Mega Creatures FAQs

Mega Creatures Day session – From 28 March to 26 April 2026.
Mega Creatures Night Safari – Weekends and School Holidays: 28-29 March, 3-19 April and 24-26 April 2026.

Mega Creatures Day session. From 9am to 4pm. Last entry 3pm.
Rides operate from 10am to 3:30pm. Ticket Booth open from 10am to 3pm. Last ride 3:15pm.

Mega Creatures Night Safari. From 5pm to 9:30pm. Last entry 8:30pm.
Rides operate from 5:30pm to 9pm. Ticket Booth open from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Last ride 8:45pm.

Please note Mega Creatures Day session (Gardens) close at 4pm and Mega Creatures Night Safari opens at 5pm, all visitors must exit the gardens during this time, including combo day/night ticket holders.

Hunter Valley Gardens reserves the right to adjust operating hours without prior notice.

Tickets for Mega Creatures Day session and Mega Creatures Night Safari can be purchased separately. For guests wishing to attend both events, combo day/night tickets are available. Tickets are valid for the nominated session only.

Mega Creature tickets give access to all the event activities and installations, including Land of Legends, Dragon Den, Butterfly Ballet, Dinosaur Diggins, Unicorn Meadow, Bug Hunt, Spider Den, Dragon Floresta, Carnivore Concourse and Herbivore Hectares. Plus, weekends and school holidays activities:

Dragon’s Quest - 28-29 March, 3-19 April and 24-26 April at 12pm and 2pm in the Formal Garden.
Step into a thrilling display of courage and legend as families gather to watch our brave knight face off against a fearsome flight of dragons. Set within the Formal Garden, Dragon’s Quest brings medieval adventure to life with action, live storytelling and plenty of excitement to capture young imaginations. Kids will love cheering on the knight as she battles to protect the realm, making this a must-see experience for little adventurers who dream of castles, dragons and heroic quests.

Potion Play with the Wizard - 28-29 March, 3-19 April and 24-26 April at 6pm and 7:30pm in the Amphitheatre.
As dusk settles over the Gardens, children are invited into the magical world of a mysterious wizard and her bubbling wonder-lab. Potion Play is an enchanting, interactive experience where curious minds can learn the secrets behind colourful brews, smoky potions and magical mixtures. Set in the Amphitheatre, this playful experience blends fantasy and fun, sparking imagination and delighting families looking for something a little magical after dark.

Dinosaur Diggings - 28 March to 26 April, Saturdays only at 11am in the Brumbies and Frog Ponds areas.
Calling all young explorers and future palaeontologists. Dinosaur Diggings gives kids the chance to roll up their sleeves and dig for real fossils under the guidance of our Mega Creatures Explorer. Set near the Brumbies and Frog Ponds, this hands-on activity brings prehistoric history to life as children uncover ancient treasures. It’s an exciting experience that turns curiosity into discovery.

Magical Unicorn Meetings – 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 April at 10am to 2pm in the Sunken Garden.
Step into a storybook moment with our Magical Unicorn Meetings, where fantasy becomes reality in the enchanting Sunken Garden. Families can meet a graceful unicorn up close, take photos, and enjoy a gentle, magical encounter that will leave little ones wide-eyed with wonder. Perfect for younger children and unicorn enthusiasts of all ages, this serene and charming experience provides a beautiful pause amidst a day filled with adventure.

Fairy Face Painting – 3-19 April at 10am to 2pm in the Sunken Garden.
Add an extra touch of magic to your visit with Fairy Face Painting, hosted by our resident fairy among whimsical toadstools in the Sunken Garden. Children can transform into their favourite magical characters, from fairies and creatures to colourful fantasy designs, creating a keepsake they’ll remember long after the day ends. It’s a joyful, creative experience that adds sparkle to family photos and makes every child feel part of the magical world of Mega Creatures.

The rides are all user pay. These include Superslide, Swing Chair, Carousel, Ferris Wheel and Tea Cups. Rides are $6 per person, per ride, or you can purchase a bonus 6 ticket pass for $30, tickets can be purchased at the rides booth. Height and age restrictions apply.

