Fancy a good option of day out with the kids? Forge Mill farm is for free and it's just around the…read morecorner. With no traffic, it takes less the 20 minutes to get there. The whole experience of farming for a day is the Sandwell Mill Farm allows the visitors to get close to a range of animals exploring a bit more about the agricultural environment. For the kids it literally means having a lot of fun feeding some cows, goats, poultries and ponies. There is a gift shop where you can also find some bag of food especially prepared for these animals, by the way. If the weather helps, it's highly recommended to bring your own food. I remember not resisting some ice cream cone in my visit to Forge Mill farm, but I just wouldn't repeat the experience of eating next to the cows again because the strong smell of farm animals and food are not a good combination. The park is huge and there is space for even picnics, anyway! They are open every day, for 10 pm to 4.30pm and I think you are going to love the whole experience.

very good when you wont to take the kids out yes i do like itread more

Absolutely horrendous, me, my dad, my brother and his girlfriend all went to this zoo in hopes that…read moreit would be A fun family outing. My mom bought the tickets for the wrong day so she couldn't come with us. We got there and went in, showed the tickets we had bought and weren't allowed in as my mother wasn't with us. My dad stated that she couldn't come with us. The man who was working in the kiosk / ticket booth was having none of it. He was quite the rude man and was telling us that we had to buy new tickets under my dad's name. Keep in mind that the tickets you buy online are NON REFUNDABLE. If I could I'd give zero stars. Absolutely terrible.

Where else meerkats can be seen in Birmingham area? Not the only good reason for visit this…read morefacility but just in case you have ever been there, Birmingham Nature Centre is on Pershore Road, behind the Cannon Hill Park, in Edgbaston. The tickets cost £ 4 (adults) and children from 5 to 15 years (£ 1.50), but the little ones (under 5 years old) have free admission. I have been a couple of times, and a part the cockroaches, it always a pleasant spending some hours contemplating wild life and nature over there. The most popular animals are still the meerkats, but obviously that the wildcats, guinea pigs, among other exotic animals also add to the whole experience. Definitely a children's friendly spot, perfect for a picnic in family, if you fancy bringing your own snack. If not, there is a café on the site. A better way of finding more information about the Nature Centre is visiting their facebook page because their page at Birmingham City Council website is very simple and just provides basic information about the locale.

While visiting the UK as a Family we decided on WMSP for a family day out as it was only 90 minutes…read moreaway from where we were staying and the weather looked good. We arrived around 10am ( opens at 9:30am on a Weekday ) and were surprised the parking lot wasn't that busy. We had prepaid our tickets / wristband etc ahead of time so didn't have to waste time there and walked in. We managed to see some of the animal exhibits and ride a few of the rides before our allocated Safari drive through of 12:30pm. Once we lined up and began our drive it took about 2 hours, it also became clear that the drive could be more efficient if people actually paid attention to the rules. If it says traffic on the right side doesn't stop ( It states if you want to see the animals to stay to the left ) then don't stop and hold up the rest, if you do then you're a problem. If it states to keep your windows half way up and not let the animals put their heads inside and you do just that then you're putting the Animals and potentially yourselves in Jeopardy, if you do then you're a problem. If it states not to feed the Giraffes because they're monitoring their diet and you then allow the Giraffe to come inside your car while feeding them then you're a problem. I hope if you're one of the above people that you're reading this because....you're an entitled problem. With that being said, the problem people aren't the fault of WMSP. Once our drive was complete we went to park back up and found the parking lot to be drastically busier than when we left. We would certainly advise you if you want to get more done to try and show up early. Price of tickets wasn't bad considering its a major attraction and the price of food and souvenirs while high didn't seem too high to us. A great day out overall and recommended.

There's nothing like animals in captivity to make for an excellent day out. Seeing tigers lolling…read morein the West Midlands rain instead of loping along in a Bengali jungle always makes me happy. I jest, I jest! But the joke surely opens the way to speak of the West Midlands Safari Park's ethical treatment of animals, and their committment to assuring their animals live happy, fulfilled lives, despite being gawked at by herds of Midlanders. Occasionally there's a Welsh person as well, but the buffalo don't mind. The nature reserve is 4 miles of animal viewing. You stay in your car and drive through the park, looking at various creatures, some boring, some adventurous, and some downright frightening. My favourite bit was when the largest giraffe (which is saying a lot) leant into our car window and drooled on my youngest, who threw an absolute fit! You can feed some of the animals, but for some parts, you have to keep your car windows and doors closed and locked. This takes about an hour and a half, after waiting for everybody and their second cousin's aunt-in-law to take 8 pictures of each animal. After that, head over to the Amusement park, where you can go through various bits -- the Bat House, which smells of guano, the seal sanctuary, and seal show (which is good fun), and the snake man, who gives educational talks about reptiles and drapes them all over his shoulders. The rides are good fun -- nothing to write home about if you've been to Alton Towers, but all the stuff you'd expect from an amusement park. The cost to enter the Safari Park is highish, but not ridiculous - £13 per adult, £11.50 per child, and that's just for the animals bit. If you're going to the amusement park, the cost for a wristband to ride all the rides all day is £11 for adults and £10.50 for children. So all in all, if you take a family of four, it will be a £100 day out -- make sure you go early and stay late for it to be worth the cost! With the park opening at 10 and closing at 6, you should be able to get your money's worth/

