Animal encounters
Take a walk on the wild side, and come face to face with some of the world’s most fearsome animals. Whether you’re looking for gentle giraffes, terrifying tigers, or awesome apes, Blackpool lays the entire animal kingdom at your feet.
Watch as gorillas affectionately groom each other, tiger cubs wrestle boisterously, and squawking parrots zoom through the air in magnificent flashes of color. This zoo is home to some of Africa’s most majestic species - but kids will love getting the chance to pet bearded goats, and touch the wooly white coats of the petting zoo’s sheep, just as much.
East Park Drive, Blackpool FY3 8PP.
Sea Life Centre
You’ll either be conquering a fear, or ticking off a lifelong ambition, as you zip up your wet suit, and dip your toes into the shark infested waters of the Sea Life Centre. Hold your breath as streamlined sharks slalom through the water towards you, assessing you with their beady eyes. If you’d rather stay firmly on the safe side of the glass, you can enjoy the chaotic frenzy as rays thrash wildly during feeding time, before taking a closer look at the sea horses and jellyfish as they pulse hypnotically through the water.
Promenade, Blackpool FY1 5AA.
Theme parks
Strap yourself in and hold on tight, as you’re rocketed up and down the vertical tower of the Ice Blast ride at 80 mph, or are spooked by ghouls popping out beside the ghost train in Blackpool’s theme park. Just don’t try out the terrifying ‘Big One’ ride too soon after lunch… Blackpool Pleasure Beach
It rises above Blackpool like a shark’s fin, and you can hear the screams for miles around. Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Big One was the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster when it first opened, and it’s drawn thrill seekers ever since. Keep your cool, as the train briefly halts at the crest, and you’ll enjoy a stunning view of the rippling sea below. Moments later, you’ll be scorching down the twisting descent, leaving your stomach far behind you.
525 Ocean Blvd, Blackpool FY4 1EZ.
Watery adventures
The thrills continue inside, and the town’s indoor water park is the perfect place to cool off, whatever the weather. With steep slides and rubber ring rides, The Sandcastle will make a splash with kids of any age.
Raft along indoor water roller coasters, and lose your bearings as you torpedo through blacked-out tubes before being dumped into the Sandcastle’s frothy waters. With a spaghetti tangle of winding slides, warm wave pools, and gentle lazy rivers, there’s something for every kid - and adult - to love here.
South Beach, Blackpool FY4 1BB.
Family-friendly food
After a busy day exploring the sights and sounds of Blackpool, you’ll all need a pit stop to get your energy back. Practically every restaurant in Blackpool does tasty, child-friendly food, but here are a couple of our favourites.
Eating out doesn’t have to break the bank - simply print off the website voucher, and kids can eat for free at off-peak times. Serving everything from thick slabs of grilled steak to spicy fajitas and fresh salads, you certainly won’t leave Toast feeling burnt.
28 Corporation Street, Blackpool FY1 1EJ.
Bella Italia
You can’t go wrong with Italian, and Bella Italia offers a dedicated children's menu that even the fussiest of eaters will love. From fresh pizzas to saucy pastas, this is an ideal spot to eat - and is less than 5 minute’s hungry wandering from the Winter Gardens, and the Tower.
72 Victoria Street, Blackpool FY1 4RJ .
