On our way from Cornwall to Windsor, we took a mid-stop driving break in Wraxall, at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, a Christian-based animal park.
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm was very different from the other animal parks that we visited in England. First, the emphasis is on Zoo. Although they have plenty of typical farm animals, they also have a large variety of exotic animals, most of whom are roaming in enormous enclosures that are electrified and reminiscent of Jurassic Park. That said, the animals all seemed to be very well-cared for and the staff was wonderful.
It was also different from the other parks because of it's Christian slant. We're not religious, but this wasn't an issue. Everyone we encountered couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. The staff at the cafe even went out of their way to make Felix a special meal. We may have had a different experience if the kids had been older, as there was a lot of pro-creationism signage and even a few creationism stage shows. The kids were too little to read the signs and we just avoided all of the shows. I can respect religious beliefs and differences, but I was happy to avoid that aspect of the park. At Noah's Ark, "Have a Blessed Day" is the equivalent to Disney's "Have a Magical Day." Every employee says it with every transaction. I was glad to accept all of the wishes for us to have "a blessed day", because that's just a nice sentiment. This is a nice place to bring the family.
At first, it would appear that they are keeping T-Rex's at Noah's Ark.
Nope, just keeping the crafty lemurs in check.
We saw loads of animals, including getting very close to an enormous tiger!
If you go to Noah's Ark, you must see the bird show. The handler gets the birds to fly and sit right next to the audience and seeing these beautiful birds up-close is a special experience.
Noah's Ark is home to the Mega Monster Maze, which holds the distinction of being The World's Longest Hedge Maze. We tried it, but we didn't get very far. The maze has multiple-choice trivia questions sprinkled throughout and if you guess correctly, you are sent down the correct path. I'm an animal person, I've worked at a zoo and I think that I know my animal trivia. WRONG! These questions were impossibly difficult. The Maze is set up so that unless you have a smart phone and are able to access the internet, you're not going to fly through the maze. It was fun though and if we visit in the future, we will give it another try!
The park had some great signs that should be included in every zoo!
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm is a unique animal attraction Wraxell, England and a good half-day outing for families. The kids loved the animals and the play areas.
