Knowsley Safari Park

Anyone who reads my reviews regularly will know that I love a good zoo, but they have to be ones where the animals are well looked after and have plenty of room to move around in.
Luckily at Knowsley Safari Park, each of the animals has free range movement, including A* animals like the lions and rhinos, just meters away from your car. I guess the trade off it is that while they have to settle for cold and breezy Liverpool weather, they at least don’t run the risk of idiot dentists trying to end their life to stick their head on a wall.
On this occasion we took our 2 kids for their £10 a car deal (look online for all their deals in advance) which was great and alongside this self drive experience there were elephants, giraffes, deer, camels and a million deer-​esque animals.
Beware of the monkey area and do what we did by taking the car safe route — we watched peoples cars being savaged one at a time with 20 baboons all over them — no exaggeration but they ripped off windscreen wipers, car aerials and one even had a piece of someones’s numberplate — nope, that wasn’t gonna happen to our new family wagon!
There’s the oasis restaurant here which serves fast food one side, healthy stuff the other (look in the pamphlet when you arrive at the park for a 20% off voucher) and a coffee place out by the theme park (about 10 rides)
Overall a great day out, lots of fun — will definitely be going back as our kids grow older.

Great day out.
Staff, service and animals tip, top.
We covered it all in 5 hours but on a sunny day like today we would definitely come back.

Me and the family had loads of fun.
My partner said it was better then Chester Zoo.
There is loads to do. On site there is a small amusement park full of rides for kids of all ages. Many shows & talks featuring Birds of Prey & Sea Lions.
Then the Safari
I must warn you if you love your car then stay out of the baboon enclosure.
I’ve had baboons on my roof relieving themselves, baboons making little baboons on my wing mirror etc etc
If you have kids or family members who are kids then you must bring them here at least once.

Went here to watch young un run in the north of england cross country so cannot comment on any animal sights, sounds smells or welfare. However I had the misfortune to go into a café (they call it a restaurant!!!). It was overpriced, the food was warm not hot, in short awful. The staff however were very polite. Wild horses would not get me back there to see it as a safari park.

Used to be a fantastic day out and always bustling with people but now it’s gone ridiculously expensive it’s pricing itself out of business. I’ve been a few times in the past couple of years nd have a season ticket as my son loves the animals, but it’s often just us and a few other families. The amusement park was once fab and busy but you hardly see any people in there anymore. The rides are just sitting there.

Way to expensive now, they charge per person instead of per car. Animals look bored and pets corner isnt very good. Summer time they take on bits of kids who have NO customer service experience and don’t care

Like everywhere these days it’s expensive but a good day out.
Always like going the safari park with the kids, something to do on a dull day due to staying in your car.
Has a good area for the kids and a good café park

If you’re like me and enjoy viewing animals and natural habitats, then Knowsley Safari Park should be at least near the top of your ‘places to visit’ list. Knowsley is not too far from Liverpool and only takes about 30 minutes by road, driving or perhaps a little longer by public transport.
With a five mile safari drive, Knowsley Safari Park is home to hundreds of animals from around the world. The baboon jungle (being the only one in the UK) is a popular drive if you are bringing your own motor vehichle. If not, there is a car friendly route for those who wish to view by foot. The bug house has to be my favourite though as I have always been a keen admirer of creepy crawlies but it’s strange that I don’t actually enjoy touching them! You can’t have hands-​on here anyway just to let those know whoever wants to get a bit too close and personal!
It is not all about animals either because after your safari experience, seek a chance to check out the delights of their children’s lake farm including a woodland walk. Not to forget, there is a fantastic sealion display to wow audiences in a brilliant outdoor exhibition pool; this is certainly worth watching. Plus, believe it or not, there is an amazing amusement park which boasts an exciting range of family rides, including a min railway, pirate ship and a rollercoaster. Then you have a fast food restaurant, which I would suggest after you have taken the rollercoaster!
As you can imagine, this is an ultimate experience which is much more than just a safari park — it has an added twist with plenty of space to enjoy yourselves in the vicinity of gorgeous wildlife.

I love zoos. You could call me a zoophile if it didn’t turn out that word means something so horrifying I dare you to Google it for images without Safe Search switched on and see how long you last before wanting to vomit your own eyes out through your gentials in disgust.
Anyway, zoos, I love ‘em. I love animals too but when it comes to me seeing them in person, they could pack a water buffalo into a shoe box if it meant I got to be close up. And that’s the reason I’m not a massive fan of safari parks. We’re the dominant species here. Why do we have to be the ones cooped up in metal hutches on wheels? It’s mightily impressive being three feet from a grazing rhinoceros but since I can’t stretch my legs or walk around it to get a three-​dimensional view, the end result becomes similar to viewing it on a screen, something I already did when I Googled ‘zoophile’.
Knowsley Safari Park is, of course, an admirably humane place for the beasts of the Earth to roam. Baboons ripping your windscreens off will never stop being funny and a giraffe poking its nose into your face is something you can’t get at the zoos. So here’s my idea for the improved notion of Knowsley Safari Park: people are free to roam the grounds, while the animals are driven round in coaches.
Everybody wins.

