Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo | Review

28.4.15

As you know we recently enjoyed a wonderful few days at Bluestone in Wales. We wanted to make the most of our trip so I made sure to research nearby attractions, and one that seemed perfect for us was Folly Farm. Now don't be fooled by the name - Folly Farm is more than just a farm, it's also an adventure park, funfair and zoo! We were so excited to visit, and we weren't disappointed.


The park is just a short drive from Bluestone in the heart of Pembrokeshire. The day we visited was a bit chilly and VERY windy however we still managed to enjoy our day and spent well over 5 hours there, (we could have spent the whole day if it was a bit warmer). There was so much to see and do for all ages and I'm sure there were bits we missed.

Our first stop was the Jolly Barn which is home to all your farm favourites from sheep and goats to pigs, chickens and ponies. We let Indiana out of her pram and let her wander around to explore the animals. I loved how clean the whole farm was and there were plenty of points to wash your hands too which was great to see. All the animals seemed happy and I especially loved the chicken enclosures which were more than just your average chicken coop!





The whole area was themed with huge signs, areas to learn more about the animals, and even interactive areas with games and more. Throughout the day they bring out different animals to meet and touch. Indiana adored the rabbit and had a constant look of awe in her face when stroking it. Jack even got to milk a goat which was a pretty cool thing to do!

From the barn you can venture outside and enjoy the free tractor ride - a 15 minute round trip around the outside farm area. Indie loved being able to look around and see the animals, and I thought the driver gave really interesting information throughout. There was even a stop-off to go on a nature trail part way through if you fancied it.



After all the fun of the barn we went in search of some lunch. With it being so cold we didn't bring a picnic; although there were plenty of seating areas if you did decide to bring one. We stopped at the Funfair Restaurant which is located inside the Vintage Funfair. It looked a bit outdated from the outside but I think that just adds to the theme they're going for inside the funfair.

They offer a selection of hot food choices from pies and chips to jacket potatoes and spaghetti, all at reasonable prices. Indiana had a children's lunch box which included a sandwich, crisps, yoghurt, chocolate bar and drink. We all found the food to be really yummy and Indie especially enjoyed her chocolately treat!

There were plenty of other places to eat while at Folly Farm including snack stands throughout the park offering yummy treats and drinks, the Carousel Cafe by the soft play area inside the funfair, the cafe at the entrance of the park and a burger shack outside - although this was closed during our visit.



After lunch we explored more of the vintage funfair which was so much bigger than we first thought; I've recently discovered it's Europe's largest undercover funfair! With  retro games such as hook-a-duck and penny machines to the big favourites such as the waltzers and the ghost train - there was plenty to enjoy! We didn't actually make it onto any of the rides as Indiana is still a little young (there are kiddy rides too), and with me pregnant Jack would have had to enjoy them by himself haha.

There are very reasonably priced with tokens only costing 50p each, and then each ride only being 1-2 tokens! This was really impressive as it's much cheaper than fun fairs at local beaches such as Brighton Pier.





The back of the funfair was home to the biggest adventure play I'd ever seen - Carousel Woods! All undercover and surrounded by seating so that parents can sit and relax while the kids go have fun. Again Indiana was too young for this, but I know if we visited when she's a bit older she'd be in there for hours haha.

This wasn't the only play area in the park however - there were huge play areas outside as well; pirate ships to climb, a dragon playground, diggers for both kids and adults (at a small charge), pedal tractors and even a ferris wheel! These were practically empty during our visit but I can imagine during peak Spring/Summer periods these are very popular.


My absolute favourite part of the park was the zoo! I was only expecting a few small enclosures with smaller animals but I was completely blown away by what there actually is. Every single enclosure was large, modern and seemed well managed - something I think is very important when I visit a zoo.

The zoo is actually home to over 50 species amounting to over 250 animals and they are even expanding as we speak with the addition of flamingos and rhinos to come. We wandered around the monkeys, lions and camels and found some rather funny river hogs who were running around in a conga line haha. We didn't see any of the animal talks but did happen to visit the giraffes (the only ones in Wales!) when they were receiving some training from a zoo keeper. She was answering questions and it was really interesting to watch and listen to.







My favourites and I think Indiana's too as she slept for the most part haha, were the penguins. One side of their exhibit was a large glass panel which let you see right into their water tank. The glass was crystal clear so you could see them really up close swimming about; they seemed to love the interaction as they came right over to where you were to look.




The zoo also has an 'interactive zone' which houses more animals as well as being an education based sensory centre. Jack and I had great fun chatting to the parrot inside as well as following a little stamp trail - Jack was very proud of getting all his stamps haha.



Overall we had a fantastic day out and would definitely love to visit again! It's a great day out for all ages and I can see why it won  Best Day Out in Wales in the National Tourism Awards recently! I still cannot believe how reasonable the prices are: £10.95 for adults, £9.95 for children aged 3-15, senior citizens and the disabled and then under 2s are free. You can even purchase an annual pass which I think is well worth the money as there's so much to see and do!

*We received our tickets free or charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

5 comments :

  1. Anonymous28/4/15

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  2. That looks a fantastic day out! So much to see and do! Lovely photos x

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  3. What a fabulous day out! Great photos too :) You can't beat a farm visit can you?
    Lovely to see you on #TriedTested this week :D

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  4. We absolutely loved Folly Farm and hope to go back one day. The vintage fun fair gave me goosebumps I love places like that. I need to write up my review soon!

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  5. This looks like a fantastic place to spend a day! Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested

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