Photo: Mark S Jobling (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Blackpool
The best holidays are planned around great days out. Here's what's on the doorstep in Blackpool, from big-ticket attractions to rainy-day savers.
🎟️ This weekend near Blackpool
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 18:00
Southport Stars Amateur Boxing Show
Victoria Park, Southport · 11.9 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 18:30
Teresa Winter / Sam McLoughlin | Small Hours @ Snapes Printw...
Snapes Printworks, Preston · 14.4 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Friday Night Laughs
Comedy Station Comedy Club, Blackpool · 0.8 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
East 17
Central Pier Showbar Blackpool, Blackpool · 0.9 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
0.8 mi from Blackpool
SEA LIFE Blackpool
SEA LIFE Blackpool is an aquarium in Blackpool, Lancashire, where you can discover thousands of marine creatures up close, from stingrays in their own immersive zone to species fou...
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Museums & Galleries
2.9 mi from Blackpool
Hangar 42 - Spitfire Visitor Centre
Hangar 42 is a WW2-themed aviation museum at Blackpool Airport in Saint Anne's on the Sea, Fylde, Lancashire, built in 1939 for the RAF. Inside the original Bellman hangar you'll f...
5.6 mi from Blackpool
Lytham Hall
Lytham Hall is a Grade I listed Georgian house near Lytham, in the Fylde area of Lancashire, once the ancestral home of the Clifton family for four centuries. You can take a daily...
6.5 mi from Blackpool
Lytham Windmill
Lytham Windmill is situated on Lytham Green in the coastal town of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England. It is of the type known as a tower mill and was designed for grinding wheat... — Wikipedia
7.5 mi from Blackpool
Fleetwood Museum
Fleetwood Museum tells the story of Fleetwood's development as a seaside town, its maritime heritage, and the people who shaped it. You'll find family friendly displays of real obj...
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11.8 mi from Blackpool
Southport Eco Centre
Southport Eco Centre is an education-focused venue that has spent over 20 years delivering hands-on sessions to schools, further education institutions and community groups. Visits...
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11.8 mi from Blackpool
The Atkinson
The Atkinson is Southport's home for music, theatre, art, literature and history, set within a beautifully refurbished 19th-century building. You can explore a remarkable collectio...
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12.2 mi from Blackpool
Ribble Steam Railway
Ribble Steam Railway is a museum and heritage railway in Preston, running steam and diesel locomotives alongside seasonal events throughout the year. You can enjoy themed experienc...
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12.4 mi from Blackpool
British Lawnmower Museum
The British Lawnmower Museum in Southport is a quirky, character-filled collection celebrating the history of the lawnmower and garden machinery, built up by ex-racing champion Bri...
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14.3 mi from Blackpool
Harris Museum
The Harris Museum, now known as The Harris, is a Grade I-listed building in Preston, Lancashire, England. Founded by Edmund Harris in 1877, it is a local history and fine art museu... — Wikipedia
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14.5 mi from Blackpool
Lancashire Infantry Museum
The Lancashire Infantry Museum, based at Fulwood Barracks near Preston, tells the story of the East, South and Loyal North Lancashire Regiments and their antecedents, from 1689 thr...
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14.7 mi from Blackpool
Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry Museum
Military museum in Preston, England, United Kingdom
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15.6 mi from Blackpool
Heysham Visitor Centre
Heysham Visitor Centre sits at EDF's Heysham nuclear power station site near Lancaster, and lets you go behind the scenes on a guided tour taking in the reactor viewing gallery, tu...
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16.3 mi from Blackpool
British Commercial Vehicle Museum
This is a museum in South Ribble telling the story of British commercial vehicles, from horse-drawn carts through to hybrid and electric power. You can follow a timeline of picture...
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16.5 mi from Blackpool
South Ribble Museum & Exhibition Centre
Museum in Leyland, England, United Kingdom
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16.7 mi from Blackpool
Heysham Heritage Centre
Heysham Heritage Centre, in the village of Heysham near Morecambe, Lancashire, focuses on the local history of the area and is run by volunteers from the Friends of Heysham Heritag...
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18.6 mi from Blackpool
Lancaster City Museum
Lancaster City Museum occupies the city's elegant former Georgian town hall right on Market Square, with galleries covering the social, industrial and archaeological history of Lan...
