I took the kids here today for some fun, the castle is amazing to look at and the artifacts inside are very impressive. We took the mythical creatures spotting tour which I thought would be fun for the kids and allow them to explore the castle whilst we learn about history through osmosis. Unfortunately this was not the case. Instead we had an employee (who to be fair to him looked like he was given the task at the last minute) who took us on a tour of the castle to find the mythical creatures.. I was expecting them to be buried within the historical images of the castle but instead... They were photocopied pictures stuck in different windows around the building, some were outside and some were in.. we were taken up to the roof to see absolutely nothing except the view (genuinely great view of Colchester but not what we were looking for at the time) and then taken down a different set of stairs to find a plastic dragon shoved into a corner, half in darkness and told that it's asleep to save any interaction. Very disappointed in that. Unfortunately we didn't get to go on the actual tour as by then my youngest daughter had a melt-down just as we were about to start so that's another £15 wasted as the tour guide wasn't willing to wait at all and locked the doors in front of us! My elder daughter was very upset that we were locked out and couldn't catch up. All in all it's been a mixed bag of a visit. I will try and go again when the kids are a little older.. or maybe just by myself for a better look at it all. Unless the kids ask.. I'd avoid any mythical tours.

A wonderful place to visit if you're interested in the history of Colchester. There is a wealth of archaeological artefacts. I recommend paying the extra £3.85 to do the tour of the vaults, which are the original foundations of the Roman temple. The roof gives excellent views over Colchester City centre

Lots to see and do fantastic prices and definitely worth the extra £3/£2 on top for the 45 guided tour to the vaults in the foundations and up on the roof itself these areas are only accessible to the public on the tour stranded tickets just have access to castle ground and 1st floor exhibits. And the kids seem to love the virtual roman chariot race and firing the virtual ballister. And castle grounds parkland boat lake are fantastic for yjr kids to run around and play and access to castle park and grounds is free

An incredible example of how to curate a museum. Very nice and enriching experience. Even on my own I felt like I did not miss on any important histories as the entire layout of the museum is incredibly comprehensive. I loved the interactive bits and they definitely engage an interesting approach to learning history, accessible to all ages! A small museum in a small town but an incredible history translated into an amazing visiting experience, well worth a visit! I also absolutely adored the miniature of the castle as it would’ve been in the medieval times, it’s one of the better examples of such miniatures I’ve seen ever!

Fantastic place. Modern, informative and interactive range of displays, the best I've seen in any castle. Great place to bring the family. Every corner of the building is crammed with things to see and do. Also lovely gardens outside.

Fantastic place. Lots to see, lots to touch, lots to hear. There is also great opportunity for entrance a 2000 years old roman temple foundations! There is lunch room where you can buy a hot drink and enjoy lunch if you bring one with you. Kids going to love this place as there is lots to do for them including games and interactive exhibitions.

A lovely castle with 3 floors of interesting information and artifacts. I thought that the entrance price was very reasonable and the staff are lovely. Great for kids too!

Really interesting day out. Definitely go on the vault and roof tour if you can, luckily the man on the welcome desk told us about it as I could not see any signs with the tour times on them. The tour guide was lovely and the vaults very interesting, the roof tour could have been a bit longer with more time for photos and maybe a bit of info about the surrounding area but I suppose what your are told depends upon the guide. The museum is over 2 floors with lots of space for wheelchairs and pushchairs and lifts between the floors. Obviously there are lots of Roman exhibts that are amazing and we loved the model of the museum. There is no cafe only plastic bottles of water available at the welcome desk. So make sure you have already eaten and take a drink with you. I think there is a cafe in the park and lots of restaurants nearby. The welcome desk staff were a little lacking in info and welcome apart from the tour offer. Wasn't asked if I wanted a guide book, once in lots of children had tablets not sure if these were only for children or there was an adult version as well (if not maybe there should be). As with lots of museums I wish there was more printed information about exhibits that you could sit and read, as there is so much stuff here but you don't really get to know a lot about it and I want to know more! (this would also encourage me to come again)

A great place to visit. Lots of interactive bits for children. Recommend the tour where you go right under the castle as well as the roof. At the moment, it's only an extra £3 on the ticket price and you can you as many times as you like in a year. Definitely value for money

Very interesting place and you really must do the tour which covers the cellar and Roman foundations. Loads of stuff to see and not too expensive. Not really so good for very young children, as you would probably expect, but they do have a few things to keep the kids amused.

Not your "usual" castle type experience, large rooms, huge battlements, endless doorways, ramparts etc but it's still something to get your head around for the period. Great informative tour and worth while. Plenty of information as you walk round, friendly staff, clean toilets, nice place to spend 2-3 hours max I'd say.

It's a nice theatre to visit with plenty of seating available and watch shows. On the other hand it's quite expensive buying drinks and snacks. I rather not mention the menu. Staff are okay on meeting and greeting.

Had lunch in the cafe with my mum. Both the grilled chicken salad and ham, egg and chips were lovely. Generous portions and quick, courteous service. The furniture is pleasant on the eye, it's bright and spacious (handy when you're in a wheelchair).