As a nation we pride ourselves on certain things and one of these things is our love for the animal kingdom. Knowsley Safari Park is the kind of establishment which takes this love and cultivates it into an exhilarating family experience which will leave you with more adoration for the natural world than ever before.
The most appealing thing for me personally was the variety of animals on show and the diverse nature of their origins. Knowsley really manages to bring the world to you and your car, even if the animals can at times get uncomfortably close such as the over friendly monkeys who may leave you with a little less windscreen wiper than previously.
A particular favourite of mine were the Elephants, majestic and wonderful animals who are not likely to be seen roaming around merseyside save for Knowsley. That is the beauty of this establishment, you gain an experience so outside of the norm you would normally have to be on safari to see it.
There is not much to be said for the food and the amusements which are of a fairly average standard and nothing to get excited about. However to complain about these things would be to miss the entire point of the place which is of course to give you the full wonderment of nature without leaving the comfort of your car.

I’m not a huge fan of the safari park, if I’m honest. If you’re a young child, or a first time safair go-​er, you’ll probably have a fantastic day out. However, once you’ve been a couple of times you might get bored, it doesn’t change much throughout the year.
Similarly to Emma’s view on cars, make sure you don’t take your fancy BMW or whatever flash car you might have. You’ll be better finding a mate with an old banger because the monkey’s are infamous for wrecking cars.
There is not only the safari drive you can walk and see other animals such as otters, giraffes, and elephants etc and the seal lion show the farm duck pond etc. It is a novelty day out and I would recommend, but once you’ve been a couple of times the novelty can wear off.

If you know anybody who values their car, perhaps more so than their significant other or their children or their house even, you’d do well to play a wonderful prank on them by dragging them here unawares. The very reason my father point blank refused to bring me here for years and satiated my animal-​viewing yearnings as a child with numerous trips to Chester Zoo instead, it only clicked recently that it wasn’t because he didn’t ‘think it was all that good’, oh no. He didn’t want to bring the beloved Nissan Sunny/​Capri/​Honda Civic to Knowsley Safari Park because monkeys would poo all over it and make lots of scratches in his lovely paintwork. The cheek!
Actually, nowadays I agree with him to be honest. Unless you’re in an old banger you don’t care about or some kind of rustic Landrover you might find yourself horrified at what happens to your automobile. Monkeys are playful. They’re the famed car wreckers of this particular establishment, determined to wring free your wiper or extract your emblem or liberate your loose fittings. If you go into their enclosure you might as well wave goodbye to your unchipped finish. But it is a heck of an experience, when I did originally go with a friend a few years back it was rather breathtaking. I’d advise you to keep your windows closed as the camels do have a habit of leaning inwards, but if you can deal with that sort of thing then worry not.
Becoming a member is a money-​saving option if you plan on going frequently, and believe me, if you have kids you might find yourself doing this. The animal variation is vast and eclectic, from wild dogs, cattle, primates, antelopes, deer, emus and elephants to meerkats, ostriches, hogs, wallabies, rhinos and even lions and tigers. The staff are usually very good at keeping the carnivorous bad boys in check so it’s highly unlikely you’ll get a claw through your windscreen, but watch out!
All in all it’s a bit different and hence a more special zoo experience. I’d recommend it for all kids and big kids at heart.

I have fond memories of my first visit to Knowsley safari park. I was a giddy 13 year old in awe of the vastness of the park and the amazing array of wild animals roaming free. Luckily for me that exciting feeling is never far away every time I visit. I went there recently and whilst the drive felt bit shorter and the rides in the amusement park weren’t as appealing, I still had an absolute blast.
There is something liberating about watching these magnificent animals and the feeling of being so close to them. The best time to arrive is around 11am so you have pretty much the whole day to enjoy the park. The great thing about knowsley is that it appeals to pretty much anyone of any age. There is a huge picnic area with peacocks and ducks roaming free looking for a nibble of what is on offer. As you sit there with your sandwiches, you also have panoramic views of the elephants and giraffes in the distance. Simply magnificent.
Depending on how quickly you want to get through the park consists of a 5 mile route through the «jungle». Along the route you will find a fantastic range of animals and plenty of photo opportunities. Whilst in the past there was a charge per car this has now changed to £14 per adult, which is a little steep. Then again it is an experience after all which will take you to an arms length of an African lion, or a rhinoceros… For a whole day’s worth of entertainment it ain’t that bad.
At the conclusion of the route you will find a gigantic picnic area for kids and adults to run around and enjoy themselves. Ideal sunny day out trip scenario if you ask me. The picnic area also leads to an amusement park for kids and adults alike and has a circus like feel to it with sea lion shows and much much more.
Thus in conclusion I highly recommend you pay it a visit. I can see myself going to Knowsley safari park for years to come with my kids and grand kids in the future. Simply fantastico!

An excellent if expensive attraction best visited on a nice day as there is a lot to see out of the vehicle.
Vehicles with soft tops and roof windows not permitted in some parts. Be aware Baboons may rip off aerials, windscreen wipers and wing mirrors. The appeared to like vandalising cars rather than our large 17 seater minibus.
If you like it here there is a reasonable priced season ticket. Disabled friendly

This place was fabulous!!! I had never been to a safari park prior to Knowsley, but it certainly set the bar high. There were so many animals! It was thrilling having the lions less than a foot away from your car. I filled up my camera’s memory card in less than an hour! There’s a section with baboons who will just jump on your car and hitch a ride for a while. It was out of this world!
I had an amazing time. I would recommend this place to any animal lover. The place was well-​maintained and the animals seemed to have an excellent quality of life, they looked totally content.

This is an absolutely fantastic place for a family day out! You start with the drive around the safari park where you can see all the animals roaming around. My favourites are the lions, but there are lots of cute and fascinating animals to see, including tigers, camels, rhinos, baboons etc. You can buy a CD at the entrance which you play in the car as you go around. The CD is of the Park Manager talking you through each of the animal sections and explaining about them and things like why one appears to have a limp, and why one has to be separated from the rest. It’s really interesting, and I recommend getting the CD if you can.
There is a separate route you can take if you don’t care about your car — you can go through the baboon enclosure! Personally, I always take the safe route, but this takes you alongside the baboon route so you can see the other cars being climbed on. The baboons have no fear at all, and climb on moving vehicles all the time.
After the safari drive, you come to a picnic area, where you can walk to see the elephants, giraffes, and meerkats. We never get to stay long in this part because the children are always so keen to move on the the fairground. This is a really good little fairground, you can buy a wristband which then gives unlimited rides. I would say the fairground rides on the whole are more suited to children aged about 10 and under. My son was 12 last time we went, and he only bothered with one ride, the massive swinging boat.
Several times a day they put on a show with sea lions, where they jump through hoops and balance balls etc. I don’t really approve but have to admit they are very impressive to watch.
There’s a large café, and plenty of stalls selling ice creams. There’s also a gift shop, selling lots of really nice, but over-​priced items like cuddly toys and ornaments.
Overall this is a brilliant day out and you could easily spend a whole day here.

This is an excellent day out with the kids, the price per car is very reasonable, and you really do get up close to the animals, every year my dad parks at the side of a huge lion to the horror of my nan.
The monkeys are hilarious, they jump all over your car if you stop near them, an do all sorts of tricks, leaning upside down, looking at you through the car windows ect. there are a great varity of animals and its refreshing to see them roaming about instead of stuck in cages, if your any were near knowsley safari park, I definetely recommend you visit hear, ive visited every year since I was a toddler, and still love it

A great one for Animal lovers and a good family day out.
Not the cheapest day out, but not overly expensive compared to other similar days out either.
There are loads of animals to see and safari bit where you drive through thems great.
There is a car friendly version of the monkey enclosure if you would rather watch them pull the trimmings and aerials off other peoples cars that your own.
Theres a picnic area which is good and obviously helps keep down the cost. Theres a mini fun fair and park for the kids to play on too after driving through the safari park so they can stretch their legs after being sat in the car.
All in all a good day out.

I love this place, its a great place for the kids for a day out, we didnt drive thought the monkeys as we were in mil car but still it was great to see all the animals and god some amazing pictures. I think the lions were the best.
The prices are not to bad they are 12.00 for an adult ticket and 9.00 for childs ticket. Under 3’s go free.
The facilities are good there are plenty of toilets and baby change, gift shop. and of course a café.
The park also has a small amusement park which has some cute rides for the little ones and a small rollercoater.

A great Safari Park just on the outskirts of Liverpool. It also has a car friendly by pass to stop the monkeys damaging the car — well worth a thought!
There are often many vouchers around on Websites and Local Newspapers to get the children in for nothing.
The park also offers some fair style attractions which you need to pay for separately. It also has a restaurant.