Photo: Chensiyuan (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Kendal
Wondering what to do in Kendal? This guide lists the area's attractions — zoos, museums, theme parks and more — with distances, so you can plan every day of your trip.
Showing museums, aquariums and attractions with indoor areas — the ones that work whatever the forecast.
🎟️ This weekend near Kendal
Events from
Skiddle
Sat 14 Nov · 13:00
K-Pop Dance Heroes
The Coro Ulverston, Ulverston · 17.1 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 19:00
Curry Night 14/11 - Buzz Bingo Morecambe
Buzz Bingo Morecambe, Morecambe · 18.0 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 14:00
Fawlty Towers Christmas Weekend
Holiday Inn Lancaster By IHG, Lancaster · 17.8 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
9.1 mi from Kendal
Lakes Aquarium
Lakes Aquarium sits in Colton, in the Lake District, and is open daily from 10am. You can catch the Otter Talk and Feed, held daily, and explore exhibits covering conservation, cre...
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Museums & Galleries
0.3 mi from Kendal
Kendal Museum
Kendal Museum brings together natural history and regional heritage under one roof. In the Kendal & Westmorland Gallery you can trace the area's story from the Neolithic Age throug...
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0.4 mi from Kendal
Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry
Lakeland Museum, formerly known as the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry, explores centuries of Lakeland life and how the landscape has shaped local communities and industry thr...
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7.2 mi from Kendal
From Auschwitz to Ambleside
This small exhibition tells the story of 300 child Holocaust survivors who arrived in Windermere in 1945 to recuperate, including artefacts, images and an award-winning video docum...
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7.6 mi from Kendal
Windermere Jetty
Windermere Jetty Museum sits on the lakeshore just outside Bowness, telling over 200 years of Windermere's boating story through historic vessels, interactive galleries and a worki...
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8 mi from Kendal
Heron Corn Mill
Heron Corn Mill is a rare 18th-century working watermill set on the River Bela in Cumbria, where you can see heritage milling in action and learn about sustainable energy in a welc...
9.3 mi from Kendal
Stott Park Bobbin Mill
19th-century bobbin mill museum; at Newby Bridge, Cumbria, England.
10.6 mi from Kendal
Hawkshead Grammar School
Hawkshead Grammar School in Hawkshead, Cumbria, England was founded in 1585 by Archbishop Edwin Sandys, the incumbent Archbishop of York, whose family came from the Hawkshead area.... — Wikipedia
10.9 mi from Kendal
Lakeland Motor Museum
Lakeland Motor Museum, in Haverthwaite, Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, is housed in a converted mill and brings together around 30,000 exhibits tracing twentieth-century road tr...
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11.4 mi from Kendal
The Armitt Museum & Library
The Armitt Museum & Library is a museum, gallery, and library full of interesting and unusual objects telling the history and heritage of Ambleside, its people, and the surrounding...
12.7 mi from Kendal
Brantwood
Brantwood is the historic lakeside home of John Ruskin, now a museum set across a 250-acre estate on the eastern shore of Coniston Water. You can explore the seven rooms Ruskin liv...
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13.6 mi from Kendal
The Ruskin Museum
The Ruskin Museum sits in the heart of Coniston village and tells the 'Story of Coniston', from Stone Age fell-walkers to Donald Campbell's record-breaking Bluebird K7, now on disp...
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13.7 mi from Kendal
Carnforth Station Heritage Centre
Carnforth Station Heritage Centre is known as the home of the classic film Brief Encounter, set within Carnforth railway station itself, so you can step straight off the train and...
13.9 mi from Kendal
Dove Cottage
Dove Cottage was the Lake District home of William Wordsworth, a humble cottage with whitewashed walls and Lakeland slate floors, where he wrote some of the most famous poetry in t...
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16.8 mi from Kendal
Sir John Barrow Cottage
Sir John Barrow Cottage is the birthplace of Sir John Barrow, now a small museum in Ulverston. Inside, you'll find historic furniture, artefacts and information display boards that...
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16.8 mi from Kendal
Laurel and Hardy Museum
The Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston celebrates the history of the famous comedy duo, having grown from a small collection into what is now the Roxy cinema complex. It's a fitt...
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18.2 mi from Kendal
Stainmore Railway Company
Stainmore Railway Company runs Kirkby Stephen East, a historic station and steam railway dating from 1861, cared for entirely by volunteers. You can explore the original station bu...
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19.1 mi from Kendal
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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19.3 mi from Kendal
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
19.3 mi from Kendal
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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Water Parks
21.6 mi from Kendal
Subtropical Swimming Paradise
The Subtropical Swimming Paradise is a heated indoor-outdoor water park, kept at 29.5°C all year round and filled with tropical plants and trees. You'll find wave pools, lazy river...
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Zoos & Wildlife
9.3 mi from Kendal
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 Kendal
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Kendal
Itineraries
- A weekend in Keswick: an accessible itinerary · 2 days
- A weekend in Keswick with the kids · 2 days
- A weekend in Keswick · 2 days
Haunted Britain
Plan it day by day
Create a free account and hit "Save to my trip" on anything below — then assign each one to a day of your holiday so the whole week is sorted before you pack. And if you haven't booked yet, see our guide to holidays in Kendal for the best places to stay.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in Kendal?
The list below shows attractions nearby with distances from Kendal.
What can we do in Kendal when it rains?
Museums, galleries and aquariums are your friends — filter the list below by category and keep a couple in reserve for wet days.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Kendal.