Museums & heritage in Preston

Alston Observatory

Preston · up to age 14

A planetarium dome show and a proper Victorian telescope, but every visit has to be booked ahead.

Booking required

ARTCH Studio

Preston

Studio space you hire out for private parties, company do's, dance events or gigs, bar included.

Accessible toiletCaféFree parkingGroup bookings+5 more

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 Steam Museum

Bolton

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

Free parking

Bridgewater Cruises

Manchester

A slow boat along the Bridgewater Canal with seasonal cruises built around Santa or Easter crafts.

Birthday partiesCard onlyGroup bookingsFood on site

Casbah Coffee Club Historic Site

Liverpool · ages 0-16

Walk into the actual basement club where the Beatles played their first gigs, on a pre-booked tour that traces the birth of Merseybeat.

Booking required

Crafty Diane Pottery Painting

Preston · ages 7+

Paint your own pottery or try fused glass and mosaic workshops, with birthday parties for kids from age 7.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesFree parkingGroup bookings+3 more

East Lancashire Railway - (Irwell Vale Station)

Bury

A small, quiet station on the East Lancashire Railway where you board heritage steam or diesel trains and wander the sculpture trail alongside the Irwell.

CaféDog friendlyFood on siteParking+3 more

East Lancashire Railway - (Ramsbottom Station)

Bury

A steam train ride out to Ramsbottom for duck spotting, woodland and a playground by the platform.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféGift shop+4 more

East Lancashire Railway - Heywood Station

Heywood

Hop on a heritage steam or diesel train from Heywood and rattle out through countryside to villages along the line.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingFree parkingGift shop+3 more

East Lancashire Railway - Rawtenstall Station

Rossendale

A proper steam train ride out of Rawtenstall, ending in a cobbled mill town worth a wander.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+1 more

Fireground

Rochdale · ages 0+

A museum of old fire engines and firefighting history, open Thursday to Saturday in Rochdale.

CaféFree parkingPublic transport nearbySchool visits

Fleetwood Museum

Fleetwood · ages 4-11

Free craft sessions and heritage tours in a seaside town museum where kids under 11 get in free.

CaféGift shopGroup bookingsSchool visits

Garstang & District Arts Centre

Preston

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

CaféWi-Fi

Harris Museum

Preston

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

Accessible toiletCaféGift shopToilets+1 more

Hoghton Tower

Preston · ages 5+

A guided tramp through a genuine Tudor house, with a steep half-mile drive up and a dollhouse room that steals the show.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBlue badge parking+11 more

Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail

Lancaster

A gentle 1.3 mile lakeside woodland walk to Ingleborough Cave, with a treasure hunt and a planet trail to keep kids spotting things along the way.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféCard only+6 more

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

Heysham

A ferry crossing to the Isle of Man from Heysham, with an onboard play area to keep kids busy and a proper check-in routine to plan around.

Booking requiredCaféFood on siteToilets

Kittywake Canal Cruises - Wigan

Wigan

A canal cruise with a proper meal on board, from pizza to a full roast, and a lock or two along the way.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsFood on site+2 more

Lancashire Canal Cruises

Ormskirk

Kids get to steer the boat, wear the captain's hat and work the swing bridges on a canal holiday you book as a family group.

Allergy awareBooking requiredDog friendlyFree parking+5 more

Lancashire Infantry Museum

Preston

A regimental history museum at the Barracks in Preston, where you'll need to book your slot two days ahead.

Booking required

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

Lancaster Maritime Museum

Lancaster

A nautical museum by the river where kids under 18 get in free and there's a sensory backpack to borrow.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+8 more

Leighton Hall Estate

Carnforth

A guided tour round a historic house, a maze and adventure playground to burn through the afternoon, plus a bird of prey display in summer.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+3 more

Mad Science North England

Preston · ages 5-11

A Mad Scientist brings slime-making, rocket launches and chemical reactions to your own party venue for a hands-on science show.

Booking required

Mount Sion Steam Crane

Manchester

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

Pendle Heritage Centre

Barrowford

A walled garden, a bluebell woodland walk and the story of the Pendle witches, all on one heritage site in Barrowford.

CaféGift shop

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

Platform Gallery and Visitor Information Centre

Clitheroe

A small town gallery in a converted building in Clitheroe, with rotating exhibitions and a visitor information desk under one roof.

Blue badge parking

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

Ribchester Roman Museum

Preston

A small museum on the site of a Roman cavalry fort, with activities and metal detecting days for kids to get properly stuck into.

School visits

Samlesbury Hall

Preston

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

ToiletsCaféGift shopParking+1 more

Showtown Blackpool

Blackpool

A gallery-hopping museum of Blackpool's entertainment history, with baby and toddler sessions thrown in.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredBreastfeeding friendly+7 more

Spitfire Visitor Centre

Blackpool · ages 0-16

See real Spitfires mid-restoration up close, and pay extra if you fancy sitting in one or flying a replica.

Accessible toiletBaby changeFree parkingFood on site+2 more

The British Commercial Vehicle Museum

Leyland

Climb into real lorry cabs and grip the wheel of vehicles that used to rule the roads, all under one roof near the M6.

CaféFree parkingGift shopToilets+1 more

The Cottage Museum

Lancaster

A tiny 18th-century cottage in Lancaster you can look round for £2, with kids under 18 free.

Cash only

The Fusilier Museum

Bury

Two galleries of 300 years of military history, a shooting simulator to test steady hands, and a ticket that gets you back in free all year.

Café

The Whitaker

Rossendale

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

Café

Turton Tower

Lancashire

A part-timbered manor house with a woodland adventure playground and a walled Victorian kitchen garden to explore, free to roam grounds all year.

Accessible toiletCaféDog friendlyFree parking+7 more

Western Approaches

Liverpool

Wander a real WWII bunker beneath the city streets, from the wartime shop fronts to the Operations Room where the maps still sit.

Baby changeCard onlyGift shopGroup bookings+2 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

Worsley Day Boat Hire

Manchester

Hire your own boat on the Bridgewater Canal and spot herons, ducks and whatever else is nesting on the bank that day.

Dog friendlyPicnics allowedToilets