ZooTown: a new adventure for children at London Zoo
London Zoo is opening ZooTown, an immersive play space for children aged three to eight. Housed in the old Reptile House – familiar to Harry Potter fans as the setting of the first film’s snake scene – the new attraction promises to blend fun with discovery.
Each 45-minute session lets children step into the shoes of zoo staff: zoologists, gardeners, even vets. More than a thousand props have been prepared for the games, including 63 plush animals, from parrots to monitor lizards.
But ZooTown is more than just entertainment. Designed as an educational project, it introduces children to the inner workings of a zoo and the importance of protecting nature. It’s also an ideal option for families with younger visitors who may struggle to spend the whole day exploring the grounds – a chance to switch focus, dive into themed play, and come away with fresh impressions.
Booking is required in advance, and the cost is symbolic: £1 on top of the standard zoo ticket, available here. Reservations open three days ahead of a visit, with the first sessions running from 15 October.
A brief history
For nearly 200 years, London Zoo has stood at the crossroads of science, conservation and architectural experiment. Founded as a centre for zoological study, it went on to host the world’s first public aquarium (1853) and the first giraffes ever seen in England (1836).
Some residents became legends in their own right. Winnie the bear from Winnipeg inspired A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh; Jumbo the elephant gave the English language its word for the supersized; and Goldie the eagle made headlines in 1965 when he escaped, spent 12 days terrorising dogs and ducks in Regent’s Park, and drew throngs of onlookers.
London Zoo, 1909. Photo: See page for author, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Over two centuries, the zoo has overturned expectations: pioneering collections for research, launching programmes to save endangered species, and reintroducing animals into the wild. Its grounds also hold architectural gems, from Lubetkin’s Modernist Penguin Pool to the dramatic Snowdon Aviary.
Today, London Zoo continues to harness new technologies and ideas, not only to improve animal care but also to inspire visitors to look after the natural world.
Cover photo: London Zoo
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