If you are looking at planning your diary for the Easter holidays without breaking the bank, it can be tricky.
Well, we've got you covered as we bring you all the deals for attractions across Cornwall which will keep them busy not just at Easter, but throughout the year, as many offer annual membership.
From Land's End to Lappa Valley, Carnglaze to Camel Creek, there's something here for everyone, no matter where in Cornwall you're spending the holiday.
So, if you're looking for inspiration, come rain or shine, and a bargain day out in Cornwall with the family, you've come to the right place.
Land's End
The resort has many attractions - the 4D cinema show experience to the Lost World, a chance to throw yourself into Arthur's quest where you seek the lair of the Dragon and a visit to Greeb Farm, a restored 200-year-old Cornish farmstead where young and old can meet the animals.
If you book online you get 10 per cent off ticket entry. Also, adults can enjoy all four attractions for only £14.
The site also offers a free Local’s Pass – entitling the holder to free car parking all year round, as well as an incredible 50% off attractions tickets.
National Trust
Cornwall is home to exotic gardens, ancient houses and mining history encircled by a much-loved coastline all owned and looked after by the National Trust and all worth exploring.
Buy a family membership and it will cost you £10 a month over the year.
How to sign up to the National Trust
The National Trust looks after more than 500 places across the UK which includes some of the best beaches, parks, forests and wildlife areas in the country.
For a monthly or yearly fee you can enjoy as much of it as you like when becoming a National Trust member.
Individual memberships are priced at:
- Adults (aged 26 and over) - £69 a year, or £5.75 a month
- Young person (aged 18-25) - £34.50 a year
- Junior (aged 0-17) - £10 a year
Here's what you get:
- Free entry to over 500 special places
- Free parking at most National Trust car parks
- National Trust Handbook full of ideas to help you plan a visit
- National Trust Magazine sent to you three times a year
- Regular newsletters sent straight to your inbox
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Carnglaze Caverns
Carnglaze Caverns consists of three man-made caverns formed as part of a slate quarry in the Loveny Valley, near the village of St Neot, Liskeard with gardens above ground to explore.
If you travel by green method (walk, bike, public transport) you get 10 per cent off entry. It is usually £7 for adults and £5 for children.
Camel Creek Adventure Park
Camel Creek Adventure Park is an all weather attraction with a range of rides and activities for all ages, including thrill rides, land train, animals and indoor play.
Over Easter Hey Duggie and Troll characters will be attending on certain days.
Winter prices are free for under 92cm £7.75 for 92-105cm and £5 for over 16's.
From April 1 summer prices will be in place. You can get an annual pass for £42.95 for those over 105cm and £28.95 for 92-105cm.
Flambards
Flambards Theme Park at Helston offers sky-high thrill rides, undercover soft play area, a chance to discover dinosaurs in the Jurassic Journey or step back in time in the life-size Victorian Village and experience Britain in the Blitz.
Pay the entry fee and get free entry if you return within seven days. You can also get 10 per cent off if you book online.
Paradise Park
The Hayle Wildlife Sanctuary is a fantastic destination for bird lovers – the displays have to be seen to believed. There are lots more animals – from otters to red pandas – plus the JungleBarn play area, a perfect venue for parties. Daily events include Carrot Time, otter and penguin feeding, Eagles of Paradise Display and the Free Flying Bird Show
You can get up to £6 off on the website and there is a discount for soft play between 3-4pm. If you buy a return ticket on the day it will cost £3.99, saving you money.
Winter prices are lower than the summer season.
English Heritage
There are five very different castles in the region - Tintagel, Launceston and Restormel to St Mawes and Pendennis which are worth exploring to learn about their roles in Cornwall's history. Events are often staged at the venues, including jousting.
You can become a member for as little as £6 a month
How to sign up to English Heritage
More than 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites spanning six millennia are cared for by English Heritage, including prehistoric sites, grand medieval castles, Roman forts and even a Cold War bunker.
For a monthly or yearly fee you can enjoy as much of it as you like when becoming an English Heritage member.
