Zoo membership

sooty mangabey

sooty mangabey

Well-Known Member
I'm guessing that many people on here are members of zoos, up and down the country (or overseas).

Which zoo provides the best package, the best service and the best value for money with their membership scheme?

I'm a member - or 'Annual Pass Holder' - at Marwell, but am slightly disgruntled. The magazine is shockingly awful, there's no annual report any more... But you do get free entry into some other zoos.
 
I'm a Chester Zoo (junior) member (moving up to adult next year).

You get free access to Chester, Twycross, Fota, Bristol, Belfast, Colchester, Dublin, Edinburgh, Marwell, Paignton & Woburn.

The quarterly magazine is pretty good, but focuses more on the conservation efforts than the zoo's collection.

There's also 20% (might be 10%) discount in the zoo's shops and cafes and the zoo hosts special 'members days' which the keepers host talks throughout the day (and entry on these days for members is before the usual opening hours)

Adult membership is about £60 i think (so if you visit at least 6 times a year, you've got good value)
 
Im a member of Marwell Zoo have been for around 7 years and i have to say that the magazines have gone down hill a bit when i started they where black and white A4 booklets which went to colour once not long after i oined but now they are small books in colour and instead of 4 detailed ones a year you get two detailed and two brief news ones does have some good collection news tho i have to say. but it looks like you dont get annual reports anymore
 
What sort of things do the zoos do in terms of events? I was looking at london zoo's events page and it was so expensive. Especially considering that these people had already paid annual membership fees. £14 for kids to muck out I think, and £100 for a sleepover. Paignton only charged £40 for their recent one, and you didn't have to pay for an adult to go with them and supervise.
I like the early entry idea. It's very disney.
 
zelda said:
What sort of things do the zoos do in terms of events? I was looking at london zoo's events page and it was so expensive. Especially considering that these people had already paid annual membership fees. £14 for kids to muck out I think, and £100 for a sleepover. Paignton only charged £40 for their recent one, and you didn't have to pay for an adult to go with them and supervise.
I like the early entry idea. It's very disney.
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Chester put on evenings,with a meal and usually one or two species speacial tour. I think there around £40-50 depending on event.

They also put on a members only tour/weekend away, I think this year it was to London zoo and something else. Last couple of years it has been edinburgh zoo. Usually priced around £100.
 
As far as I'm concerned the first benefit of being a member at Chester is unlimited entry to the zoo for the year: but a close second is free entry to many of the other good zoos in the UK.
So far in 2008 I've been to Twycross, Edinburgh (3 times!), HWP, Paignton and Bristol. I could also use my membership card at Marwell, Colchester, Belfast, Dublin, Fota, Living Coasts & Woburn although I don't plan to so. I actually feel a little guilty about this and I try to spend some money on food or in the gift shop in each of these places, so that they get some benefit from my visit.

Alan
 
I`m a member of Chester and Twycross,of which Twycross is by far the cheapest at £33 i think,it gets you in free to Chester,Marwell,Paignton,Belfast,Edinburgh,Living Coasts,Newquay and Colchester,but o the other hand Chester works very well in Holland ,Germany and Austria for getting you in free to collections over there.
 
Colchester has a great membership that allows acsess to loads of others zoos
 
I have been a member at Taronga since September 1989.
We get free eentry to Taronga and Western Plains and some of the other zoos in australia plus a quartley news letter.
 
I have been a member of Marwell Zoological Society for over 30 years , my membership number is less than 500 . When I lived in Hampshire I was very involved with the Society , there was a good programme of events , zoo trips , and fund-raising was good fun ( many hours spent on the tombola ) .

Since the Society was merged into the main Zoo charity ( I voted for it , seemed a good idea ) things have changed . The detailed Annual Report has gone - now only a brief summary on the web , the Zoo magazine ( I have every copy from the start ) is now rather unsubstantial . Fine to have an Annual Pass if you live near Marwell for regular free entry .

I have more or less decided I will not renew Marwell this year . I am also a member of Chester so get more or less the same free entry ( including Marwell ) with it , also a reasonable magazine and excellent annual Report .
 
