The Bug Parc
The Bug Parc
5
Nature & Wildlife AreasZoosOther Nature & ParksEducational sitesDay Trips
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Adults and children all love The Bug Parc, a modern, purpose-built unique zoo in Norfolk, by far the largest all-invertebrate zoo in the UK. See hundreds of incredible tropical insects, millipedes, spiders, tarantulas and so much more. Book an hourly handling session to handle several large insects and other invertebrates, a thrilling encounter for all ages. There is an outside play area with a huge jumping pillow, a covered 6m x 6m sandpit, pedal cars, and picnic benches! During holidays and weekends when we are at our busiest, it is advisable to pre-book your ticket and the handling sessions to avoid disappointment. With plenty of informative wall boards and loads of large creepy crawlies, there is something for the whole family to enjoy. Set in a woodland setting, we also have a large butterfly-themed affordable cafe, a fabulous gift shop on site, and free parking. Dogs are welcome on the patio outside the cafe but cannot come into the Parc. An unforgettable family experience.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
416 reviews
Excellent
406
Very good
9
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Billie
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
A perfect day out for the kids. It may be small but we easily spent 3-4 hours here. The new outdoor play area kept the kids busy and burnt off some steam between the different bug houses.
Great toilet facilities (very useful when you have a child with additional needs). Lots of benches.
The cafe has all homecooked food and considering the quality very reasonably priced. Lovely cappuccino.
The handling session was amazing and the knowledge of the staff kept the children engaged for an hour and they loved holding some bugs we have never even heard of.
The best part is you can actually buy the bugs and everything you need to keep them!
Would 100% recommend.
Great toilet facilities (very useful when you have a child with additional needs). Lots of benches.
The cafe has all homecooked food and considering the quality very reasonably priced. Lovely cappuccino.
The handling session was amazing and the knowledge of the staff kept the children engaged for an hour and they loved holding some bugs we have never even heard of.
The best part is you can actually buy the bugs and everything you need to keep them!
Would 100% recommend.
Written July 27, 2022
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 for recommending others to visit, for visiting our parc and your nice review
Written July 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hannah
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Family
I highly recommend BugzUK. We had a fabulous time there yesterday. The staff were all very helpful and knowledgeable- we were able to book a handling session (I definitely recommend this if you plan a visit) and learnt a great deal about different invertebrates. As I write (June 2022) it is brand new so not a huge place yet, probably not enough to fill a whole day out unless you’re an enthusiast, but they have long-term plans for a tropical butterfly house and a native butterfly enclousure, a bee flower meadow, a children’s adventure playground and more, so please support them and visit now if you can and spread the word amongst your local friends! I’m especially excited about the planned butterfly enclosures :). We’ll be back, I have no doubt. 🙂
Written June 21, 2022
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 recommending us to others, word of mouth is so important to small business owners like myself. Thank you for the great review and I am so glad you had a fabulous time here.
Written July 14, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David F
2 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
We had a great time visiting with our young family to learn more about the insect world.
The display rooms were well thought out with lots of information for us to learn about the insects on display.
The highlight of our visit was the handling experience. We had an hour of being able to handle various insects which was awesome. I don’t mind admitting I was a little trepidation at first, but couldn’t get enough of it at the end.
The kids’ question trail kept our two engaged as they love a good trail and the sense of exploration they create.
We ate lunch in the cafe. The food was made fresh to order, using high quality ingredients, was really tasty and great value for money with four of us eating for about £20.
The staff were really helpful, informative and engaging. The two insect handlers were so good at encouraging those who were slightly nervous to have a go.
With lots of new features and displays in the pipeline, this is definitely a place for us to re-visit as it expands.
Thanks for a great visit!
The display rooms were well thought out with lots of information for us to learn about the insects on display.
The highlight of our visit was the handling experience. We had an hour of being able to handle various insects which was awesome. I don’t mind admitting I was a little trepidation at first, but couldn’t get enough of it at the end.
The kids’ question trail kept our two engaged as they love a good trail and the sense of exploration they create.
