Popular recommendations for brilliant family-friendly places to visit in the North East that offer annual (or seasonal) passes – the perfect answer if you’re struggling for gift ideas for a friend or relative (or just want to treat yourself and get out & about more!).
In some cases you only need to visit 3 times a year to save on admission costs, plus there are often other benefits included in membership, such as free parking, fast track entry, discount for cafe and gift shop purchases, and free or discounted access to special events. Many places have free admission for small children, making it even better value.
Other popular alternative gifts include a cinema/concert/theatre voucher or pass (details of North East venues here), a meal/spa voucher, or a magazine subscription. There’s also a few ideas below of popular recommendations for kid’s magazines👇👇
Updated Nov 2022
Details are subject to change, please check directly with providers for full info, concession prices & the latest updates and offers.
Adventure Valley
📌 Brasside, Co Durham, DH1 5SG
🎫 Term Time Pass: £30 | Annual: £70 (can opt to spread the cost in monthly payments)
🎁 Soft play and outdoor adventure play areas, adventure golf, theatre shows and an indoor farm with a range of animals.
👉 For more info, visit @AdventureV
The Alnwick Garden
📌 Alnwick , Northumberland, NE66 1YU
🎫 Annual Pass: £20.95 / Friend Membership: £30.25 (4 kids under 16 go free per adult)
🎁 Formal gardens and woodland walk, including water features, adventure golf and tree house restaurant.
👉 For more info, visit @alnwickgarden
Beamish Museum
📌 Beamish, Co Durham, DH9 0RG
🎫 Annual Adult: £21 | Child (5-16): £12 | Family: from £37
🎁 Open air museum set in 300+ acres recreating life in the early 1800s and 1900s, including a farm, fairground, trams and replica steam train.
👉 For more info, visit @BeamishLivingMuseum
Birkheads Secret Gardens
📌 Marley Hill, Gateshead, NE16 5EL
🎫 Annual Adult: £16 | Child (4-15): £8
🎁 A 3 acre site with themed gardens, water features, garden shop, cafe and an ‘I spy trail’ for children.
👉 For more info, visit @birkheadscoffee
Seasonal – typically closes Nov – Feb excluding a few select dates.
The Bowes Museum
📌 Barnard Castle, Co Durham DL12 8NP
🎫 Annual Adult: £14.50 (under 18s go free)
🎁 A 19th century museum with fine and decorative arts, set in acres of parkland with adventure play areas.
👉 For more info, visit @TheBowesMuseum
Diggerland
📌 Langley Park, Co Durham, DH7 9TT
🎫 Gift vouchers: from £51.90 (2 person day pass. Under 90cm go free).
*Plus adult experience days from £49.95
🎁 Digger-themed adventure park where you can operate diggers, dumpers and more, plus fairground rides, go karts, mini landrovers and an under-5s zone.
👉 For more info, visit @Diggerland
Typically closed over the winter months.
Down at the Farm
📌 Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, DH5 8JG
🎫 Season tickets are available to buy every year between mid March and July, occasionally with limited time discounts.
🎁 Outdoor farm and indoor small animals, along with adventure play areas, tractor-trailer rides, quad biking, barrel rides and racing car track.
👉 For more info, visit @Animalfunfarm
Seasonal – typically closes 3 months over winter
English Heritage
🎫 Annual Adult: £66 | 2 Adults: £115 (free entry for up to 6 children per adult)
🎁 There are over 400 English Heritage sites, with castles, historic houses, abbeys and gardens. Local sites include:
📌 Belsay Hall Castle & Gardens, Newcastle
📌 Tynemouth Priory & Castle, North Tyneside
📌 Chesters Roman Fort & Museum, Northumberland
👉 For more info, visit @englishheritage
Hall Hill Farm
📌 Lanchester, Co Durham, DH7 0TA
🎫 Annual Adult: £49.95 | Child (2-15): £46.50 | Family: from £168
🎁 Over 700 acres with animal handling and feeding sessions, puppet shows, tractor-barrel rides, crazy golf, outdoor play area, indoor soft play and tea room.
👉 For more info, visit @Hall Hill Farm
Hamsterley Forest
📌 Hamsterley, Co Durham, DL13 3NL
🎫 Membership: £49 per vehicle for free parking for 1 year
🎁 Woodland and riverside walking and cycling trails, story character trails, bike hire, play areas, Forest Drive and cafe.