Easter at Hunter Valley Gardens takes place on the Easter long weekend (Friday 3 to Monday 6 April) during Mega Creatures Day session. Tickets for the Hoppity Hollow Hunt are $2 per child. You can purchase your tickets as an add-on to your Mega Creatures Day session tickets on the Easter long weekend dates and must be added to the online checkout basket or you can present a ride ticket at the entry of the event marquee.

At Hunter Valley Gardens, we strive to ensure accessibility for all our visitors. We have over 8km of crushed granite pathways, making most areas accessible for wheelchairs. Paths and ramps are wide enough to accommodate pedestrians, wheelchairs and strollers.

Please note, while the majority of our pathways are wheelchair-friendly, some lookouts and specific areas like the Italian Grotto and Waterfall Lookout have stairs, limiting accessibility to those parts. Additionally, as an outdoor space, our paths can be affected by weather and the natural landscape, which may result in uneven surfaces and steep inclines.
A specially designed wheelchair accessible gondola is available on our Ferris Wheel, accommodating one wheelchair user and a carer.

No, we do not have any wheelchairs for hire. You are welcome to bring your own.

No, there are no guided tours through the Gardens.

Updates weather or any other event announcements will be posted on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/huntervalleygardens

For 2026 Hunter Valley Gardens are pleased to introduce NEW additions to Land of Legends, an awe-inspiring experience where imagination knows no bounds with fantastical mythical beasts. Plus, new 4 dragons, a unicorn family of 9, fantastic 9 basilisks, a chimera, floral dragons, 9 amazing dinosaurs and more!

Mega Creatures and Mega Creatures Night Safari at Hunter Valley Gardens are outdoor activities and are subject to changing weather conditions. We do our very best to make sure the activities remain open, which means activities will continue in the case of rain and will only be cancelled if weather conditions are considered dangerous by event management.
Changes to tickets must be requested 24 hours prior to the booked date by visiting http://bit.ly/Booking_update
The team will get back to you as soon as possible during business hours, Monday to Friday.
We strongly recommend you bring your own wet-weather gear. The use of umbrellas is accepted.
If the activity is cancelled for any reason, the information will be posted on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/huntervalleygardens, and an SMS will be sent to all ticket holders using the phone number attached to the booking.
Hunter Valley Gardens will take all reasonable efforts to notify you of a cancellation ASAP; however, due to the unpredictability of a change in weather conditions, cancellations may be at short notice.

We do our best to open Mega Creatures and Mega Creatures Night Safari every day, however sometimes due to adverse weather conditions that are occurring, or have occurred during the day, we may have to close the event due to health and safety concerns.
PLEASE NOTE: We work very hard to open each day and night and will do everything in our power to open the event.

Tickets can be purchased online at hvg.com.au and at entry, choose your day and session subject to availability. Mega Creatures tickets are for single use only, tickets are valid for the date and session booked.

MC Day Session 9am to 4pm
Adult 16+ $42
Children 4-15yrs $31
Children 3yrs and under FREE (must still have a ticket for entry)
Family 2 adults 2 children $128
Family 2 adults 1 child $104
Family 1 adult 2 children $97
Extra Child (4-15yrs with Family Pass) $28

MC Night Session 5pm to 9:30pm
Adult 16+ $42
Children 4-15yrs $31
Children 3yrs and under FREE (must still have a ticket for entry)
Family 2 adults 2 children $128
Family 2 adults 1 child $104
Family 1 adult 2 children $97
Extra Child (4-15yrs with Family Pass) $28

MC Day / Night combination tickets* 9am to 4pm and 5pm to 9:30pm
(ALL VISITORS MUST VACATE BETWEEN 4PM – 5PM)
Adult 16+ $60
Children 4-15yrs $48
Children 3yrs and under FREE (must still have a ticket for entry)
Family 2 adults 2 children $195
Family 2 adults 1 child $161
Family 1 adult 2 children $141
Extra Child (4-15yrs with Family Pass) $46

*Day/night combination tickets may be redeemed on separate days.
Rides are $6 per ride, or you can purchase a bonus 6 ticket pass for $30. All rides are an additional cost to entry and can be purchased at the ticket booth located in the event area.

Yes, pass-outs are allowed, providing you leave and return the same day the ticket is dated. See Garden Entry before exiting the Gardens.

