**Our tickets for Wake The Tiger were gifted by Visit Bristol**
When you’re faced with this sight in the car park of Wake The Tiger Bristol, you know it’s the start of a wild ride.
Described as “The world’s first Amazement Park“, it’s hard to put exactly what Wake The Tiger Bristol is all about into words.
At its simplest, this unassuming industrial estate building on the outskirts of town is home to a massive immersive art experience. It’s much more than that, though: it’s a weird and wonderful journey of discovery, exploration and confusion that’ll leave you wondering whether you’ve inadvertently consumed various mind-altering substances at the end of it.
The Wake The Tiger Bristol website gives some background to your experience before you visit. The story is based around Meridia Luxury Homes, who had intended to turn an old paint factory into luxury apartments before their plans were suddenly halted. While they claimed this was due to market conditions, the rumour is that the real reason was mysterious happenings at the site, including unusual mushroom growth and the appearance of ooze. A pulsating, glowing tree on the site sees visitors transported to the parallel world of Meridia and all of the weirdness and wonder that it contains. I highly recommend reading the story on the website before you visit – it’ll give you an insight into what Wake The Tiger Bristol is all about, and help shape your experience when you’re there.
Once you’re inside, the entire experience is self-guided and features over 40 immersive spaces with plenty of interactive elements. There are buttons to press and games to play. There are old-school rotary phones to pick up and scientific experiments to be done.
You’ll find some seriously trippy light installations, and a whole section dedicated to optical illusions.
Be sure to open any doors you come across to see what’s inside…and remember, not everything is as it seems. Is it really a metal cupboard, or will opening it enable you to explore somewhere new? Is that really a bookcase, or can a gentle push transport you elsewhere?
There’s an upside-down bedroom. There’s a giant eyeball that will track your movements. There are neon glowing mushrooms, an old tube train carriage and a giant stone face that can shift at the touch of a button.
At every turn, you’ll encounter something different. You may find yourself revisiting the same rooms again and again as the place is a total maze, but that’s no bad thing. If you’re visiting with small children, though, keep them close: it’s pretty easy to become separated!
Lessons in Sustainability
There’s an important lesson at the heart of the Wake The Tiger Bristol experience, and it’s one about sustainability. In some places, this is obvious – the “under the sea” room, for example, which clearly points to the amount of plastic that is being deposited into our oceans.
Wander round, though, and you’ll see other elements that highlight mass consumerism, human impact on the planet, and what we can do to make the world a better place going forward. Parts of Wake The Tiger Bristol are almost dystopian – giving an insight into what the future could hold if our actions don’t change.
What’s more, in 2024 Wake The Tiger became the first UK visitor attraction to earn B Corp certification: learn more about their approach and their values.
The Practicalities of visiting Wake The Tiger Bristol
If you’re planning on visiting Wake The Tiger, it’s recommended that you buy tickets in advance as it can fill up quickly at peak times. Tickets start from £16.50 for adults and £13.50 for children, with under 5s going free – be aware, though, that elements of the experience may be too dark or disturbing for some younger or more sensitive children.
There’s ample parking on-site, priced at £3 for up to three hours, and you pay via a machine just inside the building’s entrance when you leave. I’d definitely recommend giving yourself at least two hours to enjoy the experience – and more if you want to visit the gift shop and cafe on your way out.
The cafe is just as incredible as Wake The Tiger itself. Kids will marvel at the small train track (complete with moving train) suspended from the ceiling, and there’s a huge range of hot and cold food and drink options for kids and adults alike. The pastries in particular looked incredible – and it was great to see the fridges stocked with drinks from brands like Karma Drinks, who are also committed to sustainable practices.
The gift shop is well worth a browse, offering not only Wake The Tiger souvenirs, but plenty of other fun and intriguing items, too.
For a family day out, a visit to Wake The Tiger Bristol isn’t cheap – especially at peak times. Is it worth it, though? In my opinion, absolutely. If you love an immersive experience that plays havoc with the senses, a quirky day out or an experience that offers not only fun, but also an important message to society, you’ve found it. What’s more, it’s somewhere I imagine you’ll have a different experience every time you visit, giving visitors a very good reason to come back.