Chester Zoo

Chester zoo had step free access, they had good signage outside some of the indoor exhibits, they warned you of any dripping water due to potentially damaging hearing aids. They had information on different senses you might experience whilst in some of the indoor exhibits if you are autistic or have sensory processing disorder etc. They also had changing place toilets as well as standard accessible toilets. The new bit that’s recently opened is very wheelchair accessible, very flat surfaces and easy to get around. They also had windows at wheelchair accessible height which were separate to the child friendly windows. So I had a good view of the animal enclosures

Overview: Our visit to Chester Zoo offered valuable insights into its accessibility, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. While there are some challenges, the staff's helpfulness, and commitment to aiding make a significant positive difference in the overall experience.

We had a most enjoyable day out at Chester zoo. There are plenty of blue badge parking spaces only a short walk from the entrance. The car park is tarmac making it easy for wheelchair and scooter users etc. It is possible to pre book a scooter, or wheelchair for your visit to the zoo. It’s just a £25 deposit which you get back at the end of the day . We had booked a scooter for me to use . I must say the staff were good when we picked up the scooter making sure I fully understood the controls and allowing us To leave my wheelchair in the office this had a tag attached with our name and phone number for pick up at the end of the day . Getting around the zoo was great apart from the fact that the bridge walkways have rumble stripes which certainly bounce and jarring the body. There were plenty of volunteers around the various enclosures to tell you about the animals. It was easy to see into the enclosures from the scooter , there were only two areas that are accessible for wheelchair or scooter users. We had lunch in one of the cafes on site ,which was good the sandwiches in this cafe were made to order we sat at tables outside as it was a nice day. We were impressed by the different food outlets around the zoo catering for everyone. As we are members of Edinburgh zoo we didn’t have to pay for our visit and my husband who is my carer was admitted free. They do a reduced rate ticket for disabled guests and if you have a carer they go free. The zoo have lots of animals we hadn’t seen before such as tree kangaroo, fossa, and many others. We will certainly be making a return visit in the future.