We ate lunch in the cafe. The food was made fresh to order, using high quality ingredients, was really tasty and great value for money with four of us eating for about £20.
The staff were really helpful, informative and engaging. The two insect handlers were so good at encouraging those who were slightly nervous to have a go.
With lots of new features and displays in the pipeline, this is definitely a place for us to re-visit as it expands.
Thanks for a great visit!
Written June 13, 2022
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 for a great review, I am so pleased you had a great time and that you had time to try a meal in the cafe. The handling session is often the highlight so I am so glad you booked for that. Looking forward to when you visit again.
Written July 14, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
caroline w
Reading, UK8 contributions
Aug 2022
I saw an advert for this place in a local magazine in Norfolk and thought I’d take my step son along who’s 10 years old.
I booked the tickets on line with a slot for a handling session for my ten year old. Bear in mind you do need to book two places as an adult needs to be with anyone under 17. They did tell me when I arrived that I needed to have done that but it wasn’t very clear on the booking form.
Anyway we arrived at 11.15am and our handling experience was moved to 1.10pm as we needed two spaces and my slot was booked up at 12.10pm.
It meant we had to spend another hour at the centre but the assistance said there was a lot to see and we would fill the time.
I wasn’t sure of that but went along with it.
We started off in the scorpion house. Which I have to say was amazing. Switching a light on the tanks they were in showed them up with flourence lighting really well. Without that you wouldn’t know they were there. Really good display of lots of different types of scorpions. Great fun for the kids and adults.
Into another house/shed to see the beetles and snails. The place was amazing, it housed so many bugs. I didn’t think I would find it interesting but I really did. It was fascinating to see all the bugs up close, my step son was just as interested.
For me the best bit was the ants house and trails, brilliant to see them at work.
I would recommend a visit to my friends and their children. We spent 3 hours there and didn’t get bored.
The handling experience was great too. The children had 5 different creatures to handle and the keepers were very informative.
The whole site is in development but the first phrase is complete.
Gift shop was great with lots of good things to buy for kids.
Toilets were very clean and new.
I wish them well with their development and the next phrases.
I will be back as I’m looking forward to the next phrase - the butterfly centre.
Great day out and not far from Norwich either.
Don’t know if their marketing dept have thought of it but a leaflet at the Norwich forum tourist information centre might help and bring more visitors to their centre.
I booked the tickets on line with a slot for a handling session for my ten year old. Bear in mind you do need to book two places as an adult needs to be with anyone under 17. They did tell me when I arrived that I needed to have done that but it wasn’t very clear on the booking form.
Anyway we arrived at 11.15am and our handling experience was moved to 1.10pm as we needed two spaces and my slot was booked up at 12.10pm.
It meant we had to spend another hour at the centre but the assistance said there was a lot to see and we would fill the time.
I wasn’t sure of that but went along with it.
We started off in the scorpion house. Which I have to say was amazing. Switching a light on the tanks they were in showed them up with flourence lighting really well. Without that you wouldn’t know they were there. Really good display of lots of different types of scorpions. Great fun for the kids and adults.
Into another house/shed to see the beetles and snails. The place was amazing, it housed so many bugs. I didn’t think I would find it interesting but I really did. It was fascinating to see all the bugs up close, my step son was just as interested.
For me the best bit was the ants house and trails, brilliant to see them at work.
I would recommend a visit to my friends and their children. We spent 3 hours there and didn’t get bored.
The handling experience was great too. The children had 5 different creatures to handle and the keepers were very informative.
The whole site is in development but the first phrase is complete.
Gift shop was great with lots of good things to buy for kids.
Toilets were very clean and new.
I wish them well with their development and the next phrases.
I will be back as I’m looking forward to the next phrase - the butterfly centre.
Great day out and not far from Norwich either.
Don’t know if their marketing dept have thought of it but a leaflet at the Norwich forum tourist information centre might help and bring more visitors to their centre.
