Gruesome experiments, time-travelling scientists and quite a lot of slime are coming to London Zoo from 18 July to 2 September, included with zoo entry.
London Zoo’s summer holiday programme this year involves poo, slime, blood, spider webs and Charles Darwin bursting through a time vortex. Which is, frankly, exactly the right approach to getting children excited about conservation science.
Horrible Science, the bestselling book series that has been convincing kids that science is actually brilliant since 1994, is taking over the zoo for the school holidays. The event runs from 18 July to 2 September and is included with standard zoo entry, which matters given how many London summer experiences come with a hidden premium on top.
What’s actually on
At the heart of it is Back from the Brink, a live comedy sketch show in which science goes spectacularly wrong and legendary ZSL scientists burst through a time vortex with one mission: saving a species from extinction. It’s fast, it’s silly, and it’s built around real figures from ZSL’s 200-year history, including Charles Darwin, reptile curator Joan Procter, veterinarian Christine Hawkey and entomologist Evelyn Cheesman.
Alongside the show, there’s a Horrible Science Trail running across the zoo, in which children armed with their own Fact File track down six historical scientists, crack clues and solve puzzles hidden throughout the site. The trail stops involve searching through vats of fake blood and spider webs and investigating the science behind vampire bat saliva, which is the kind of detail that makes an eight-year-old extremely enthusiastic about zoology. Complete the Fact File and you get a Horrible Scientist badge, which is a reasonable prize.
Pop-up science experiments run throughout, inspired by ZSL’s current conservation work, leaning heavily on the poo and slime end of the scientific spectrum.
The wider summer programme
The Horrible Science events sit within ZSL’s 200th anniversary celebrations, which also include a Heritage Exhibition and Zoo Plaques trail. Running alongside until 31 August is a Disney Lion King exhibition included with entry, showcasing puppets, masks and costumes from the West End production, with puppet and dance workshops on select August dates. It’s a stronger combination than most zoos manage for the school holidays.
Family tickets this summer include a free return visit, which for a zoo of this size is genuinely good value.
The London x London Take: London Zoo does summer holiday programming well, and the Horrible Science partnership is a smart one. The live show and trail give you a proper structure to the day beyond just wandering around looking at animals. Good for primary school age children who need something to focus on, better still for parents who want to avoid the “I’m bored” declaration by 11am.
Need to Know
- Where: London Zoo, Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY
- When: 18 July to 2 September 2026, included with zoo entry
- Price: From £15.40 (children), £27 (adults); family tickets available with free return visit