Mega Creatures and Mega Creatures Night Safari at Hunter Valley Gardens are date-specific and can only be used for the day purchased. If Hunter Valley Gardens needs to close due to a severe weather event, ticket holders will be offered a change of date (subject to availability) or a gift card.

Tickets may be purchased online via credit card, or tickets can also be purchased at the Gardens entry using cash or credit card. Tickets cannot be purchased over the phone.

Tickets are available online and from the Gardens entry; however, we recommend purchasing tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment. Online sales close an hour before the event finishes for the session on the day/night.

If you need to change the date of your booking, visit huntervalleygardens.com.au/bookings and request your change a minimum of 24 hours in advance.

We recommend printing tickets. However mobile tickets are also accepted. Tickets are able to be retrieved at entry upon presentation of identification. If tickets cannot be presented/retrieved at the gate, this will result in non-entry.

Subject to availability, you may be able to purchase tickets at the Gardens entry during the day of your visit. However, we strongly recommend purchasing all your tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment.

Most tickets that have not been received are either caught by your email spam filters or the email address was incorrectly entered. If your tickets have not arrived, please use this form http://bit.ly/Booking_update before your date of arrival. The team will get back to you as soon as possible during business hours Monday to Friday.
If you have lost your ticket, please proceed to the Gardens entry with your valid identification, where a staff member will be able to look up your order at entry.

Refunds are only available if the Gardens do not open on the date of your booking. Tickets may be exchanged for another day, depending on availability or the value transferred to a Hunter Valley Gardens Gift Card which expires 1 year from the date of delivery. Changes to tickets must be requested 24 hours prior to the booked date by visiting http://bit.ly/Booking_update

Online tickets are emailed to the email address you provided. If you have not received your tickets, please check your spam/junk mail. If your tickets cannot be located, you may have entered the wrong email address. Please contact us at https://www.huntervalleygardens.com.au/bookings/ for further assistance.

If you lose your ticket, new tickets can be issued by visiting huntervalleygardens.com.au/bookings and requesting an update to your order.

Subject to availability, you may be able to purchase tickets at the Gardens entry during the day of your visit. However, we strongly recommend purchasing all your tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment.

Yes. Subject to availability, you can use your day and night pass on a different night. This applies to the combo tickets only.

Annual passes are great value and offer entry to Hunter Valley Gardens for 12 months from the purchase date. Annual pass ticket holders are not required to book tickets prior to arrival.

ANNUAL PASS Entry to HVG for 12 months from date of issue

Adult 16+ $130
Children 4-15yrs $91
Children 3yrs and under FREE (must still have a ticket for entry)
Family 2 adults 2 children $318
Family 2 adults 1 child $269
Family 1 adult 2 children $247
Extra Child (4-15yrs with Family Pass) $83

Annual passes are great value and offer entry to Hunter Valley Gardens for 12 months from the purchase date. Annual pass ticket holders are not required to book tickets prior to arrival.
ANNUAL PASS Entry to HVG for 12 months from date of issue
Adult 16+ $130
Children 4-15yrs $91
Children 3yrs and under FREE (must still have a ticket for entry)
Family 2 adults 2 children $318
Family 2 adults 1 child $269
Family 1 adult 2 children $247
Extra Child (4-15yrs with Family Pass) $83

Our amusement rides (Superslide, Swing Chair, Carousel, Ferris Wheel and Tea Cups) bring an added element of fun to the Gardens for both the young and young at heart. Children must be supervised at all times whilst on the rides.
Rides will not operate during adverse weather conditions as determined by the manager on site.

• Superslide
• Swing Chair
• Carousel
• Ferris Wheel
• Tea Cups

Guests can purchase a ticket to participate on our amusement rides providing they meet all the following safety requirements for the ride they wish to participate on.
Our rides are subject to safety requirements that a user must meet to participate. Key height restrictions are listed below, but other conditions can be found on the safety requirements signage at each of the rides.

• Ferris Wheel: Children below 120cm must ride with an adult.
• Carousel: Children below 105cm must ride with an adult (adult must stand next to child), children 106cm and under 16yrs may ride alone.
• Tea Cups: Children between 95cm-120cm must ride with an adult, 120cm and above may ride alone.
• Swing Chair: Children between 110cm–120cm must ride with an adult, 120cm and above mar ride alone.
• Superslide: Children between 110cm-120cm must ride with an adult, 120cm and above may ride alone.