Written August 16, 2022
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 for your 5* review and thank you for visiting. We have made it clearer on the website now that an adult needs to accompany under 14's into the handling sessions, my apologies if it was not as clear when you booked, and for any mis-understanding. Despite being uncertain that you would enjoy the experience at first, I am so glad that you both found it fun and informative. Thanks for the tip about the Norwich forum.
Written August 20, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stacey Trigg-Dudley
5 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Have been wanting to visit since we heard this Invertebrate Zoo had opened as our youngest is obsessed!! Took a trip here today and, although a relatively small Zoo at the moment, I understand there are big expansion plans for the future which sound amazing! We had an awesome day, spent a good 4 hours with our 8 year old. Walked through all different rooms including crabs, scorpion, spiders and Tarantula, stick insects, locusts, crickets, cockroaches and an very impressive colony of Leaf-cutter ants. All creatures seem to have their needs catered for and general impressions are that the park and animals are well tended and looked after. Displays are well thought out and informative with many information boards around the walls. It would take a long time to read this much information but this lends itself to possible multiple visits with young children learning more each time!!
We attended a very reasonably priced Handling session which our little boy loved and an Ant Information Talk. Staff were knowledgeable, patient and listened and answered (many!!) questions and explained the set up of the park including future plans.
We took a packed lunch but, with questionable weather, we ventured inside to the Cafe and were impressed at the menu which offered both variety and affordability so we sacked off the pack-up and ate there!!!
The Gift Shop offered many reasonably priced pocket money style souvenirs which was awesome as children could be easily (and reasonably) pacified with a small souvenir.
Due to the weather we didn't spend much time outside and the play area outdoors seemed more aimed at younger children (probably because the Zoo itself lends itself to a slightly older child's level of understanding). Having said that, around all the displays were step stools for younger ones to stand on to get a better view!
Overall, we were impressed, a great and reasonably priced place to fill a few hours come rain or shine and we ended up buying a Season Pass which also comes with additional benefits of discounts at surrounding attractions including Roar! Dinosaur Park.
Thank you for a wonderful day and we can't wait to come back again!! 🦂🪳🐜🕷🐌🦀
We attended a very reasonably priced Handling session which our little boy loved and an Ant Information Talk. Staff were knowledgeable, patient and listened and answered (many!!) questions and explained the set up of the park including future plans.
We took a packed lunch but, with questionable weather, we ventured inside to the Cafe and were impressed at the menu which offered both variety and affordability so we sacked off the pack-up and ate there!!!
The Gift Shop offered many reasonably priced pocket money style souvenirs which was awesome as children could be easily (and reasonably) pacified with a small souvenir.
Due to the weather we didn't spend much time outside and the play area outdoors seemed more aimed at younger children (probably because the Zoo itself lends itself to a slightly older child's level of understanding). Having said that, around all the displays were step stools for younger ones to stand on to get a better view!
Overall, we were impressed, a great and reasonably priced place to fill a few hours come rain or shine and we ended up buying a Season Pass which also comes with additional benefits of discounts at surrounding attractions including Roar! Dinosaur Park.
Thank you for a wonderful day and we can't wait to come back again!! 🦂🪳🐜🕷🐌🦀
Written July 24, 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.
Lauren N
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Family
Honestly just such a good day for all ages. We were, if not more, just as impressed as the kids. It isn't very big at the moment but there is still so much to look at! We spent about 4 hours there today trying to take everything in. So much to learn, we will definitely be back.
The handling experience is well worth the extra £1.50 per person, the handlers were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. In fact, all of the staff were lovely.
The cafe is great, love all the pictures. It had vegan and veggie options including vegan cake which was a bonus! The gift shop was really reasonably priced which was a great surprise for somewhere like this :)
Knowing what they are working on for future development is exciting! Kids can't wait for the playground to be built and eventually a butterfly walk through exhibition.
The handling experience is well worth the extra £1.50 per person, the handlers were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. In fact, all of the staff were lovely.
