Holmes Chapel Zoo
📍 Crewe, North West
Young intimate zoo featuring wallabies, meerkats, kookaburras, and reptile handling. Scheduled keeper talks, a meerkat experience add-on, and a keeper-for-a-day program. Adjacent to Bidlea Dairy cafe.
This was our first time at Holmes Chapel Zoo, and we were impressed. The Zoo has not been open long, and it is still building its collection, however, it was lovely to be able to get close to, and handle a number of small animals (under close supervision!) The keepers are friendly and knowledgeable about their animals, and it was good to be able to be able to put lots of questions. There were plenty of disinfection points around the Zoo. Bidlea Dairy is next to the Zoo and has a cafe with hot food and tons of delicious Ice Cream. Overall a good day out. Child friendly
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for families with young children who want close-up animal encounters with knowledgeable keepers in a small, unhurried setting. The meerkat experience is the headline add-on and draws strong praise. Plan for around an hour — the zoo is expanding and not and a full-day venue. The adjacent dairy cafe extends the outing.
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💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →196 Google reviews
Dave V
7 months ago
“This was our first time at Holmes Chapel Zoo, and we were impressed. The Zoo has not been open long, and it is still building its collection, however, it was lovely to be able to get close to, and handle a number of small animals (under close supervision!) The keepers are friendly and knowledgeable about their animals, and it was good to be able to be able to put lots of questions. There were plenty of disinfection points around the Zoo. Bidlea Dairy is next to the Zoo and has a cafe with hot food and tons of delicious Ice Cream. Overall a good day out. Child friendly”
Anna Charles-Jones
8 months ago
“Visited this place today, it's obviously in it's infancy with big plans for the future but there were some really interesting animals and very knowledgeable staff and it was well worth a visit. I stayed about an hour. I use a wheelchair and the first bit on the hardcore gravel was tough going, but once onto the plastic matting path it was much easier. I had a chat with the owner about future plans and accessibility is definitely on their radar which is great. I will definitely return in the future to see how it's progressing.”
Rebecca Northover
5 months ago
“We had an absolutely lovely time at this little zoo! The meerkat experience was 100% worth it as an animal lover. All staff at the zoo were really friendly and knowledgeable. I believe the person that was with us in the meerkat enclosure was called Nadia and she really made us feel comfortable and made the whole experience really special. Would love to visit again in the future!”
Nicola Davies
4 weeks ago
“This place is so worth a visit! We had a great time and learnt loads in each of the animals talks. It's only small as it's starting out but this place will be amazing as it grows. The animals are clearly so well-cared for!”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Holmes Chapel Zoo is a developing intimate zoo in Cheshire with wallabies, meerkats, kookaburras, and reptiles. Keeper talks run on a schedule and hands-on handling is supervised. A meerkat experience is bookable separately. A keeper-for-a-day program and calm mornings for additional needs visitors are offered. The zoo opened recently and is growing its animal collection. Gravel paths at the entrance are harder for wheelchair users; plastic matting paths ease navigation inside.
