Dig It!
As much as we love bringing you the latest info on live events and venues across the UK, we at Ents24 also like to let our hair down from time to time (or when the bosses aren't looking), and join in on the action of what's happening in our fine nation.
With so much out there to keep you entertained, choosing a place to take the kids or to impress a date isn't always the easiest of tasks. So, to help you out a little, the team here at Ents24 have selected some of their favourite visitor attractions & days out!
If you like what you see and would like to offer your opinion on a particular visitor attraction, why not log in to Have Your Say, and offer readers some helpful hints on where to visit!
CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY! >
The Eden Project
The Eden Project, St Austell
by Neil, who seemingly wants to get steamy in a South American jungle.
At £38 for a family ticket, the Eden Project is around half the price of a theme park, but I wondered whether an attraction with no rollercoasters or no live animals could really provide more than an hour's entertainment. Eden certainly looks the part as you walk towards the futuristic-looking geodesic domes, but once you're inside the lush rainforest 'biome', you could easily be in a steamy South American jungle, with orchids, ferns and trees growing everything from bananas to spices. The second dome contains Mediterranean plants, such as citrus, olives and vines. You can spend hours inside the domes, learning about tropical plants, admiring the waterfall, or imagining you're an explorer in a hidden corner of The Amazon, and that's before you've even started to stroll around the extensive gardens outside. It's unique, atmospheric, entertaining and educational. If you're visiting Cornwall this year, it should be at the top of your itinerary, and it's well worth a special trip if you're anywhere else in the South West.
London Transport Museum
London Transport Museum, London
by Jo, the Ents24 expert on London transport.
Since the refurbishment a few years ago, the London Transport Museum has grown into a really exciting destination and an eye-opening experience for all ages. The Museum is situated in the heart of Covent Garden, an unusual setting for a busy museum with some huge, heavy rolling stock. The museum provides many interactive displays that make it feel more like the Science Museum with the nostalgia of many of the every-day items from past buses and tube trains running alongside. The museum also features an interesting gallery of the decorative posters, past and present, used to advertise transport for London. The Museum manages to provide something for everyone. With the numerous fascinating facts and displays about the history of London, discover how its expansion was fuelled by the development of the transport systems.
Camera Obscura & World Of Illusions
Camera Obscura & World Of Illusions, Edinburgh
by Graham, who magically morphed into a marvellous monkey.
Walking up towards the impressive Edinburgh Castle from the Royal Mile, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions stands tall just before you reach the castle esplanade. With 5 floors of optical illusions and a plethora of interactive exhibits, it is a perfect place to entertain the family and to learn a few things along the way. The Camera Obscura show is included in the admission price, which consists of a 15-minute history lesson of Edinburgh whilst peering down on live moving images of Edinburgh - projected onto a viewing table through a giant periscope. There is a huge hologram exhibition; a mind-boggling infinity corridor of light, and you can even see how you look like as a monkey with the magic morphing machine. There is also an impressive rooftop terrace where you can take in magnificent views of the city, as well as peering into the distance with free telescopes. The attraction will take up at least an hour of your time, and is well worth the visit for the city views alone.
Wookey Hole Caves
Wookey Hole Caves, Wells
by Paula, who really gets quite excited about penny slot machines.
Wookey Hole Caves was always one of my favourite places to go when I was a child, mainly because of the legend about the witch of Wookey Hole, who apparently is somewhere in the caves! Even the team from 'Most Haunted' have visited the caves to look for her! Kids will love these caves and the tour guides really get into it and tell you the whole story. They have also been used to film some of the scenes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!
There is lots of other things to do around the caves as well, like a Paper Mill, where you can watch paper being made, a Dinosaur Yard, a museum about the caves, a house of mirrors and penny arcades with genuine old slot machines where you can buy old pennies for and have a go on them, and loads more!
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol
by Mark, who really wanted to ride the big colourful slides.
If you are looking to entertain the entire family on a fun filled day out within a limited budget, then why not give the curiously named Noah's Ark Zoo Farm a try? There are tigers, rhinos, giraffes, gibbons, and many other 'big zoo animals' that you might not have expected to see outside some of the UK's larger zoos.
The zoo also has a sizable indoor adventure playground to entertain your kids once they've had their fill of zebra and buffalo, complete with plenty of big, colourful slides and things to climb on. There are also daily animal shows, where you can see some of the animals on show and learn a little more about them. All in all, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm offers a great and educational day out for the whole family!
The Excavator @ Diggerland
Diggerland Adventure Park Co. Durham, Co. Durham
Diggerland Adventure Park Devon, Cullompton
Diggerland Adventure Park Kent, Stroud
Diggerland Adventure Park Yorkshire, Castleford
by Alex, Ents24's demolition specialist.
Hailed as 'The Ultimate Adventure Park Experience', Diggerland promises what no other amusement park can: that you and your loved ones can ride around in a massive digger all day. Not just the one, mind - a wealth of heavy machinery is at hand for your amusement. Guests can race one another on Dumper Trucks, feel the satisfaction of digging an enormous hole, drive a JCB Tractor round a field or enjoy the thrill of riding the Spin Dizzy - a gargantuan Excavator that spins wildly whilst you sit helplessly strapped to the bucket. Visit diggerland.com to find out more about the delights of operating large yellow machinery!
Megafobia
Oakwood Theme Park, Narbeth
by Pete, Ents24's foremost sheep expert.
The best theme park you've never heard of, Oakwood is an excellent choice for a day out with the whole family. The entrance fee is fantastic value for money, as it covers admission to all the rides, including Megafobia, one of the world's top wooden roller coasters, that just so happens to have sheep grazing peacefully underneath!
There's luge racing, water rides, mini-golf, paddle boats, candy floss, AND somewhere for the littlest ones in your life to run about. Honestly, what more could you ask for?
