12 Best Days Out in Nottingham for Families (2026)

Quick Overview: All 12 Attractions at a Glance

The table below gives a fast comparison of each attraction so you can shortlist in seconds. Prices are per adult unless stated otherwise. Free entry attractions are marked as such.

• Wollaton Hall and Deer Park — Free (park) / ~£12 adult (hall) — Outdoor — All ages
• Nottingham Castle and Brewhouse Yard — ~£35 family ticket — Indoor/Outdoor — All ages
• City of Caves — £8–£11 per person — Indoor — Ages 5+
• National Ice Centre — £25–£35 family of four — Indoor — Ages 3+
• Green's Windmill and Science Centre — Free — Indoor/Outdoor — Ages 4+
• Nottingham Arboretum — Free — Outdoor — All ages
• Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery — Free — Indoor — All ages
• The Big Track Waterside Cycle Route — Free — Outdoor — Ages 7+ (cycling)
• Bestwood Country Park — Free — Outdoor — All ages
• Clipstone Headstocks and Raleigh Museum — Free (exterior) — Outdoor — Ages 8+
• Disco Bowl Nottingham — From £8 per person — Indoor — All ages
• Family-Friendly Dining in Nottingham — Varies — Indoor — All ages

For detailed logistics on getting around between these spots, see our Nottingham Castle visiting guide which covers tram routes from the city centre.

Wollaton Hall and Deer Park

Wollaton Hall is the obvious first choice for families and the one attraction that almost every local recommends without hesitation. The Elizabethan mansion sits inside a 500-acre deer park where herds of red and fallow deer roam freely around the lake. If you watched Batman: The Dark Knight Rises you have already seen it — the hall doubles as Wayne Manor, and children who clock this connection become noticeably more engaged with every room inside. Best for: all ages.

The park is free to enter and open daily from 8am to dusk. The natural history museum inside the hall opens 11am–4pm and costs roughly £12 per adult, with children usually admitted free or at a nominal charge. The Hidden History Tour (book in advance) takes small groups to the Tudor Kitchen, the Admiral's Bath, and the Prospect Room — sections that standard visitors never see. Plan at least three hours here to do the park and the hall justice.

Pro tip: park on Parkside road, alongside the park boundary, rather than inside the estate. Roadside parking is free and puts you within a short flat walk of both the side entrance and the lake. The paid car park inside the estate charges around £5 and is often queued on sunny weekends. Arrive before 10am to see the deer actively grazing near the water's edge before the main crowds arrive.

Nottingham Castle and Brewhouse Yard

Nottingham Castle reopened after major renovation and now holds its most ambitious galleries yet. The interactive Robin Hood Adventure uses augmented reality to put families inside the events of 1831 — it is genuinely gripping for children aged seven and up. The castle grounds include a large adventure playground and excellent panoramic views over the city, meaning you get outdoor and indoor value in a single visit. Best for: school-age children and teens.

Family tickets cost approximately £35 for two adults and two children. Opening hours are 10am–5pm daily. Check the Nottingham Castle opening times before you go — seasonal events and half-term programming sometimes alter access to specific galleries. Budget at least three to four hours for the full site; if you add a cave tour inside the castle rock, allow an extra hour.

At the base of the castle rock you will find Brewhouse Yard, a cluster of 17th-century cottages that shows how ordinary Nottingham residents lived beside the fortress. Next door stands Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, dated to 1189 and recognised as one of England's oldest inns — it is very child-friendly and a good spot for a post-castle lunch before you continue to the caves. Pro tip: the castle gift shop has the best-quality Robin Hood merchandise in the city; avoid the souvenir stalls on the approach road.

City of Caves

Nottingham sits atop more than 800 man-made sandstone caves, and the City of Caves attraction in the Broadmarsh area lets you explore the most accessible section of this network. Guided tours take 45–60 minutes through medieval tannery pits, Victorian slum dwellings, and a Second World War air-raid shelter — a genuinely diverse underground experience that you will not find duplicated anywhere else in Britain. Best for: ages 5 and up.

Tours run daily from 10am to 5pm. Prices typically fall between £8 and £11 per person, with a family ticket around £28. The ground is uneven and some passages are low-lit, which can unsettle very young children. Parents with toddlers should use a carrier rather than a pushchair, as the terrain does not accommodate wheels. For full logistics before you go, see our City of Caves Nottingham guide.

Pro tip: download the free cave walking app before your visit. It runs a self-guided street-level tour that maps the cave network below your feet using 3D imagery — useful if you want to extend the underground theme beyond the ticketed attraction without extra cost. Castle Hill and Brewhouse Yard also have cave sections open on weekends and bank holidays at no additional charge with a castle ticket.

National Ice Centre

The National Ice Centre is one of the UK's premier skating venues — training ground of Torvill and Dean — and it delivers a reliably impressive family day out whatever the weather. Two Olympic-sized rinks mean public sessions are rarely cancelled due to event conflicts. Toddlers can use penguin-shaped skating aids to build confidence without parents having to support them physically the whole time. Best for: ages 3 and up, with particular appeal to children aged 5–12.

Public session prices for a family of four run between £25 and £35 including skate hire. Sessions vary daily, so check the schedule on the official site before building your itinerary around a specific time slot. Friday evening Disco Sessions add UV lights and music, which teenagers and pre-teens tend to prefer. The venue is located centrally, a short walk from Nottingham train station. Pro tip: book tickets online in advance rather than on the door — peak sessions on Saturday afternoons sell out, especially during school holidays.

Green's Windmill and Science Centre

This is the most underrated free attraction in Nottingham and one that every family with children aged four to ten should prioritise. The working 19th-century tower mill was owned by George Green, the self-taught mathematician who developed Green's Theorem — the adjacent science centre uses his story to make mathematics and physics genuinely fun. Children can climb the steep mill steps (which provide a real sense of adventure for younger kids), watch the millstones turning on windy days, and participate in hands-on experiments with electricity, magnetism, and motion. Best for: ages 4–12.

The mill and science centre are open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am–4pm, and entry is entirely free. On windy days flour is actively ground and you can buy a bag to take home — baking with windmill flour from a mill that has operated for two centuries is a memorable follow-up activity for children. The site also runs bread-making workshops and science days on selected weekends; check the schedule at Green's Windmill Trust before visiting. Pro tip: a small play park sits immediately adjacent to the mill exit — easy to miss, but children tend to demand time there before leaving.

Nottingham Arboretum

The Arboretum is the city's oldest public park and reportedly inspired J.M. Barrie when he wrote Peter Pan — a detail that resonates well with younger children. Over 800 labelled trees, ponds busy with ducks, a Victorian bandstand, and colourful aviaries with exotic birds make this more than a standard green space. It is compact enough for a relaxed morning with toddlers but interesting enough that older children with a curiosity about botany or wildlife will find things to linger over. Best for: all ages, especially toddlers and younger children.

The park is free to enter and open from dawn to dusk year-round. It sits directly next to a tram stop on the NET network, making it one of the easiest attractions in this guide to reach without a car. Summer weekend concerts at the bandstand give family visits a festive feel at no extra cost. Pro tip: bring bread for the duck pond — children under five in particular find the ponds the most engaging part of the park.

Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery

Nottingham Contemporary sits in the Lace Market and consistently punches above its weight for a free gallery outside London. The rotating programme of international contemporary art changes regularly, ensuring repeat visits feel fresh. What makes it genuinely family-friendly rather than just nominally so is the structured provision for children: free craft workshops run during school holidays and most weekends, the gallery stocks family packs with activity sheets and guides for navigating exhibitions, and the dedicated family areas within the main space provide breathing room when younger visitors need a break from looking. Best for: all ages; workshops suit ages 4–12 most directly.

Entry is free. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–6pm. The sunken cafe on the lower level serves solid light lunches and is a calm contrast to the busier city-centre food courts nearby. Check the Nottingham Contemporary website for the current workshop calendar before your visit — popular holiday sessions fill up. Pro tip: the gallery is located in the Lace Market, so combining it with a short walk through the Victorian lace warehouses adds a free architectural history lesson to the day.

The Big Track vs. Bestwood: Choosing Your Cycling Day

Nottingham has two distinct family cycling routes that serve different ability levels, and picking the right one saves a frustrating afternoon. The Big Track is a 10-mile (16 km) circular waterside route running car-free along the River Trent and the Nottingham Canal from Trent Bridge to Beeston Lock. It passes Canal Marina, riverside pubs, and playground stops, making it scenic and sociable. It suits families with children aged seven and above who are comfortable on bikes for a couple of hours. Best entry point: Victoria Embankment near Trent Bridge.

Bestwood Country Park offers a 4-mile (7 km) rural loop through 650 acres of former royal hunting estate. The gentler terrain and shorter distance make it a better fit for families with younger or less experienced cyclists. The park includes a dedicated children's play area near the main entrance and a former colliery Winding Engine House that provides a tangible industrial history touchpoint mid-route. Bestwood is also entirely free and tends to be quieter than the busier Trent riverside on summer weekends.

