World Museum, Liverpool
Five floors, free, and it covers three things small children reliably love: giant dinosaurs, an aquarium and a space gallery. The best wet-weather day within half an hour.
Frankie + Lola's Liverpool
Liverpool, Merseyside
A jungle-themed soft play and cafe at the ASDA superstore in Hunts Cross, one of four Frankie + Lola's sites (the others are in Inverness, Burnley and Walsall). It is walk-up only, with no booking, and the pricing is simple: children pay, adults do not. The cafe makes a point of homemade, locally sourced food and good coffee, which is the half of the visit the grown-ups actually care about.
Off peak a child is £6.99. Friday afternoons, weekends and school holidays it goes up to £9.95, and babies under one are £1.99. No outside food apart from baby food. It is all on one level with no stairs, the toilets and baby change are on the same floor as the play frames, and there are ASD sessions with fewer children and the music right down, announced on its Facebook and Instagram. Hunts Cross station is about a ten minute walk.
Jump Inc's trampoline shed is also in Hunts Cross, for the older sibling who has decided soft play is beneath them.
What it costs: Babies up to 12 months £1.99. Toddlers and older £6.99 off peak, £9.95 at peak times, which are Fridays from 12pm, weekends and school holidays. Adults free. A membership with unlimited entry and cafe discounts is listed as coming soon.
Know before you go
- Peak pricing starts at noon on Fridays, so a Friday morning is still the off peak price.
- Its own website gives two sets of hours (10am to 6pm on one page, 9.30am to 6.30pm on another), so check Facebook or Instagram before an early start.
- Parking is free but the retail park can limit how long you stay, and the venue says it is not responsible for fines.
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What visitors say
★★★★★ 4.4 across 170 Google reviews.
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Speke Hall
A Tudor hall with woodland walks, a maze and a natural play area in the grounds. Free if you have National Trust membership, and the indoor house is a good rain fallback.
Museum of Liverpool
The city's story with an overhead railway carriage to climb aboard and Little Liverpool, a dedicated hands-on gallery for under-6s. Free, on the waterfront, and the window views are half the fun.
Merseyside Maritime Museum
Closed until 2028. The Maritime and International Slavery Museums shut in early 2025 for a full redevelopment. The Albert Dock around them is still worth the walk, and the city's other national museums remain free and open.
Mersey Ferries River Explorer
The famous ferry across the Mersey run as a 50-minute sightseeing loop with commentary, and the honest truth is kids love the boat more than any museum. Hop off at Seacombe for Eureka! next door.
Calderstones Park
South Liverpool's favourite park: lake, playground, ancient trees and the Storybarn, The Reader's hands-on storytelling space in the old coach house. The neolithic Calder Stones are older than Stonehenge, which is a good fact to deploy.
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