Botanic Gardens, Churchtown
Victorian gardens with an aviary, boating lake, fernery and a good playground, in Southport's prettiest village corner. Old-fashioned in the way that quietly suits small children.
Adventure Coast Southport
Southport, Merseyside
The park formerly known as Southport Pleasureland relaunched for 2026 as Adventure Coast, and the big change is the money. Entry is free, and rides are pay as you go from £1 via a £2 reusable card, so a toddler who only wants three goes on the carousel no longer costs the same as a coaster-obsessed ten year old. Unlimited wristbands exist at £36 but sell in limited daily numbers.
The rides are grouped into themed lands: Viking Landing and Steampunk Bay for the thrill rides, Pirate Cove for the middle years, Cartoon Boardwalk for classic fairground stuff that suits the smallest. Add the beach and Marine Lake over the road and Southport still makes an old-fashioned full seaside day. Two car parks on site, picnics welcome, dogs on leads.
It is a traditional seaside funfair, not Alton Towers, and it is better once you accept that. Windswept, a bit loud, chips in the air. The kids will not notice the difference.
Know before you go
- The pay-as-you-go card is the budget saver: agree a top-up amount before you go through the gate and let the kids ration their own rides.
- It runs weekends 11am to 5pm plus school holidays, and the season winds down in early September - check dates on the website before making the drive.
Worth knowing: Height limits apply on the bigger rides..
Seasonal: Weekends and school holidays, daily in summer. Check before travelling.
Looking for more adventure & rides near Southport?
Also in Southport
Southport Model Railway Village
A one and a half acre miniature Lancashire with one of the biggest garden railway systems in the UK, aimed squarely at the under-8s. Open late April to late September, and the trains stop if the weather turns nasty.
King's Gardens
Seventeen acres of restored Victorian seafront gardens with the Venetian Bridge over Marine Lake, boat hire, and the Tree Top Towers playground. Free, flat and right on the Promenade, so it slots around anything else you are doing in Southport.