Blue Planet Aquarium
Sharks over a moving walkway tunnel, all under cover. A dependable answer to a washout forecast that still feels like a proper day out.
National Waterways Museum
Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
The old Shropshire Union dock complex at the bottom of Ellesmere Port, run by the Canal & River Trust. Historic boats sit in the basins, the warehouses hold the indoor exhibitions, and outside there are locks to peer into, a waterways themed playground and boat trips on selected days. It is a proper place that happens to be a museum, which is why it works on children.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and seven days a week in the summer holidays and October half term. Do the boat trip or the playground first, save the galleries for flagging legs, and let the Waterside Cafe absorb lunch. Parking is free, there are baby change facilities in several buildings, and dogs are welcome on leads. Most families get two to three hours out of it.
Know before you go
- Boat trip sailings are limited, so book them before you travel rather than hoping on the day.
- Think you might come twice in a year? The family annual pass is £58.50 against £32.50 for one day, so a second visit makes it pay.
Looking for more museums & science near Ellesmere Port?
Also in Ellesmere Port
Whitby Park
Ellesmere Port's main park: two play areas, a skatepark, tennis courts, formal gardens and a fish pond, with Theatre Porto in the old hall. Free, with free parking off Stanney Lane.