Brockholes Nature Reserve
A nature reserve with a visitor village that floats on the lake. Genuinely floats. Easy flat trails, hides, a huge adventure playground and family crafts and events in the school holidays.
Wacky World Inflatable Park
- Cost
- Sunday 2 hours £14.95, other prices when you book
- Ages
- 1 to 12
- Where
- Preston, Lancashire
- Weather
- Works in the rain
- Booking
- Book online, or pay on the door if there is space
Wacky World is on Campbell Street in Preston and calls itself the city's largest inflatable park. The arena changes, but the site currently lists a wrecking ball, a mechanical rodeo bull, an unclimbable ladder, a Meltdown wipeout game, a bouncy castle and a base jump onto a giant cushion. Smaller children have a toddler corner on the mezzanine with toddler-friendly inflatables, open all week.
Sessions run for one or two hours and are split by age and time. Wacky Monsters is for babies and toddlers, weekday daytimes in term and 9am to 10am at weekends. After school there is a two-hour session for all ages, with free hot dog and chips Monday to Thursday in term time. On Mondays from 6pm to 7pm there is a calm ASD and disability-friendly hour with lights on and music off, and one carer goes free.
Prices are the annoying part. Apart from £14.95 for two hours on a Sunday and £1 early bird toddler tickets, you only see the cost in the booking system. Supervising adults do not need a ticket, and there are two seating areas and an on-site diner. Outside food and drink is not allowed. The rest of the time it is loud by design, with music and lighting, so it is not a quiet morning out.
What it costs: Most session prices only appear in the booking system. The site lists two hours on WOW Sundays for £14.95, limited £1 early bird tickets for the under-5s Wacky Monsters sessions, half-price second hours on Saturdays and in the holidays, and grip socks at £2.50. Adults who are only supervising do not need a ticket.
Know before you go
- Check heights before you promise anything. Meltdown and the rodeo bull need 110cm, and the base jump needs 130cm.
- Grip socks are compulsory from age 5 and cost £2.50 on the door if you forget. Everyone also needs a waiver, which lasts 12 months, so fill it in online at home.
- The free car park gets very busy at peak sessions, and the site says to arrive 15 minutes early.
Worth knowing: Height limits on some inflatables.
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