Pro tip: if you do not own bikes, the Brompton hire docks in central Nottingham and the city-bike scheme provide pay-as-you-go options for the Big Track route. For Bestwood, a car is more practical as public transport connections to the park are limited. Allow two to three hours for Bestwood and three to four hours for the full Big Track loop including stops.

Clipstone Headstocks and Raleigh Museum

This is the industrial heritage detour that most family guides skip, and it is genuinely worth the short drive north of the city. The Clipstone Headstocks are the tallest colliery winding structures in Europe, standing over the site of a mine that was still operational within living memory. The Raleigh Museum alongside tells the story of how a Nottingham bicycle factory became the world's largest, producing bikes ridden in Tour de France victories and Olympic competitions. For children who are into cycling or engineering, this combination is more engaging than another castle gift shop. Best for: ages 8 and up; teens with an interest in industrial history.

The headstocks are viewable from outside at any time at no charge. Museum opening varies seasonally, so check ahead. The site sits in the village of Clipstone, about 16 km north of the city centre — pair it with a walk through nearby Sherwood Pines (3,300 acres, free entry, Go Ape treetop adventure available for additional fee) for a full day out without driving back into the city. Pro tip: Sherwood Pines has a bike hire facility on site, so a morning at Clipstone followed by afternoon cycling through the forest makes a satisfying two-location itinerary.

Disco Bowl Nottingham

Disco Bowl is the reliable wet-weather option when outdoor plans collapse. The modern tenpin bowling alley runs neon lighting and an upbeat soundtrack that makes the lanes feel more like an event than a routine activity. It is straightforward family entertainment without gimmicks — no elaborate theming that dates quickly, just good lanes, a decent bar for parents, and a consistent atmosphere. Best for: all ages; particularly good for mixed-age family groups including teenagers who might disengage from nature-trail options.

Single-game prices start around £8 per person. Family deals are often available online and can bring the cost down meaningfully for a group of four or five. The venue is open from 10am until late. Saturday lanes fill quickly with birthday parties, so book your lane online in advance if you plan a weekend visit. Pro tip: check the Nottingham indoor activities for families page for current Disco Bowl deals and rainy-day alternatives if you need a backup option.

Family-Friendly Dining in Nottingham

Nottingham's food scene punches well above its size for a UK regional city, and the family-friendly options are scattered across several distinct neighbourhoods. The Pudding Pantry near the city centre is a local institution serving hearty British pies and substantial desserts — booking ahead on weekends is strongly recommended. Five Guys on the main shopping strip covers the reliable burger contingent and is a consistent crowd-pleaser for children who have strong opinions about their lunch. For something more substantial, Hart's Kitchen uses locally sourced East Midlands produce in a relaxed setting that accommodates families without making them feel hurried.

The Lace Market area around Nottingham Contemporary has a cluster of independent cafes that offer lighter lunches at lower prices than the main tourist drag near the castle. If you are doing the City of Caves in the morning, stopping in the Lace Market afterwards keeps you in the right part of the city and avoids doubling back. Old Market Square has a decent food court option for quick refuelling between attractions. For a sweet stop after skating at the National Ice Centre, Creams Cafe on the main shopping street serves waffles, crepes, and ice-cream sundaes that children tend to remember as a highlight of the day.

Pro tip: if you are planning a two-day visit, base yourself in the Lace Market area rather than near the Victoria Centre. You get walkable access to the Castle, the Contemporary, the Cave network, and the best independent restaurants without the noise and crowds of the main shopping zone. The area also has direct tram access to Wollaton Hall and the Ice Centre.

Planning a Full Day on a Budget

A common first-timer mistake is paying for everything and ending up with a full day that costs over £150 for a family of four. Nottingham allows a genuinely full day of quality activity for under £50 if you sequence it correctly. A morning at Wollaton (park free, use the Parkside road parking hack), lunch at a Lace Market cafe, an afternoon at Nottingham Contemporary (free, including holiday workshops), and a walk through the Arboretum on the way back to the tram covers around six hours and costs almost nothing beyond food.

If you want one paid attraction in your day, the City of Caves at around £28 for a family ticket delivers the best value-for-novelty ratio in the city. The National Ice Centre is the next-best paid option if you have children who enjoy sport. Save Nottingham Castle for a second day when you have more time to do it properly — three hours is the minimum to see the castle and Brewhouse Yard without rushing, and the £35 family ticket is worth it only if you have the time to use it fully.

The NET tram runs a family day ticket that covers two adults and up to three children for unlimited travel. This effectively eliminates transport costs for the day and removes the car parking calculation from every decision you make. Buy it at the tram stop rather than via the app to avoid the booking fee. Rainy day fallback: Disco Bowl plus the Contemporary gallery on the same afternoon costs under £40 for four and fills four to five hours.