Days Out NI
Exotic Pet Shop · Free to browse Cloughmills, Co. Antrim

Jungle Pets

A big exotic pet shop on the Frosses Road — free to look round, and stacked with reptiles, fish, birds and unusual animals kids love.

4 photos
Mon–Sat ~10am–5pmClosed Sundays · check the day
Free to browseA working pet shop, not a zoo
CloughmillsFrosses Road, Co. Antrim
Get directionsOfficial website
20–40 minsHow long
All agesBest for
IndoorAll under one roof
On siteParking
FreeTo look round

A big exotic pet shop out on the Frosses Road at Cloughmills — free to walk in and look round, with reptiles, fish, birds and small animals under one roof, plus a few surprises the kids won't expect.

  • What you'll see — a genuinely wide range of animals: snakes, lizards, tortoises and geckos in their vivariums, tanks of tropical fish, small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs, and birds and parrots — with the odd unusual exotic that stops kids in their tracks.
  • The surprise — it's a proper specialist shop, not the usual pet aisle, so there's often something you'd never expect to meet on the Frosses Road. Ask the staff — they know their animals and are usually happy to point out the interesting ones.
  • How long — it's a shop, so think 20 to 40 minutes of happy looking, not a full day out. A brilliant little add-on to a bigger North Antrim day.
  • Cost — free to browse. You're welcome to come and look; there's no admission, it's a shop that's happy for families to come in and enjoy the animals.
  • When — open Monday to Saturday, roughly 10am to 5pm, and closed on Sundays. Hours can change, so it's worth a quick check before you drive out.
  • It's a working shop, not a petting zoo. The animals are for sale and for looking at — be gentle, keep little hands off the glass, and always ask a staff member before touching or handling anything.
  • Closed Sundays — check the day. Opening hours can shift, so a quick look at jungle-pets.co.uk or a phone call saves a wasted trip, especially on a bank holiday.
Plan your visit

A free rainy-day stop, not a full day out

Set your expectations right and Jungle Pets is a little gem. This is an exotic pet shop rather than a paid attraction, so you're coming in to look round a shop that happens to be full of fascinating animals — and the staff are used to families doing exactly that. Give it twenty minutes to half an hour and pair it with something bigger nearby, and you've turned a wet afternoon into a proper outing. Entry is free; you'd only spend money if you picked up food or a bit of kit while you were in. Because it's a real shop with live animals, the golden rule is simple: look, enjoy, ask before you touch, and let the staff get on with serving other customers.

Parking on site Indoor — good in the rain Knowledgeable staff, happy to help Free to look — no admission
Worth knowing:

The exact animals in the shop change all the time — it's a working pet shop, so what's in this week may be different next week, and there's no guarantee any particular animal will be there on the day. That's part of the fun of dropping in. Check current opening hours on jungle-pets.co.uk or by phone before you set off.

Before you set off

A few things worth knowing

  • 🗓️Check the dayClosed Sundays and hours can change — a quick look at the website or a phone call saves a wasted drive.
  • 🤫Gentle voices, gentle handsThe animals are calmer and happier when it's not too loud, and glass stays cleaner without little handprints.
  • 🙋Ask before touchingSome animals can be met up close if staff offer — but always ask first, never reach in yourself.
  • 🌧️A rainy-day winnerIt's all indoors, so a wet afternoon is exactly when this little stop comes into its own. Pair it with a bigger day nearby.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free to walk in and look round — it's a shop, not a ticketed attraction, so there's no admission charge. You'd only spend if you bought pet food or supplies while there.
Opening hours
Reported as Monday to Saturday, roughly 10am to 5pm, and closed on Sundays. Hours can change, so confirm on jungle-pets.co.uk or by phone before travelling, especially around bank holidays.
What you'll see
A wide range for a pet shop — reptiles (snakes, lizards, tortoises, geckos), tanks of fish, small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, and birds and parrots, along with the occasional unusual exotic. The exact animals in stock change week to week.
Ages
All ages — small children love pressing their noses to the tanks, and older, animal-mad kids get plenty out of the reptiles and exotics. Keep an eye on toddlers around the glass.
How long
Twenty minutes to about half an hour for a good look round. It's a short, sweet stop rather than a day in itself.
Handling
It's a working shop, so the animals are for sale and for looking at, not a hands-on petting session. Always ask a staff member before touching anything, and never reach into an enclosure.
Indoor / outdoor
All indoors and under cover — one of the reasons it makes such a good rainy-day stop.
Parking
There is parking on site on the Frosses Road; confirm details when you visit.
Dogs
Best to leave the dog at home — it's a shop full of live animals. Check with staff if you have an assistance dog.
Getting there
On the Frosses Road (A26) between Ballymoney and Ballymena, a short run from Cloughmills village. Easy to reach by car and simple to fold into a wider North Antrim day.
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to go in?
Yes — it's a shop, so there's no admission charge. You're welcome to come in and look round the animals; you'd only spend money if you bought pet food or supplies.
What kind of animals will we see?
A good spread for a pet shop: reptiles like snakes, lizards, tortoises and geckos, tanks of fish, small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, and birds and parrots, plus the occasional unusual exotic. What's in stock changes week to week, so it's a little different each visit.
Can the kids hold the animals?
It's a working shop rather than a petting zoo, so it's look-don't-touch by default. Sometimes staff may let you meet an animal up close — but always ask first and never reach into an enclosure yourself.
How long does it take?
About twenty minutes to half an hour for a good wander round. It's a short, fun stop best paired with something bigger nearby.
Is it good in the rain?
It's ideal — everything is indoors, so a wet afternoon is exactly when a stop like this pays off. Add it to a North Antrim day and the weather stops mattering.
When is it open?
Reported as Monday to Saturday, around 10am to 5pm, and closed on Sundays. Hours can change, so check jungle-pets.co.uk or ring 028 2763 8581 before you set off.
Getting there

232 Frosses Road, Cloughmills, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT44 9PU — on the A26 Frosses Road between Ballymoney and Ballymena, a short run from Cloughmills village, with parking on site. Easy to fold into a bigger day out around North Antrim.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website

Check hours first: 028 2763 8581

See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

The Lake, KilreaWaterpark · nearby Rosepark FarmBallymoney · open farm The Dark HedgesArmoy · beech avenue Glenariff Forest ParkGlens of Antrim · waterfalls
The story

The pet shop that became a day-out favourite

Out on the Frosses Road at Cloughmills, roughly halfway between Ballymoney and Ballymena, Jungle Pets has grown from a specialist pet shop into a quiet favourite with local families who know a good free stop when they find one. It bills itself as one of Ireland's leading specialist pet stores, and once you're inside you understand why word gets around: the range of animals under one roof is far bigger than the usual pet aisle.

Walk in and there are rows of planted vivariums glowing softly along the walls, home to reptiles of every shape — snakes, lizards, tortoises and geckos — alongside tanks of colourful fish, cages of small animals, and birds and parrots calling from their perches. Every so often there's something more unusual again, the kind of animal a child in North Antrim never expected to be looking at on a Saturday morning. That element of surprise is a big part of the charm.

None of it is dressed up as an attraction, and that's the point — it's a real, working shop where the staff know their animals inside out and are happy for families to come and look. Treat it for what it is: a free, easy, weather-proof little stop that turns a wet afternoon into something the kids will talk about, and a lovely add-on to a bigger day exploring the Glens, the coast or the forests of North Antrim.