Photo: Nilfanion (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Nottinghamshire
Wondering what to do in Nottinghamshire? This guide lists the area's attractions — zoos, museums, theme parks and more — with distances, so you can plan every day of your trip.
🎟️ This weekend near Nottinghamshire
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Lincoln Audio Tour: Unveiling History's Treasures
Lincoln Drill Hall, Lincoln · 21.2 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Lincoln Audio Tour: A Timeless Journey Through History
High Street, Lincoln, Lincoln · 20.9 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 18:30
FUSE - SKUM, Ten Eighty Trees, Fatal Reflection, and Polarno...
The Victoria Inn, Derby · 23.1 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Sunwheel Live at Dubrek Studios
Dubrek Studios, Derby · 23.5 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
23.4 mi from Nottinghamshire
Matlock Bath Aquarium
Matlock Bath Aquarium sits in a Victorian building in the centre of Matlock Bath, at the heart of the Peak District, and brings together a fascinating aquarium of over 50 fish spec...
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Museums & Galleries
3.2 mi from Nottinghamshire
Bilsthorpe Heritage Museum
Bilsthorpe Heritage Museum, in Bilsthorpe, Newark and Sherwood, is a volunteer-run museum telling the story of Bilsthorpe Colliery and the wider mining community. You'll be guided...
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4.2 mi from Nottinghamshire
Museum of Timekeeping
The Museum of Timekeeping is a horological collection housed in historic Upton Hall, showcasing clocks, watches and timekeeping tools alongside one of the world's notable horologic...
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6 mi from Nottinghamshire
Papplewick Pumping Station
Papplewick Pumping Station is Britain's only active Victorian waterworks, set in the Nottinghamshire countryside near Ravenshead. Designed in the early 1880s to supply clean water...
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6.9 mi from Nottinghamshire
Holocaust Centre
The National Holocaust Centre and Museum is a museum in Laxton and Moorhouse, Newark and Sherwood, dedicated to communicating the memory of the Holocaust. You can visit The Journey...
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8.1 mi from Nottinghamshire
Newark Town Hall Museum and Art Gallery
Museum and art gallery in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
8.2 mi from Nottinghamshire
National Civil War Centre
Military museum in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
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8.7 mi from Nottinghamshire
Mansfield Museum
The Mansfield Museum is a local authority museum in Nottinghamshire run by Mansfield District Council. Mansfield Museum opened in 1904. Though the present building opened in 1938. — Wikipedia
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9.5 mi from Nottinghamshire
The Queen's Royal Lancers Museum
The Royal Lancers & Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum traces the history of three old and famous cavalry regiments, the Royal Lancers, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and the South Not... — Wikipedia
9.9 mi from Nottinghamshire
Newark Air Museum
Newark Air Museum is an air museum located on a former Royal Air Force station at Winthorpe, near Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, England. The museum contains a variety of airc... — Wikipedia
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10 mi from Nottinghamshire
Museum of the Horse
Museum of the Horse sits above Sally Mitchell's gallery in Tuxford, Bassetlaw, in a former 18th-century coaching inn once owned by the Duke of Newcastle. Spread across eight rooms...
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11.5 mi from Nottinghamshire
Green's Windmill & Science Centre
Local Authority Museum in the East Midlands, United Kingdom
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11.9 mi from Nottinghamshire
National Justice Museum
The National Justice Museum occupies a Grade II* listed Shire Hall in Nottingham, featuring a Victorian Courtroom, Georgian gaol, and ancient cells spread over five fascinating flo...
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11.9 mi from Nottinghamshire
Judges Retiring Room
The National Justice Museum is an independent museum on High Pavement in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, England. — Wikipedia
12.2 mi from Nottinghamshire
Brewhouse Yard
Brewhouse Yard sits at the foot of Castle Rock in Nottingham, a historical site built around 17th-century cottages that tell the stories of four families connected to the city's te...
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12.2 mi from Nottinghamshire
Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Former home of Duke of Newcastle, now museum and art gallery in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
12.2 mi from Nottinghamshire
The Museum of the Mercian Regiment
This museum tells the story of the Mercian Regiment and its antecedent regiments, including the Sherwood Foresters and the Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters, through uniforms, we...
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Theme Parks
5.8 mi from Nottinghamshire
Go Ape Sherwood Pines
Go Ape Sherwood Pines offers six outdoor adventures among century-old pine trees, from the original Treetop Challenge with its famous Tarzan Swing and long zip wires, to the extrem...
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16.1 mi from Nottinghamshire
Sundown Adventureland
Children's theme park in Rampto, Nottinghamshire, UK
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21.3 mi from Nottinghamshire
Gulliver's Valley Resort
Gulliver's Valley Resort is a family-run theme park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, designed especially for children aged 2 to 13. You'll find rides such as the Rocky Ridge Railway...
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22.6 mi from Nottinghamshire
Twin Lakes Adventure Park
Twinlakes Family Theme Park is an all-action, all-weather family attraction set in the Rutland countryside, with unlimited rides, slides and an all-inclusive water park to enjoy. Y...
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23.5 mi from Nottinghamshire
Gulliver's Kingdom
Gulliver's Kingdom is a family theme park set on a hillside on the edge of the Peak District National Park in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. You'll find rides designed especially for yo...
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Water Parks
Zoos & Wildlife
19.6 mi from Nottinghamshire
Tropical Butterfly House
Tropical Butterfly House is a family-friendly zoo and wildlife attraction in North Anston, near Rotherham, where wildlife conservation sits at the heart of everything on offer. You...
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27.7 mi from Nottinghamshire
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is a walk-through wildlife attraction set across 150 acres on the outskirts of Doncaster, with reserves for lions, polar bears, tigers, leopards, cheetahs a...
