Are you looking for a thrilling family day out at an attraction that doesn’t exploit animals? Great news! There’s a growing number of UK theme parks that don’t display animals or have petting zoos. Check out PETA’s top attractions for a fun-filled, animal-friendly day out for the whole family.
Blackgang Chine
Isle of Wight
Open since the 1840s, this park has themed worlds to feed your imagination. No animals are exploited for entertainment here – puppeteers charm the crowds by playing a range of characters, including baby dinosaurs, fairies, and dodos. Vegan options on offer at the Chine Café include a sausage roll, a burger, and goujons and chips. For a sweet treat, try the vegan brownie or ginger cake.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool, Lancashire
This historic and iconic theme park has a wide range of attractions, rides, and evening theatre shows. Ride white-knuckle rollercoasters until 10 pm, then check into one of the park’s two hotels and start all over again the next day. You can try a vegan sausage roll or spicy bean slice at Ice Lounge, jacket potatoes at various cafés, and vegan snacks at WG Beans Coffee.
Butlin’s
Bognor Regis, West Sussex; Skegness, Lincolnshire; and Minehead, Somerset
All three Butlin’s resorts are now animal-free! With a host of fabulous new live shows and a wide selection of delicious vegan dishes added to its menus, Butlin’s certainly offers food for thought when considering where to book your next holiday. Don’t miss out on seeing the animatronic T-Rex and other lifelike animals. There is a plethora of vegan options for breakfast as well as sweet treats, jacket potatoes, bangers and mash, curry, burgers, and a chocolate brownie. Note that vegan food choices may vary at each location.Clacton Pier
Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
After hearing from PETA, Clacton Pier made the compassionate decision to close its SeaQuarium and rehome the aquatic animals who lived there. The attraction now has an animatronic dinosaur exhibit and cutting-edge virtual aquariums. There is also ten-pin bowling, golf, and an arcade. Make sure you factor in a visit to the Discovery Bay soft play area for a vegan pizza.Codona’s Amusement Park
Aberdeen, Scotland
This family-run theme park by the beach has a host of animal-free activities, including ten-pin bowling, thrill rides, adventure golf, go-karts, water rides, virtual reality games, and arcades. It also has a range of vegan options at the Lucky Strike restaurant. Try the vegan hotdog, Plant Based Chick Free Burger, pizza, or dirty fries.
Dreamland Margate
Margate
Dreamland has it all: dozens of rides, a retro arcade, art installations, a whole host of magnificent musical performances, and delicious vegan food. There’s a mix of vintage and new rides to choose from, but don’t miss the Scenic Railway – this wooden rollercoaster is the oldest in the UK! Head to Cinque Ports for a beer-battered banana blossom taco loaded with guacamole and pink pickled onions, The Sea Shanty for vegan fish and chips, or Rad Burger for the Vegan Cali, featuring a plant-based patty, double vegan cheese, Cali sauce, crispy onions, pickles, and lettuce.Fantasy Island
Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire
This family beach-side amusement park has more than 30 rides and attractions from rollercoasters and tree-top adventure climbing to classic arcades. There is caravan accommodation for holidaymakers, and – shopaholics, take note – the site also hosts a large outdoor market with over 300 stalls. Head over to The Ranch to try its sweet potato and pea burger.
Funland
Hayling Island, Hampshire
This family-friendly coastal theme park, with video games, rollercoasters, dodgems, and a pirate-themed golf course, has a selection of vegan options like veggie nuggets and soya milk for drinks.
Hidden Valley
Launceston, Cornwall
Hidden Valley hosts a great range of family-friendly attractions. Get lost in the maze, then hop on the Porterswick Junction Light Railway and stop off at the café on your way back for a vegan pasty, panini, or jacket potato. It also has a vegan flapjack or tiffin for dessert.
Joyland
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
The only animal exhibit you’ll find at this attraction is the famous Super Snails ride! With a range of other amusements to experience and a choice of delicious burgers or hot dogs at the American diner, you can enjoy a family day out and avoid animal suffering, too.
Lightwater Valley Theme Park
North Stainley, North Yorkshire
This park is designed with children under 12 in mind. Rides include water slides, rollercoasters, and pirate boats, and there are also soft play areas and adventure playgrounds. Vegan cheese toasties and jacket potatoes are available at The Hungry Dragon. Try the fishless fillet and chips at Big Fish Trading Co or vegan burger and vegan hot dog at The Grill.
Sundown Adventureland
Rampton, Nottinghamshire
From rides to play areas and castles to sing-a-long shows, you won’t be disappointed at this theme park. Suitable for under 10s, you can choose from 30 different rides and attractions. For a bite to eat, there are vegan nuggets and fries, a vegan burger, or jacket potatoes.
Thorpe Park Resort
Chertsey, Surrey
From family-friendly water slides and games to hair-raising rollercoasters and fright-night events, there’s something for everyone at this top park resort. Vegan meals are available at most of the park’s restaurants and coffee shops, including The Veggie Box Café, The Last Call Café, and Vibes Bar and Kitchen.
Zip World
Multiple Locations
Zip World is home to the UK’s only underground trampoline-style adventure as well as Titan, Europe’s largest zip zone. Whether you want to try something new or enjoy an adrenaline-fueled ride, make sure you visit one of its locations dotted across England and Wales. There are vegan options on all its menus, including a veggie sausage bap, spicy falafel burger, and pizzas that can be made vegan on request. Note that vegan food choices may vary at each location.
Animals Are Not Ours to Use for Entertainment
Animals exploited at tourist attractions endure the misery of confinement, separation from their families, and forced interaction with humans. Keeping animals imprisoned for life in small enclosures to amuse children for a few fleeting minutes is inhumane, outdated, and cruel. Please help by never visiting any theme parks or other attractions that keep animals for displays, performances, petting, rides, encounters, or any other entertainment purposes.
The only reason highly intelligent and sensitive animals are still suffering in cages and aquatic prisons is because tourists buy tickets to see them. Please urge TUI to cut ties with SeaWorld and stop selling tickets to the marine abusement park:
