Durham is a great place to have a day out with the kids. Below we've tried to list as many attractions as we can to make it easy for you to find fun places to visit - we hope you find our website useful - and easy to use. Do you know of any other great
places to go that we may have missed? If so, it would be really nice if you could you get in touch, so that other kids can enjoy the day out as well - thanks a lot - have fun!
Family Days Out in Durham
Diggerland
Langley Park
15% discount on entry with DAYoutWITHtheKIDS voucher - expires 5th September 2010
Tweddle Children's Animal Farm
Blackhall Colliery
Tweddle Children's Animal Farm Kids will have a great time at the farm visiting the animals. There is also a Play Area, which offers a fantastic range of fun activities to keep them busy. Great idea if you are looking for family days out in Durham
Beamish Wild Birds of Prey Centre
Stanley
Beamish Wild Birds of Prey Centre Allows you to get up close and personal to some of the worlds most precious species of Birds of Prey. Witness the elegance of our eagles as soar through the sky. A Great day of fun and education for the whole family.
Newham Grange Country Farm
Middlesbrough
Newham Grange Country Farm Come and make friends with the rare breeds of farm animals, enjoy a walk around the fields, and why not bring along a picnic for a treat.
High Force Waterfall
Middleton in Teesdale
High Force Waterfall England's largest waterfall, suddenly and spectacularly drops 70 feet into the plunge pool below. The woodland walk leads to this breathtaking sight. As you begin the descent down the gentle slope the well-maintained path twists and turns giving a different view every few yards. The muffled rumble suddenly turns to a roar and the sight astounds you.
Down at the Farm
Houghton Le Spring
Down at the Farm You can see a wide range of farm animals including goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, ponies and chickens, plus a few unusual ones. There is plenty of hands-on fun including reptile handling, sheep/pig racing and washing the sheep. Kids can also climb their way round the adventure trail, pedal round the tiny tots tractor course, dig their way out of the giant sandpit or go mad on the jumping pillow + tractor rides.
Beamish Open Air Museum
County Durham
Beamish Open Air Museum - makes the past comes to life. Beamish is unique. This is no ordinary museum but a living, working experience of life as it was in the Great North in the early 1800s and 1900s set in over 300 acres of beautiful countryside. A great family day out.
Killhope Lead Mining Museum
Bishop Auckland
Killhope Lead Mining Museum Voted the Most Family Friendly Museum, take a guided tour of the mine, become a washerboy and find galena. Woodland walks, Red Squirrels, exhibitions, shop and cafe a great day out in the country for the whole family. Winner of Tourism award 2008 Small Attraction of the year, Gold standard Green Tourism Business and quality badge holder of Learning outside of the Classroom 2009
Spennymoor Leisure Centre
Spennymoor
Spennymoor Leisure Centre has a free - form Leisure Pool with a large shallow water area and a maximum depth of 1.8 metres. A water slide and wave machine are also available, but these only operate during evening, weekend and school holiday sessions. The pool is approximately 18 metres wide and 30 metres long.
The Dolphin Centre
Darlington
The Dolphin Centre An outstanding pool complex that includes an
8-lane, 25m competition standard swimming pool, Training Pool, Interactive Toddler Pool, 1m, 3m and 5m Board Diving Pool and two water-slides as well as an Under The Sea themed indoor play area.
Weardale Open Air Swimming Pool
Bishop Auckland
Weardale Open Air Swimming Pool Come and enjoy the pleasures of outdoor swimming in a warm (tropical water temperature of 80+ degrees Fahrenheit), safe, family environment.
Fun Shack
Seaham
Fun Shack The largest indoor playground in the north of England. Here you will find a wide range of fun activities in a safe and secure surrounding.
Crazy Corner
Stockton-on-Tees
Crazy Corner From Ball Cannons to Shoot Slides, Gaint Bouncing Balls to Tarzan Gliders, Crazy Corner has something for all.
Jumbo Jungle
Consett
Jumbo Jungle Over 11000 sq ft of non stop fun and games and its all under one roof to keep both the adults and children happy for hours, we have something for all ages from babies to twelve year olds
Mister Twisters Wacky World of Fun
Hartlepool
Mister Twisters Wacky World of Fun - great big indoor playcentre with pirate-themed climbing frames including toddler area with bouncy castle. Superb themed party rooms  choose from the Ship Wreck, Jungle Swamp or Groove rooms
Whitworth Hall - Bobby Shaftos
Spennymoor
Whitworth Hall - Bobby Shaftos The restaurant offers a fantastic menu and children can play in the indoor or outdoor play area. In the summer months you can dine on the patio at the lakeside and watch the deer and the ducks at play. The park abounds with wild life with squirrels, wild geese, swans and even the odd heron.
HMS Trincomalee 1817
Hartlepool
HMS Trincomalee 1817 The classic British frigate, HMS Trincomalee, built in Bombay for the Admiralty in 1817, is the oldest ship afloat in the UK and the last of the commissioned frigates of the Nelson era. Berthed at Hartlepool's Maritime Experience it is now fully restored.
Crook Hall and Gardens
Durham
Crook Hall and Gardens A stunning Grade 1 listed Medieval Manor House with a banquetting hall and 17th century Jacobean room, surrounded by stylish cottage gardens which are relaxed, lush and quintessentially English.
Durham Cathedral
Durham
Durham Cathedral The present Cathedral has stood on this spot as a place of prayer and pilgrimage for over 900 years. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in England (Bill Bryson called it 'the best Cathedral on planet earth'), and is part of a World Heritage Site.
Hartlepool's Maritime Experience
Hartlepool
Hartlepool's Maritime Experience All children love pirates and this maritime visitor attraction is the perfect place to take them. Travel back to the days of Nelson, Napoleon and the Battle of Trafalgar. With our many attractions, costumed guides and weaponry displays, any kids (of whatever age) will enjoy this day out. So all ye landlubbers make your way to Hartlepool.
Adventure Point Ltd
Darlington
Adventure Point Ltd Fantastic indoor & outdoor adventure play centre with huge play frame, bumper cars, 3 tree climbers, slides, rope bridges, ball cannon arena, multi-sports court, separate toddler play areas and lots more!
Tanfield Railway
Tanfield
Tanfield Railway Special events are held through out the year on this historic railway. Passenger trains run every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday throughout the year.
Also Wednesdays and Thursdays in midsummer.
Saltburn Miniature Railway
Saltburn
Saltburn Miniature Railway Saltburn Miniature Railway - 15 inch gauge miniature railway, running from the seafront through to the Valley Gardens, Italian Gardens, Tea Lawn and Woodland Centre.
Saltburn Cliff Lift
Saltburn
Saltburn Cliff Lift Opened on 28th June 1884, this is the oldest remaining waterbalance cliff lift in Britain. Height of the lift is 120 ft, length of the track is 207 ft. Refurbished with stained glass windows. Links Saltburn pier, one of the few left in the country, with the town.
Hamsterley Forest
Bishop Auckland
Hamsterley Forest - trail marked walks and mountain bike routes, all of varying difficulty and durations - a visitor centre, tearoom, children's adventure play area and mountain bike hire - events/activities held in the forest including Den Building, organised mountain bike rides and bird feeding, at various times throughout the year - plenty of picnic areas and BBQs are allowed.
Buttercups Ceramic Studio
Hurworth-on-Tees
Buttercups Ceramic Studio you can paint a piece of functional pottery such as a mug, plate, bowl, platter and much more or how about a fun item like a money box, figurine or fun home accessory.
Diggerland
Langley Park
Diggerland Diggerland, the adventure park for all ages, where children and adults can ride and drive real construction machinery!
Drive the robots, or take The Dumper Truck Challenge. Take in the views from the awesome Sky Shuttle or experience the ultimate adrenaline rush on Spin Dizzy!
There's something for everyone at Diggerland!
Huntfun Durham Treasure Hunt
Durham
Huntfun Durham Treasure Hunt A great fun way to explore in your own town or when visiting somewhere new. Fun for all the family and something a bit different getting everyone out and about in the fresh air for a few hours.
Thanks for all the great places to go when visiting Durham you keep sending in.
Now the summer holidays are upon us, we're trying to find as many things to do with kids as possible, especially cheap and free family friendly places to visit this year - theme parks, waterparks and swimming pools, museums, indoor soft playcentres, petting farms, wildlife parks and zoos, castles, railways, pottery making and ceramic cafes, roller and ice skating rinks, dry and indoor ski slopes, climbing walls, ten pin bowling alleys, steam railways and other tourist attractions.
Also teachers may find the site useful for ideas for the best places to take their classes on school journeys.
So, if you've been for great days out with the kids, or a school trip, which isn't listed above, just send in an email and we'll add it on so people on holidays and all the other children in Durham can enjoy the great day out as well.
If you're looking for fun places for kids when visiting america on vacation, go to our new site familydaysoutusa.com
Things to do in Tyne and Wear | Places to visit in Lancashire | What to do in North Yorkshire
Where to go in Cumbria | Places to go in Northumberland | Places to visit in the UK
