Meerkats greet you at the entrance to this 225-hectare partly free-range zoo, 34km southwest of Melbourne. Admission includes a guided tour in a safari bus through the habitats of Asia, North America and Africa, spotting bison, rhinos, zebras and giraffes grazing on the savannah. Children under 15 years enter for free on weekends and public holidays.

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Werribee Open Range Zoo
Melbourne
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Nearby Melbourne attractions
1. Werribee Mansion
0.58 MILES
Werribee Mansion is a Italianate-style 1870s edifice brimming with colonial arriviste ambition.
2. RAAF Museum
4.49 MILES
Tells the story of the Royal Australian Air Force, the second-oldest air force in the world, at the site of its inception.
3. Williamstown Beach
12.82 MILES
Forget St Kilda – the pleasant lopsided grin of coarse golden sand at Williamstown is a much more appealing place for a dip. It has its own surf…
4. ARHS Railway Museum
12.82 MILES
A fine collection of old steam locomotives, and mini-steam-train rides for kids.
5. HMAS Castlemaine
13.69 MILES
Take a look around the last of 60 Australian-built Bathurst Class corvettes still afloat. This one did time as an escort ship and minesweeper along the…
6. Maritime Discovery Centre
13.7 MILES
A modest museum showcasing maritime artefacts, model ships and the like.
7. Seaworks
13.7 MILES
This marine precinct comprises historic boat sheds, a maritime museum, a pirate-themed tavern and Victoria's oldest morgue (1859; visit on a ghost tour)…
8. Sea Shepherd Australia
13.75 MILES
Seaworks is the headquarters for this anti-whaling crusader. It's often possible to drop by and look at displays about its direct-action campaigns and to…