Ballarat Wildlife Park
Ballarat Wildlife Park
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Famous for its Australian wildlife and up-close animal experiences, Ballarat Wildlife Park is just 90 minutes’ drive west from Melbourne. There’s around 100 free-roaming kangaroos waiting to be hand-fed as well as other Australian animals including koalas, wombats, little penguins, dingoes and Tasmanian devils. An impressive reptile house is home to ‘Crunch’ the 5-metre-long super croc, snakes, frogs and lizards. Around the park visitors will also see tree kangaroos, giant tortoises, emus, Sumatran tigers and much more. ‘Animal Encounter’ experiences offer a rare opportunity to pat a koala, cuddle a wombat or even have a snake wrapped over one's shoulders! Encounters include a professional photo as a memento of the experience. Ballarat Wildlife Park is open every day 9 am - 5 pm (close Christmas Day).
Does not meet animal welfare guidelines
Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.
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  • angelC3476SL
    Auckland, New Zealand183 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved it!
    Had a great time here spending several hours wandering around and git up close and personal with a snake. The kangaroos come up to meet you and let you feed them, they also have areas they can relax and nit be disturbed if they'd rather not interact. Crunch the crocodile is massive, loved seeing the dingos being fed and hearing them howl to each other prior to that. Koalas, reptiles, alpacas, penguins, meerkats, Tasmanian Devils and many more - very easy to spend a lot of time here. Good cafe on site and clean toilets around the park.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 April 2023
  • Paul P
    Melbourne, Australia233 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Close encounters of the animal kind
    How to do it. I am not a great fan of keeping animals penned up but if they are, all care must be made to ensure they are happy. I suspect the animals here would not want to leave. The park is very well run and the facilities for the animals are excellent. The kangaroos have free reign and are flanked by heaps of pigeons who are I suspect drop ins. It is an easy park to find your way around and they have encounter sessions you can partake in. One negative note is that I think they are a tad pricey . The staff are all very friendly and helpful. You can purchase some feed for the selected group of animals that can eat that particular diet. Don't worry you will know them as they come up looking for a feed, watch your tour map! Check times as for example the tiger is not always out but tigers are a dime a dozen! Oh, the Tasmanian tiger is stuffed.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 9 April 2023
  • John C
    Nottingham, United Kingdom1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Fun Day at Ballarat Wildlife Park
    We really enjoyed our visit to the Ballarat Wildlife Park. The atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were friendly, helpful and informative. As visitors from the UK we found it a great place to learn about and get up close to Australia's iconic wild animals. We were even able to feed the Kangaroos. An ideal venue for a day out with the family.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 June 2023
  • Tour34426534373
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Enjoyable day out
    Visiting Ballarat from NZ for the first time as family have moved there. Really enjoyed the visit here - good variety of animals and plenty of photo opportunities. Gentle slopes in the main which make it easy to walk around. Allow at least half a day to try and take it all in. Lots of demonstrations / feeding time events.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 September 2023
  • Susan P
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wildlife park treasure
    A beautifully laid out zoo with plenty of interesting animals. the talk about the tigers was great and most informative. Highlights include two magnificent tigers, cute meerkats, corroboree frogs (Australia's smallest (a pig nosed tortoise), a wedge-tailed eagle (huge!), a photo junkie emu and free range kangaroos and pigeons enjoying the park. Well worth spending a few hours here
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 September 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,014 reviews
Excellent
605
Very good
295
Average
85
Poor
16
Terrible
13

genevieve m
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Went thinking it would be animals in open habitats.. it’s not .. saddest creatures were the crocodile living in a pool and the eagle in a cage . Paying to see tortured animals wasn’t what I was expecting to see with my son .. instead we used it as an education on the abuse humans are willing to undertake on helpless animals all in the name of entertainment .
Don’t find these places - take your kids to Wilson’s prom and see animals in the wild . Not caged, depressed and abused for the entertainment of Chinese tourists . Shame on you ballarat wildlife park.
Written 13 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Ballarat Wildlife Park is accredited by ZAAA. All of our animals are cared for to the highest standards, with the love and dedication of our amazing keepers. Animal welfare and conservation are our highest priorities. To even suggest our animals are "tortured" or "abused" is basically defamatory. We are a part of numerous breeding programs, to ensure the survival of endangers native and exotic species. With hundreds of 4 and 5 star reviews online, it is not only disappointing, but very surprising to read a 'review' like this. BWP Management
Written 5 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

