The Helix
WHERE
Falkirk
What it’s like
Rope bridges, splash fountains and open-air play under the Kelpies, with a car park that fills fast in good weather.
The rope bridges and interactive installations are the bit kids will drag you towards first, and there's a splash play area with fountains for the hot days when everyone's overheating. The imaginative play bits round it off, and it's all outdoors, so a dry, sunny day is when this place earns its keep rather than a grey Tuesday in February.
Worth knowing before you set off: the splash play area does shut periodically for maintenance, so don't build the whole visit around it in case it's one of those days. The site's visitor centre runs 9am to 8pm and there's a café and gift shop if you need a break or a shop-window meltdown to negotiate.
Parking is the one to plan around. The car park at the entrance and the Kelpies car park both charge £3 to £4.50 a day in July and August, though it's free from November to March. Both fill up early on good weather days and school holidays, and the Kelpies car park actually locks its gates at 10pm in summer or 8pm in winter, so don't be the family still wandering back at closing time. If you'd rather not risk it, Falkirk Stadium has free parking and it's only a three minute walk in.
There's no booking link listed, so this reads as a turn-up sort of place rather than one you need to plan tickets around. Bike parking and EV charging are both there if that's how you're arriving.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- 78-space car park at entrance £3-£4.50/day (July-Aug), 175-space Kelpies car park near visitor centre £3-£4.50/day (July-Aug)
- Getting there by bus or train
- Falkirk High Station 3 miles away, Falkirk Grahamston 2 miles away, also Polmont, Larbert and Camelon stations nearby
- Falkirk Stadium car park is free and just a three minute walk in, a decent dodge if the main car parks are full
- Kelpies car park locks its gates at set times, so keep an eye on the clock if you've parked there
- Bike parking and EV charging points are both available on site
Plan your visit
Do we need to book ahead?
There's no booking system here from what's listed, so it's the kind of visit you just turn up for.
How much is parking?
£3 to £4.50 a day at either the entrance car park or the Kelpies car park in July and August. It's free from November through March.
Is the splash play area always open?
Not always. It closes now and then for maintenance, so it's worth having a backup plan in mind if fountains are the main draw for your lot.
What time does everything shut?
The visitor centre runs 9am to 8pm and the gift shop closes at 5pm. The Kelpies car park itself gets locked at 10pm in summer and 8pm in winter, so don't cut it fine.
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's a café on site for food and drink during your visit.
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