Birds, capybaras, meerkats, more birds, wallabies, more birds, skunks! There’s certainly lots to see, but is Millets wildside and falconry centre a good day out? I wanted to get my eldest a capybara experience for his 10th birthday. Not only were the ones near us booked out for months in advance, they were also really expensive. Then I cam across Millets Wildside. It’s just under an hour and a half from where we live, they had availability and the prices were very reasonable. Booked! Apart from I accidently booked the wrong date. No worries, I emailed the team and they found me another available date and got me booked in. I really appreciated the help, support and kindness. We were off to a good start!
Where is Millets Wildside and Falconry centre?
This lovely wildlife centre is part of Millets farm centre, based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The postcode to find it is OX13 5HB. It makes up part of the larger centre and things to do. On-site there is a soft play barn, mini golf, a farm shop, play area, animals, mini fairground and a restaurant. As well as this there are little pop up stalls featuring local businesses, pick your own, a maize maze and fishing if that’s your thing! Each activity needs to be booked separately and prices vary.
I actually used to live in Abingdon in my mid twenties and it is an area that has a special place in my heart. If you haven’t been before it’s well worth exploring the local area too. It is a market town on the river Thames with some lovely walks. There’s even an annual bun throwing competition!
There is plenty of parking available. We arrived at 10.45 and managed to get a space quite close to the entrance. Parking is free! There were accessible spaces too. There are some buses that stop within the farm centre or nearby. The nearest train stations are around 20 minutes away and there are no direct links to the centre from these.
This place was amazing. The quality of the cages and enclosures was incredible – Henry, 10.
What’s there?
The centre isn’t too big. Looking online, I honestly thought the boys would have been bored and ready to go home within a couple of hours. I couldn’t have been more wrong. They didn’t want to leave! There’s a wide range of birds from all over the world, including vultures, owls and other birds of prey. We got there just in time for the first flying demonstration. The handler was brilliant, very informative and entertaining. It was clear to see how fond he was of the birds, and them in return.
There’s lots of other animals too. The capybaras were a favourite with the kids and they had a constant stream of admirers! It would be tough to pick the cutest thing there. As well as the capybaras, the otters and baby skunks were adorable! The little owl called Rollo was also a firm favourite for us. There’s a trail for the kids to follow. Once they have collected all 10 answers they can hand their answer sheet over for a sweetie.
One of the great things about Millets Wildside is that they put on different displays throughout the day. The bird display has different birds to see at each show, so it’s worth staying and going to at least a couple of them. As well as this there are feeding sessions / talks throughout the day.
Being as we went at the beginning of Summer I don’t think the butterfly house was fully stocked. It does mention this on their website. Nonetheless, we did see some butterflies. There was also a snappy surprise at the end!
The capybara experience
Henry, like most 10 year olds at the moment, is obsessed with capybaras. I wanted to get him a capybara experience and this looked like a great place to do it. For £45 he got half an hour cuddling capybaras whilst plying them with snacks. The centre allows up to 6 people a time to complete the experience, which is led by a keeper. The keeper that led the experience was brilliant, welcoming, friendly and full of interesting capybara information! The capybaras were very friendly and cuddly, even lying down on the floor to be cuddled. It was definitely something Henry won’t forget, and will be a core memory for life.
Is it expensive?
It’s actually very reasonable to get in. Prices in June 2025 were £13 for an adult and £10 for children aged between 3 and 15. Entrance is included if you buy an experience. There are discounts for students, concessions and carers. Online it also mentions there is a discount for NHS staff but I didn’t confirm this.
Is Millets wildside and falconry centre accessible?
Overall, I would say yes. The centre is mainly made up of gravel paths which I think would be ok with most buggies and wheelchairs. The paths are roomy enough to accommodate them. It’s mainly flat with some ramps leading into the enclosed areas, such as where the meerkats are.
If I was being picky I would say they could do with some more seating. There is a small picnic area and there is seating at the display arena, but that is it. If you were watching a family member during an experience there isn’t anywhere to sit, although you are able to stand and watch. This may not be possible for all.
There also aren’t any toilets within the centre, but they aren’t far to get too. As the wildside centre is part of the Millets farm centre, the toilets are there. Make sure to get your hand stamped so you can come in and out as you please all day.
Dogs are not able to go into the wildlife centre, and it isn’t clear whether accessibility dogs are allowed inside. It would be worth phoning ahead to check before attending.
It’s cool – Arthur, 8
Food and drink
There isn’t food or drink available within Millets wildside, but it’s the perfect place to take a picnic! Just outside of the centre is a play area with picnic benches and grassy areas around so you can set up and eat while the kids play.
There is also a snack shack selling ice creams and other goodies. This is open during weekends and summer holidays. The farm shop has lots to choose from including a number of handmade pastries and items on the deli counter. It has all the usual things you would expect in a farm shop, at the expected prices. Next to the farm shop is Millets restaurant, we didn’t go in there so can’t really comment on it.
Should you go?
Yes definitely! There are lots things about Millets wildside and falconry centre that make it a great day out. All the staff we met were friendly, approachable and generally lovely. The centre was well maintained and all the animals looked content. It was very clean inside, and even outside in Millets farm centre. There is so much to do inside and outside the centre. The small gift shop was reasonably priced and had some cute things to choose from. I feel like we rushed our time there and could have spent longer there. We will definitely be back!
+ Clean, well maintained
+ Friendly, informative staff
+ Good variety of wildlife, displays and talks
– Could maybe do with some additional seating, particularly by animal experience areas
It gets a whopping 5 out of 5 from us!
Want to see more of our days out, including Legoland, London zoo and Chobham adventure farm? Well click right here!
