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New Forest Reptile Centre

A great place for the whole family

Forget soft and fluffy, come enjoy scaly and slithery! The New Forest Reptile Centre has the best reptiles Britain has to offer all under one roof, including adders, grass snakes, smooth snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads.

Free to enter and with the New Forest National Park right on its doorstep, The New Forest Reptile Centre is a great activity to pair with a walk or cycle through the forest and some fun in Brockenhurst.

If you are looking for more things to do near the New Forest then have a look at:

A Huge Guide to Things to do in New Forest – This is our huge guide on what to do in the New Forest. We’ve included everything from museums to trails to animal centers.

Things to do in Lymington With Kids – Lymington is a great day out for the whole family with so much to do.

19 Things to do in Brockenhurst in Hampshire – There is so much to do in Brockenhurst that is great for the whole family. How many of these have you been to?

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Where is the New Forest Reptile Centre?

New Forest Reptile Centre is between Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst in the New Forest.

New Forest Reptile Centre address is on Lyndhurst Road, Lyndhurst, SO43 7GR.

When is the New Forest Reptile Centre open?

New Forest Reptile Centre opens in the Easter holiday in till September.

It’s free to enter but does cost around £3 to park.

What to do at New Forest Reptile Centre

The best thing is, all the reptiles are kept in enclosures that copy their natural habitat, which means the best chance of seeing them is on a nice warm sunny day.

New Forest Reptile Centre houses two of Britain’s rarest species. You can learn all about them and why conservation is so important.

You can see a range of reptiles from sand lizard, smooth snakes, and adders.

Things to do in Hampshire Guide

Wondering what to do today? Then our guide for ALL things Hampshire is for you!

If you are looking for things to do in Hampshire with kids then this guide is for you. We have over 200+ ideas that you can use to keep your whole family amused while exploring everything Hampshire has to offer!

This is an up to date spreadsheet, in activity order, that you can use when you have no clue what to do. We’ve included everything from country parks, to splash pools, lakes, castles, days out, playgrounds and walks.

Find out more about our HUGE guide here.

Facilities at New Forest Reptile Centre

The New Forest Reptile Centre has parking is onsite with a great little shop that offers snacks. There is toilets and a great picnic area as well.

There’s also a great 1-mile walk that takes you through the woodlands so you can explore the area yourself.

We have a huge list of Things to do in New Forest here, but if you are looking for our favourite then why not try:

Trails

Deerleap

This hidden part of the New Forest is sat right across from the New Forest Wildlife Center. The car park is down a stony trek that looks like someone’s drive and there is loads of free parking. This is great for bike riding as it’s pretty flat over the grassy areas. The path itself is stony is about a 2-hour walk to Lymington. This is a great place to bring the garden games on a nice day or the wellies on a rainy one. It’s completely dog friendly too.

Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary

Bolderwood is another great place with parking and toilets. If you are really lucky then you may spot some deer wandering in the woods. The path is steep down but it’s still fine for pushchairs. It does get busy during the summer but is great for a walk in the winter.

South Taste Trail

This is about 7 miles but takes you through the village and then off the beaten track into the heart of the forest. Take a picnic and the kids bikes and enjoy a family ride around Brockenhurst.

Gardens

Exbury Gardens

Exbury Gardens has over 200 acres of woodland and is perfect for the whole family to visit for a day out. They have a steam train for younger kids and loads of walks and grounds to enjoy for older kids. Take a picnic in the summer months or enjoy a welly walk on rainy days and enjoy all the winter flowers on offer. 

Museums

Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum

There are many great machines on display at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum. See the V8 Moto Guzzi, Velocette, AJS Excelsiors, and 100s more in the Racing Hall, which has one of the most exotic collection of racing bikes in the world!

Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum also has a tearoom, and children’s play area with sturdy outdoor equipment best suited to 3 through 10 years.

The kids can also meet a variety of friendly animals, such as alpacas, sheep, rabbits, donkeys, goats, chickens, and countless other birds, including 2 American turkeys charmingly called Salt and Pepper!

Hurst Castle & Ferry

Hurst Castle, near Keyhaven, is a great place to visit for the whole family. The castle itself was built in Tudor times between 1541 and 1544 and is a great place to explore to really find out what it was like to live in the castle in the Tudor times.

Make sure you take a river ride down Keyhaven River which is great for spotting the local wildlife. Together these make a great day out whatever the age of your family or weather.

Related Posts: 

National Motor Museum Beaulieu

Based near the New Forest, Beaulieu is packed full of cars that are steeped in history.
With over 250 vehicles, a high-level monorail and The Palace House and gardens, this is a full day out for the whole family.

The ticket covers all the attractions including the Mini Motor play area and Mill Pond Walk. They have onsite restaurants, parking and picnic benches. Great for all ages.

Laura x 

If you enjoyed this post and would like some more ideas on things to do in Hampshire then head over to the Things To Do section here on Things To Do In Hampshire With Kids where you’ll find over 50 day out ideas in Hampshire that the whole family will enjoy. You could also pop over and follow our Facebook page here or our Hampshire days out Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on what you can do as a family in Hampshire; Days Out For The Kids in Hampshire and Cheap and Free Days Out in Hampshire.

New Forest Reptile Centre is a great place to let the kids explore exotic reptiles for free. Open during the spring and summer by Laura at Things to do in Hampshire with kids

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