Went for life drawing during my time at the University. It's good place to go and see animals you…read moresee on tv from different countries all over the world. For me it was very helpful going and do drawings of animals and you have the Dudley Castle next to it. Very relaxing, especially on a sunny day. Was a little busy when I went, lots of families having day out. I didn't know about this place before started University. Bus takes you right opposite the Zoo from city centre. Would love to go again sometime.

Dudley Zoo has, like many things in the midlands, got a lot of bad press. Don't get me wrong, it's…read morenot in the same league as some of the more famous zoo's in the UK but it's slap bang in the middle of Dudley. I've been twice now over the last 6 years and on my second visit I easily noticed a massive improvement in the quality of the enclosures and the general well-being of the animals. Being centred around Dudley Castle the zoo is subject to a hefty amount of inclines so be prepared and wear some sensible shoes. There's plenty of parking and is easy to get to via public transport and at £14 (ish) entry for an adult it's quite reasonable. This small, yet perfectly formed, zoo is home to snow leopards, red pandas, all the big cats, primates, reptiles, birds and more including a very chatty raven! I'd wholeheartedly recommend Dudley Zoo to anybody looking for an animal packed day out in the black country!

Lion Cubs experience…read more This my third experience now with Heythrop Zoological Gardens and yet again was a magical one. Me and my husband firstly meets Hannah who is such a lovely lady that explains all about the lion cubs and she then takes us around the forest whilst we walk the cubs along with another trainer. So we walked their new bundle of joy Nero and Lydia the lion cubs. It was a once in a life time opportunity and so unique. We walked the cubs in Heythrops private woods. The little cubs just loved to play with each other all the time whilst walking along and when they came across their favourite tree stumps they just loved leaping and playing on them as well as trying to climb up a tree or two. We could also stroke them when they were more relaxed in places and they felt so soft like rabbit fur. The markings on there fur was also so amazing Lydia the female cub had spot type markings and Nero you could see his mane coming about with his punk rocker type hair style going on. Its a tad expensive doing this experience but I highly recommend as it is so worth it and you won't be able to do this experience at any other zoo in the UK. Only reason this experience is allowed at Heythrop Zoological Gardens is because its a private zoo (not open to public however does have special open days to public 2 days in September only) and train animals are bred for TV and film. This experience only has two Saturdays left in June 2016 with a few places left so if you are interested then book asap. They do other animal experiences throughout the year that you can do from penguins to a sloth so check out there website. If you however want to do the more unique one off experiences like the lion cubs that is not available all year round then I advice you email them and ask them to keep you informed of any new additions like lion cubs, tiger cubs, other baby animals etc. The other animal experiences that I have done at Heythrop is the tiger cubs and a monkey (who starred in My Zoo a TV series). I highly recommend to anyone that loves animals.

Fabulous day, with a private Giraffe experience with our booking for my daughters 5th birthday…read more Absolutely fantastic, best experience whilst learning all about the conservation importance etc . Great informative keeper, very knowledgeable who had been there 26 years !! That shows a great place to work. Had afternoon tea overlooking the leopard enclosure. So much good fabulous spread and THE best tasting scones we've ever tried! Had to have boxes to take all the food home that we just couldn't finish. Amazing day with lovely people looking after and caring for the animals there. Thought the apes looked very sad and made us a little sad seeming them in the enclosures

A fun afternoon spent at the zoo is always a fun afternoon! Especially when you see giraffes trying…read moreto mate and all the little kids look horrified! We spent a few hours walking around the entire zoo and there were plenty of animals to keep my little guy entertained. The best part was the playground across from the gorilla sanctuary where all the little kids seemed to congregate. The highlight of the day was the Gruffalo section. It was just a series of animatronic animals and rooms with snippets of the cartoon playing but it was fun and passed the time well. Got hot dogs from the hot dog stand; although there was a restaurant on site... we just needed a quick snack and the service for it was quick and efficient.

Blackbrook Zoo is a good family day out in the Moorlands. When the park first opened, it was called…read moreBlackbrook world of birds, and obviously, birds are still an important part of the offerings here (in fact, Blackbrook has the largest bird collection in the UK). But they have now extended their range and made this an attractive and family friendly small zoo, with animals such as lemurs, wallabies and more recently, riverhogs. The zoo is open all year round and has a strong focus on education, leading to many trips by local schools. It has free parking, a gift shop and kids play area, as well as a pretty stone built tea shop - it is well worth a visit.

