Places of Interest Belgium
Oldest Zoo in Belgium and 8th Oldest in the World Record
Zoo Antwerpen is a place of interest highly recommended to visit in Antwerp. Opened on 21 July 1843, fourteen years after the independence of Belgium in 1830, Antwerp Zoo it is the oldest zoo in Belgium. Furthermore, it is the 8th oldest zoo in the world according to the zoo opening record date.
- 1752 – Tiergarten Schönbrunn Zoo (Vienna, Austria)
- 1770 – Zoo Aquarium de Madrid (Spain)
- 1794 – Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes (Paris, France)
- 1828 – ZSL London Zoo (England)
- 1830 – Dublin Zoo (Ireland)
- 1836 – Bristol Zoo (England)
- 1838 – ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo (Netherlands)
- 1843 – Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (Zoo Antwerpen)
Additionally, with an average of 1 million visitors going to the zoo annually, Zoo Antwerpen is the number one most visited zoo in Belgium. With five restaurants and cafes around the zoo premise, you would be sure not to starve and have something to eat and drink along the way.
Accessibility
» How to Go Zoo Antwerpen from Antwerp Central Station?
Conveniently located beside the Antwerp Central Train Station, it is a breeze to walk there too. Hence, there is no way anyone would have a problem finding the Antwerp Zoo. From the main front exit of Antwerp Central Station, walk 1 minute towards the right for 100m to the Zoo Antwerpen Entrance.
» Parking
Beware! As the location of the Antwerp Zoo is in the Low Emission Zone (LMZ) due to its centralised location, the government has reinforced law since 1 February 2017 to allow certain vehicles to enter the zone. Usually, the implemented policy only affects old vehicular models because they emit a lot of pollution.
Opening Hours and Daily Programme
Zoo Antwerpen is opened all year round from 10 am daily. However, the closing time may vary. The closing hours during winter is at 4:45 pm and up till 7:00 pm on Sundays, festive periods, holidays and summertime. The Opening Hours and Daily Programme of Zoo Antwerpen will provide you with a daily accurate operating hour and programme so you can plan in advance which activities to do when visiting the zoo.
Zoo Antwerpen Tickets
Here is the ticket price for one day trip to Antwerp Zoo when you buy at the counter and online. You will get a € 1.50 discount on the price for some categories when purchasing the Zoo Antwerpen tickets online.
| Description | Counter | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (18 years and above) | € 24.00 | € 22.50 |
| Children (12 to 17 years) | € 22.00 | € 20.50 |
| Children (3 to 11 years) | € 19.00 | € 17.50 |
| Children (Below 3 years) | Free | |
| Elderly (60 years and above) | € 23.00 | € 21.50 |
| Students (18 to 25 years) on presenting a Student ID | N/A | |
| Disabled | ||
| Necessary Companion for Disabled Visitors | ||
| Tour (1 Guide / 25 Person) | € 50.00 | |
| Zoo Backstage Tour (1 Guide / 20 Person) |  € 75.00 |
Antwerp Zoo Membership
For animal lovers and frequent patrons, there are many types of zoo memberships available for individual and family members. Other than unlimited visits to Zoo Antwerpen for one year, visitors members can also enjoy the same privilege of access to visit another zoo in Mechelen, Planckendael. Both zoological gardens are run by the same management Antwerp Zoo Society.
Another perk of the members is the freedom to visit the zoo at 9 am, one hour before the rest of the paying visitors do. As a result, that seems to be a heavenly treat like having the zoo all by yourself peacefully with your favourite animals in sight. Moreover, members can observe the interaction between the zookeepers and the animals in the enclosure to see how they work.
Beautiful Garden and Landscape
The beautiful indoor garden is a lovely welcome gift when a visitor steps into the zoo entrance. Moreover, the landscape of Antwerpen Zoo is aesthetically appealing and well maintained despite its age. From the main entrance and the zoo surrounding from outside, it is hard to judge the size and the inner beauty. I had come as a tourist to Antwerp for six years. Alas, I have never been to the zoo. I wish I had visited Zoo Antwerpen much earlier and regretted not doing so.
Zoo Antwerpen Youtube Video Review
I always associate all zoo to be more or less the same. If you are lucky, you can see the animals in action. I had been to many zoos in other countries. The animals were always sleeping. Thus, it was boring to be in such a zoo.
Animals in Action
Zoo Antwerpen is one of the best zoo visits that I have been. All thanks to the animals who were active and fun loving. Thus, there were a lot of animal activities to see in almost every places that I had stopped. I was lucky to spot several animals in action. From eating, playing to … Hmmm… I caught one monkey peeing in the video. You should check it out too!
Eastern Gorilla Digging His Nose with Middle Finger and Tasting It
The funny and entertaining video is on my must watch list! Caught the Gorilla in action at Zoo Antwerpen digging his nose with the middle finger and tasting it. Apparently, he must have liked the taste of it. It was funny to see him repeat the process for three times after which he went back to sleep again.
A Tale of Two Elephants
On this posting date, 16 April, is the birthday of one male elephant, Ming Jung in Zoo Antwerpen. He turned 10 years old. Kanvar, the other elephant is one year younger than him. I was lucky to come across the feeding and showering time of these two playful elephants.
It was indeed an eye-opening and heartwarming experience watching them shower at such a close distance. I could record down and tell a story of what they had been doing. In addition, there are some storylines from the subtitles. The interaction between the zookeepers and the elephant were amazing.
As I was enjoying every moment and feeling entertained, I spent quite some time watching the elephants. Elephants are intuitive and intelligent animals. I felt it at that moment. I present this video as a birthday gift for you. Happy birthday Ming Jung! Please enjoy the high definition video in 1080p, the clarity and the stability of it.
Penguins on the Run
Penguins are the favourite animals of many people because they are cute. It melts the hearts of people especially when they walk and turn their heads. Two of my favourite parts of the video is when one penguin jumps down from the rock and runs to the front due to the appropriate beats of the music that accompany it.
The other part is when it floats in the water without moving. The body seems so close to me. I wish I could touch its fat body. The seals in Zoo Antwerpen were swimming in front of me. I felt like watching a performance and indulging in their carefreeness. Do you also feel like taking a dip in the water after looking at them?
Carefree Seal Swimming
The seals in Zoo Antwerpen were swimming in front of me. I felt like watching a performance and indulging in their carefreeness. Do you also feel like taking a dip in the water after looking at them?
Conclusion
The best time to watch the feeding and perhaps the showering time of the animals is around afternoon. I went there at 1:00 pm and left around 5:30 pm. But, the time was not enough for me. I would probably require 6 hours or a full day tour. Always take a Zoo Antwerpen map at the counter in your preferred language. If a visitor follows the path, he will not miss the chance to see any animals. I am hoping to go back again as soon as I can! It is definitely worth a visit in my opinion.
