Rainy day activities in Preston

Acorn Farm

Liverpool

A hands-on farm day of feeding sheep and goats, holding rabbits and guinea pigs, and a horse ride if you fancy it.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCafé+6 more

Adrenaline Centre

Rossendale · ages 4-18

Roller skating, laser tag and a 24-wall climbing centre under one roof for kids aged 4 to 18.

Birthday partiesLockersParkingToilets

All Thrive

Leyland

Four sensory rooms and role play corners like a mini supermarket and vets, booked in one hour fifteen minute slots.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+8 more

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

Animate

Preston

Sixteen lanes of bowling and a cinema screen under one roof, open from 9am to midnight every day.

Bike parkingCaféFood on siteParking+2 more

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

Battlefield Live Pennine

Chorley · ages 8+

Woodland-style laser tag missions like Death Match and Zombie Survival, booked in two-hour blocks for groups of eight and up.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsParking

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

Bounce Play Centre

Blackpool · ages 0-11

Slides, climbing walls and go karts under one roof, with a separate toddler area for the under-threes.

Baby changeBirthday partiesCaféFree parking+7 more

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

Caterpillar Music Blackpool

Poulton-le-Fylde · ages 0+

A themed music and singing session for babies and toddlers, with free play thrown in at Thingamajigz Play Centre afterwards.

Indoor play

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

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

Curiosity Corner Play

Preston · ages 0-9

Role play, roaming and craft tables (think keyring making and pottery painting) for under-nines, but only as a private party hire.

Birthday partiesCaféIndoor playFood on site+1 more

Diggerland Yorkshire

Castleford · ages 4-14

Kids get behind the controls of real diggers and dumpers, plus over 20 rides included in one ticket.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+5 more

Farmer Parrs Animal World

Fleetwood · ages 1-16

Feed the animals, groom a pony, collect eggs and explore three barns of hands-on farm activities near Fleetwood.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesCaféFree parking+10 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

Funland

Blackpool

A small football pitch and an active playground for kids to burn energy through, charged out at £4 an hour.

Funtastic Play

Lytham Saint Annes · ages 0-12

A big slide, climbing frames and separate baby and toddler bits, split by age so nobody gets flattened.

CaféIndoor playIndoor seating

GameX Chorley

Chorley

Arcades, VR and a brick zone bundled into packages, with a family swim and gaming deal thrown in too.

Birthday partiesCaféEV chargingIndoor play+2 more

Garstang & District Arts Centre

Preston

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

CaféWi-Fi

Glazey Days Ceramic Studio

Fleetwood

Paint your own pottery, or get stuck into handprints, baby bump casts and pet paw prints on a bowl.

Booking requiredIndoor seatingFood on siteWheelchair accessible

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

Harlequins

Preston

A card and tabletop games café where you can drop into a Pokémon League night, a Warhammer meetup or a Magic card session.

Indoor seating

Harris Museum

Preston

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

Accessible toiletCaféGift shopToilets+1 more

Holmeswood Flower Farm / Pumpkin Place Pick Your Own

Ormskirk

Pick your own pumpkins, sunflowers, sweetcorn and flowers straight from the field.

Dog friendlyIndoor playFood on site

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

Junction 4 Skatepark - Junction 4 Urban Sports Village

Darwen

Ramps, bowls and dirt jumps for BMX, skateboards and scooters, with coaching sessions if you want the basics taught properly.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredFree parkingFood on site

Jungle World Leyland - Play Park

Leyland · ages 0-12

A 25ft slide, laser tag and electric go-karts under one roof, with a separate toddler corner for the under-fives.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFree parking+6 more

Koco Pottery Studio

Thornton-Cleveleys

Wheel-throwing and hand-building pottery sessions for families, beginners welcome, in Marsh Mill Village.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsParking

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 Grand Theatre

Lancaster · ages 0+

A proper old theatre in the middle of town doing pantomime, comedy, music and children's shows like The Littlest Yak.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBreastfeeding friendlyCafé+4 more

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

Little Theatre Southport

Southport

A traditional amateur theatre putting on eight plays a season plus a Christmas pantomime, in a historic building just off the seafront.

Accessible toiletHearing loopToiletsWheelchair accessible

Liverpool Boat Tour

Liverpool

A half hour cruise round Liverpool's dock system, past the yachts and working boats moored in the Marina.

Card onlyIndoor seatingFood on site

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

Mini's Party and Play Centre

Preston · ages 0-4

Two soft play frames and a baby-only corner for under-fives, with a proper café menu to fall back on.

Birthday partiesCaféIndoor playKids menu

Mount Sion Steam Crane

Manchester

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

Mug Life Crisis – Alt Coffee, Matcha & Board Game Café

Blackpool

A board game café where you can grab any game off the shelf, draw on the walls, and browse vintage clothes over a matcha.