The cafe is great, love all the pictures. It had vegan and veggie options including vegan cake which was a bonus! The gift shop was really reasonably priced which was a great surprise for somewhere like this :)
Knowing what they are working on for future development is exciting! Kids can't wait for the playground to be built and eventually a butterfly walk through exhibition.
Written June 11, 2022
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 a nice review. Adults do enjoy the parc as much as the children. Playground is now up and running too
Written July 14, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
david u
Norwich, UK113 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
We went here really not knowing what to expect but if a place ever exceeded expectations by miles then this was it. The girls loved all of the invertebrates and there are so many to see. I would highly recommend doing the handling experience which was great value and you got to spend lots of time up close and personal with the beautiful animals. The cafe is superb as well and the plans for the future sound great. Brilliant day !
Written June 4, 2022
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.
wow, thank you so much for the great review, I am so pleased you had such a great day.......... exactly what we are trying to achieve
Written June 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
caroline0312
West Sussex53 contributions
Aug 2022
This is an absolute must for everyone. In our party we were both old and young; insect fans and definitely not insect fans (me!) and everyone of us will (not would but will) go back again.
I thought I’d spend my time in the cafe and gift shop while the rest of our group went round but no, I was elbowing my way past the others to be first to look at natures wonders inside the cases.
It is beautifully arranged with the aim being to share the joy of insects, to marvel at their versatility and respect the incredible role they play in our environment. That sounds rather stuffy and formal, it’s not, it is also great fun and and full of “Wow!” moments. Not to mention the terrible riddles and jokes scattered around the walls.
The selection of insects is remarkable and how many of them adopt astonishing disguises, so that even up close you still struggle to spot them. Is it a leaf or a beetle or a stick insect?……Go and visit and find out.
If you are not keen on spiders, you can avoid this section. One of our group was a bit nervous of them but went anyway and is now a convert and found them beautiful and fascinating. All cages are securely locked and I think this is to protect the insects from us, not the other way around.
There are several buildings with a variety of insects in each. The buildings are climate controlled so despite the heat outside we were comfortable.
The top picks for us was the leaf cutter ant exhibit, absolutely amazing. Then the scorpions, where you could turn on an ultra Violet light and watch them glow an incredible shade of green underneath it.
There is a cafe, serving very delicious food, starting with a memorable breakfast, yum! Unfortunately there is also a nice gift shop with lots of tempting goodies for all ages and even very clean lavatories! So next time you are in the area, just go, wet or dry it’s really worth it.
I think they are building a walk through butterfly house which is something to look forward to next time.
I thought I’d spend my time in the cafe and gift shop while the rest of our group went round but no, I was elbowing my way past the others to be first to look at natures wonders inside the cases.
It is beautifully arranged with the aim being to share the joy of insects, to marvel at their versatility and respect the incredible role they play in our environment. That sounds rather stuffy and formal, it’s not, it is also great fun and and full of “Wow!” moments. Not to mention the terrible riddles and jokes scattered around the walls.
The selection of insects is remarkable and how many of them adopt astonishing disguises, so that even up close you still struggle to spot them. Is it a leaf or a beetle or a stick insect?……Go and visit and find out.
If you are not keen on spiders, you can avoid this section. One of our group was a bit nervous of them but went anyway and is now a convert and found them beautiful and fascinating. All cages are securely locked and I think this is to protect the insects from us, not the other way around.
There are several buildings with a variety of insects in each. The buildings are climate controlled so despite the heat outside we were comfortable.
The top picks for us was the leaf cutter ant exhibit, absolutely amazing. Then the scorpions, where you could turn on an ultra Violet light and watch them glow an incredible shade of green underneath it.
There is a cafe, serving very delicious food, starting with a memorable breakfast, yum! Unfortunately there is also a nice gift shop with lots of tempting goodies for all ages and even very clean lavatories! So next time you are in the area, just go, wet or dry it’s really worth it.
I think they are building a walk through butterfly house which is something to look forward to next time.
Written August 14, 2022
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.
