Photo: El Pollock (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Lancashire
Wondering what to do in Lancashire? 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 Lancashire
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Build Fast Connections
The Old Milk Depot, Rawtenstall · 17.1 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 18:00
Southport Stars Amateur Boxing Show
Victoria Park, Southport · 22.4 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 18:30
Teresa Winter / Sam McLoughlin | Small Hours @ Snapes Printw...
Snapes Printworks, Preston · 7.5 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Friday Night Laughs
Comedy Station Comedy Club, Blackpool · 18.7 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
18.7 mi from Lancashire
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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28.5 mi from Lancashire
Sea Life Manchester
Sea Life Manchester is an aquarium in Trafford where you can get close to over 2,000 creatures, from tropical fish to inquisitive sea turtles. Highlights include walking through th...
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Museums & Galleries
3.9 mi from Lancashire
Ribchester Roman Museum
Ribchester Roman Museum is Lancashire's only dedicated Roman antiquities museum, set in the picturesque village of Ribchester on the banks of the River Ribble, once the Roman caval...
6.1 mi from Lancashire
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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7.1 mi from Lancashire
Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry Museum
Military museum in Preston, England, United Kingdom
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7.5 mi from Lancashire
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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8.5 mi from Lancashire
Clitheroe Castle Museum
Clitheroe Castle Museum sits within the historic castle grounds overlooking the town, housed in the Grade II listed former Steward's House. Inside, you'll find galleries tracing 35...
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8.9 mi from Lancashire
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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10.2 mi from Lancashire
Slaidburn Archive
Slaidburn Archive is a small local history and genealogical resource in the Forest of Bowland, holding records on the farms, families and villages of the upper Hodder Valley. You c...
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11.5 mi from Lancashire
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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11.8 mi from Lancashire
South Ribble Museum & Exhibition Centre
Museum in Leyland, England, United Kingdom
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12.6 mi from Lancashire
Haworth Art Gallery
The Haworth Art Gallery is a public art gallery located in Accrington, Lancashire, northwest England, and is the home of the largest collection in Europe of Tiffany glass from the... — Wikipedia
12.9 mi from Lancashire
Gawthorpe Textiles Collection
Gawthorpe Textiles Collection is an accredited museum and independent registered charity, caring for more than 30,000 objects spanning five centuries, founded by the Honourable Rac...
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12.9 mi from Lancashire
Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall is an Elizabethan country house on the banks of the River Calder, in Ightenhill, a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, Lancashire, England. Its estate extends in... — Wikipedia
13.3 mi from Lancashire
Astley Hall
Astley Hall is a country house in Chorley, Lancashire, England. The building is now owned by the town and is known as Astley Hall Museum and Art Gallery. The extensive landscaped g... — Wikipedia
15.4 mi from Lancashire
Helmshore Mills Textile Museum
Wool and cotton mills in Lancashire, England
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15.9 mi from Lancashire
Pendle Heritage Centre
Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford combines a museum, shop, 18th century walled garden, bluebell wood and tea room, sitting at the gateway to the Pendle Hill Area of Outstanding...
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16 mi from Lancashire
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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16.1 mi from Lancashire
The Whitaker
The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery is a museum and gallery set in Whitaker Park in Rossendale, Lancashire, blending history, art, education and community. You can explore contempora...
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Theme Parks
25.9 mi from Lancashire
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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Zoos & Wildlife
24.5 mi from Lancashire
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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28.2 mi from Lancashire
Wild Wings Birds of Prey
Wild Wings Birds of Prey is a small zoo based in Risley, Warrington, in the North West of England, home to owls, hawks, falcons and eagles including Logan, Koda and Shannara, along...
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Where to stay near Lancashire
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Lancashire
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
Lancashire packs a lot into a small area: a seaside resort that knows exactly what it's for, a quieter bay town, mill buildings that tell you where the county's money came from, and castles scattered about like loose change. Below is a practical way to sort it all into days that actually work, rather than a list you'll never get through.
Best for families
Blackpool does the heavy lifting here. Showtown Blackpool is the museum of fun and entertainment — a sensible first stop if you want context for everything else you'll see along the front, and it suits mixed-age groups because there's plenty to look at rather than read. For burning off energy, Funtastic Play is the soft-play option when the weather turns or when small legs have had enough of pavements, and Splash! gives you a proper water-park afternoon without needing to drive anywhere else.
Away from the coast, Smithills Open Farm is the one to have in your back pocket for under-eights. Animals, space to run and a slower pace make it a good counterweight to a loud day in Blackpool, and it's an easier sell on a day when the forecast is middling rather than awful.
Rainy-day options
Lancashire is well served for wet weather, mostly thanks to its mills and museums.
- Helmshore Mills Textile Museum — the big one for machinery in motion and a real sense of how noisy and physical the work was.
- Higher Mill and Whitakers' Mill — two more mill sites if the first one has whetted your appetite for the textile story.
- Museum of Lancashire — the broad county overview, handy if you want to make sense of what you're seeing elsewhere.
- Harris Museum — art and collections under one roof, and an easy couple of hours when the rain has set in for the day.
- Judges' Lodgings Museum — a townhouse museum in Morecambe, good for a shorter indoor stop.
Outdoors and big views
Malham Cove is the landmark worth building a whole day around if you like walking: a vast curved cliff with limestone pavement on top, and a proper leg-stretch to reach it. Wear boots, take a waterproof whatever the forecast says, and allow longer than you think for the climb up and back.
For gentler outdoor time, the grounds and settings of the county's halls and castles do nicely — Gisburne Park and Gawthorpe Hall both reward a slow wander, and a seafront walk in Morecambe is free, flat and often blowy in the best way.
Heritage: castles and halls
Lancaster Castle is the headline act, with centuries of use behind its walls and guided access to parts of it. Clitheroe Castle sits high with views to match, and Hornby Castle makes a handsome stop if you're heading that way. For ruins with atmosphere rather than ticket desks, Gleaston Castle and Piel Castle are the moody options. Stately homes are well represented too: Gawthorpe Hall for interiors and collections, with Hacking Hall and Lawkland Hall adding to the list of fine old houses to seek out.
How to group it into a sensible day
Don't mix coast and countryside in the same day — the gear-change rarely works. Instead:
- Seaside day: Showtown Blackpool in the morning, lunch, then Splash! or Funtastic Play depending on the weather and the mood.
- Mill and museum day: Helmshore Mills Textile Museum first, then the Harris Museum or Museum of Lancashire in the afternoon.
- Heritage day: Lancaster Castle in the morning, Judges' Lodgings Museum after, and the Morecambe seafront to finish.
- Walking day: Malham Cove, nothing else, and a long lunch afterwards.
Where to eat
For a proper sit-down pub meal, The Stork and the Ship & Royal are both solid choices after a day on your feet. Remedy Churchtown is the tea-room stop for cake and a pot of something, and for ice cream there's Miogelato or The Quayside at Glasson Dock — the latter being a pleasant excuse to go and look at boats. All five hold five-star hygiene ratings.
Making it a short break
Three nights is the sweet spot: one seaside day, one heritage day, one walking or farm day, with a rainy-day museum held in reserve. There are 948 places to stay on BritStays across Lancashire, so base yourself according to your plans — Blackpool if you're travelling with children and want attractions on the doorstep, Morecambe if you'd rather a quieter base with sea air.
Practical points: book castle and museum tickets ahead in school holidays, check opening days before you set off as some mill museums open seasonally, and take walking boots as well as swimming things — a Lancashire break usually needs both.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in Blackpool with children?
Showtown Blackpool is the museum of fun and entertainment and works well for mixed ages. Funtastic Play is a good soft-play option for younger children, and Splash! is a water park for an afternoon in the pool. All three are in Blackpool, so you can plan a full day without moving the car.
Where should I go in Lancashire if it rains?
Lancashire has plenty of indoor options. Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Higher Mill and Whitakers' Mill cover the county's textile history, while the Harris Museum and the Museum of Lancashire give you art and a broader county story. The Judges' Lodgings Museum in Morecambe is a good shorter indoor stop.
Which castles can I visit in Lancashire?
Lancaster Castle is the main one, with centuries of history behind its walls. Clitheroe Castle sits high with good views, and Hornby Castle is another to seek out. For ruins rather than ticketed visits, there are Gleaston Castle and Piel Castle.
Is Malham Cove worth a day out?
Yes, and it's best treated as the whole day rather than squeezed between other stops. It's a huge curved limestone cliff with pavement on top, and reaching the top involves a proper climb. Wear boots, take waterproofs regardless of the forecast, and allow longer than you expect.
Where can I eat after a day out in Lancashire?
The Stork and the Ship & Royal are pubs and inns for a sit-down meal. Remedy Churchtown is a tea room for cake and a pot of tea. For ice cream, try Miogelato or The Quayside at Glasson Dock. All five hold five-star hygiene ratings.
Where should I base myself for a short break in Lancashire?
There are 948 places to stay on BritStays across the region. Blackpool suits families who want attractions such as Showtown Blackpool, Splash! and Funtastic Play within easy reach. Morecambe makes a quieter base with sea air and the Judges' Lodgings Museum nearby.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Lancashire.