Askham Bryan Wildlife Park in York Review (2026)

We’ve had a membership to Askham Bryan Wildlife Park for two years now, so we thought we’d seen all there was to see there. Apparently not!

We walked in last weekend and Emmy declared it the “best day EVER”. Why, you may ask? What could make your 6 year old grin in excitement like this, even at a place she’s been to more than 10 times before?

One very simple thing, and I’m sure other parents of children aged 4 to 10 will understand right now (even if it makes little sense to us!). Let me expand this photo for you to see why:

Axolotls.

Side note, what is it about axolotls that they’re all obsessed with, any ideas?!

I truly think Askham Bryan Wildlife Park is a hidden gem for family days out in Yorkshire, especially during the school holidays and weekends when you want something outdoors but not overwhelming. And not just for the axolotls!

Why We Keep Going Back To Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park

We stumbled across Askham Bryan Wildlife Park (or as we call it for short “ABC Park” – as it’s linked to Askham Bryan College) when hunting for a new day out a couple of years ago. With two kids under 5, and us not wanting to hit up soft play yet again, this popped up.

After our first visit, we immediately upgraded our tickets to season passes – it was a no-brainer decision as it would be £30 for us as a family of four to enter the park for a single visit, but was £75 to visit an unlimited amount of times in a year! I also think (and I can’t say for certain as it was 2 years ago now!) that you just pay the different from your ticket price if you buy on the day too – I’ll have to double check that though!

We thought we would probably just visit a couple more times to make the pass worth it, but with animals, you know there’s always something different to see. You won’t spot a camouflaged frog for months, then suddenly a little eagle eye will notice it. We saw the bush baby in the dark room for the first time after about 18 months of visiting (and it was staring us straight in the eyes on the other side of the glass – that was a shock when your eyes adjusted!).

It turns out that it’s also one of those places that’s always quietly improving. Plus they’ve just had a big refurbishment  – they were closed for 3 months this winter (don’t worry, they did good for the members and gave us that time at the end of the season pass!) and have added so much more exciting stuff! I’ve already mentioned the most exciting thing for ours – the axolotls! – but there are also catsharks, dwarf zebus and more. Some animals, such as the raccoon dogs, now have new habitats which are not only better themed, but also make them easier to spot.

There have also been some improvements that you might not even notice, but we certainly did. For example, the glass cases around some animals have been extended down to floor level, which means no more lifting 4 year olds up so they can spot the creatures! That’s one of those things that seems like nothing, but makes SUCH a difference to parents’ backs!

What Is There To See at Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park?

Let me just manage some expectations before we dive into this too far: Askham Bryan Wildlife Park isn’t a big flashy zoo. It’s not like Chester Zoo or the Yorkshire Wildlife Park with giraffes and lions and tigers and bears (oh my!). It’s home to smaller (less dangerous!) creatures, but many of which are just as exciting and cute as the big ones. Plus, there are a few unusual ones that we haven’t managed to see elsewhere too.

What Animals Can You See at Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park?

The first zone in the main building is reptiles, fish and amphibians – this is an indoor section. And yes, it’s where the axolotls are! While there are plenty of cases and tanks to look at, they also have some “behind the scenes” sections here too with even more creatures. We’ve been lucky enough to pass through a couple of times when it was snake feeding time – they let you in to a space behind the rest of the tanks which feels a bit like a science lab! The kids were able to get involved with feeding, which was very fun! Keep an eye when you walk in on the timings board so you can catch one of these!

This indoor area is also home to a dark room where you can see armadillos, bats (these are very cool!) and even tiny little bushbabies. This is very cool, but you’ll want to give your eyes a chance to adjust to be able to spot anything in here!

Outside this area, there are raccoon dogs, otters and tortoises, with windows that make them very accessible for little ones to see them. We’ve also watched the otters being fed here!

You then head into the Arboretum area, which makes this park more unique. It’s not just enclosure after enclosure of animals – there are natural areas of woodland, home to little harvest mice, to emphasise the importance of protecting vulnerable species for future generations. There are signs to explain what the trees are in more detail than just a Latin name too – who knew I’d be so fascinated by a giant redwood in North Yorkshire?!

Winding through the Arboretum, you’ll find lemurs and meerkats, plus a pretty new “native” section, which is home to glutinous snails (lovely!), Scottish wildcats (very shy!), barn owls and more. There’s also a wetlands area where you can look out for the famous tansy beetle (they only live within 30km of York and the river Ouse!), which leads towards wallabies and a couple of enclosures for the tiniest little primates – these are always good fun to see!

Towards the end of this section, you come across the birds – they’re often hidden away, but you might spot a golden pheasant or the beady red eye of an Asian glossy starling – this was our highlight last time, who could spot it first?! (Not me, it turned out)

When we first joined, the park ended here, but surprise! One day towards the end of our first year of membership, there was a new sign and an open gateway which led to the Heritage Conservation Farm area! There are even more lemurs here, kookaburas, guinea pigs, then finally your traditional farm animals – pigs, sheep, duck and alpacas. They sometimes have a small local market in this zone too.

What Is There To Do at Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park?

You’d think just seeing the animals would be enough, right? No, there’s more!

First there’s also a small play area in the woods – but honestly, we’ve only visited it twice as we end up spending so much time running back to check if the meerkats are out again, or if the axolotl had moved (spoiler alert, it hadn’t!)

And for the grown ups, or once the kids are a bit bigger, they have animal encounters. Emmy has been waiting to turn 7 (soon!) so that she can do one of these! I’ve also just spotted on their website that they do a Wildlife Academy too which is aimed at KS2 and KS3 and you get to spend the whole day there learning in a hands-on way – watch this space, we’ll get Emmy booked in on one of those!

There are also regular talks and workshops, and the arboretum that’s surprisingly calming if you need five quiet minutes while someone debates which chicken is their favourite. It’s educational without ever feeling like a school trip. Plus we’ve stumbled across craft activities in the main building too, so we can take 5 minutes while they stick feathers and glue to themselves!

As you can see, there are plenty of things to see and do at Askham Bryan Wildlife Park. We usually pack a picnic and spend 3 or 4 hours there, but we’ve also popped in when we’ve had an hour to spare around York too, just to say a quick hello to the meerkats!

Is there a cafe at Askham Bryan Wildlife Park?

Just outside the entrance is the Hive Café, which you can pop into without paying park entry. Handy if you’re meeting someone or just need caffeine before goats!

Honestly, we actually went in there for the first time last weekend. As a regular visitor, we normally pack a picnic and take it in with us (there are some lovely picnic benches in the wetlands area). This is our standard as we have a lot of days out, so we try to save on money with food. But we needed some extra sustenance that day – I think the kids are growing! It was a nice warm, welcoming atmosphere and was very reasonably priced too – mainly jacket potatoes, panini, hot drinks that kind of affair, but just what you need for a quick and easy lunch.

Parent Practicalities (The Bits You Actually Want To Know)

There’s a car park right outside the entrance, which is always appreciated when little legs suddenly “can’t possibly walk another step.” 

Assistance dogs are welcome, which is lovely to see from an accessibility point of view. 

It’s easy to do in around 2–4 hours depending on how many times you loop back to the meerkats, and it works surprisingly well for grandparents too as there are plenty of benches and manageable paths. 

Picnics are allowed, and we take them all the time. There are some really nice spots around the wetlands area.

The best way I can describe it is welcoming. The park is a member of BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums), which reassures us that everything is held to proper welfare and conservation standards. It doesn’t feel rushed or overly commercial, it feels like a place that’s growing alongside the kids who visit it. Two years in, we’re still finding new bits, spotting new animals, and apparently planning future careers. Not bad for a Sunday morning out!