Animal-Friendly Family Days Out in the UK
Need something to entertain the kids? Look no further. From adventure parks to interactive museum exhibits and lots of vegan food, there are plenty of ways to keep the entire family happy on a day out – without harming animals.
Brockwell
LidoHerne Hill, London
There is plenty of space to splash about at Brockwell Lido’s huge 50-metre pool. Make sure you grab a bite to eat after a long swimming session – try the Tofu brunch, featuring scrambled tofu, smashed avocado, piquillo and hot pickled peppers, and rocket. Other options include The Dirty pizza which includes vegan bratwurst sausage, vegan mozzarella, guindilla chillis, tomato, crispy shallots, and sriracha mayo. Make sure you try the alphonso mango sorbet for dessert.Edinburgh
CastleEdinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Castle, overlooking the Royal Mile in the city centre, has been used as a prison, royal residence, and military fortress, and it’s now a popular tourist attraction. The Redcoat Café has vegan delights such as Vegan Stovie Pie consisting of vegan sausage, green lentils, onion, and potato, and various salads. A vegan afternoon tea is available at The Tea Rooms. For those exploring more of the city’s famous sites, vegan options – including soya milk for hot drinks and vegan cake – are available at all of Historic Environment Scotland’s castles and monuments with cafés on-site.Eureka! The National Children’s Museum
Halifax
On this fun-packed family day out, kids aged up to 11 can focus on the serious business of play, with hundreds of interactive exhibits designed to inform little minds about themselves and the world around them. The café offers some great options, from a vegan tuna salad bowl to a roast vegetable panini. The children’s menu includes vegan nuggets and chips, pasta with garlic bread and that all-time favourite, pizza.Gravity
Multiple Locations
Gravity’s 21 locations across the UK offer a host of activities, including bowling, golf, and digital darts – all under one roof. It’s a great place to eat, too, thanks to its impressive plant-based menu that’s packed with burgers, hotdogs, and more.Hillside Animal Sanctuary
Norfolk
Hillside Animal Sanctuary is the UK’s largest rescue centre for animals who were exploited on farms. Over 4,000 animals live there, including horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, ostriches, deer, and dogs. Visitors can read the rescue stories of the residents and learn about the miserable plight of those exploited for food or clothing. Just make sure you check which days it is open to visitors, and be sure to stop by the vegan café, which serves snacks, sandwiches, soup, cakes, and ice cream.Hopefield Animal Sanctuary
Essex
Sitting on 53 acres of glorious countryside, this sanctuary is home to around 600 rescued animals, including those who were exploited on farms and reindeer, reptiles, and birds of prey. The fully vegan café is named after the late bull, Max, and options include jacket potatoes with vegan cheese, sandwiches, nuggets, toasties, and a range of cakes. Visit Friday to Monday for a family day out that you know is friendly to all animals.Jubilee Pool
Penzance, Cornwall
Located on the beach, Jubilee Pool is the largest seawater lido in the UK and has a geothermally heated section. You can even bring your animal companion to the café terrace and enjoy a delicious bite to eat. The Jubilee Pool Café menu changes weekly and includes vegan main meals like crispy fried enoki mushrooms, and a Saturday brunch menu that features a vegan sausage bap. Opt for the butternut squash nut roast on Sunday for a delicious hearty meal. It all makes for a perfect day out for everyone.Jump In
Multiple Locations
This popular indoor trampoline club and adventure park has 10 locations where kids can jump and play all day – and then refuel with delicious vegan food at the Jump In Cafe. You can choose a jacket potato or fill up with a Vegan Pepper-no-ni pizza.Kew Gardens
Kew, Richmond
Home of the Royal Botanic Gardens and a collection of botanical specimens from around the world, Kew Gardens is the perfect day out for nature-lovers. Kew has pledged to promote vegan food as part of its climate policy by moving vegan dishes to the top of menus and including information on vegan dishes’ low-carbon and biodiversity benefits. All eateries have good vegan choices, and highlights include a delicious BBQ aubergine dish with smoked pine nut praline at the Botanical Brasserie. At the Family Kitchen Restaurant, you can order a Plant Dog, roasted veggie taco, and an array of pizzas; just ask for plant-based mozzarella. What’s more, the Pavilion Bar and Grill went fully vegan for the summer of 2022 – fantastic!Kidspace
Romford and Croydon, London
Experience the wonders of the deep sea without harming the animals who live there by visiting Europe’s first oceanarium at Kidspace Romford. This virtual aquarium has built-in sensors and touch screens for an interactive, fun-filled experience – shrimp, crabs, whales, and playful fish follow you as you immerse yourself in the beauty of the ocean. Children can get creative at both the Romford and Croydon locations by bringing their animal drawings to life on screen in the Draw Alive! activity. Refuel between exciting adventures by grabbing a stonebaked pizza with vegan cheese. You can get a veggie burger at the Croydon location without the mayonnaise or sausage bap without the spread.Midlands Arts Centre
Birmingham
Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham is the place for theatre, dance, cinema, music, spoken word, comedy, exhibitions, special events, and vegan food. At the café, you’ll find delights such as jacket potato with vegan cheese and baked beans; pizza with vegan cheese; curry; and children’s vegan options. Head for Sunday lunch, and you can enjoy a sweet potato and red onion seeded tart with stuffing and seasonal vegetables.Saltdean Lido
Brighton
Saltdean Lido is a place to relax or splash about on a sunny afternoon. Known for its annual Dogtember sessions, this pool sees one of the biggest canine swimming events in the UK. And that’s not all – the Lido hosts a gym, exercise classes, a library, a working space, community workshops, and more. For a bite to eat, choose from the vegan breakfast skillet or scrambled tofu on toast from the all-day brunch menu at Deco Café. At the Deco Restaurant, enjoy a beetroot vegan burger with mayonnaise and a side of rosemary salted fries or the Sunday roast of squash, walnut, and spinach wellington with garlic and thyme potatoes and seasonal vegetables.Stubbers Adventure Centre
Upminster, Essex
Choose from activities ranging from archery to banana boating, kayaking to laser combat. You can even enjoy a family camping weekend here. There are a few café spots that offer dairy-free milk in hot drinks, and savoury items. Options include beans and vegan cheese on toast, a vegan sausage roll, or jacket potatoes with cheese.The Art House
Eastbourne, East Sussex
Let your creative juices flow at this arty café. Drop in any time or book ahead for pottery painting, and head to the kids’ zone for a range of creative and educational activities. In 2024, the Art House Café decided to specialise in vegan and vegetarian dishes for health reasons. You’ll always find great choices on the ever-changing menu, whether that be salads, soups, curries, milkshakes, or waffles.The Eden Project
Cornwall
The Eden Project is a unique way to learn about our natural world. It has two massive biomes packed with rainforest plants and plenty of ways to explore them. Adventure is calling! The environmentally friendly site also has vegan options at all its cafés. Select an Indian squash curry at Biome Kitchen, red bean pâté and crunchy vegetable sandwich at Eden Coffee House, or a bean burger or loaded nachos at Stage Café. There’s a special treat for kids (and big kids), too: fishless fingers or vegan nuggets!The Flicka Foundation Donkey Sanctuary
Cornwall
Visit this safe haven for over 100 donkeys and horses who have been rescued from abuse, neglect, and abandonment. During the summer, nearly all of them will be out in the paddocks, and in the winter, they spend their days in a warm and cosy environment. The vegan café sells cakes and light snacks, and all proceeds go to the charity. Open Thursday to Sunday, the sanctuary offers tours where you can learn about the animals. This day out will be fun, educational, and enjoyable for everyone.The Making of
Harry PotterLeavesden, Hertfordshire
Explore the world of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, which now has more delicious vegan options than ever before. You’ll find vegan fish and chips, pizza, burgers, a gnocchi and camembert sharer, a full English, blueberry, strawberry and vegan cream pancake stack, and more at the studio’s food outlets. There’s even an extra-special vegan afternoon tea that includes smoked salmon sandwiches, sausage rolls, and butterbeer rock cakes. So grab your Firebolt and pack your trunk because you’re about to embark on a magical journey filled with so many vegan offerings that even Ron will feel full for once. Check out the food highlights.The Retreat
Animal RescueKent
This vegan-run rescue has saved over 20,000 animals in 30 years and houses over 1,250 residents. Become friends with cows, pigs, turkeys, and chickens, to name a few. There’s no need to pack lunch, as delicious vegan food is available on-site in the vegan café. Try their Fish Kind Finger Sandwich, Chicken Kind Burger, or Cheeze and Rasher Toastie. With advance booking, you can stay at one of the rescue’s lodges, go on a tour, and enjoy Prosecco and vegan chocolates as part of the tour. Open Thursday to Sunday from March to November, this sanctuary is a must-visit.Vegan Events UK
Multiple Locations
The team at Vegan Events UK runs vegan festivals nationwide throughout the year, which have stalls, talks, cookery demos, yoga, live music, and entertainment. Children’s activities include making animal masks and face-painting.Waterworld
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
An epic adventure for the whole family awaits. Enjoy over 30 rides and attractions including the UK’s first trap door waterslide. You can also bask in the outdoor pool or play mini golf. If you get a bit peckish, try the vegan nuggets and fries, a jacket potato, or Thai plant-based fishcake with salad garnish at the Water’s Edge Restaurant and Café.York Maze
York
Ever wanted to visit the largest maze in Europe? Head to York for this a-maze-ing day out and visit the giant Maize Maze, made up of over 1 million maize plants. This is just one of over 20 attractions at York Maze and one of six mazes to explore. There’s also a cobstacle course, a climbing frame, golf, quad biking, foam party, and more. In 2024, York Maze made the compassionate decision to replace pig racing with Cornula 1 – watch and cheer your chosen Cob-Kart on towards the finish line.
What You Can Do for Animals Used in Entertainment
Holiday attractions and tourism sites and activities still profit from cruelty to animals in the name of entertainment. Being aware of the abuse allows us to make informed choices when planning a day out – and we can help end the cruelty by refusing to support it and by speaking up for animals used in exploitative industries.
