Head to Leeds for a great family break
Take a trip to the bustling city this half term and discover the many fun and educational activities it has to offer
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Your support makes all the difference.Leeds is a bustling city with vast parklands, quirky galleries and niche museums to explore at your leisure. The owl trail that winds through Leeds is a great way to start seeing the city with kids, and getting a feel for its heritage. Look for an owl, Leeds’s unofficial symbol, at each of the 25 locations marked on the trail map (www.leedsowltrail.com) which takes you to Millennium Square, Leeds Museum, St Anne’s Cathedral and many other local landmarks. And if you fancy something more involved, here are five ideas for great days out as a family.
Delve deep at the National Coal Mining Museum
Grab a hard hat and lamp, then descend 140 metres below the surface into England’s last deep coal mine (above) to discover what it was like to work in the coal mines through the centuries. Your guide will be a real miner who will share their experiences and bring to life the different ages of mining, from Victorian times to modern day.
Tour costs £5, prebooking is recommended; ncm.org.uk
Awaken their warrior spirit
The largest collection of arms, armour and artillery in the UK has been amassed in a spectacular display across the five floors of the Royal Armouries Museum. Six galleries group the collected items into themes of war, tournament, oriental, self-defence, hunting and peace, and include some fantastical creations from the Lord of the Rings movies. Exhilarating sword-fighting demonstrations happen at selected times, so check before visiting to avoid disappointment.
Free entry; royalarmouries.org
A delightfully disgusting workshop
You may need a strong stomach to take a look at some of the exhibits in the Thackray Medical Museum, which delights and disgusts in that equal measure so beloved by children. Well you can push them to the limits now with a special pus and pimples special effects workshop that sees them craft the perfect smallpox blemish or plague bubo using techniques from stage and film.
Under -5s free, children £4.50, adults £7.20; workshop from October 20, £3 per wound, prebooking recommended; thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk
Stay for a spell beneath the stars
The dramatic ruins of a Cistercian monastery will provide a special backdrop to an outdoor screening of Hocus Pocus this half-term at Kirkstall Abbey. The cult Halloween flick from the Nineties starring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker sees a boy accidentally summon three witches who are hell- bent on consuming the souls of the children of Salem, Massachusetts.
October 26-27; children £12, adults £15; sneakyexperience.co.uk
More destinations to discover this half term
Discover an exotic urban oasis
Tropical World has the largest collection of tropical plants outside Kew Gardens and boasts a variety of rainforest, aquatic and desert habitats for its collection of animals and insects to call home. You can see exotic birds by climbing up to the roof of the forest, marvel at the meerkats in this compact Yorkshire desert, and get up close to all sorts of critters in the creature corner.
Under-5s free, 5-15s £3.10, adults £6.20; tropicalworld.leeds.gov.uk
Think the car is the cheapest option for a family day out or getaway? Think again. With the LNER Family Return ticket, up to two adults and four children can travel for one great fixed price, starting from just £59*. Leave the car at home and hop onboard an LNER train for a hassle-free trip. With savings of up to £315** for families, why wouldn’t you get the train? Book your Family Return now
*Ticket must be booked at least 7 days in advance.
**Based on a weighted average of all Advance journeys sold on routes offering the LNER Family Return ticket.
For more great half term ideas, click here