Apenheul
Primate Park Of 1971 Where Many Monkeys Roam Free Among Visitors, With Gorillas, Orangutans And Bonobos On Islands; Seasonal · Apeldoorn, Gelderland
Apenheul is a primate park in the woods on the edge of Apeldoorn, in Gelderland, opened in 1971 as one of the first places in the world where monkeys were allowed to roam freely among visitors. Squirrel monkeys, lemurs and several other small species run across the paths, climb the trees and sometimes the visitors, while the great apes - a large group of western lowland gorillas, bonobos and orangutans - live on wooded islands and in big enclosures separated from people by water and moats. The park is set in the Berg en Bos forest rather than in rows of cages, it takes part in European breeding programmes, and its feeding talks explain behaviour and conservation in a way children remember. It is one of the most popular family days out in the east of the country. The honest caveat: it is seasonal, closing roughly from November to late March; it is expensive for a family; it is very busy on sunny weekends and school holidays; and the free monkeys are small and fast, so some visits bring more glimpses than close encounters.
J.C. Wilslaan 21, Apeldoorn, in the Berg en Bos woods, Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands
Seasonal: open daily from roughly early April to early November, usually from about 09:30 or 10:00 to 17:00 or 18:00 in high summer, and closed in winter - confirm the dates each year. Buy tickets online in advance, which is usually cheaper than at the gate. From Apeldoorn station a local bus runs to the park in season (about 15 minutes - confirm the line on 9292), or it is about 20 minutes by bike; drivers pay for the car park.