Allergy awareCaféIndoor seatingFood on site+1 more

Nurtured by Hand Baby Massage, Yoga and Sensory

Preston · ages 0+

Baby massage and yoga classes plus a sensory room with bubble tubes, a bouncy castle and a climbing frame for parties.

Birthday partiesIndoor playSensory room

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

Play and Bee Role Play Centre

Poulton-le-Fylde · ages 0-7

A themed role play soft play where under-sevens run a tea room, a vet's surgery, a salon and a garden centre instead of just climbing a frame.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFood on site+1 more

Ponden Kirk & Fairy Cave

Keighley

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

PrestonWall Climbing Centre

Preston · ages 5+

Bouldering and roped climbing for kids from age five, with day passes running from £3 to £16 and gear to hire if you turn up empty-handed.

Accessible toiletBaby changeFree parkingLockers+2 more

Ramp City Skatepark

Blackpool

Ramps for skateboards, BMX, scooters and inline skates, plus a separate roller rink, open Friday to Sunday only.

CaféFood on site

Rampworx Skatepark & Shop

Bootle · ages 5+

An indoor warehouse of ramps for skateboards, scooters, BMX and inline skating, with coached sessions from age five.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingGroup bookings+5 more

Rascals Party & Play Centre

Preston · ages 0-12

Multi-level soft play with a three-storey tube slide, a four-lane wavy slide and trampolines to burn a Saturday morning on.

Allergy awareBirthday partiesCard onlyFree parking+8 more

Razzamataz Theatre school Preston, Lancashire

Preston · ages 2-18

Weekly dance, drama and singing classes in Preston, split by age, with a free taster before you commit to anything.

Booking required

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

Red Rose Bowl

Preston

Tenpin lanes, pool tables and a free darts room under one roof, with a diner and bar to fall back on between frames.

Birthday partiesFree parkingKids menuFood on site+3 more

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

Royal Albert Dock Liverpool

Liverpool

A waterfront cluster of warehouses by the Mersey with cafés, restaurants and step-free paths for a wander, not one single attraction.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+3 more

Royal Liver Building 360 Tour

Liverpool · ages 5+

Climb up above the clock face of the Royal Liver Building for 360 degree views and a close look at the Liver Birds on the roof terrace.

Accessible toiletGift shopToilets

Run and Jump Wigan

Wigan · ages 0-12

A three tier frame with a 4.2 metre wavy astro slide and a high glide over an invisible floor to keep the over-fives busy.

CaféIndoor playUnder-5s areaWi-Fi

Samlesbury Hall

Preston

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

ToiletsCaféGift shopParking+1 more

SEA LIFE Blackpool

Blackpool

Promenade aquarium in Blackpool - ocean tunnel, rays, turtles and a Jurassic Ocean Tunnel for 2026.

Gift shopToiletsBooking requiredWheelchair accessible

SEA LIFE Manchester

Manchester

Indoor aquarium at Trafford Palazzo - ocean tunnel, sharks, turtles and rays next to the Trafford Centre.

Free parkingParkingToiletsGift shop+6 more

SENsis (SEN Siblings in Sync)

Bolton

Booked sensory sessions for children and dependent adults with additional needs, plus wellness sessions you can hire privately.

Booking requiredSensory friendly

Shakespeare North Playhouse

Prescot

A proper theatre in Prescot with family shows, tours and a play area by the café, and you decide what to pay for some performances.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+11 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

Smithills Open Farm

Bolton

Bolton open farm with animal feeding, tractor rides and free adult entry - open daily 10-5.

Indoor playOutdoor playCaféFree parking+3 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

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

St Helens Theatre Royal

Saint Helens

A proper pantomime, Peter Pan this year, with tickets from £20.

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.

The Arc Cinema Preston

Preston

All-recliner seating and a HYPERSENSE screen make this a proper upgrade from the standard multiplex trip.

Free parking

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 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

The 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

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 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

The 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 Whitaker

Rossendale

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

Café

Thingamajigz

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

Tiny Rockers

Chorley · ages 0-5

A music themed soft play and sensory room for under-fives, plus a proper café and morning-only opening hours.

Birthday partiesCaféIndoor playParking+1 more

Valley Coffee

Preston

A café with an outdoor play area attached, plus breakfast and brunch, gift vouchers and wifi if you need to sit and work.

Allergy awareGift shopIndoor seatingFood on site+3 more

Wacky World Inflatable Park

Preston · ages 0-18

A big indoor inflatable arena with a rodeo bull, wipeout arms and a base jump platform for launching off into a cushioned landing.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesFree parkingGroup bookings+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

Wigan Little Theatre

Wigan · ages 3+

Panto and family shows in a proper old theatre, with seats booked in advance rather than turning up on spec.

Booking required

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