👉 For more info, visit @HamsterleyForest
Holmside Park
📌 Chester-Le-Street, Co Durham, DH7 6EY
🎫 Individual (4+ years): £80 | Family of 4: £240
🎁 50,000 sq ft of indoor play, including soft play, inflatables, archery and roller skating, along with outdoor play areas, mini karting, pedal karts and more.
👉 For more info, visit @holmsidepark
Jarrow Hall
📌 Jarrow, South Tyneside, NE32 3DY
🎫 Annual Adult: £7.50 | Child (5-15) £4.50 (4 years & under free)
*Museums Association Members free entry
🎁 Museum dedicated to Venerable Bede with Anglo-Saxon dwellings, set in 11 acre grounds including a farm with rare-breed and rescued animals.
👉 For more info, visit @JarrowHallOfficial
Passes valid Feb-Dec
Jump Giants
📌 Dunston, Gateshead, NE8 2RB
🎫 Festive Season Pass: £40 (or gift cards from £10)
🎁 28,000ft of trampolines and themed areas, plus under 5’s soft play. Season Pass valid for one hourly session per day from 26th Dec – 10th Feb 2023 for all Open Jump, Junior Giants, Family Giants & Support Sessions.
👉 For more info, visit @jgnewcastle
Life Science Centre
📌 Times Square, Newcastle, NE1 4EP
🎫 Adult: £45 | Child (5-17): £25 | Family: £60-£125
🎁 Fun and interactive science exhibitions, including a Planetarium and under-7s play zone, with regular activities, shows and events.
👉 For more info, visit @scienceatlife
National Art Pass
🎫 Individual: £73 | Under 30: £45 | Plus One: £40 | Plus Kids: 10
🎁 Free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic places and 50% off entry to other major exhibitions. Local sites includes:
📌 Seaton Delaval Hall, North Tyneside
📌 Cherryburn, Northumberland
📌 The Bowes Musuem, Durham
📌 Preston Park Museum, Stockton
👉 For more info & locations, visit @ArtFundUK
National Trust
🎫 Adult (26+): £76.80 | Young person (18-25): £38.40
Junior: (5-17): £10 | Family: £83.40 – £133.80
🎁 Free entry to over 500 sites with historic houses, castles, buildings and gardens. Local sites include:
📌 Gibside, Gateshead
📌 Washington Old Hall, Sunderland
📌 Wallington, Northumberland
📌 Cragside, Northumberland
👉 For more info & locations, visit @nationaltrust
Northumberland County Zoo
📌 Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 9QH
🎫 Adult: £40 | Child (3-16): £30 | Family (2+2 ): £130
🎁 A wide range of exotic and domestic animals, with regular talks and feeding sessions, along with an outdoor play area, soft play, tractor museum and tea room.
👉 For more info, visit @NorthumberlandZoo
Tanfield Railway
📌 Marley Hill, Gateshead, NE16 5ET
🎫 Adult: £58 | Child (3-16): £65 | Family: from £170
🎁 Take a 6 mile steam train ride on the world’s oldest railway, running on Sundays and selected dates, along with Europe’s oldest working engine shed.
👉 For more info, visit @tanfieldrailway
Tynemouth Aquarium
📌 Tynemouth, North Tyneside, NE3O 4JF
🎫 Adult £43.50 | Child (3-12) £30.75 | Family of 4: £139.50
🎁 Displays from local waters to the more exotic, including seals, seahorses, stingrays, monkeys and reptiles, with talks and feeding displays.
👉 For more info, visit @TynemouthAquarium
Whitehouse Farm
📌 Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 6AW
🎫 Adult: £79 | Child (2-16): £72.50
🎁 Family run farm with a range of animals and feeding/handling sessions, plus soft play, tractor-trailer rides, tractors, adventure playgrounds and more.
👉 For more info, visit @whitehousefarm
Valid Feb – 31st Oct, with discount on Christmas Events in Dec
WWT Washington Wetland Centre
📌 Washington, Co Durham, NE38 8LE
🎫 Gift Membership: £57 | Family: £75-£96 (under 4s: free)
🎁 Wetland reserve with rare wildfowl, flamingos, cranes and otters and a program of talks, walks and animal feeding, plus adventure playground.
👉 For more info, visit @wwtwashington
Magazine Subscriptions
There’s plenty on Gateshead Mumbler to help keep little ones (and big ones!) busy, check here for more ideas and info for playgroups, classes and fun days out from tots to teens!
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