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.
British Lawnmower Museum
Southport, Merseyside
Over 250 lawnmowers. That is the collection, and it is the work of Brian Radam, a former lawnmower racing champion who assembled it in a building on Shakespeare Street that also houses a working mower shop.
The bit children talk about afterwards is Lawnmowers of the Rich and Famous, which is exactly what it sounds like: machines donated by or associated with famous owners, royalty included. Princess Diana and Prince Charles are both in there.
Elsewhere there are racing mowers, Victorian and Edwardian machines restored to working order, and mowers built by firms you would not expect to find in a shed. Rolls Royce made one. So did Royal Enfield. Entry includes an audio tour, which is generous for three pounds.
Adults £3, children £1, about an hour and you are done. The awkward part is the calendar: closed on Sundays, half day on Saturday, which is unhelpful if your family days happen at weekends. The site asks you to ring and confirm hours, so ring.
Know before you go
- Monday to Friday runs 9am to 5pm, Saturday shuts at 1pm, Sunday is closed altogether. That takes out the standard family weekend, so you are going midweek or early on a Saturday.
- Ring 01704 501336 first. It is a small independent museum sitting above a working shop, and the site itself asks you to call and confirm the hours.
Worth knowing: Best from about six, when the daftness of it lands. Under fives will be through it in ten minutes.
Looking for more museums & science near Southport?
Also in Southport
Adventure Coast Southport
Pleasureland with a new name and a new deal: free entry, rides from £1 pay as you go. The seaside funfair is now Adventure Coast, split into themed lands from pirate cove to steampunk thrill rides, and you only pay for what your kids actually ride.
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.
Playtown
Southport's main play centre, on Ocean Plaza by the marine lake, with a big frame and a drop slide. Priced by age band, so babies are almost free.
Kinderworld Playbarn
A nursery playbarn on Bispham Road that opens to the public on weekday mornings, pre-booked. Small, quiet and aimed squarely at the under fives.