This week we started work on our new gift shop and visitor entrance.

It’s being built next to our Cwtch Coffee shop and is a whopping 1200m2. It’s a major development as part of our continued investment here at Folly Farm and much needed as we’ve seen a 30% increase in visitors over the last three years.

Our current entrance hasn’t been developed since we opened back in 1988, so we’ve really outgrown it. The new gift shop will be a much more open area with more space for visitors to browse and some fun immersive displays which will make the whole shopping experience much more enjoyable for all.

The new entrance and shop are due to open in time for Easter 2017.

Chris Ebsworth, managing director, said of the investment:

[Pullout]“Over the last three years we’ve seen an increase of 120,000 visitors, which meant that we needed to expand our existing shop to accommodate these increased numbers. The new gift shop will offer more space not only to browse, but for visitors to get involved and have some fun while they look around. Every element of the Folly Farm offering will form part of the design of the new gift shop; from the carousel representing the vintage fairground, to the zoo-themed safari truck and the farmyard tractor.[/Pullout]

Chris added:

[Pullout]“People like to take a piece of Folly Farm home with them after their visit as a memento of their day with us, so we’ve also reviewed and researched our stock and expanded our range of merchandise. This is part of our continued infrastructure investment, which has been an important part of ensuring that our visitors have the best possible experience at Folly Farm as we grow.”[/Pullout]