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18.6 mi from Blackpool
Judges' Lodgings Museum
The Judges' Lodgings, formerly a town house and now a museum, is located between Church Street and Castle Hill, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It is recorded in the National Herit... — Wikipedia
18.6 mi from Blackpool
Lancashire Police Museum
The Lancashire Police Museum sits within Lancaster Castle's former prison, offering a fascinating look at Lancashire Constabulary's history from training and wartime policing to sc...
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18.8 mi from Blackpool
Lancaster Maritime Museum
Lancaster Maritime Museum occupies the old Customs House along St George's Quay, a pleasant and atmospheric spot where you can take in views of the River Lune and the city's impres...
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Theme Parks
2 mi from Blackpool
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a theme park on Ocean Boulevard in Blackpool, Lancashire, offering ten thrilling rollercoasters, a water ride, and the UK's only Nickelodeon Land where...
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11.7 mi from Blackpool
Southport Pleasureland
Once known as Southport Pleasureland and now called Adventure Coast Southport, this is a small family amusement park set across four themed lands: Cartoon Boardwalk, Pirate Cove, S...
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18.7 mi from Blackpool
Farmer Ted's Farm Park
Farmer Ted's Farm Park is a family theme park in Great Altcar, West Lancashire, Merseyside, known as the UK's only Shaun the Sheep attraction. You can meet Shaun and Bitzer, explor...
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23.6 mi from Blackpool
Go Ape Rivington
Go Ape Rivington offers high ropes adventure in Lancashire, just outside busy Manchester, with 13-metre-high platforms, thrilling tree-to-tree crossings and a breathtaking zipline...
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Water Parks
28 mi from Blackpool
The Lakes Aqua Park
The Lakes Aqua Park is a floating inflatable obstacle course set on a freshwater lagoon, with slides, ramps, jumps, trampolines and seesaws to challenge friends and family together...
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Zoos & Wildlife
0.9 mi from Blackpool
Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool Zoo is set in over 37 acres of stunning, spacious parkland, with more than 1,000 mesmerising animals to discover. You can make your way into Dinosaur Safari to meet prehi...
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18.9 mi from Blackpool
Butterfly House and Mini Zoo
This is a former Edwardian palm house turned rainforest habitat, now home to free-flying butterflies such as the blue morpho and owl butterfly, alongside Koi carp, tortoises and a...
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27.5 mi from Blackpool
Knowsley Safari Park
Knowsley Safari is a drive-through wildlife park in Prescot, Merseyside, where most people visit by car to enjoy the Safari Drive, though you don't need to have your own car to enj...
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28.4 mi from Blackpool
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is a small 3-acre licensed zoo near Beetham, Cumbria, home to over 100 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. It offers a...
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Where to stay near Blackpool
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Blackpool
Itineraries
- A weekend in Blackpool: an accessible itinerary · 2 days
- A weekend in Blackpool with the kids · 2 days
- A weekend in Blackpool · 2 days
Haunted Britain
Blackpool packs a lot into a short stretch of coast: a tower you can see from miles off, a big funfair, a museum about the town's own showbusiness history, and enough indoor options to rescue a wet afternoon. It also sits well for days out into the rest of Lancashire and beyond, which makes it an easy base rather than just a day trip. Here's how to plan it.
The seafront landmarks
Most visits start with Blackpool Tower, simply because it's the thing you steer towards and the easiest point to meet people. Blackpool Pleasure Beach is the other fixed point: a full theme park rather than a quick stop, so treat it as a day in itself if you've got thrill-seekers in the group. Between the two, Showtown Blackpool tells the story of the town's entertainment history, and it works well as a shorter, calmer visit when you want something with a bit of substance and a roof.
Best for families
With younger children, the big rides can be a stretch. Funtastic Play is the sensible fallback for soft play and running off energy in any weather, and Splash! gives you a water park session that tires everyone out nicely. If you want something slower and more hands-on, Smithills Open Farm over in Lancashire is a good change of pace from the seafront crowds.