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28.3 mi from Nottinghamshire
Lincoln Zoo
Lincoln Zoo describes itself as Lincolnshire's top wildlife destination, offering a day out built around animal encounters and family-friendly fun. Alongside general viewing, you c...
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29.2 mi from Nottinghamshire
Mayfield Alpacas
Mayfield Alpacas is a small alpaca petting farm and animal sanctuary set in Mayfield Valley near Sheffield, Yorkshire. You can get close to alpacas and a llama called Princess, plu...
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Where to stay near Nottinghamshire
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Nottinghamshire
Haunted Britain
Nottinghamshire suits a few unhurried days out. You can move between grand estates, National Trust houses with very human stories, small specialist museums and open parkland. The notes below sort the highlights by type, suggest how to combine them, and cover the practical side of turning a day trip into a short break.
Heritage: houses, halls and hidden histories
Heritage is where Nottinghamshire is strongest. Three of the landmarks here are cared for by the National Trust, and each offers something quite different.
- Southwell Workhouse tells the story of how the poor were housed and managed. It is thought-provoking rather than grand, and a good choice if you like history that feels close to ordinary lives.
- Mr Straw's House is a domestic time capsule. It is small and intimate, and it rewards a slow, careful look.
- Thoresby Hall is a stately home in the classic sense, with the scale and setting you would expect.
- Nottingham Castle and Winkburn Hall round out the castle-and-heritage options.
If you prefer smaller, quieter places, try Wollaton Dovecote, Flintham Museum or the Judges Retiring Room. These are modest stops that slot neatly around a bigger visit.
Outdoors: parkland and ancient landscapes
Clumber Park is the obvious pick for a day outside. It is a National Trust estate where you can walk, cycle or simply spread out a picnic blanket. It works for almost everyone, from toddlers in pushchairs to keen walkers.
Creswell Crags Museum and Heritage Centre combines indoor exhibits with a striking landscape. You can spend time under cover and then head outside when the weather allows.
Family days
For younger children, Sundown Adventureland is a theme park and the most straightforwardly fun-focused option in the county. A good balance is to pair a high-energy day there with a gentler day at Clumber Park, where children can run about freely. Football-loving families may also enjoy the Nottingham Forest Museum.
Rainy day ideas
When the weather turns, the museums come into their own:
- Nottingham Forest Museum
- Flintham Museum
- Creswell Crags Museum and Heritage Centre
- Judges Retiring Room
Most of the historic houses are largely indoor visits too. Southwell Workhouse, Mr Straw's House and Thoresby Hall can all fill a wet afternoon well.
Grouping attractions into a sensible day
The suggestions below group places by theme rather than distance. Check a map before you set off, so you are not doubling back across the county.
- The social history day: Southwell Workhouse in the morning, then Mr Straw's House in the afternoon. Together they give a vivid picture of how very different people lived.
- The grand estate day: start at Thoresby Hall, then spend a relaxed afternoon walking at Clumber Park.
- The family day: let children loose at Sundown Adventureland, and keep the evening easy.
- The deep-history day: spend most of your time at Creswell Crags Museum and Heritage Centre, with a smaller stop such as Wollaton Dovecote if you have energy left.
Try to keep it to two main stops a day. Smaller houses like Mr Straw's House are best enjoyed without watching the clock.
Where to eat
We don't have specific restaurant recommendations to share for this area yet, so a little planning helps. Larger sites such as Clumber Park lend themselves well to picnics. For other visits, check each attraction's own website to see whether it has a café before you travel. If you are staying somewhere self-catering, a packed lunch gives you the most flexibility. It also means you won't need to cut a visit short to find food.
Turning it into a short break
There are 252 places to stay on BritStays in Nottinghamshire, so you can choose a base that suits the kind of trip you want. Three days is a comfortable length. That gives you a heritage day, an outdoors day and a flexible third day you can switch to museums if it rains.
A few practical pointers before you go:
- Check opening days and booking arrangements directly with each attraction, especially the smaller houses and museums, which may have limited hours.
- National Trust members should note that Southwell Workhouse, Mr Straw's House and Clumber Park are all National Trust properties.
- Pack waterproofs and sturdy shoes for Clumber Park and Creswell Crags, even if the forecast looks fine.
- Keep a rainy-day museum in reserve so a wet morning doesn't derail your plans.
Frequently asked questions
Which National Trust properties can I visit in Nottinghamshire?
Three of the landmarks listed are National Trust: Southwell Workhouse, Mr Straw's House and Clumber Park.
What is there to do in Nottinghamshire on a rainy day?
The museums are a good bet, including Nottingham Forest Museum, Flintham Museum, Creswell Crags Museum and Heritage Centre and the Judges Retiring Room. Historic houses such as Southwell Workhouse, Mr Straw's House and Thoresby Hall are also largely indoor visits.
Is there a theme park in Nottinghamshire for children?
Yes. Sundown Adventureland is a theme park and a good choice for a family day out with younger children.
Where can I go for a walk or picnic in Nottinghamshire?
Clumber Park, a National Trust estate, is ideal for walking, cycling and picnics. Creswell Crags Museum and Heritage Centre also combines indoor exhibits with outdoor landscape.
Are there stately homes or castles to visit in Nottinghamshire?
Yes. Thoresby Hall is a stately home, and Nottingham Castle and Winkburn Hall are listed as castle and heritage sites.
How many places to stay are there in Nottinghamshire on BritStays?
There are 252 places to stay on BritStays in Nottinghamshire, which makes it easy to find a base for a short break.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Nottinghamshire.