9 Reasons Families Love Drusillas Park in Sussex

You’ll fall in love with Drusillas Park’s 800+ exotic animals offering nose-to-nose encounters, nine thrilling rides perfect for toddlers to teens, and five adventure play zones tailored by age. Your family can experience SPARK’s immersive 360° projections, cool off at the Get Wet! Splash Pad, and journey through the incredible Dru-assic Dinosaur Walkthrough. With award-winning accessibility, hands-on animal feeding, and exciting centenary celebrations throughout 2025, there’s something magical for everyone to discover together.

Over 100 Exotic Animals for Close-Up Encounters

When you step through Drusillas Park’s gates, you’ll discover an incredible collection of over 800 exotic animals representing 80+ species that’ll captivate your entire family. You can wander directly among inquisitive ring-tailed lemurs in Lemurland, getting nose-to-nose with these playful primates.

Your kids will love feeding rainbow lorikeets in the interactive aviary and watching Linne’s two-toed sloths hang overhead in dedicated viewing areas.

Don’t miss the rare pygmy marmosets, Colombian black spider monkeys, and adorable red pandas. You’ll encounter fascinating creatures like Humboldt penguins, giant anteaters, and Bactrian camels throughout your visit. The park also features impressive Eurasian lynx among its diverse collection of wildlife.

The walkthrough exhibits let you experience close-up interactions with meerkats, capybaras, and even hear the mimicking cockatoo respond to your voice—creating unforgettable family memories.

Nine Family-Friendly Rides for All Ages

Nine exciting rides await your family at Drusillas Park, each designed to create thrilling memories for visitors from toddlers to teenagers. You’ll discover four jungle-themed attractions in the Rainforest Adventure area, where your kids can dodge spitting anacondas on Jungle Jeeps or soar above treetops on Amazon Skyrise. The Toucan Twister offers perfect spinning fun for families together.

Don’t miss the Go Safari! section featuring Flying Cheetahs—visitors consistently rate this sky-reaching experience as their top favorite. Your 5-9 year olds will love the Hippopotobus‘s elevated swinging action and integrated splash pad play. The Safari Express Train provides scenic journeys through the zoo’s heart, while toddlers can practice driving skills on Junior Jeep.

Best of all, you’ll find free arcade rides in the House of Fun, maximizing your family’s entertainment value. The park is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025 with special centenary events throughout the year.

Expansive Adventure Play Areas With Age-Appropriate Zones

Beyond the thrilling rides, you’ll discover five incredible adventure play areas that transform Drusillas Park into every child’s playground paradise. Amazon Adventure captivates younger explorers with its jungle-themed soft play, featuring jumbo slides, aerial runways, and spinning poles that’ll keep little ones entertained for hours.

For older kids aged six and up, Go Wild! delivers outdoor thrills with zip wires, hamster wheels, and challenging rope bridges. Meanwhile, Go Bananas! offers African-themed climbing and swinging activities perfectly scaled for younger children.

Don’t miss Mungo’s Maze, where families can get wonderfully lost together while exploring winding pathways. The netted walkways and anaconda run add extra excitement to the adventure playground experience.

Pack swimming costumes for Get Wet! Splash Pad – this water play area becomes absolutely essential during summer visits, providing invigorating relief between adventures.

SPARK – The UK’s Largest Immersive Sensory Experience

Where else can you step into a world where reality dissolves into pure digital magic? SPARK delivers the UK’s largest immersive sensory experience through cutting-edge 360° projection technology that transforms ordinary walls into extraordinary adventures.

You’ll learn about coral reefs, leap across lily pads while dodging crocodiles, and watch walls come alive at your touch. Design digital animals and release them into the virtual wild, then star in augmented reality videos riding rhinos or zebras.

The interactive flooring responds to every step, while nine seamless games create endless entertainment. Beyond SPARK, families can explore Close Encounters and other immersive experiences that make Drusillas a complete adventure destination.

Book SEND-only sessions at 10:30am for quieter experiences. At just £2 for members and £3 for non-members, it’s incredible value. Sessions run Fridays, weekends, and school holidays from 11am until closing.

Refreshing Water Play and Splash Features

When summer heat becomes unbearable, Drusillas Park’s Caribbean-themed splash zone transforms into your family’s favorite cooling sanctuary. You’ll discover water jets shooting interactive streams while ground geysers erupt unexpectedly beneath your children’s feet. The spiraling sprays and swirling water channels create endless entertainment as kids dash between tropical palm tree fountains.

