Description
Finding the best things to do with kids in Merseyside brings families straight to Knowsley Safari, an expansive 550-acre wildlife park set within the historic Knowsley Hall estate near Prescot. This unique family attraction allows children to discover exotic animals, majestic big cats, and marine mammals through a mix of drive-through routes and pedestrian walkways.
Online advance adult ticket prices start from £22.38, while online child tickets start from £20.19. Toddlers aged one and two cost £2.19, and infants under the age of one enter completely free of charge. Visitors can spend hours exploring the safari circuit, watching live animal displays, and enjoying amusement rides.
If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids that combines wild animal encounters with a fun-filled amusement park, this North West attraction offers brilliant value. Its famous 5-mile safari drive, interactive foot safari paths, and daily keeper talks make it a top choice for a memorable family weekend trip.
Beyond the Main Attraction:
- Knowsley Hall: Historic stately home and estate grounds situated adjacent to the safari park.
- Knowsley village local pubs and tearooms: Traditional village eateries located just outside the park gates.
- Blundell Hill Golf Club: Nearby outdoor recreational facility situated on the edge of the borough.
What Visitors Love:
- Parents frequently praise the thrill of driving right past lions, rhinos, and baboons in their own car.
- Children love watching the cheeky baboons, feeding giraffes, and exploring the foot safari walking trails.
- The helpful staff and engaging sea lion displays receive positive feedback from visiting families.
- Visitors appreciate the combination of a wildlife drive-through and a traditional walking zoo in one ticket.
What Visitors Don't Like:
- Some reviewers note that safari drive queues can get lengthy during peak summer weekends and school holidays.
- Driving through the baboon enclosure can occasionally result in minor vehicle trim damage from curious animals.
- Catering queues can get busy during lunchtime hours in the main food hall.
- Walking paths across the expansive estate involve significant step counts that can tire very young children.
Park Attractions and Exhibits:
- Safari Drive Route: 5-mile vehicular trail featuring rhinos, lions, tigers, and wolves.
- Baboon Enclosure: Drive-through habitat for troop monkeys (with a non-baboon car bypass route available).
- Foot Safari Walkways: Pedestrian paths linking multiple animal zones.
- Giraffe Platform: Raised viewing area for African ungulates.
- Meerkat Colony: Sandy enclosure housing playful families of meerkats.
- Birds of Prey Centre: Flight demonstration arena and raptor habitats.
- Sea Lion Amphitheatre: Stadium seating area for marine mammal presentations.
- Amusement Park Zone: Collection of family rides and fairground attractions.
- Explorer's Cafe: Main food hall and indoor dining pavilion.
- Safari Gift Shop: Central retail store located near the main exit.
New for 2026:
- Upgraded Safari Drive Signage: New interactive digital information boards detailing species conservation efforts along the vehicle route.
- Refurbished Foot Safari Rest Zones: Newly landscaped outdoor seating and family picnic lawns near the main lake.
- Expanded Children's Play Areas: Updated climbing frames and toddler activity equipment installed within the central adventure zone.
21.10 miles