At Paignton, annual membership for an adult is £38.90. For that you get unlimited entry. 3 editions of Zoo News, assorted events and trips (which you have to pay for), free entry to Newquay, Bristol, Marwell, Colchester, Edinburgh, Chester, Twycross, Woburn, Dublin, Belfast, Fota Wildlife Park, and 10% off London and Whipsnade, discounts in the restaurant and shop and use of the library. I make full use of the unlimited entry and the library. Zoo News should be renamed Old Zoo News. It used to be very informative and I still refer to my old copies. However, they recently conducted a survey to find out what readers wanted and all you get now is rehashed 'news' that has already appeared on the website and lots of pictures. Very disappointing.
And you used to get the Annual Reports, Accounts and Inventory.
 
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I remember from my london zoo membership when I was young, that the magazine "News" was always quite out of date, and that was before the internet made near instant updates possible. Do you reckon it's just a reflection of the time it takes to print a magazine, or do you think it's a lack of willingness to commit to anything they're not yet certain enough of to do a general press release.

The question is if a magazine is incredably out of date would we be happier with more frequent one page "newsletters?" Perhaps that's what they tried to do at marwell? Try find a way of getting up to date info out quicker.
Or is it just that you know more then most about the zoo, and it is news to other members that aren't zoo nerds like us? I mean there's only so much "news" that can happen in one place, there's not that much going on surely. The demand for "news" might lead to "local news" type stories about the time the ice cream seller wore different colour socks to work.
 
RZSS membership, i was a member for a few years (have not renewed my membership this year yet).
Adult membership - £50
Unlimited access to Edinburgh zoo and HWP
Free entry to Artis, Amsterdam, Belfast, Bristol, Chester, Colchester, Copenhagen, Dublin, Fota, Marwell, Paignton, Rotterdam and Twycross.
A copy of the annual report and an invite to the agm and a vote on any issue raised
Free parking at Edinburgh zoo
10% discount in the shops and restaurants at both parks
discounted family and friends tickets
3 copies of the zoo magazine "lifelinks", an excellent magazine with about 3-4 full pages devoted to animal and collection news, see for yourself.
http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/export/sites/default/common/documents/RZSS-Lifelinks_Mag_Spring08.pdf
 
zoogiraffe said:
Thats because its not official its pretty much trial and error as to whichplaces let you in but if you don`t try you never find out.
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I have tried this at UK zoos that Chester membership no longer gives you free entry.
 
Bele - you should write to Marwell and tell them why you will not be renewing. i have done so, and if enough people do this, then maybe they will think again about the Annual Report business. the magazine is a shocker - it's filled with articles which say nothing, horrible facile pieces about the collection, and nothing of any substance at all. The brief update thing which is sent out twice a year can really be read in less than a minute.

One of the better magazines, i think, is Banham's. it's fairly un-flashy, but it has a lot of news in it, and is written with enthusiasm and interest. i think it shows that Banham does not have a PR department churning the magazine out; I think the problem at some zoos is that the people who write and edit the stuff might just as easily be working for the PR department of a petrol company or a supermarket - they have no innate interest in zoos. Which is a shame.
 
taun said:
I have tried this at UK zoos that Chester membership no longer gives you free entry.
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I've gained free admission to both Living Coasts and Paignton with my Chester membership card this year.
 
Marwell Annual pass

sooty mangabey said:
Bele - you should write to Marwell and tell them why you will not be renewing. i have done so, and if enough people do this, then maybe they will think again about the Annual Report business. the magazine is a shocker - it's filled with articles which say nothing, horrible facile pieces about the collection, and nothing of any substance at all. The brief update thing which is sent out twice a year can really be read in less than a minute.

One of the better magazines, i think, is Banham's. it's fairly un-flashy, but it has a lot of news in it, and is written with enthusiasm and interest. i think it shows that Banham does not have a PR department churning the magazine out; I think the problem at some zoos is that the people who write and edit the stuff might just as easily be working for the PR department of a petrol company or a supermarket - they have no innate interest in zoos. Which is a shame.
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Yes I must write when I get my renewal reminder . Last year I phoned the Membership Office at Marwell to ask why I had not received an Annual Report . The lady in the Office was very apologetic , such matters were now the responsibility of the PR Dept. and not theirs .

I know membership is also giving money to support the Collection but I do think something reasonable should be given in return other than free entry .

I was a Fellow of ZSL for many years but gave up when it became so expensive to renew - currently £97 !
 
Doesn't london have various different types of membership now? as well as lifewatch and the fellows system don't they have a kind of budget annual pass where you get free entry only and no letters etc. It's be interesting to know what their take up of the different types are.
I used to know a elder gentleman who had been a fellow for over 50years and apparently the benefits used to include things like free entrance for 4 guests at a time. Zoos wouldn't be doing that nowadays!
 
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