Free things to do in Preston with kids

Astley Hall

Chorley

Free entry to a 400 year old hall with a play area, a walled garden and a café for cake afterwards.

CaféGift shopFood on siteOutdoor play+2 more

Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery

Blackburn

Free galleries of fine art, Egyptology and natural history, plus Saturday craft sessions for the kids.

Accessible toiletBaby changeGift shopFood on site+3 more

Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive

Bolton

Free museum with real Egyptian mummies, hands-on touch screens and local history, right in the middle of Bolton.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingGift shop+3 more

Bolton Steam Museum

Bolton

Free entry to watch a collection of working mill steam engines turning over, some driven by real steam.

Free parking

Coral Island

Blackpool

Free entry to a seaside arcade with pirate rides, ghost train and enough 2p pushers to eat a fiver in coppers.

Gift shopIndoor playFood on siteToilets

Crosby Beach

Liverpool

A wide stretch of sand dotted with 100 cast-iron statues by Antony Gormley, free to wander any time.

Formby Beach Woods

Liverpool

Pinewoods behind the dunes where you go looking for red squirrels, snowdrops and autumn fungi, free to wander.

Parking

Garstang & District Arts Centre

Preston

Free exhibitions of paintings, photography and ceramics, plus a children's art competition and summer lunchtime concerts.

CaféWi-Fi

Greenhead Park

Huddersfield

A free park with a double zip wire and a miniature steam railway that only runs on Saturday afternoons.

Changing PlacesOutdoor playToiletsWheelchair accessible

Greenslate Community Farm

Wigan · ages 5-16

A working community farm where kids groom goats and donkeys, build dens and try bush craft over a two-hour session.

CaféFood on siteOutdoor playPicnics allowed

Happy Mount Park

Morecambe · ages 1-8

Free to wander, with pirate-themed adventure golf, swing boats and a soft play galleon that only cost a couple of quid a go.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+12 more

Harris Museum

Preston

Free Preston museum and gallery on the Flag Market - rainy-day collections day.

Accessible toiletCaféGift shopToilets+1 more

Lancashire Mining Museum CIO

Manchester

Wander round a real colliery site with a 98ft headgear to gawp at, colliery cottages and a miner's canteen to poke round, all free to get in.

Café

Manor Fields Park

Sheffield

Free park with two playgrounds, a sandpit and a boardwalk, plus Tudor ruins you can touch but not climb.

Accessible toiletCaféChanging PlacesKids menu+4 more

Mason's Wood Trail

Preston

A free woodland walk near Preston with a proper bluebell show in spring and dogs welcome on the path.

Dog friendlyParkingPublic transport nearby

Mayfield Park

Manchester

Free outdoor park with a play yard of six slides built around a daylighted stretch of the River Medlock.

Dog friendlyOutdoor playToilets

Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve

Ormskirk

Free wildlife trails and hides around a former sand quarry, open Wednesday to Sunday with a café on site.

Accessible toiletCaféOutdoor playPushchair friendly+2 more

Mount Sion Steam Crane

Manchester

Free crafts and guided nature or wildlife walks around a historic steam crane site on a Canal Fun Day.

National Trust - Formby

Liverpool

Sand dunes, pinewoods and two beach trails to explore, with sand wheelchairs on loan and no fires allowed to keep the wildlife happy.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+11 more

Park View Skatepark

Lytham Saint Annes

A free outdoor park with a skate bowl and BMX track, plus a toddler playground and woodland trail to wander once the wheels stop.

Café

Pigeon Tower

Bolton

Free grounds to wander around a Victorian tower, an Italian-style lake and gardens on the edge of Lever Park.

CaféDog friendlyFree parkingGift shop+2 more

Ponden Kirk & Fairy Cave

Keighley

A rocky crevice cave and gritstone outcrop on the moors above Haworth, tied to the Brontë novels.

Recycling Discovery Centre

Liverpool · ages 0+

A free guided tour showing where your rubbish actually goes, and how to sort it properly.

Booking requiredFree parkingToiletsWheelchair accessible

Ryelands Park

Lancaster · ages 0-12

Free play park with a proper play area for under 12s, an outdoor gym and open grass for football.

ParkingWheelchair accessible

Samlesbury Hall

Preston

Historic black-and-white hall near Preston - Soft Play N.

ToiletsCaféGift shopParking+1 more

Smithills Open Farm Ice Creamery

Bolton

A hillside farm where kids hand-feed goats, ride a tractor and trailer, then finish on homemade ice cream from the farm's own creamery.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingBooking required+9 more

Stanley Park

Blackpool · ages 2-8

A free outdoor play park with rocking horses, slides, swings and an interactive surfboard for the toddler-to-eight crowd.

CaféFree parkingOutdoor playPicnic area+1 more

The Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Preston

Free wildlife reserve with lake and woodland trails, an adventure playground, and a floating visitor village to explore near Preston.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféGift shop+6 more

The Whitaker

Rossendale

Free contemporary art exhibitions and family workshops in a park setting, with a café for afterwards.

Café

Walton Gardens and Hall Zoo

Warrington

A free zoo and estate where the animals are only part of it, alongside crazy golf, a land train and a proper high ropes course.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+7 more

Worden Park

Leyland · ages 0-99

Free park with a hedge maze, mini golf, a model railway and a playground, plus woods and meadows to wander through.

Bike parkingCaféDog friendlyFree parking+1 more

World of Glass

Saint Helens

Free walk through a Victorian glass street, hands-on light and lens exhibits, and live glass blowing you can watch for a few pounds extra.

CaféGift shopGroup bookingsParking+1 more