My first visit today to the Mercury Theatre in Colchester which was to see Derren Brown's "Unbelievable". An incredible show. A modern & very clean theatre. The staff were welcoming and very helpful. It's located right in the town centre opposite St Mary's multi story car park. There was an offer to buy all day parking for £2.75 with your ticket. I would most definitely recommend it.

Love going to the Mercury since its revamp, its a great place to hang out and have a coffee or a glass of wine as well as seeing a show or accessing one of the many community groups. If you haven't been since their make-over I would highly recommend.

We Went to see Alice in Wonderland and it was brilliant and very cleverly written and performed! The talent on the stage was fantastic the actors/actress were amazing! Would highly recommend, the staff at the Mercury were polite and welcoming too.

Have been a couple of times now but Great Expectations has been my favourite show. Only lost a star as food and drink prices could be cheaper but nonetheless great theatre and worth checking out.

Nice size theatre. Lots of nice comfortable seats in the bar area. Loved the hot veggie sausage roll as we hadn't eaten before the show and it was very yummy.

Excellent show in a nice auditorium with unobstructed views. Nice bar and restaurant

took grandies to "beauty" this weekend.great theatre.modern well laid out very comfy seats and open spaced. row G was excellent position.having never been before either, so I guess we got what we paid for. not disappointed. the show was excellent . very talented group brilliant ad libbing from Bon Bon parking not wonderful, blame the council! I'm disabled too, luckily we managed to find parking near the police Station ten minutes away. all in all, a really magnificent afternoon at the Pantomime .

Just been here to see Stewart Lee. He was amazing and if you get the chance and enjoy real comedy with some thought behind it I'd highly recommend going to see him. The theatre itself was lovely. Seats were comfortable, plenty of room, relatively small so not over crowded. All seats are a good distance from the stage. Toilets were clean and modern. Ushers were friendly and helpful.

"Unbelievable" is absolutely amazing, a must see show

Really loved this theatre! Drinks were reasonably priced and it's a small intimate venue where you get a good view anywhere you sit, would recommend and would love to see a show here again. I went to see the show written by Derren Brown called "unbelievable" and thought this was a fantastic show and a bit different to the usual magic show, with some really talented musicians. Would recommend going to see this show!

One of my favourite venues of all time, being that they have such a variety of acts from Folk to Acid Jazz, Live Art , Comedy , Theatre - you name it. And probably the best veggie chilli you experience.

What a fantastic intimate venue, with a great atmosphere to watch live music, super friendly and helpful staff, well stocked bars with drinks at sensible prices. Big stage and excellent lighting facilities, this was a surprising find and I very much look forward to a return visit.

Nice church converted to a music venue. Colchester is a cool place. At the Arts Centre you are close to the action as there are no stage barriers. Small capacity & easy to get a drink at any of the 3 bars present. Friendly staff & worth a visit.

Great looking, great sounding venue, bar closed a bit too early in my opinion but staff were all nice. Toilets are pretty cool too, although I'd have look a bit weird taking a picture of a urinal!

Amazing Fozymop and Faux Fighters gig at this venue. Not only were the bands excellent but the staff at the venue were awesome! The venue itself is pretty cool with a top lighting rig and fab sound man. Thanks to all those staff for making the evening fabulous 👏🏻 On a final note, the disabled toilet was pretty amazing with a massive mirror that was decorated beautifully and even the toilet bowl was decorated with blue flowers. And it was all clean! 10/10 Colchester Art Centre. We will definitely visit you again. Thank you. 🤜🏻🤛🏻👏🏻👍🏻

Just a really great venue. Lovely old church which has found a new purpose in life. With easy access to the bar and toilets (which are worth a visit in their own right!) you are guaranteed a very civilzed evening. Have seen 3 brilliant acts there recently... The Smyths, Steemy Dan and From The Jam... Highly recommended...

Amazing venue, great crowd and staff! On behalf of the Guns N’ Roses Experience I wanna thank you for the sold-out gig!! Seeya next time!

Colchester Arts Centre is based in a former church (the Church of Saint Mary-at-the-Walls, so named because it was close to the old Roman town walls). It opened as an arts centre in 1980, and hosts a range of live events such as concerts, comedy nights and DJ sets. It's a really good venue for gigs: I was there for The Wedding Present. It's intimate and impressive. The front-of-house staff, bar staff and security team are professional and friendly. The venue is easy enough to find, on a side street just next to the Mercury Theatre. For anyone driving, St Mary's multi-storey car park is just across the main road via a footbridge.

What a brilliant day out for the whole family! We spent 7 hours here! There really is so much to do, so many animals to see. A few lovely little parks also. Plenty of toilets around. A few different places to stop for food or drinks.

