Walby Farm Park
Cumbria's big family farm park: animal handling, giant jumping pillows, pedal go-karts and an indoor play barn big enough to lose a wet afternoon in. The far-north option when you are up that way.
Carlisle Cathedral
- Cost
- Free entry
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Where
- Carlisle, Cumbria
- Weather
- Works in the rain
- Booking
- Just turn up
Carlisle Cathedral costs nothing to walk round and sits a few minutes from both Tullie and Carlisle Castle, which is exactly how to use it: as the free, quiet part of a city-centre day. Visitor access is 10am to 4pm daily, around services.
The Cathedral Cafe, in the footprint of the medieval cloister, does homemade food and is a sensible lunch stop between the paid attractions. In December the building hosts a Christmas Tree Festival, which is the version of the cathedral most children will actually remember.
What it costs: Free admission. Visitor access 10am to 4pm daily, subject to services.
Know before you go
- Visitor hours are 10 to 4; outside that the building is open for worship, so check the website before a Sunday visit.
- The Christmas Tree Festival runs through December. Dates were not published when we checked.
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★★★★★ 4.7 across 2,323 Google reviews.
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Carlisle Castle
A working border fortress for 900 years, not a fairytale castle: a squat red keep full of prisoners' carvings, ramparts to walk and a military museum inside the walls. English Heritage, so members go free and everyone else should book online for the discount.
Tullie
Carlisle's museum, plain Tullie since the rebrand, mid-transformation and all the better for it: under-18s go free, the adult ticket is £8.50, and £16 buys an annual pass. New galleries opened in 2025, though some of the old favourites are shut for the next phase.
Bitts Park
Carlisle's big riverside park, right under the castle walls: a large play area for all ages, a free splash park in the warmer months, skate park and acres of grass where the Eden and Caldew meet. The obvious free half of a Carlisle day.
Solway Aviation Museum
A genuine Avro Vulcan and a line of Cold War aircraft parked on the apron at Carlisle Airport, with volunteers who open them up and let children climb inside. The Vulcan shuts for the November Sunday openings; the Canberra, Sea Prince and Trident stay open.
Hammond's Pond
Carlisle's south side park, with free parking on two sides, play zones, a brand new concrete skatepark, a games court and a seasonal cafe. A miniature railway runs Sunday afternoons from Easter to October.
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