Liverpool & Merseyside
All agesThe beach is free to visit. 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
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Parks and outdoors
Parks and outdoor days out in Sefton
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 9 parks and outdoor days out in Sefton: 7 free to get in, 2 with an indoor part. 1 is closed for now and sits at the end of the list. Opening times, prices and ages come from each venue's own website and every card says when it was last checked.
9 places7 free to get in2 indoors or part indoors
The list
Sponsored listings are marked. