I've found the cheapest annual passes for top attractions across UK – from just £6 a year
FOR 13 weeks a year, parents with school-age kids scramble to find enough activities to fill the endless holiday days... without also breaking the bank.
My sons are seven and nine, and I am always on the hunt for ways to occupy them in their time off.
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Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse is a brilliant bargain hunter when it comes to kids' activities
Credit: Catherine Lofthouse
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The Roald Dahl Children's museum in Bucks is fun for kids under 10
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Bus and train fans love the London Transport Museum
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If you're planning to visit attractions in the UK this summer, it's worth stealing this tip to future-proof your family fun days - and save a lot of money!
Sometimes
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As well as some brilliant,
Sometimes, that means after just one extra visit, you can go as
House of fun
I love a bargain and think I might have found the cheapest annual pass for my family, right here on my doorstep.
The 1620s House and Gardens near Coalville is a medieval manor house run by
Children can get in free with their
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Parking is free, so that's another huge bonus.
We love doing the
The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park
The attraction also hosts outdoor theatre productions and is a glimpse into Jacobean life, with the family who lived here linked to one of the
The old barn is now a tearoom, which often offers children's craft activities and
Our favourite is dressing up for Pirate Day in August, when families sing sea shanties, learn how to handle a pretend cutlass and finish up with a huge wet sponge fight around a cardboard box pirate ship on the lawn.
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Some activities do cost a bit extra and are not included with your annual ticket, but we never spend very much.
This underrated place is such a find and there are places just like this all around the UK.
If you don't live
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Catherine's kids love Pirate Day at the 1620s House and Gardens near Coalville
Credit: Catherine Lofthouse
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Cardiff Castle is right in the middle of the city - and if you live or work nearby, you're entitled to a 'Key to the Castle'
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Cardiff Castle
This impressive building should be a must-see for anyone spending time in the
I was fascinated to find out how hidden tunnels were used to keep locals safe during the
If you live or work in the city, you're entitled to a Key to the Castle, which gives you free access for three years.
There's a £7.50 admin charge for adults, but it's free for children, so a one-adult family visiting
Preston Park, Stockton-on-Tees
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A children's climbing frame in Preston Park Stockton-on-Tees
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At Preston Park, one adult and three children can get admission all year round for £10, so if I took my boys twice a month, it would cost 42p a visit, as it's open all year-round except most Mondays.
This is a
Head to the skatepark to watch or test your balance, let kids loose in the adventure playground or have a mini adventure on one of the designated
There's also a Victorian street where visitors can buy sweets or find out about the lives of ironmongers, printers, grocers, drapers, chemists, police officers and blacksmiths.
The museum has galleries about
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SeaCity Museum, Southampton
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SeaCity Museum in Southampton is a very cool building
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I can highly recommend a visit here. I had almost as much fun as the kids.
There is a whole area about about the
We all enjoyed the immersive nature of the exhibition about the 'unsinkable' ship, which made its maiden and final voyage from Southampton Docks.
An annual pass costs £25.65 when booked online in advance for one adult and three children, so if you visited twice a month, it would cost £1.07 per visit.
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There's also a great cafe downstairs where you can get snacks and drinks and it's lovely to see an old building being repurposed.
Scottish Wildlife Trust
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The Falls of Clyde at New Lanark
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It's easy to overlook the wildlife trusts that we have across the UK, but they can offer great value for money if your annual membership includes car parking on multiple sites.
Up in Scotland, wildlife trust family membership is £5 a month and includes access to visitor centres, which is usually £6.50 per adult and free for children.
Or, if your child has a
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If you do plump for family membership and use it twice a month, it will cost £2.50 per visit.
London Transport Museum
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The London Transport Museum is inside a former Victorian fruit and vegetable market
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There are loads of great free museums in London, but they can get very busy in the summer months.
Instead, opt for one with an annual pass, like the London Transport Museum.
My boys love it here and it's packed with
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For young
Its location in
Adults pay £25 and kids go free, so if you visit twice a month, it will cost you £1.04 each trip.
Jewry Wall, Leicester
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The Jewry Wall Museum, Leicester is built around the remains of a Roman bathhouse
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This museum based around the nine-metre high remains of a city centre bathhouse has been closed since 2017 and will
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History fans can boast they have seen one of the tallest surviving sections of
It dates from about AD 160, although younger kids might not appreciate how unique it is.
