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Friday 7 October 2022

Family Friendly Places to Visit in Great Yarmouth

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Situated on the East Norfolk coast, Great Yarmouth is a popular and well-known seaside town that boasts a rich maritime history and over 15 miles of sandy coastline to explore. As well as having your traditional seaside town attractions, Great Yarmouth also boasts a number of historical places of interest and to top it all off you might even spot a seal if you look hard enough! 

With all this being said, it's fairly obvious why it is such a popular UK holiday spot for families and why children love visiting so much. So, with that in mind I have shared some of the best family friendly activities and places to visit in Great Yarmouth below, don't forget to share your favourite Great Yarmouth spots in the comments below too. 

Pirates Cove Adventure Golf 

Is it even a UK seaside holiday without a competitive round of crazy golf with the family (you know the ones that start off as fun but then someone, usually dad, gets super competitive about?). All jokes aside adventure golf is great fun for the whole family and something that is loved by all ages and the Pirates Cove adventure golf in Great Yarmouth is one not to miss. 

It is a large 18-hole course with a strong pirate theme where you can putt your way through caves, over footbridges and under cascading waterfalls all whilst trying to get that illusive hole in one! 

The Pleasure Beach & Amusements 

Whether it's the nostalgia of the seafront, the thrill of the rides or the excitement of winning on the arcade's games, the pleasure beach rides and amusements ticks all the boxes for the whole family. With plenty to see from The Big Apple coaster right through to the Cups and Saucers. There is also a 4D cinema, a haunted house and of course, no visit to Great Yarmouth pleasure beach would be complete without a ride on The Snails and Fairy tales ride which has been at the park since 1966! 

There are 26 rides in total and standard admission gets you unlimited access to all rides for your chosen time slot (usually 12-4pm or 5pm - 8.30pm).

Joyland 

Joyland is as much a piece of history as it is a fun family day out! Opened in 1949 and owned by the Cole family (it has always stayed owned by the same family) with a member of the family (Horace Cole) even designed two of the rides that say in the park, the world-famous snails and the Tyrolean tub twist which you can still ride on today. 

Joyland is free to enter, and rides are paid for with tokens so you can stay in total control of how much you spend during your visit. As well as plenty of rides to keep you busy, when you are done with the rides you can feast at the American diner at the park! 

Caister Lifeboat Visitor Centre 

Britain's first independent lifeboat company, Caister Lifeboat is an independent charity that have been saving lives along the coastline of Norfolk and Suffolk since 1791! The museum is a key part of sharing the history of Caister Lifeboats and how amazing they are. In the museum you will get the chance to get up close to their current working lifeboats, the Bernard Matthews II, and new inshore lifeboat, the Fred Dyble II. You can also explore the interactive museum, The Caister Lifeboat Experience.

Merrivale Model Village 

If you are looking for something a little different to do with your family, then the Merrivale Model Village is definitely worth a visit. Merrivale Model Village is a typical reflection of the English countryside just in miniature form! Set across just over one acre the miniature village features a bustling town centre, golden seafront, farms, attractions and even a castle to name just a few of the things you might see. 

(Photo credit - Plutonium Sox)

But that's not all, once you have finished wandering around and taking in all the details of the model village you can take part in a number of other activities including a walk through the sensory garden, free crazy golf, the old penny arcade and of course a trip to the gift shop too. 

Caister Roman Fort 

It is Ancient Rome but with a modern twist, yes that's right you can be transported back to Venta Icenorum, one of the largest Roman towns in East Anglia with a little help from an Augmented Reality app. 

Of course, you can also take the ruins in a little more traditionally too with a normal visit to view the remains of the Ancient Roman fort. When you visit you can see the partially excavated remains of a Roman 'Saxon Shore' fort, including wall and ditch sections and building foundations. Built around AD 200 for a unit of the Roman army and navy and occupied until the end of the 4th century. It's something both adults and kids will be fascinated learning about. 

Great Yarmouth Road Train 

If you are looking for a fun way to see a bit of Great Yarmouth whilst getting to rest your legs too then just hop on board one of the Great Yarmouth Road Trains! They run every half an hour through the summer and allow you to take the train from Joyland to the Pleasure Beach, into the town centre or even down to near the Harbour. The trains making a number of stops on the way so you can hop on and off as you please and kids will love waving the passers-by and you drive past. 

Hippodrome Circus

Perfect for all weather as it is indoors, the Hippodrome circus is a must see for anyone visiting Great Yarmouth! A totally unique experience, built in 1903 and the only surviving total circus building you can still see the water spectacle that first took place in the building in 1981 as well as many other impressive circus style acts. Once the show is over you can also go backstage and explore the Backstage Museum curated by Peter Jay, packed full of over 100 years of circus memorabilia.

(Photo credit - Plutonium Sox)

These are just a few of the many family friendly places there are to visit in Great Yarmouth! So next time you are planning your family days out or even family seaside holiday, make sure to consider Great Yarmouth. You can even stay up to date with any news or special events for times like the summer holidays, Halloween and Christmas, pop on over to the Visit Great Yarmouth Facebook page. 

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