If you are anything like me, it gets to the school Summer holidays and my brain freezes. What shall we do? What would make a great day out for the family? And more importantly, how much will it all cost?
To get ahead of the game (only a week to go as I write) I thought I’d put together one of my many lists. This one lists all the big days out that I can think of in Cornwall. I’ve summarised what there is to do there and how much it should cost you.
I’ve started with Paradise Park in Hayle as it is somewhere I know very well. It is only a short drive away from my house and we visit it lots.
Paradise Park is a beautiful bird sanctuary filled with all sorts of exotic and fascinating species. They also have lots of small animals such as the cute red pandas, penguins, rabbits, guinea pigs and lots of farm animals. They have lots of feeding times and flying shows throughout the day (the flying shows are only in the warmer months), and you can feed the farm animals yourselves. There is a little train that runs through the park that is really fun for the younger kids.
The big draw for my kids is the soft play zone at Paradise Park called The Jungle Barn. It is a big soft play building with lots to keep them occupied and great for burning off energy on a rainy day!
Opening Times
Summer Opening Times are 10am – 6pm (last entry 5pm)
Admission Prices
Adults: £15.45
Children 3-15 years: £11.95
Under 3’s go free
Over 60s: £10.50
Family ticket (2 adults, 2 kids): £52.95
Not Dog Friendly
Only assistance dogs are allowed into Paradise Park.
Once you have bought a ticket, you can purchase a return ticket (before you leave) that you can use until 31st March 2019
You can usually find discount vouchers for Paradise Park in the information leaflets that are outside most supermarkets and in tourist places. There are also vouchers in magazines such as Blackbird Pie – the current one gives £1 off per person for up to 6 people. Not a huge discount, but it does help!
St Michael’s Mount is a superb place to visit this Summer. You can turn the visit into many things – from just a lovely walk over the causeway to look at the rockpools, village and harbour (which is free to do) to visiting the castle and gardens or taking part in one of the many activities they put on for children.
Opening Times
Please do note that St Michael’s Mount is CLOSED every Sunday.
The castle opens Mon – Sat from 10am – 5:30pm but you can get into the village and harbour earlier. If you are planning on walking across, you need to check the causeway opening times as these vary from day to day. These are on the St Michael’s Mount website.
It is FREE to walk across to St Michael’s Mount at low tide. If you need to get the boat, it costs £2 each way for adults, and £1 for children.
Admission Prices
Adults: £10.00 for the castle, £8.00 for the gardens or £15.00 for both
Children: £5.00 for the castle, £4.00 for the gardens or £7.50 for both
Family Ticket (2 adults & up to 3 children): £25.00 for the castle, £20.00 for the garden or £37.50 for both
Single Family Ticket (1 adult & up to 3 children): £15.00 for the castle, £12.00 for the gardens or £22.50 for both
National Trust Members get FREE entry
Dog Friendly
Dogs are welcome on the island providing they are kept on a lead and not left alone. They can’t go into the castle or gardens though. Guide dogs are an exception to the rule.
Visit St Michael’s Mount Website
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is always on our Summer holidays bucket list. It is primarily a sanctuary for injured seal pups, with a seal hospital and rehabilitation areas. They rescue about 60 seals a year, most of which are released back into the wild, once they have recouperated. It is really educational, and the older my kids get, the more inspired they are by it.
Opening Times
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is open 7 days a week, 10am until 5pm. Last admission is at 4pm.
Admission Prices
Please do note that is is significantly cheaper to book online before you go!
Adult: £15.50 or online £10.85
Child: £12.50 or online £8.75
Under 3’s go free
Students & Seniors: £14.50 or online £10.15
Off peak parent & toddler tickets: £10.00 online only (1 adult & 1 child under 5). Add an additional visitor for £10.00. This is only for Monday – Fridays OUT OF SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.
Dog Friendly
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is dog friendly! There are a few areas where you can’t take dogs, such as the seal hospital, the safari bus and inside the cafe. But the rest of the park is dog friendly (on a lead please). There are plenty of water bowls around the site and even doggy treats at the reception.
Visit The Cornish Seal Sanctuary Website
The Minack Theatre is one of my favourite places to visit. It is carved into the cliffs overlooking Porthcurno & Pedn Vounder Beach and has the most stunning and dramatic views you can get. We always visit every Summer to go to the wonderful storytelling sessions and the occasional show. We usually combine our visit with a trip to the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, a play on Porthcurno Beach and then a walk up the cliffs to The Minack.
Opening Times
The Minack theatre opens daily from 9:30am and closes to visitors at 11:30am for matinees and 6:30pm for evening performances. If you are just coming to visit for a look around, you do need to check the website to see whether or not there is a performance during the day.
The cafe closes at 5pm
Admission Prices (not tickets for a performance)
Adults: £5.00
11 – 15 years: £2.50
Under 11’s: 0.50p
Under 2’s go free
Ask for a re-admission voucher at the end of your visit which lets you come back to visit all year round!
Admission is free if you have a show ticket for that day.
Dog Friendly
The Minack is dog friendly EXCEPT during performances as dogs can bark and ruin the event. Guide dogs are allowed at all times.
Visit The Minack Theatre Website
The Porthcurno Telegraph Museum is a really family-friendly museum that is well-worth a visit. It’s main focus is on the telegraph cables and all their history, but it also covers a lot of World War II history in a very interactive and interesting way. They have lots of hands on exhibits that children can get involved with – if you have kids that like pressing buttons (like mine) you may never leave!
Opening Times
The Porthcurno Telegraph Museum is open daily from 10am – 5pm
Admission Prices
Adult: £9.50
Child: £5.50
Under 5’s go free
Students & Seniors: £8.00
Family ticket: £27.00 (2 adults and 2 children 5-16)
Not Dog Friendly
Porthcurno Telegraph Museum isn’t dog friendly. You can take dogs onto the terrace (the outside bit of the cafe), but dogs aren’t allowed into the rest of the place.
Visit The Porthcurno Telegraph Museum Website
Newquay Zoo is a lovely zoo to visit. It isn’t the biggest or grandest zoo you have ever seen, but it is beautifully laid out and really well run. The keepers are so engaging and enthusiastic about their animals, they really help to make you love even the littlest of animals there.
Opening Times
10am until 5pm daily. Last admission is at 4pm.
Admission Prices
Adult: £15.25
Child: £11.45
Under 3’s are free
Student & Seniors: £13
Saver ticket (2 adults & 2 children): £47.75
You can get annual passes – check their website for details
Not Dog Friendly
You can’t take your dog to Newquay Zoo unless it is an assitance dog.
The Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay is the big blue building on Towan Beach promenade. It is a lovely place to visit for a few hours – we like to combine it with a nice play on the Towan beach and a shopping trip to Newquay.
The aquarium is quite small but has lots of exotic species, sharks and turtles, coral reef display and feeding sessions.
Opening Times
10am until 5pm daily. Last admission is at 4pm.
Admission Prices
It is cheaper to book tickets online beforehand!
Adult: £10.95 or £9.86 if you book online
Child: £8.50 or £7.65 if you book online
Under 3’s are free
Seniors & Students: £9.95 or £8.96 if you book online
Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children): £37.90 or £34.11 if you book online
You can get annual passes – check their website for details
Not Dog Friendly
You can’t take your dog to The Blue Reef Aquarium.
The Eden Project is a good drive from us in St Ives, but we always go several times a year. It is a full on day out and we find it both inspirational and quite tiring! It does involve lots of walking, lots of learning and lots of fun too.
Opening Times
Open times do vary throughout the year. In general though gates open at 10am (you can get there at 9am to park though) and close at 8pm in the Summer and 6pm in the Winter.
Admission Prices
It is cheaper to book online before you go. If you buy online you can use the ticket again all year round. You do need to buy online at least ONE DAY in advance though.
Adult: £27.50 or book online for £25.00
Child: £14.00 or book online for £12.60
Children 0-4 are free
Family ticket: £71 or book online for £64
You can buy a locals pass if you live in a TR, PL, TQ or EX postcodes. These are available from 1st November and last 1 year. They cost £20 per adult and £11.50 per child.
Partially Dog Friendly
Dogs are allowed in the outside gardens. They are not allowed inside the biomes. Assistance dogs are allowed in all area.
Visit The Eden Project Website
When I first visited Land’s End as an adult I was a bit surprised. I was expecting it to be just a great view and a signpost. Either my memory is really bad or it really has changed since I was a child. There is a pretty big entertainment complex there now. There is lots to see, do, eat and buy, but I’m not convinced why it is there at beautiful Land’s End – it does slightly confuse me.
The bits I like!
And the entertainment…
Opening Times
The main Land’s End attractions are open from 10am until 4pm.
Admission Prices
For entry into Greeb Farm, Shaun The Sheep, 4D Film & Arthur’s Quest
Adult: £14 or online £12.60
Child: £10.00 or online £9.00
Concessions: £12.00 or online £10.80
Under 4s are free
There are also various family tickets you can buy which can save you money. And at the moment they are offering a free 7 day return with free parking. You need to ask about it at the Visitors Centre.
Locals Pass available – 50% off all attractions plus free car parking
Partially Dog Friendly
Dogs are allowed basically anywhere outside. They are not allowed inside the attractions or eating areas.
I love the National Maritime Museum, it is such a fabulous museum. It encompasses all the amazing things about the sea that everyone must love if they love being in Cornwall. It honestly is my best day out – you MUST visit it if you love the sea.
