Colchester Zoo is the kind of day out that keeps families coming back year after year: 60 acres of parkland near Colchester, Essex, where you can watch a herd of African bush elephants wade through Elephant Kingdom, see Amur tigers prowl Tiger Taiga, and hunt for lemurs in Lost Madagascar, all in a single visit.
It’s grown a long way from its 1963 beginnings as a small private collection, and in 2025 it changed hands again, moving to charitable, not-for-profit ownership. Here’s what’s actually at the zoo today, what it costs to get in, and everything you need to plan a visit.
Quick Answer
Colchester Zoo is a 60-acre wildlife park at Heckfordbridge, just outside Colchester, Essex, open daily from 9:30am (except Christmas Day) and home to roughly 150 species, from African bush elephants and Amur tigers to Komodo dragons, spread across immersive habitats like Elephant Kingdom and Tiger Taiga. Since February 2025 it has been run as a registered charity, the Colchester Zoological Society.
What to See at Colchester Zoo
The zoo is organized around themed habitats rather than rows of cages. Elephant Kingdom is the headline exhibit, a large landscaped home for the zoo’s herd of African bush elephants with underwater viewing of their pool. Tiger Taiga houses the Amur tigers, the largest living cat subspecies, while Dragons of Komodo is one of only a handful of UK collections breeding Komodo dragons as part of a European endangered-species programme.
Elsewhere, Lost Madagascar and Edge of Africa group primates, lemurs, and African wildlife into naturalistic zones, and Kingdom of the Wild and Dinosaur Realm add big cats and animatronic dinosaurs for younger visitors. A road train, the Madagascar Express, runs across the site, which is useful given the size and the naturally hilly terrain.
From Family Farm to Charitable Trust
Colchester Zoo began in 1963, when zoologists Frank and Helena Farrar, who had previously run Southport Zoo, opened a roughly 25-acre collection on the Stanway Hall Estate near Colchester. Financial difficulties in the 1970s led to a change of ownership, and the zoo passed to the Tropeano family, who expanded and modernized it over the following decades, growing it to its current 60 acres.
In February 2025, ownership transferred again, this time to a newly formed charitable trust, the Colchester Zoological Society, after plans for the move were announced the previous month. The Society has also outlined ambitious longer-term expansion plans, including enlarged habitats, a refurbished savannah paddock, and potential new species such as gorillas, bonobos, and okapi, though timelines for these projects haven’t been confirmed.
Animals and Conservation
Colchester Zoo’s own published stocktake put the collection at around 150 species and just over 1,000 individual animals at the end of 2025, spanning mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Of those, roughly 33 species are classified as endangered or critically endangered, a figure the zoo has reported is rising year on year.
The zoo is a member of BIAZA, EAZA, and WAZA, and takes part in European breeding programmes for threatened species, including its Komodo dragons. Through its own conservation charity, Action for the Wild, it also funds field projects abroad, such as work at the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, tying the exhibits on site to broader habitat protection work.
Planning Your Visit: Hours, Tickets, and Parking
The zoo opens at 9:30am every day of the year except Christmas Day (with an earlier 8:30am opening on selected Magic of Christmas event days). Closing times shift with the seasons and school holidays, running later on weekends and summer dates and earlier on winter weekday afternoons; last admission to the grounds is always one hour before closing, and a few popular attractions and dining spots close an hour earlier still for anyone arriving after midday. Because the exact closing time changes through the year, check the official Colchester Zoo website for the day you plan to visit.
Tickets are priced individually by age band rather than as family bundles, and booking online in advance is typically cheaper than paying on the day at the gate. If you’re likely to visit more than once a year, you can upgrade to an annual membership pass during your visit, with a digital version available for Apple Wallet and Android. Buy only through the zoo’s own website or box office, since tickets from unofficial resellers aren’t accepted. Parking is free, with accessible bays near the entrance.
Getting to Colchester Zoo
The zoo’s address is Colchester Zoo, Maldon Road, Colchester CO3 0SL. By car, leave the A12 at Junction 26 onto the A1124 and follow the brown elephant signs via the Stanway Western Bypass; it’s roughly 40 minutes from the M25, and under an hour from Southend, Hertfordshire, or Stansted Airport.
There’s no train station on site. The nearest stops are Colchester North and Marks Tey, both about four miles away, so visitors arriving by rail usually finish the journey by taxi, around a ten-minute ride from either station.
Facilities and Accessibility
The site is hilly in places, but wheelchairs and mobility scooters are welcome throughout, and scooters can be hired on site; there are also adult changing facilities. Assistance dogs are permitted with the right documentation, though emotional support animals aren’t. Free Wi-Fi covers the park, picnic areas are dotted around on a first-come basis, and catering outlets publish allergen information. Smoking is restricted to a single designated area near the main entrance.
Photos
Hauls kids, coolers and souvenirs across a big zoo or park, folds flat for the trunk.
Little hands reach in, snacks stay in — a lifesaver on long zoo days.
Easier on your back than carrying in arms all day at the zoo.
Colchester Zoo Essex guide FAQs
When did Colchester Zoo open?
Colchester Zoo opened on June 2, 1963, founded by zoologists Frank and Helena Farrar on the Stanway Hall Estate near Colchester, Essex.
How big is Colchester Zoo and how many animals does it have?
The zoo covers about 60 acres and, according to its most recent published stocktake, is home to roughly 150 species and just over 1,000 individual animals.
Who owns Colchester Zoo now?
Since February 2025, Colchester Zoo has been owned and run by the Colchester Zoological Society, a charitable trust, after decades under private ownership by the Tropeano family.
What time does Colchester Zoo open and close?
Gates open at 9:30am every day except Christmas Day. Closing times vary by season and school holidays, with last admission always one hour before close, so check the official website for the current time before you go.
How much are Colchester Zoo tickets?
Tickets are priced per person by age band rather than as a family bundle, and booking online ahead is usually cheaper than paying at the gate. Current prices are listed on the zoo’s official website, since they change with the season.
Is parking free at Colchester Zoo?
Yes, the zoo’s on-site car park is free to use, with disabled parking bays available close to the entrance.
How do you get to Colchester Zoo without a car?
There’s no direct rail link; the nearest stations are Colchester North and Marks Tey, both about four miles away, from where most visitors take a short taxi ride to the zoo.
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