The Sands is Carlisle's main leisure centre, with an 8-lane 25m competition pool and a 4-lane 20m pool. There are no flumes, but the Family Fun Swim sessions put floats and toys in the main pool, and the small pool at 0.8m deep has sessions just for parents with under 5s.
A child's swim is £6.20 and an adult's £8.80 without membership, under 3s free. Leisure centre users get three hours free in The Sands car park. It also has soft play and a Changing Places toilet, and doubles as the city's events venue, so check for a big show before you count on the car park.
What it costs: Swim for All: adult £8.80 non-member or £7.10 pay as you go, child over 3 £6.20 non-member or £4.40 pay as you go. Under 3s swim free. Parking free for three hours in The Sands car park for leisure centre users; the Swifts car park next door is £1.40 an hour up to £3.80 all day.
Sleeping Beauty at the Sands Centre in Carlisle, with 3D projection and lots of songs. Public shows from 12 December, relaxed performances on 15 and 30 December at 2pm.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.