I am constantly told by visitors that they came for their children and didn't expect to enjoy their day very much, only to find that they have enjoyed their visit as much or more than their children !!!!! The jokes are, i'm afraid, Dad jokes and therefore a bit lame, but hey, they provoke a reaction. I am so pleased you had such a good visit, thank you so much for trying us out, especially as you thought you didn't like bugs. and thank you especially for such a lovely review of your day
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mrs Stevens
Norwich, UK13 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
This place is just so phenomenal! My little one loves it and so do we. So many different species to see and watch, so much that is interactive for little ones (mine is 3yrs old) the Bug handling sessions are just perfect, so informative and the staff clearly know their stuff when asked all sorts of random questions by kids.
The ant colony are really coming into their own since our first visit in early 2022, personally I could sit and watch them for hours. The play area is fab especially in the summer, it’s small but perfectly formed, the cafe is lush with lots of well priced good food and if it’s sunny you can sit outside which is fab. The gift shop also has some really good pocket money type toys and sweets so every visit doesn’t have to break the bank if you want to purchase a little treat. Oh and the loos are great too.
Oh and it’s absolutely worth every Penny getting an annual pass as they are just over£
£30 do the whole year for adults which is a bargain! The break even point is so low that it makes frequent visits free! You just need to pay for the bug handling sessions on top but it’s like £1.50 per person which again is super value for money for a 45min session. We’ve brought friends with us and grandparents when they’ve been to visit us in norwich and everyone loves it young or old. Def one of our fav places and we also have passes for 3 other places but Bugz will always win especially if we don’t have a whole day for a trip out.
The ant colony are really coming into their own since our first visit in early 2022, personally I could sit and watch them for hours. The play area is fab especially in the summer, it’s small but perfectly formed, the cafe is lush with lots of well priced good food and if it’s sunny you can sit outside which is fab. The gift shop also has some really good pocket money type toys and sweets so every visit doesn’t have to break the bank if you want to purchase a little treat. Oh and the loos are great too.
Oh and it’s absolutely worth every Penny getting an annual pass as they are just over£
£30 do the whole year for adults which is a bargain! The break even point is so low that it makes frequent visits free! You just need to pay for the bug handling sessions on top but it’s like £1.50 per person which again is super value for money for a 45min session. We’ve brought friends with us and grandparents when they’ve been to visit us in norwich and everyone loves it young or old. Def one of our fav places and we also have passes for 3 other places but Bugz will always win especially if we don’t have a whole day for a trip out.
Written April 9, 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.
Wow, high praise indeed, thank you so much, I am so pleased you all enjoyed yourself so much, thank you so much for such an amqzing review and for buying season tickets
Written April 11, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
S Jelley
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We attended the Bug Parc for a private tour and had a fantastic time! Owner was very friendly and knowledgeable and clearly passionate about introducing visitors to the beautiful and fascinating world of insects. We were made most welcome and looked after during our visit and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the tour, it was so nice to be able to spend time learning about the residents! The displays are well kept and the enclosures have a wide array of critters accompanied by comprehensive information boards and fun facts. Our particular favourites were the scorpions, spiders, mantids and leaf cutter ants.
The Parc has a lovely cafe with smashing, reasonably priced food and drinks (would recommend the sausage rolls and chocolate cake), toilets were spotless and there is a great children's play area too.
We are looking forward to visiting again and seeing how the planned expansion is progressing, this is such a wonderful opportunity to teach everyone how important insects are to our environment and encourage us to understand and appreciate them. Definitely worth checking in and supporting the Bug parc, you will have a brilliant day!
The Parc has a lovely cafe with smashing, reasonably priced food and drinks (would recommend the sausage rolls and chocolate cake), toilets were spotless and there is a great children's play area too.
We are looking forward to visiting again and seeing how the planned expansion is progressing, this is such a wonderful opportunity to teach everyone how important insects are to our environment and encourage us to understand and appreciate them. Definitely worth checking in and supporting the Bug parc, you will have a brilliant day!
Written July 18, 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.
No questions have been asked about this experience