A great day, we all preferred the second half of the zoo where the bigger animals were kept as it was a lot more open, less cramped and less slopes. Overall there was a great selection of animals to see and things to do for all ages. Took us all day to soak it all up without really stopping to eat. Feeding the giraffes was definitely the highlight for me and the Komodo dragons talk was the highlight for my daughter

An absolutely wonderful zoo. We visited on a cold March day, yet the welcome was very warm. Lovely the way you wander round. The animals have plenty of privacy but you also get great views. The tiger enclosure seemed so natural. The edge of Africa was so well laid out. Highly recommended

An enormous zoo just 40 min outside of London! A great place to spend a day! It’s kid-friendly. Buy tickets in advance. We also tried one of the experiences available - feeding the elephants. It was definitely worth it. You should try one too! There are plenty of restaurants and cafes. The gift shop is big and full of interesting things to buy as a souvenir. The parking lot is enormous and it’s part of your ticket so no worry. There are also free tours available in different section throughout the day - look at the map at the beginning of your journey. Dive in the interactive activities that are free of charge!

My daughter bought me a Zookeeper for the Day experience. We came yesterday. Loved every minute of it. Keeper's are so friendly and knowledgeable and great to see how proud and caring they are for their animals. Would recommend this for anyone who loves animals, and wants to work with animals. Thank you all so much for a very memorable day.

This zoo provides a great family fun day out! We all enjoyed our experience. There are various different types of animals and so much to see. You definitely need the whole day to explore. There are also lots of fun play areas for little ones which is fantastic! The zoo itself is huge and takes a while to get around. They also have a free train service incorporated within the zoo that allows anyone to get on and go on a short tour with the guide. The toilets are well maintained and clean. The feeding facilities for babies are also amazing. There are plenty of shops around and lots of sitting areas, perfect to bring your own food and enjoy too!

Tickets for 2 adults and 1 child about £80 so if you can use your Tesco points. The big zoo , can see a lot of different animals. The place has cafes , a playing area, an activity area for kids or you can bring your own food, gift shops , ice- cream cafe, toilets). Better to start exploring from the left side ( less people so you can enjoy a nice walk+ not long to wait for the train, usually later there will be a long queue). Kids can feed goats -goat food costs £1 but it's really fun. Usually it takes all day to walk around the zoo so make sure you have comfy shoes.

I visited for the newly added Pygmy Hippo experience and this was a great experience. As well as being informative, I was able to get really close to Venus, feed her fruit and help prepare her enclosure. My keeper was great, deeply cared about all the animals on his section (Giraffe) and spoke about how Venus will be enriched by this new experience as she has recently lost her partner, Freddy. The zoo is fantastic, so much for adults and children to do. I went during the week, which was really quiet, but would I really loved is that all the animal talks proceeded even though I was the only one there. Each staff member waited at the meeting point and happily invited questions. Ate in the food outlets and prices were very reasonable. Breakfast roll was under £4 and cooked freshly for you. Great range of vegan treats and loads for the children to do. Will definitely be returning!

Fantastic day out, even my 16yo & 18 yo daughters enjoyed it. Booked tickets online which was easy . We also booked the giraffe 🦒 & elephant 🐘 feeding experiences, which was definitely money well spent. We went 19/04/22 . Spacious zoo, one of the best that I’ve ever visited. Arrived 9:45 stayed until 5pm . All the animals seemed happy in their environment which was kept clean. Download the App onto your phone as a map etc . Can’t fault this place, even the toilets 🚽 were clean. The staff were helpful that worked there

We had a lovely day out. We got there early and did need the full day (10:30-17:45) We had two children under four and a baby, the toddlers loved it! They are both good happy walkers, so if your child doesn't like walking too much you will need a push chair. Lots of hills, but lots of benches everywhere. All the animals were easy to see and all looked happy and healthy. The train ride was fantastic, a queue to get on however they had two trains running. Well worth it as you then walk through the lemur enclosure. Indoor play area was fantastic, they had timed slots, so book ahead. As it's at the start of the park, either do it first thing or last. If you go in the middle of the day you'll be going backwards and forwards. We didn't know the birds that you can feed stop being fed at 16:00. So make sure you do that before then. Also we found there weren't many toilets, there was a wait each time. All in all a very good day.

Excellent zoo with lots to see, Not the cheapest and often deals on tickets via Groupon/Kids pass (saved over £5 with this one), etc. Includes some farm animals, goats, pigs. Worth checking the times for various talks/feeding times as well. We were lucky enough to see the Otter feeding.

We absolutely love, Colchester Zoo. Lots of talks and interaction. The parakeet feeding part, was new to us and we thoroughly enjoyed it 🙂. It is a shame though, as years ago, you could queue and feed the Giraffes and Elephants. But you now have to pay extra for that. But I appreciate that it can't be cheap to keep a zoo going, especially in this economy and they do a lot to help support wild animals, so it's all worth it 😊.

A brilliant day out with the family on my return visit after quite a few years. Very busy bankholiday Monday, which added to the atmosphere. Plenty of parking with entry being managed very well and efficiently without queues. Place was very clean, well designed, and easy to get around. Plenty of cafes, food outlets and ice cream Stores to keep family happy. Most importantly the big 5 were out and not hiding🦁🐯🦒🐘🦏