One of the worst experiences I have ever had here. I been he previously and my experience was fine…read morebut this time was the worst. At the start it was fine. Entered the park with ease and went on the wave and was really fun and enjoyable. The I went on the swing again fun and enjoyable. But now I waited for the accelerator and there was a technical issue which forced us to exit the ride. Then we went to the gold rush and waited there for at least 2 1/2hr and there was also a technical issue multiple times and is making us spend all of our time on this ride and has made this 1 of the worst experience I have ever had a Drayton manor.

I went here on a school trip yesterday. I was disappointed. Although the food and coasters were…read moregood, the queues were horrible, first off the queue for the wave WAS like a human wave because of people cutting into the line. I'm the smallest person in my group so this was a very big problem, at some points in the queue I could hardly breathe because of many people pushing around in the queue and we ended up waiting 2-3 hours stuck like that. Secondly it felt like all of the staff were mad at something and at some points weren't even doing their job. I'm a big fan of the chips, but not a big fan of the wasps there, they were constantly swarming my can of Pepsi that I brought. Thirdly, HORRIBLE prices, one single portion of chips was £4.50 one single, small bottle of Oasis was £3.50! I had to swipe my card without looking both times. Also the queue for accelerator was the same as the queue for the wave, I was pushed from the inside of the line to the outside of the line in seconds. again probably from people pushing in which the staff couldn't care enough to deal with. Both of these coasters were amazing but the queues just ruined the experience. Please improve the staff and please try to fix the line cutting problem so people can have a better experience next time.

Ancient castle with lions thrown in! Dudley Castle, part of the Dudley Zoo complex; magnificent,…read morestunning views, historic remains and a fascinating visitor centre opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II in June 1994. Constructed in 1070, the keep is largely intact as are the shells of the 16th century palace buildings around the castle retaining wall. A stunning view opens out when you enter the castle grounds via one of the wall gates - possibly the best one is that from the restaurant by the sea-lions (the secondary gate, not the Main Gate). Walking up through here gives no clue to the huge green area of grass that appears before you, stretching out ahead, framed by the dominating profile of the castle keep at the far end and the complex building remains to the left. If this is your first time, a really great surprise (Don't look at the accompanying pictures!). Explore the Sharrington Range, the burnt out palace built in the 1540's. Then dive inside the visitor centre to appreciate the incredible history, life and times of the castle. See, lying in a basket, the heads of John Dudley's son and his wife Lady Jane Grey after they were beheaded by Mary I (only plaster models, don't worry!). Try putting your own head on the chopping block, to find out what it must have felt like (at least the first stage of the process!). See a fascinating montage of the year round activities of castle life and continue through dark passageways glowing with colourful showcases. Excellent stuff. Back in the open, steel yourself for a climb up the narrow, clausterophobia inducing circular stairwell that runs up the inside of the keep. Emerge at the top, panting and dazzled by the sunlight to view a Lord's perspective of Dudley below, Birmingham beyond and as far as the eye can see towards hills and vales to the south. Marvellous and definitely worth the effort - but need a head for heights. Picnic tables and bench seats available for resting after all the excitement and there is a Tavern built into the walls to supply alternative refreshments (and ice creams), though not always open. Make friends with the Zoo animals on the way back. Getting there by train, arriving at Dudley Port station, is not ideal - approx 3 miles to the Zoo and up hill all the way. Bus number 74 will take you to Castle Gate stop from the rail station. Plenty of trains from New Street, every half hour. Cars do seem more easily accommodated, with large pay and display parking facilities on the Zoo site. A really good ancient castle experience for everyone, young and old. All this included in the price of the Zoo entrance!

Few people seem to realise that they have one of the most complete large castle ruins right in the…read moreUK . Its remarkably intact and has a great history . And to have a zoo thrown in as well . I just think that really the whole thing should be tied in with the black country museum to make one if the most complete days out in the country

This is a fantastic little place for all ages. The park itself is free to get in with free car…read moreparking. The children's farm makes a small charge for entry. There are is a good variety of small independent shops including Arty Parties where, for a small charge, kids (and adults!) can paint pottery. The children's farm has goats, chickens, cows, horses, deer, peacocks, geese and a pig and there is also a building which houses baby chicks, rabbits, quail and guinea pigs. Some of these animals are often for sale. There is also a nice cafe. Lovely cup of tea! I had a nice meal with my partner. There was a little problem with our order but I'd like to think that was just a one off as otherwise, the service and food was good. We even got a complimentary drink because of the confusion. The food, however, is a little expensive but you do get a lot for the money. I would certainly recommend this as a family day out. Even if you don't want to go around the farm, there is a good play area suitable for most ages although it's probably best to go when it's not raining!