Opening Times
Open daily 10am to 5pm
Admission Prices
Pay once get in all year
Adult: £13.50
Child: £6.00
Under 5’s go free
Not Dog Friendly
Accessibility dogs are allowed in the museum. All other dogs are not allowed. However, a “dog bed” is set up outside the museum in a sheltered and protected location near the entrance with a dog bed, lead tie up and water bowl.
Visit The National Maritime Museum Website
Flambards is a big amusement park near Helston. There is lots of entertainment for all ages, including some high-adrenaline thrill rides down to the indoor soft play for the younger ones and some sensible attractions such as Britain In The Blitz for the more grown up ones amongst us.
Opening Times
Ride & Attraction Days (usually school hols) 10am to 5pm with last admission at 4pm
Indoor Attraction Only Days 10am to 4pm with last admission at 3pm
Firework Spectacular Days – last admission is at 6pm
Admission Prices
It is cheaper to book online but you do need to do this at least a day in advance.
Rides + Attractions
Adult: £21.95 or £19.76 online
Child 111cm to 15 years: £15.95 or £14.36 online
Junior 95cm to 110cm: £9.95
Under 95cm go free
Indoor Attraction Days
Adult: £11.50 or £10.35 online
Child: £6.95 or £6.26 online
Under 95cm go free
7 days free return.
FLAMBARDS SEASON TICKET – £50 per person
Visit The Flambards Experience Website
There aren’t many castles in Cornwall but Pendennis Castle is a good one. It was built for Henry VIII as a coastal fortress and is quite impressive. It is owned by English Heritage.
Opening Times
10am to 6pm daily
Admission Prices
Free to English Heritage members (prices start from £56 per year)
Adult: £11.60 or £10.50 without gift aid
Child: £7.00 or £6.30 without gift aid
Under 5’s are free
Visit Pendennis Castle Website
Heartlands is the place we take the kids when we are a bit strapped for cash and need a bit of something different to entertain them. It is a free, family-friendly 19-acre site with mining attractions, botanical gardens, a superb adventure playground and a lovely cafe.
Opening Times
Heartlands is open every day of the year. The visitors centre opens from 11am until 4pm and the cafe takes orders up until 3:30pm
Admission Prices
Heartlands is FREE!
Dog Friendly
Heartlands is dog friendly.
Lappa Valley is great for those train enthusiasts among you (like my son!). When you arrive you catch a train into the park where there is lots of family friendly things to entertain you.
Opening Times
Lappa Valley opens at 10am and the ticket office closes at 4:30pm
Admission Prices
Adult: £12.50
Child: £10.50
Under 2’s go free
Concessions: £10.50
Dogs: £1
Family tickets are also available.
Dog Friendly
Dogs are allowed at Lappa Valley providing they are well behaved and kept on a lead. They charge £1 per dog. Assistance dogs go free.
Geevor Tin Mine is the largest preserved tin mine in the country. You can go underground to explore the mine and get interactive in the museum with things like panning for gold! There are often lots of other activities that the kids can get involved with. It is all great educational fun!
Geevor sits in the most beautiful spot and is actually an Area Of Outstanding Beauty.
Opening Times
Geevor is CLOSED on Saturdays
April – Oct 9am until 5pm
Nov – March 10am until 4pm
Admission Prices
Adult: £14.60
Child: £8.50
Under 4’s go free
Students: £8.50
Seniors: £12.50
Family Ticket (2+3): £45
Partially Dog Friendly
Dogs are welcome on site but are not allowed in the underground, shop and cafe.
Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm is another great place to visit if you are bit strapped for cash! It is free parking, free entry to the farm and you even get free samples of cider, wine, juices and jam!
Opening Times
Opening times vary throughout the year but over the Summer they are open from 9am until 8pm.
Admission Prices
It is free to get into Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm. You do pay for the guided tours which are priced at £10 per adult for the classic tour and £5 per child (under 6’s go free). There are various options to the tour so please the website for details.
Partially Dog Friendly
Dogs are welcome to Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm. There are a few areas they cannot go, such as the vats & production halls plus the main restaurant. They are allowed in the cafe and pretty much the rest of the farm though.
Visit Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm Website
Dairyland Farm World is a lovely kids’ adventure park offering pony & tractor rides, animal feeding, games and lots of play areas. They also have a massive indoor play area called the Bull Pen if it is raining.
Opening Times
Dairyland Farm World is open daily from 10am until 5pm. Times in the Winter vary, so check the website for details.
Admission Prices
Adult: £11.75
Child (over 80cm): £9.25
Child: (under 80cm): Free
Concessions: £9.25
You get unlimited weekly entry on full paying admission tickets. Family tickets and annual tickets are also available.
Not Dog Friendly
As this is a farm with lots of free ranging animals it is not dog friendly.
View Dairyland Farm World Website
Play The Game & Visit Your Favourite Places In St Ives
