Facilities

Keeper Talks

Learn all about our closest living relatives at the FREE half-hourly keeper talks every day. Starting at 12.30pm at the woolly monkey house, you can hear from the people who care for the apes & monkeys every day, and gain an insight into their characters & personalities. The keepers perform a scatter feed to bring the primates closer, and visitors who follow the TV series may recognise some familiar faces!

Learn all about the primate’s rescues, lives at the park, and the species in the wild. Combining education with conservation, the keepers are passionate about their primates, and are happy to answer all of your questions. Please see the map for locations & times of the talks to help plan you day.

• 12:30pm Woolly Monkeys
• 1:00pm Chimpanzees
• 1:30pm Orang-utans
• 2:00pm Gibbons
• 2:30pm Lemurs & Small Monkeys
• 3:00pm Spider Monkeys, Capuchins & Stump-tailed Macaques

Monkey Around

Let your little ones blow off some steam in our three adventure playgrounds, the largest being the Great Ape Play Area at the far end of the park, past the capuchin complex.

With climbing frames, cargo nets, swings & slides, your little monkeys can take inspiration from our primate cousin’s activities, and see if they can balance as well as a chimp, climb as high as an orangutan, and swing like a gibbon!

Due to the expansive size and outdoor setting of the play area, it cannot be sanitised. We have provided multiple hand sanitiser stations, and ask that you ensure your child is regularly sanitising their hands before, during, and after use of the play equipment. Please ensure they maintain social distancing, follow the one-way system and wear a face-covering whilst using the equipment. Full risk assessment can be found here.

Food & Drink

Walking around the beautiful 65-acre park can work up quite an appetite- luckily, you can relax in one of our many picnic areas situated throughout the park. Enjoy your lunch in the stunning Dorset countryside, but if you’ve forgotten to pack a picnic, don’t panic! The Treetops café is open all year round, serving hot & cold food and a wide range of drinks. Situated near the entrance/exit, and adjacent to the gift shop, visitors can shelter from the elements in the ample indoor seating, or lunch on the patio, watching Hananya’s chimpanzee group.

As it is a popular location for lunch, arrive before 12 pm or after 1:30 pm to avoid the rush. The café is open until 4:30 pm, or 5:30 pm during July and August.

Gluten-free and vegan options are available, as well as soya milk. Please ask a member of staff if you have special dietary requirements, or get in touch before your visit by emailing facilities@monkeyworld.org. Sample menus can be found by clicking the button below. Please note that menus are subject to change, and not all items may be available on your visit.

Seasonal cafes

There are 3 kiosks and 2 further cafes open seasonally, during school holidays or other busy periods. Please ask at the entrance what is open during your visit.

Watering Hole

Situated near the top play area, the large indoor jungle themed café serves hot and cold food, including ice cream, pasties, hot dogs and sandwiches.

Malagasy

This outdoor café is a one stop shop for ice cream cones, sandwiches, pasties, sausage rolls, as well as a choice of cakes & crisps. Located near the orangutan nursery, it is a great place for a pit stop.

Kiosks

Ice cream and hot & cold drink kiosks are located in the top picnic area by the woolly monkeys, and also by the Great Ape Play Area. These are open in busy periods for a quick re-fuel during your day.

Taking care of the Environment

We work hard to make our cafes as sustainable as possible, sourcing food from local suppliers wherever possible. Plates and cups are made from biodegradable materials, and our coffee, tea and chocolate are all FairTrade.

Palm Oil is contributing to rainforest destruction, threatening the habitats of many endangered species, including orangutans. All our food in the cafes is palm oil free.

Help us to keep the park clean & tidy by disposing carefully of your rubbish in bins provided. Please please please do not be tempted to feed any of the primates, wildlife or birds.