Children must always be supervised
PLEASE NOTE: Heights are checked at each individual ride and access will be approved by the operator.
A specially designed wheelchair accessible gondola is available on our Ferris Wheel, accommodating one wheelchair user and a carer.

Rides are $6 per ride, or you can purchase a bonus 6 ticket pass for $30.

1 ticket per ride applies on the Ferris Wheel, Tea Cups, Swing Chair and Carousel. An accompanying adult may stand with a small child on the carousel only without the use of a ride ticket.
The Superslide is 2 rides per ticket, as children between 110cm-120cm must ride with an adult, the accompanying adult rides without the use of a ride ticket.

Ride tickets can be purchased from the ticket booth. See individual event programs for opening times.

Tickets are per person, not per Gondola.

All rides operate on a 1 ticket per seat basis. A parent may stand with a small child on the Carousel or ride the Superslide with children between 110-120cm at no additional cost.

Babies 18 months and below are permitted to ride with adults on the Ferris Wheel for free. They must have a ticket for the Carousel.

No, carers who present a companion card at the rides ticket booth are able to get the same pass as their client or child for free.

Safety is of the utmost importance to us. Due to weather and maintenance, we may temporarily close the rides at times for customer safety; however, we do endeavour to have them open again as soon as possible.

Yes, our Garden Terrace Café will be open with take-away options and limited seating from 9:30am to 3:30pm. There will be the Gardens food stall and additional stalls in the event area from 9:30am to 3:30pm and from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.

You may bring bottled water into Hunter Valley Gardens. Alcohol and soft drinks are not permitted.

Food or Picnics cannot be brought into the Gardens; food is available in the Garden Terrace Café from 9:30am to 3:30pm located at the entry to the Gardens and in the food, stalls located in the event area from 9:30am to 3:30pm and from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. However, you can bring sealed bottled water.

If you do not wish to purchase food in the Gardens, there is the option to purchase food from one of the shops in Hunter Valley Shopping Village or enjoy a packed meal or BBQ in the park near the HVG Shopping Village. We offer re-entry passes if you’re coming back on the same day. For this option, please see staff at the entry gate.

The Garden Terrace Café is open from 9:30am to 3:30pm and the event food stalls are open from 9:30am to 3:30pm and from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. The food stalls offer meals and snacks, such as loaded fries, burgers, kids' meals: burgers, nuggets and chips, fish and chips, ice creams, assorted soft drinks, juice and water, and so much more.

Prohibited items include drones, ride-on toys, push bikes, scooters, e-bikes, e-scooters, roller skates, eskies, skateboards and items deemed to be unsafe by management.

Lost property can be collected from Garden Entry or call (02) 4998 4000. Items that are not claimed within 7 days will be discarded or donated to local charities.

Hunter Valley Gardens is located on a 14-hectare site. The garden paths are over 8km of crushed granite pathways, making most areas accessible for wheelchairs.
Please note, while the majority of our pathways are wheelchair-friendly, some lookouts and specific areas like the Italian Grotto and Waterfall Lookout have stairs, limiting accessibility to those parts. Additionally, as an outdoor space, our paths can be affected by weather and the natural landscape, which may result in uneven surfaces and steep inclines.

There is free parking available and limited disabled parking, displaying of a disability parking permit is required.

No pets are allowed into the Gardens. Registered guide dogs and companion dogs are allowed into the Gardens with their owners. Documentation for these animals is required upon entry.

The paths and ramps are wide enough to accommodate pedestrians, wheelchairs, and strollers. However, please refer to the question, "Is HVG accessible to everyone?" for more information.

We do not accept pensioner cards or have a Seniors price for events.

No, we do not have any wheelchairs for hire. You are welcome to bring your own.

No filming or photography, of a professional nature (including weddings, special occasions, social media influencers etc.), is permitted in Hunter Valley Gardens without prior written consent from Hunter Valley Gardens.

All commercial filming and photography within Hunter Valley Gardens property will attract a commercial photography fee, for all enquiries contact sales@hvg.com.au