit as a group we have run group workshops for the National Autistic Society so have some experience of preparing ‘sensory’ experiences. If you would like a tailor made visit that will suit your needs then please contact our groups team via email on groups@chesterzoo.org.

If you have any questions then please get in touch and our admissions team will be happy to help!

Assistance Dogs who are registered with an accredited training provider are welcome on site. Please note that we do not allow any assistance dogs in training into the zoo.

Some of the animals can get spooked when they see a dog – even one as well trained as an assistance dog, so we ask you use this map as a guide.

If you are unsure of any of the areas highlighted on the map, please speak to one of our team members who will be happy to assist you.

• All registered assistance dogs must be up to date with their inoculations
• All assistance dogs must be kept on a lead at all times and under strict control
• Dogs must not be allowed to defecate anywhere in the zoo grounds and any incidents should be cleared away by their owners

If you have any questions please get in touch via the contact us page or call us on 01244 380280.

We’ve got lots of multi-sensory experiences and an amazing array of sounds and smells. These include:

• Daily animal talks with our Zoo Rangers. They help visitors discover cool stuff about some of the most endangered and exotic animals in the world! Visit our Plan Your Visit page to see today’s animal talks.
• Our gardens have an array of textures. In The Plant Project you’re sure to be dazzled by the exotic colours, smells, shapes and textures of some of the world’s most incredible plants.
• Guided tours are available for groups. For more information on availability and pricing please email groups@chesterzoo.org.
• Our Sensory Bags are designed to support our visitors with additional sensory need and intended to help improve focus and relaxation. Available to anyone that would benefit from using them, can be collected at Adventure HQ, at the main entrance, for a £20 refundable deposit on return of the bag to the point of collection.
• Sensory trail – The zoo has lots of sounds, sights, textures and smells to experience in lots of different ways.

Download our sensory trail that will highlight the best areas for a multi-sensory experience.

We understand that some of our visitors might benefit from knowing what to expect from their visit. Download our social story and help to plan your day.

We aim to make our school and junior programme session as accessible as possible.

If you’re joining us on a school visit and have any questions around support during your visit, please contact us on learning@chesterzoo.org.

If you’re joining us on a junior programme session and have any questions around support during your visit, please contact us on juniormembers@chesterzoo.org.

Join us at Native every Sunday from 10am – 11am.

We’ll be turning down the audio and turning off the floor projections in Native. All visitors are welcome during our quiet hours, but this time is ideal for those that may find loud sounds and strong lights challenging.

There is no need to pre-book. Normal zoo admission applies.