N0rmalee
Bossier City, LA674 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
We saw cassowary birds (descended from dinosaurs), lots of koalas and kangaroos, a large crocodile.a Tasmanian devil. Got to feed a kangaroo, and they have the run of the zoo.
Written 24 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brad G
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
If you are looking for more family friendly place You will not find it as all the staff are extremely friendly and willing to help. The animals are easy to spot with the kangaroos happy to come up to you would go again and again
Written 13 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you, we are so happy you enjoyed your visit.
Written 5 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Yattikorn Krittayanurak
Bangkok, Thailand16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Incredible place to visit local animals like penguins, tasmanian devils, koalas, kangaroos and many reptiles. Worth 2-hour of travel from Melbourne to Ballarat. I have a chance to attend Koala encounter and it was amazing. All of the staffs there were super nice and friendly, specially thanks to Michelle who supported us during Koala encounter session. Kangaroos were walking freely in the park and they were very tame which you can feed foods by your hand. Didn't have a chance to observe Wombat as they're sleeping in the den. I'll recommend everyone to visit this place!
Written 28 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback. We are so happy you enjoyed your visit and seeing the wonderful animals.
Written 5 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Susan P
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
A beautifully laid out zoo with plenty of interesting animals. the talk about the
tigers was great and most informative. Highlights include two magnificent tigers, cute meerkats, corroboree frogs (Australia's smallest (a pig nosed tortoise), a wedge-tailed eagle (huge!), a photo junkie emu and free range kangaroos and pigeons enjoying the park. Well worth spending a few hours here
Written 10 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dan G
Washington DC, DC162 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Solo
We were in the Melbourne area for a few days, while my partner was at a conference, and I went looking for a good Australian experience (we are North American visitors), and I found the Ballarat Wildlife Park. Getting there took some planning, because I didn’t want to rent a car, but, with the help from the tourist office in Geelong, where we were staying, I found a bus back and forth to the park. The hour and a half bus trip through the countryside and little towns was itself very interesting. The wildlife park was spectacular: kangaroos wandering everywhere, and loads of other animals in enclosures, from koalas to little penguins to komodo dragons to a Sumatran tiger, and much more. Obviously, people with kids will enjoy it, but I was alone and yet loved every minute. I didn’t take advantage of the various meet-the-animal and hold-an-animal events, but they might be fun (though they charge a lot for the events where you get your picture taken with an animal). The coffee shop and snack bar was fine. All told, the two-plus hours I spent in the park were a highlight of my time in Australia.
Written 9 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tour34426534373
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
Visiting Ballarat from NZ for the first time as family have moved there. Really enjoyed the visit here - good variety of animals and plenty of photo opportunities.

Gentle slopes in the main which make it easy to walk around. Allow at least half a day to try and take it all in. Lots of demonstrations / feeding time events.
Written 8 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sharon G
Whyalla, Australia134 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
Absolutely brilliant place, the animals are so well kept and the gardens and paths are so easy to get around. Enjoyed every moment especially the baby koala and the tiger.
Written 8 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oh, thank you so much!
Written 5 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Karen B
Mooroolbark, Australia266 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Great hidden gem -never knew it was here but so worth a visit. Set out really well and the talks and the talks with the staff members are informative
Written 2 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John C
Nottingham, UK1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
We really enjoyed our visit to the Ballarat Wildlife Park. The atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were friendly, helpful and informative. As visitors from the UK we found it a great place to learn about and get up close to Australia's iconic wild animals. We were even able to feed the Kangaroos. An ideal venue for a day out with the family.
Written 12 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BALLARAT WILDLIFE PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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