Memberships are priced at -
- Adult (aged 18 and over) £60 a year or £5 a month
- Joint adult £105 a year or £8.75 a month
- Family (One adult and up to six children) £60 a year or £5 a month
- Family 2 (Two adults and up to 12 children) £105 a year or £8.75 a month
- Senior (65 and over) £51 a year or £4.25 a month
- Adult and senior £93 a year or £7.75 a month
- Joint senior £78 a year or £6.50 a month
- Young adult/student (18-25years) £48 a year or £4 a month
What you can enjoy -
- Unlimited access to more than 400 historic places
- Free entry for up to six children
- Free handbook worth £10.95
- Free or reduced entry to events
- Free parking at English Heritage managed sites
- Exclusive members' magazine four times a year
- Members' rewards and offers
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission on any sales of products or services we write about. This article was written completely independently, see more details here
Tate St Ives
Now bigger and better, Cornwall's most famous gallery (and there are a lot of them to choose from) is a haven for budding artists with regular, free events for children among the Hepworths and Herons. There are special Tate Create events for children throughout the summer. Look out beach art events on neighbouring Porthmeor.
Pay £5 for a locals' pass and get entry for a year.
You can also get an art pass for seven days unlimited access to Tate St Ives, the Barbara Hepworth Museum, the Leach Pottery, Penlee House Gallery and Museum, Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange for £18/£14.
Seal Sanctuary
The Sea Life Trust run Seal Sanctuary at Gweek is an idyllic setting for rescued seals. As well as learning all about the seals and feeding them, young visitors will also love becoming special Seal Cadets during the summer.
You can get 30 per cent off ticket prices if you book online. Also two-for-one entry if you travel by network rail.
How to get cheaper entry to attractions
Keeping the kids entertained can be expensive, but there are ways to get cheaper entry if you know where to look. Here are some of the ways of saving.
Check individual websites for annual passes, which will mean a one off payment and endless returns to the venue like the Eden Project, discounted ticket prices if you book online or free returns over a specific period.
Get a Kids Pass which will give you money up to 40 percent off cinema, adult and child tickets or up to 57 percent off family days out, kids eat free deals and up to 10 percent off holidays across the UK. Get it here.
Money saving sites like Wowcher or Groupon offer discounted tickets to events and attractions across the UK and these change regularly. Join Wowcher here or Groupon here
If you are looking for things outside of the South West then check out AttractionTix which offers reduced prices for attractions and theme parks across the world. Book here
Take out a membership. The National Trust do a family ticket which works out at £10 a month (buy here) or English Heritage costs £8.25 a month for two adults and up to 12 children (buy here)
Eden Project
Giant biomes filled with plants from around the world that teach children about conservation and protection, a learning zone, outdoor garden space, land train, restaurant, soft play and shop are part of the Eden Project site.
Save money on Eden Project entry
You can get 10% off ticket prices if you book online at least a day before you visit.
Prices -
- Adults £26 (£28.50 on the door)
- Children (5-16) £13.50 (£15)
- Senior (60+) £24 (£26)
- Student (17+) £21.50 (£23.50)
- Family (2 adults, 2 children) £67 (£75)
Locals’ passes which offer a reduction on admission for Devon and Cornwall residents will be available from November 2019.
Alternatively, join as a Member to get free entry for you and a family guest, discounts in Eden’s shops, restaurants and cafés plus much more.
Prices -
- Individual £57 Direct Debit (£67 Card)
- Individual Over 60 £50 (£60)
- Individual Family £76 (£89)
- Joint £76 (£89)
- Joint Over 60 £69 (£82)
- Joint Family £86 (£101)
Prices correct at time of publication. This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a commission on any sales we generate from it
Book online and get 10 per cent off. If you take part in the park run events, you get free entry.
National Maritime Museum Cornwall
There is always loads for kids to do at the Falmouth museum, especially during holiday periods. Children will love the play zone while older family members will be fascinated by the new Titanic exhibition.
Buy a ticket £13.95/£6.50 and get free entry for a year. Also if you buy a membership for £35 you can also get free entry to Lost Gardens of Heligan, Trebah Gardens, Minack Theatre, Wheal Martyn and Pinetum Gardens at certain times of the year.
Lappa Valley
Located just outside Newquay, journey into the park on one of the beautiful steam engines and enjoy a host of family-friendly activities including crazy golf, plays areas, a canoeing lake and two further railways.
Admission to Lappa Valley cost £7.50 per person during winter weekends (up to March 28), for all adults and children aged 3-15 years old. Under 2 are free.
If you pay £1 on the day of your visit you can return for up to 4 times for £7.50 per person until November 1.
Great Western Railway offer 2 for 1 tickets if you travel by train to a local station on the day.
You can also get an annual pass for £35 for adults, £33 for 3-15 year olds or £125 for a family of four or £143 for a family of 5.
Newquay Zoo
From the savanna of Africa to the rainforests of South America, there is a lot to discover and enjoy at Cornwall's only zoo, which is committed to animal welfare. There are keeper feeds and talks, activity trails, face painting, a children's play area and maze. There are over 1,000 rare and endangered animals across 13 acres of tropical gardens.
Buy an annual pass before March 30 and pay £49.50 adults / £34.50 children or family £141 that makes it £11 a month for the whole family to go. (Prices will rise by 50p for individuals and £3.50 for family after that date)
If you buy a combined pass for £64 for adults and £44.95 for children you can get into the zoo, Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts Torquay.
Dairyland Farm World
A great place for birthday parties, Dairyland, near Newquay, offers children a working farm experience with all the cute animals … and some that are not so cute. From slides to the nature trail, tractor rides and pony rides, to milking the cows, feeding the animals and touring the museums, there is a lot to keep you occupied. There's also the hugely popular Bull Pen play area, which is an ideal destination on rainy days.
Santa is visiting until December 24 and you can see the Christmas lights, along with Santa's singing reindeer chorus. There is also a craft cave where families can get creative including making gingerbread people.
Dairyland is offering entry for one adult and a child for £9.95 and any additional child is £5 until March.
After that it will be £12.25 adults, £9.75 children (over 80cm) but you can save with a family of 3 ticket for £30, family of 4 for £39 and family of 5 for £47.
Screech Owl Sanctuary
Another great place for animal encounters, the St Columb haven for owls also offers flying displays and a chance to meet the meerkats.
Buy an annual pass for £30 adults / £20 children instead of paying £12 / £9 so you only need to go four times to cover your costs - it also gives you 10 per cent of experiences. There are also £2 off per person entry vouchers on the website.
Lost Gardens of Heligan
The closest kids will get to exploring a jungle in Cornwall is at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, there's a network of magical gardens, woodland walks, an animal barn and farmland brimming with interest and intrigue; and with more than 200 acres at the former hidden gardens near Mevagissey – enough room to tire the most energetic little legs.
If you buy a membership for £35 you can also get free entry to National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Trebah Gardens, Minack Theatre, Wheal Martyn and Pinetum Gardens.
You can also buy a locals pass during March for £16 for adults and £8 for 5-17 years and family of 2 adults and up to 3 children £45. Under 7 are free.
Looe Monkey Sanctuary
Set among beautiful woodland and nestled into the side of the south Cornish coast between Looe and Seaton, Looe Monkey Sanctuary cares for a range of different species of rescued monkeys, giving visitors an intimate insight into a working sanctuary.
The sanctuary opens on April 1. It is open on weekends until October.
It is also open Wednesday to Fridays during school holidays, and Easter Monday.
Get 10 per cent off entry online, a family ticket will save just under £3 and if you combine entry with Eden, you can get reduced rates too.
Trebah Gardens
Discover the magic of this beautiful Cornish valley garden of Trebah Gardens with over four miles of footpath. Explore under canopies bursting with exotic blooms. Follow vibrant tunnels of colour that cascade down to its very own secluded beach on the Helford River.
If you buy a membership for £35 you can also get free entry to Lost Gardens of Heligan, National Maritime Museum, Minack Theatre, Wheal Martyn and Pinetum Gardens.
Blue Reef Aquarium
Get up close and personal with over 40 maritime habitats on a journey from Cornish waters to exotic seas at the Newquay aquarium. See sharks, rays and octopuses in the underwater tunnel.
Get £2 off entry on the App for Cornwall. Also reduced prices by booking online saving more than £1 per person and you can buy family tickets for a reduced rate.
Porfell Wildlife Park
Visit Cornwall’s biggest exotic animal sanctuary. Porfell Wildlife Park is a wild family attraction only a few miles from Looe in South East Cornwall. It offers sanctuary to many different animals from around the world.
Reopening at half term, you can buy an annual pass for £40 adults / £25 children when entry is £10 / £7.
Cinemas
With cinemas in Helston, Falmouth, Redruth, St Ives and Penzance, Merlin Cinemas are a great place to relax and watch the latest films, music and theatre experiences.
The best deal is the mini Merlin screenings, when tickets are just £1.99 each.
WTW Cinemas have cinemas in Truro, Newquay, St Austell and Wadebridge.
Mondays are ‘Monday Super Saver Day’, with tickets for all shows just £5 each, and each cinema accepts Meerkat Movie vouchers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
