We needed to head up to North Somerset. So we thought let’s turn it into a family day out. Tricky in winter though as many attractions shut. But wildlife venues are always a good year round bet. So we headed to Tropiquaria near Watchet.
Tropiquaria is a quirky venue for a zoo. It is partly in an Art Deco former BBC radio transmitter station originally built in 1933. This contains the Tropical Hall, Nocturnal House and Aquarium. Outside there are 4 acres, housing more animals and playgrounds. So it is a compact size, good for little ones. And a decent amount of indoor things to see in bad weather.
Tropiquaria: Family Days Out in Somerset
Indoor Activities
There are a good range of indoor activities here. You start by walking through the Tropical House, where you can see reptiles, birds and tortoises. On the lower floor is the Aquarium. There are over 40 tanks of fish, spiders and creepy crawlies. Including of course an example of Nemo and Dory. Finally there is the Nocturnal House, which is relatively new. It’s fun to try to spot the animals moving in the relative dark.
I find that it really helps to keep my six year old entertained to ask her to take photos of all the animals. This means she really tries to spot them all. And spends some time looking at them before moving on. A couple of her snaps are above…
Also indoors is the cafe and large play area. Great to have somewhere for the kids to play in the warm. The cafe is nothing to get excited about though. Were I better at planning things, we could have taken our own food for the indoor and outdoor picnic areas.
Tropiquaria: Family Days Out in Somerset
Outdoor Activities
Outdoors the grounds are pleasant. And there are some entertaining animals, like the lemurs, gibbons and otters. Our children throughly enjoyed the playgounds. Gloriously empty on a mild winters day. There is a castle and two enormous pirate ships to choose from.
Daily Events
There is a schedule of talks and other events every day. The staff at the ticket desk were friendly and explained to us what was on the day of our visit. We caught a couple of the talks held at feeding times – for the otters and meerkats. Both were engaging and short enough to hold our children’s attention. A good addition to the day.
For latest prices, please see the website. For our family of 4, entrance was £32.25. Which we didn’t think was bad at all. We comfortably spent 4 hours there. All in all, a fun family day out.