Operating daily from 10am to 5:45pm throughout Easter holidays until September’s end, this splash area’s included in your standard entry ticket. You’ll appreciate the surrounding benches and shaded spots for watching little ones play. The automated fountains conserve water by turning off when not in use, making this an environmentally conscious attraction.

The constantly filtered and chlorinated water meets safety standards, though you’ll need to supervise children yourself.

Don’t forget swimwear – the on-site shop stocks swimming gear and sun cream if you’ve forgotten essentials.

Award-Winning Accessibility and Inclusive Design

Since accessibility matters deeply to families with diverse needs, you’ll find Drusillas Park’s commitment extends far beyond basic compliance. Their silver award in the Beautiful South Tourism Awards for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism proves they’re getting it right.

You’ll navigate easily with level pathways and ramps throughout every area. Can’t bring mobility equipment? They’ve got wheelchair and scooter hire available. The Changing Places facility behind Amazon Adventure handles complex toileting needs, while multiple accessible toilets dot the park. The park maintains convenient hours from 10am to 5pm today for planning your visit.

Here’s what’s brilliant: carers enter free when accompanying disabled visitors. Your SEND family gets priority access to morning SPARK sessions, plus quiet spaces for sensory breaks. Staff provide tailored assistance, making every visit genuinely inclusive rather than just wheelchair-friendly.

Hands-On Animal Feeding and Educational Experiences

Nothing beats the thrill of hand-feeding a curious meerkat or watching your child’s face light up during an exclusive penguin encounter. Drusillas Park’s VIP experiences transform ordinary zoo visits into unforgettable adventures.

You’ll get behind-the-scenes access during the 30-40 minute Penguin Feeding Experience, where your family can feed Humboldt penguins while chatting one-on-one with keepers.

The Keeper for the Day Program offers ultimate immersion—your child shadows staff from 10am to 3:30pm, preparing food and feeding meerkats, otters, sloths, and lemurs.

Close encounters include hands-on lemur feeding sessions and meerkat interactions where these inquisitive animals happily approach for treats. While you can get incredibly close to the penguins for photos and feeding, these experiences maintain no contact with the animals as they don’t enjoy being touched.

Each experience includes park admission, photography opportunities, and educational insights that spark genuine conservation awareness.

Annual members save 25% on these magical moments.

Dru-assic Dinosaur Walkthrough Adventure

After you’ve bonded with lemurs and fed penguins, it’s time to step through the massive jaws of a T-rex and enter Drusillas Park’s newest adventure—the Dru-assic Dinosaur Walkthrough.

You’ll encounter amazingly realistic animatronic dinosaurs, including a friendly Triceratops family, spitting Dilophosaurus, and soaring Pterosaurs overhead.

This immersive prehistoric journey captivates 5-year-olds and keeps everyone’s eyes peeled for the next roaring giant around every corner. The estate team’s incredible attention to detail creates a magical sensory experience that perfectly complements your day exploring 800+ animals and rides. The project was impressively completed two weeks early, demonstrating the dedicated team’s commitment to bringing this prehistoric world to life.

Pro tip: Visit early in your day when kids have maximum energy—this educational adventure becomes even more exciting when little ones can fully engage with these prehistoric giants.

Special Centenary Celebrations and Events in 2025

While you’re planning your 2025 visit, you’ll discover that Drusillas Park’s centenary year brings extraordinary celebrations that make every trip extra special. You’ll enjoy vintage car shows, live brass band performances, and keeper talks that reveal fascinating animal insights.

Don’t miss the conservation workshops – they’re perfect for curious kids who love hands-on learning.

The interactive digital timeline lets you explore the park’s origins and discover why it’s called Drusillas. You’ll love the 100-year video featuring interviews with the founding Ann family and current Smith family owners.

Save money with year-long discounts on tickets and memberships, plus grab limited-edition centenary gifts. You can also book exciting experiences like Close Encounters, Keeper for the Day, and Animal Adoption to make your visit even more memorable. If you’re celebrating a 100th birthday, you’ll get free entry on September 8, with free admission for your carer too!

The Sum Up

You’ll absolutely love bringing your family to Drusillas Park! From feeding exotic animals to splashing in water features, there’s something magical waiting around every corner. Don’t miss SPARK’s incredible sensory experience or the thrilling dinosaur walkthrough. Pack comfortable shoes for exploring the adventure zones, and you’ll create memories that’ll last a lifetime. With 2025’s special centenary celebrations, it’s the perfect time to discover why this Sussex gem truly captivates families year after year.