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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See what travellers are saying
- angelC3476SLAuckland, New Zealand183 contributionsLoved 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 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 April 2023
- Paul PMelbourne, Australia233 contributionsClose encounters of the animal kindHow 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 2023Written 9 April 2023
- John CNottingham, United Kingdom1 contributionA Fun Day at Ballarat Wildlife ParkWe 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 2023Travelled with familyWritten 11 June 2023
- Tour344265343731 contributionEnjoyable day outVisiting 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 2023Travelled with familyWritten 8 September 2023
- Susan P1 contributionWildlife park treasureA 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 hereVisited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 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
1,014 reviews
Excellent
605
Very good
295
Average
85
Poor
16
Terrible
13
genevieve m
1 contribution
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
Is possible buy tickets directly at the entrance?
Miluc72
Sansepolcro, Italy1,814 contributions
Yes !
Are pets allowed in the park?
melds67
Bendigo, Australia190 contributions
Sorry it’s not possible to bring them
Inside. Hope this helps
GiselleEmma
Bendigo, Australia284 contributions
Their website is down; can you book a close encounter beforehand or is it just luck on the day?
Scrivscriv
Bairnsdale, Australia183 contributions
You can definitely get a close encounter with the kangaroos, for the koalas I believe there is charge
Cheryl G
Prince Frederick, MD57 contributions
Are the animals viewable in June?
Hi, Ballarat Wildlife Park is open every day except 25 December. Animals are viewable year-round.
Are you allowed to have a picnic there?
I wanted to hire the bushland hut but I feel like it's aimed more at little kids and my group will mainly be all adults.
manopause
South Melbourne, Australia93 contributions
I’m not sure what the official Guidelines are , however we had 5 adults 2 kids and had a picnic lunch outside of the cafe, we purchased drinks cold and hot from the cafe . We were not instructed not to eat . Hope that helps .
Chou Xuan G
8 contributions
May I know what the entrance fee of 31.50$ (when booked online) includes? I am aware that theres kangaroo petting and shows to catch, but getting close to the Koala/Snakes/Wombats requires additional pay?? So meaning I can only see them and not pet them unless I pay the extra 40$? Please let me know what I can do with just the entrance fee and if so, how long I should spend here. Thank you!
Julie-Anne R
Ballarat19 contributions
Hi
Your entry fee includes all Keeper Talks, a Guided Tour at 11am and you are free to roam around all day if you wish. You can pat Kangaroo's for free and get really close to all our other animals. If you want a photo as a memento of your visit, with an animal of your choice, that is an extra fee. Just a reminder you can get up close to Koala's in Victoria but you are not allowed to hold them.
Best regards
Julie-Anne
ChristianTVC
Subang Jaya, Malaysia390 contributions
How long should I spend here? half a day?
ballaratdad
6 contributions
i spend at least half a day to a full day if i want to catch all the shows...especially the crunch show my kids 8/4/1.5 absolutely love it here
Pascaline V
L'Alfas del Pi, Spain16 contributions
price?????
Julie-Anne R
Ballarat19 contributions
Hi There
$35.00 Adults
$29.00 Concession
$19.50 Children (5-15)
$95.00 Family – 2 Adults and up to 4 children
If you book online, you can save 10% or 20% if you are an RACV member.
Veyya
Bali35 contributions
Hi, if you are traveling with children, and you were to choose between Ballarat Wildlife park and Melbourne zoo, which one will you go?
Julie-Anne R
Ballarat19 contributions
Our Park is a more intimate Park where you can pat Kangaroos and get up close and personal to all of our non venomous animals.
We certainly hope you come and visit.
Best regards
Julie-Anne
Marketing Manager
Fransiska
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hi,,, I'm planning to visit Ballarat wildlife park and Sovereign hill on the same day. Can anyone recommend me, which one should I visit first? Wildlife or Sovereign? So I can get to see all/most animal show. Thx
Barry646
Bendigo, Australia43 contributions
It depends on what takes your interest most. There is a loot more to do and see at Sovereign Hill and I suspect you will spend most of your time there. The only practical suggestion is to time limit yourself at the first place you visit so you have plenty of time at the second location.
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Claim your listingBALLARAT WILDLIFE PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Ballarat Wildlife Park
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