The Puzzling Place
An anti-gravity room where water appears to run uphill, a hologram gallery and a room that shrinks the grown-ups. Cheap, indoor, and exactly the right length for the age group.
Whinlatter Forest
Keswick, Cumbria
England's only true mountain forest, and the family offer matches the setting: Gruffalo sculptures on the trail, the WildPlay adventure area, red squirrel territory and Go Ape in the canopy, with Derwentwater views thrown in.
The WildPlay trail is what the under-8s remember - follow signs from the visitor centre. Squirrels are luck, not promise; brief the crew accordingly on the drive up the pass.
Know before you go
- The WildPlay trail is the bit under-8s remember - follow the signs from the visitor centre.
- Squirrel sightings are luck, not promise - manage expectations on the way up.
Looking for more days out in Keswick?
What visitors say
★★★★★ 4.8 across 2,987 Google reviews.
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Honister Slate Mine
A working slate mine at the top of Honister Pass with guided tours deep into the mountain, and via ferrata routes up the crag for the brave. Tours take all ages; the climbing starts at ten.
Lake District Wildlife Park
A proper zoo day near Bassenthwaite: birds of prey flying displays, meerkats, animal feed for a pound, and indoor soft play for when the Lakes weather does its thing. No booking needed.
Derwent Pencil Museum
Keswick made the world's first pencils and the museum sits on the works. About an hour indoors: secret wartime pencils with maps hidden inside, and a coloured pencil close to eight metres long.
Go Ape Whinlatter
Two courses strung through England's only genuine mountain forest, above Keswick. Height is the gate here, not age: one metre for Treetop Adventure, 1.2m and a sixth birthday for Plus, which finishes on a 130 metre zip wire.
What’s on near you, every Friday
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.