- Under-fives: Funtastic Play, then a walk on the front
- Six to eleven: Splash! in the morning, Showtown Blackpool after lunch
- Teenagers: Blackpool Pleasure Beach, all day, no apologies
Rainy day options
Blackpool copes with bad weather better than most seaside towns. Showtown Blackpool, Funtastic Play and Splash! will cover a family day between them without anyone getting soaked by the sky. If you'd rather drive out of the weather altogether, the Harris Museum and the Museum of Lancashire both give you a proper indoor half-day, and the Judges' Lodgings Museum at Morecambe is another dry, unhurried choice on the coast.
Outdoors and open air
The beach and promenade are the obvious free option, and worth doing properly rather than in ten-minute bursts. For something further out, Piel Castle is a striking ruin and a proper expedition of a day. Water-sports types can look to The Lakes Aqua Park in the Lake District or Trafford Watersports Centre in Cheshire, both better suited to a planned day than a last-minute detour.
Heritage and museums
Hackensall Hall is the stately-home option in the area. Lancashire's industrial past is the other strong thread: Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Higher Mill and Whitakers' Mill all sit in that world, and Winding House in Cheshire is a related stop if you're heading that way. These pair well with each other — two mill sites in a day feels coherent, whereas a mill plus a theme park does not.
How to group it into a day
- Classic Blackpool: Blackpool Tower, lunch, Showtown Blackpool, then the promenade as the light goes.
- Family energy-burner: Splash! first thing, long lunch, Funtastic Play if the weather turns or the beach if it doesn't.
- Heritage run: Hackensall Hall, then Helmshore Mills Textile Museum or the Museum of Lancashire, with Higher Mill added only if you've started early.
Where to eat
All of these hold five-star hygiene ratings, which is worth knowing when you're choosing in a hurry with hungry children. The Bull, Station and The Social are the pub choices — the right call for a proper sit-down meal after a long day on your feet. For something quicker and sweeter, Creams Cafe does the job, and The Quayside at Glasson Dock is a pleasant ice cream stop if you're out that way.
Making it a short break
There are 477 places to stay on BritStays in the Blackpool area, which gives you room to pick by location rather than take whatever's left. Three nights works well: one day on the seafront, one indoor or heritage day, and one longer trip out. For that third day, Liverpool is the strongest option — the Liverpool Beatles Museum, Eureka! Science + Discovery, The Hardmans' House and the Funfair between them cover most tastes, with the Amazing Novelty-Orium & Mechanical Museum in Merseyside as an oddity worth adding if you like that sort of thing.
Practical notes
Check opening days before you set off — smaller museums such as Higher Mill, Whitakers' Mill and Winding House often run shorter weeks than the big seafront attractions, and out-of-season hours vary. Book Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Splash! ahead where you can, and decide the night before whether tomorrow is an indoor day or an outdoor one. Take a change of clothes for children on any day involving Splash! or the beach, and keep one flexible afternoon in reserve so a wet forecast doesn't wreck the whole trip.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main attractions in Blackpool itself?
Blackpool Tower and Blackpool Pleasure Beach are the two landmarks most people head for. Alongside them you've got Showtown Blackpool, a museum about the town's entertainment history, plus Splash! water park and Funtastic Play for families.
What can we do in Blackpool if it rains?
Showtown Blackpool, Funtastic Play and Splash! are all indoor and will fill a family day between them. If you're happy to travel, the Harris Museum, the Museum of Lancashire and the Judges' Lodgings Museum at Morecambe are good dry half-days.
Is there anything for younger children who are too small for the big rides?
Yes. Funtastic Play is the easiest option for soft play in any weather, Splash! suits most ages, and Smithills Open Farm in Lancashire gives you a slower, hands-on day away from the crowds.
What heritage places can we visit near Blackpool?
Hackensall Hall is the stately home option, and Piel Castle is a ruined castle worth a full day out. For industrial heritage, Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Higher Mill and Whitakers' Mill cover Lancashire's textile past, with Winding House over in Cheshire.
Where can we eat with a good hygiene rating?
The Bull, Station and The Social are all pubs with five-star hygiene ratings and suit a proper sit-down meal. For ice cream, try Creams Cafe or The Quayside at Glasson Dock.
Is Blackpool a good base for a longer break?
It works well for three nights. There are 477 places to stay on BritStays in the region, and you can split your time between the seafront, an indoor or heritage day, and a day out to Liverpool for the Liverpool Beatles Museum, Eureka! Science + Discovery, The Hardmans' House or the Funfair.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Blackpool.