WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre Verified listing

Our Wetland Centres are designed to give you an unforgettable experience getting close to nature.

There's plenty to see and do at Slimbridge Wetland Centre.

Canoe Safari
Grab a paddle and spot wildlife from the water on our fun, kilometre long, Canoe Safari trail. Sit back and relax as you look out for wildlife along the way including dragonflies, kingfishers, warblers, ducks and maybe even water voles if you’re really lucky!

Summer Walkway
During the summer months explore the natural wildlife and landscapes of the Severn Estuary. Look out for amphibians, dragonflies and butterflies in the new ponds on your journey. Visit our wheelchair accessible walkway and viewing platform overlooking the River Severn. See if you can locate May Hill and the Forest of Dean on the other side of the river!

Scott House Museum
Take a step back in time as you enter Sir Peter Scott’s home where he championed the cause of worldwide wildlife conservation through growing the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) and set up the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Estuary Tower Hide
Explore the accessible Estuary Tower Hide, complete with a lift. Just a few hundred meters from the visitor centre, experience magnificent views of the Severn Estuary and the breath-taking variety of wild birds.

Duck Decoy
Come and witness the historic practice of catching wild ducks in our duck decoy using a specially trained dog. Our warden’s dog will guide the birds into the decoy nets allowing our team to catch and place leg identification rings on the birds.

Viewing wildlife
Our 13 hides look out onto the Slimbridge reserve and offer you the best spots to see the wildlife of the Severn Estuary.

Talks and tours
Check out the What's On board when you arrive at the centre to find out what time the tours are running that day and where to meet up. During school holidays we usually run extra talks too so look out for details of these on our social media channels and on the What’s On board in the Visitor Centre foyer.

Arctic Adventure
Have you got what it takes to be a researcher in the arctic tundra – a cold and barren landscape? Following in the footsteps of WWT founder Sir Peter Scott and real life WWT researchers, visit the cold and basic tundra research huts in search of clues to explain the recent decline of Bewick’s swans and other birds.

Nature reserve
Slimbridge’s reserve is a great place to see rare birds from all over the world. In the summer take a Wild Safari or visit one of our hides and you may see hobby, kingfishers, redshank, brown hares, dragonflies, wild otters, grass snakes and wild orchids.

It's also home to up to 35,000 wildfowl in the winter.

The reserve covers over 325 hectares and its wetlands have international protection including a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. You can see the different areas of the reserve by downloading the map below.

Wild Safaris
Adventure into the wild with our Reserve Wardens and Volunteers, splash through ditches and trundle along the sea wall. Discover UK wildlife at its best and to go behind-the-scenes for access to the Reserve that you wouldn’t normally get to see!

Wild bird feeds
Don't miss this fantastic winter wildlife spectacle at Slimbridge. From the comfort of the heated Peng Observatory, listen to the Reserve Warden's commentary and watch as they feed the huge numbers of wintering wild birds on the Rushy Lake. Experience the Bewick's swans up close, who have flown an epic journey from arctic Russia to spend their winter at Slimbridge.

Food and drink

The Kingfisher Kitchen is open 9.30am – 4.30pm daily. We have a selection of hot and cold food, snacks, drinks and ice cream available, including vegetarian and vegan options. Our kiosks are open during busier periods, offering lighter bites and drinks (weather dependent, please check opening times on arrival).

Our shop is open daily from 9.30am to closing time. Browse a range of gorgeous gifts, plants, optics and toys.

We're open 7 days a week, 364 days a year and there's always something to see and do!

November, December & January | 9.30am – 4.30pm (last entry 3.30pm).
We're open every day except Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve we're open 9.30am - 3pm.

February & March | 9.30am – 5pm (last entry 4pm).

April – October | 9.30am – 5.30pm (last entry 4.30pm).