DISCOVER
Every place in Preston
Family days out in and around Preston, each one written up honestly with the details parents actually need.
188 places · page 7 of 8
Splash World
Southport
Water slides and a swimming pool under one roof, open weekends all year and weekdays in the school holidays.
Birthday partiesFood on siteVegetarian options
from £20St Helens Theatre Royal
Saint Helens
A proper pantomime, Peter Pan this year, with tickets from £20.
FreeStanley 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
from £5Stanley Villa Farm Fishing & Camping
Preston
Sleep in a pod or bell tent by the lake, with fishing pegs to book and a hot tub option if you want to push the boat out.
Accessible toiletBooking requiredDog friendlyFree parking+6 more
Summer Beach Club
Sheffield · ages 0+
Outdoor summer pop-up at Meadowhall with water slides, a roller coaster and fairground rides for a whole afternoon out.
Booking requiredFree parkingFood on sitePicnics allowed
Swell UK Ltd - Garden, Pond and Aquatic Supplies
Hyde
A garden and aquatic supplies shop where you can wander past tanks of tropical, coldwater and marine fish, plus reptiles and amphibians.
from £3.50The Arc Cinema Preston
Preston
All-recliner seating and a HYPERSENSE screen make this a proper upgrade from the standard multiplex trip.
Free parking
from £18The Big One
Blackpool · ages 0+
A full-scale coaster park where the star ride is a 235-foot drop hitting 85mph, plus dark rides, water rides and a whole land for younger fans.
Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingEV chargingGift shop+8 more
from £6The 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
from £2The Cottage Museum
Lancaster
A tiny 18th-century cottage in Lancaster you can look round for £2, with kids under 18 free.
Cash only
from £50The Crafty Potter
Chorley · adults only (18+)
An over-18s pottery studio where you shape animal sculptures, throw on the wheel or hand build, then glaze it all later.
Free parking
from £6The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre
Preston · ages 2+
Bowling, crazy golf, curling and a five-minute VR ride all under one roof, with five food outlets to fall back on.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+11 more
from £2.95The 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
from £3.50The Garden House Marple
Stockport · ages 3+
Free-roaming pigs, alpacas and Shetland ponies to feed and a riverside walk, for £3.50 a head.
Blue badge parkingDog friendlyFood on siteOutdoor play+3 more
from £15The Gathering Fields Wellbeing Centre
Lancaster
A wildflower-meadow retreat centre near Lancaster for group breaks, forest bathing, yoga and sound healing, booked out rather than dropped into.
Booking requiredIndoor seatingFood on siteParking+1 more
from £1The Grand Theatre
Blackpool
A proper night at a Victorian theatre in Blackpool, with live performances on stage rather than screens.
Accessible toiletBaby changeFood on siteWheelchair accessible
The Kinder Hub
Preston · ages 0-7
A mini role-play village of shops and services for under-7s, with a climbing frame and a toddler corner for the smaller ones.
Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFree parking+3 more
FreeThe 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
from £135The Language School
Preston · ages 3-80
Language lessons in French, Spanish, German and more, taught one-to-one or in groups, both online and face to face.
from £2The Lowther Pavilion Theatre & Gardens
Lytham St Annes
A proper theatre programme plus mini-golf, crown green bowls and tennis outside if the show isn't the whole plan.
Accessible toiletHearing loopParkingToilets+1 more
The Mandala Yoga & Massage Preston
Preston
An adults' studio for aerial yoga cocoons, gong soundbaths and Ashtanga, Vinyasa and Hatha classes.
ParkingToilets
from £5The Promise @ Leyland Farm
Manchester
Meet the chicks in the courtyard, wander past the bee-hives and grazing animals, then try a wreath making workshop if the timing suits.
Booking required
FreeThe Whitaker
Rossendale
Free contemporary art exhibitions and family workshops in a park setting, with a café for afterwards.
Café
from £13.95Thingamajigz
Poulton-le-Fylde · up to age 17
Multi-level soft play with a big slide, ball pools and a laser games room, plus a disco and karaoke room for when they need a sit down.
Birthday partiesCaféIndoor playIndoor seating+4 more
THE WEEKENDER
Next weekend, sorted. Every Thursday, free.
The best family things happening around Preston, one hidden gem, and a rainy-day backup plan, from a dad who's been there with a bored seven-year-old.
Free forever. One brilliant email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.