All agesOrdinary public park. Activities at the activity centre run by Merseyside Youth Challenge Trust (abseiling, orienteering, holiday camps, parties) are separate and not priced on the council page.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
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Parks and outdoors
Parks, beaches and outdoor days out across Merseyside
Parks, country parks, beaches, woods and gardens. Most are open all day and free to walk into, so the useful details are the parking, the toilets and whether the paths take a buggy.
FamDays has checked 38 parks and outdoor days out across Merseyside and nearby: 21 free to get in, 6 with an indoor part. Opening times, prices and ages come from each venue's own website and every card says when it was last checked.
38 places21 free to get in6 indoors or part indoors
The list
Sponsored listings are marked. Closed places are at the end.
All agesThe council page lists no admission charge for the park. Angling on the lakes needs a permit (fee not stated on the park page).
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
All agesSummer day ticket: adult £13.50, child aged 3 and over £14.50, children aged 2 or under free; all activities and parking included. Tickets on the door cost a little more. Season ticket (adult £36.50, child £39.50) shown as sold out. Play Barn weekend entry: under 12 months free, children aged 1 and over £5, adults £2. Grimstage event prices not captured.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
All agesOrdinary public park. Miniature railway rides are free, donations welcome. Storybarn sessions are ticketed through The Reader (prices not shown on the page fetched). Angling permit required for the lake.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
All agesThe country park is a public park with a free car park. Hall guided tours, the miniature railway and Croxteth Park Farm may be charged; no prices are given on the council or Liverpool City Halls pages fetched.
Checked by FamDays on
All agesNo admission charge is listed; car parking is paid.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
All agesNo admission charge is listed; the council describes the playground as "freely accessible".
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
All agesNo admission charge is listed by the council.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
Photo: Peter from Liverpool, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAll agesNo admission charge. Pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users enter free. Car parking is £9.00 per car at either Victoria Road or Lifeboat Road for non members. A payment covers one car park only and cannot be transferred to the other.
Checked by FamDays on
All agesNo admission charge is listed by the council. Mini golf is listed as a facility; any charge is not stated.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
Photo: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsMersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise
Pier Head
All agesAdult (16 and over) £14.00, child (5 to 15) £9.00, under 5s free, concession (over 60s and student card holders) £12.50. Family ticket for 2 adults and up to 2 children £39.00; 2 adults and 3 children £42.00. Online tickets can be used on any date or time.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
Photo: Jeff Buck, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsNew Brighton Beach and Marine Lake
New Brighton
All agesWirral Council does not publish a dedicated page for New Brighton beach or the Marine Lake, so admission (presumed open foreshore) and any lake charges could not be confirmed from an official source.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
All agesOrdinary public park. An angling permit is required to fish in the lakes.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
All agesPark, promenade and skatepark are free. The Adventure Centre (adventure mini golf, go karting, inflatable pillow) and its cafe are managed independently and charged separately; prices are not on the council page.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
All agesOrdinary public park. An angling permit is required to fish in the lake.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
All agesNo admission charge is listed; car parking is paid. Fishing on the lake needs a permit. Miniature railway rides are run by a separate society (Wirral Model Engineering Society) and are promoted on its Facebook page; any ride charge is not stated by the council.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
All agesNo admission charge is listed by the council.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
All agesOrdinary public park. The council does not state park opening hours or parking charges. Tennis courts are free but booked via Clubspark; an angling permit is needed to fish.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
All agesOrdinary public park. An angling permit is required to fish in the lakes. The Isla Gladstone Conservatory is a commercial venue for lunches and events.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
All agesNo admission charge is listed by the council. The walking leaflet says car parking is free.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
Photo: Stuart Wilding, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsOpen access
All agesThe council pages state no charge to view the artwork or use the beach, but do not use the word free. Car parks at Hall Road, Crosby Leisure Centre (Mariners Road) and Crosby Lakeside are pay and display; tariffs are not published on the pages fetched.
Checked by FamDays on
All agesOrdinary public park. An angling permit is required to fish in the lake.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
Photo: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWest Kirby Marine Lake and Beach
West Kirby
All agesWalking the lake wall and beach is not charged on any council page found. Using the lake is charged: the council fees directory lists a Marine Lake day ticket of £14.35 for 2025/26 and £14.90 for 2026/27 (for bringing your own craft), and the council news site quotes Pay and Play hire of kayaks, paddleboards and Funboats at £18 per hour per craft (June 2025). Dee Lane public toilets cost 30p per visit.
Checked by FamDays on 19 Oct
All agesCountry park with no stated entry charge. Car parking is paid (charges on a separate council page, not captured). Bike hire is available and presumably charged.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
Photo: Chris Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre
Burscough
All agesOnline advance prices without Gift Aid: adult £17.10, junior (3 to 17) £11.12, family (2 adults and 2 children aged 3 to 17) £48.11, concession (65 and over, full time student) and young adult (18 to 24) £15.53, under 3 free, carers assisting disabled visitors free. On the day prices: adult £19.00, junior £12.35, family £53.45, concession £17.25. Prices with a Gift Aid donation are higher. The 10 percent online saving applies only to bookings made before midnight the day before the visit. Reduced price Universal Credit tickets available in advance.
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct
Ainsdale Beach
Ainsdale
All agesThe council page does not state an entry charge for the beach itself. Parking on the beach costs £10 all day at Ainsdale, cashless preferred. Season tickets cost £80, or £40 for Sefton residents and drivers of hybrid or electric cars.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Arrowe Country Park
Upton
All agesThe council page states no entry charge. Paid car parking is listed but charges are not shown. Golf and pitch and putt are charged separately through Active Wirral.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Botanic Gardens, Churchtown
Churchtown
All agesThe council page states entrance is free. Mini golf and the cafe are run separately and any charges are not listed.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Court Hey Park
Huyton
All ages
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre
Waterloo
All agesThe council page lists no activity or session prices. Water sports courses are booked through the centre's Eventbrite page, where individual course prices are shown.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Farmer Ted's Adventure Farm
Downholland, near Ormskirk
All agesGeneral admission from 15.50 per person for full day entry; under 1s free; children aged 1 to 3 get a discounted rate (amount not stated). Family ticket from 57.00 for two adults and two children, online only and not available on the gate. Toddler Day Ticket from 13.50 for one adult and one child under 5, valid on selected term time weekdays. An Afternoon Saver rate applies after 2pm (amount not stated). Farmer Christmas (28 November to 24 December 2026, selected dates) adults from 16.50 and children from 26.50. The homepage headline says a whole day of farm fun from under 15 pounds each, which is slightly below the 15.50 stated on the prices page. Proof of age is needed for 65 and over, 12 to 24 month and under 1 tickets. Separate adult and child prices are not listed on the page fetched.
Checked by FamDays on
Halewood Park Triangle
Halewood
All ages
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Open access
All agesNo entry fee is listed on the reserve page. Parking costs £4, paid at the ticket machine near the Learning Centre.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Ness Botanic Gardens
Neston
All agesPrices without Gift Aid: adult £8.50, child 5 to 16 £4.50, under 5s free, family (2 adults and 3 children) £21.50, concession 60 and over or disabled £7.50, students and University of Liverpool staff £1 with ID. Gift Aid prices are about 10 percent higher. RHS members enter free in January and February only, not on bank holidays or event days.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Pickerings Pasture Local Nature Reserve
Halebank, Widnes
All ages
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Sherdley Park
St Helens
All agesThe council page does not mention any entry charge.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Spike Island
West Bank, Widnes
All ages
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Stadt Moers Park
Whiston
All ages
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Questions parents ask
Which parks and outdoor days out across Merseyside are free?
Allerton Towers, Birkenhead Park, Calderstones Park, Croxteth Hall Country Park, Eastham Country Park and Everton Park and others do not charge general admission according to their own websites. Parking may still be charged.
What is the cheapest paid day out across Merseyside in this list?
Ness Botanic Gardens, from £4.50, the lowest general admission on its website on the day we checked.
Which parks and outdoor days out across Merseyside are indoors for a wet day?
Brimstage Farm, Croxteth Hall Country Park, Mersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise, WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre and Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre and others have an indoor part. Our rainy day guide covers the whole county.
Browse another way
Prices shown are the lowest general admission per person on the venue's website on the day we checked. Free means the venue states general entry is free; a child going free with a paying adult does not count. Always check with the venue before you set off.