While it's no longer free to visit, the Roman Explorer Pass means you can pay once and visit all year round.
A family of four will cost £32, so if we visit twice a month, it will be £1.33 per trip.
City of Norwich Aviation Museum
If you have a fan of flying in the family,
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This museum in Norwich even has free entry for children aged under eight, so you could save money if your little one is still tiny.
There has also been a 'kids for a quid' scheme over the last couple of school holidays, so keep a lookout in case that makes a return
The annual pass is only £40 for two adults and three children aged 8-16 years anyway, so if I took my family twice a month, it would be £1.66 per visit.
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Planes at the Norwich Aviation Museum
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Little bookworms will love it here at the Roald Dahl Museum
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Roald Dahl Museum, Bucks
Little bookworms who are fans of
The centre, which is in Buckinghamshire, has digital games, painting and crafts and children's workshops. Ideal for children under 10.
At £42 for one adult and three children for the year, two visits a month would cost £1.75 per trip.
British Motor Museum, Coventry
With two buildings packed full of motor vehicles, there's plenty to keep everyone happy for hours here - especially kids who love cars.
There's a playground next to the car park and extra kids' activities during the school holidays, so you'll definitely want to make a return visit or two if you live close to Norwich.
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At £46 for a family of four or £52 for a family of five, getting an annual pass for my boys and me would work out at £1.92 per trip if we visited twice a month.
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A classic red mini at the British Motor Museum
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Murton Park farming museum
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Murton Park, York
Spread across 14 acres of countryside, you're bound to find something to keep everyone happy, whether you like playgrounds, farm animals, trips on a miniature railway or living history.
Just outside York is home to the Yorkshire Museum of Farming, the park also hosts immersive reenactment events and a monthly kids' club – all included in the price.
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At £48 for an annual pass for two adults and three children, visiting twice a month would cost £2 per trip.
The Story of Emily, Liskeard
This one might not seem an obvious choice for family-friendly fun, but if you've got older children interested in history, this could be a good call.
The attraction
Set in the rectory where she grew up, the museum's recently opened War Rooms give a glimpse into the world she experienced during the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa.
The new family pass is £45 for one adult and two children, with the option to add extra children for £5 each.
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Two trips a month for my three kids and me would be £2.08 per visit.
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Tram fans can ride on vintage vehicles at Crich Tramway Museum
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Crich Tramway Museum, Derbyshire
My boys love riding the
There's an indoor play area for kids under 10, as well as an outdoor
Tickets for a family of five booked online in advance cost £52, so that would work out at £2.17 per trip if visited twice a month.
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Ironbridge Valley of Invention, Telford
This World Heritage Site boasts multiple museums, including Blists Hill Victorian Town and Enginuity, which offers hands-on science and engineering fun.
You can buy day tickets or pay to visit the museums separately, but an annual pass covers all the attractions for the whole year.
At £61 for one adult and up to four children, it would cost £2.54 per trip to go twice a month.
It just goes to show that you don't have to fork out hundreds to get annual memberships to historic houses, museums or nature reserves.
While spending more for the likes of
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The Big Summer Theatre Event
SUN Club members can enjoy the cheapest tickets in town and save up to 60 per cent on theatre shows with The Big Summer Theatre Event!
London Theatre Direct's Big Summer Theatre Event is a must for all theatre fans.
The event includes all your favourite West End musicals and plays – including Tina, Back to the Future, Clueless, The Play That Goes Wrong, Stranger Things, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and more.
How to book
Step 1: To book your London Theatre Direct tickets head to the
Step 2: Select the Theatre Tickets tile, click
Step 3: Choose your theatre show and look for the dates marked with stars to check out our exclusive sale prices. Prices show the exclusive Sun Club member savings.
Step 4: Your exclusive 10 per cent additional discount will be automatically applied.
Step 5: Enter your details in the checkout and pay. You will then receive an email with your tickets.
Offer is open to UK residents aged 18+ only. Save an additional 10 per cent off tickets. Offer ends at 23:59pm on Monday, July 7, 2025. Full T&Cs apply, see below.
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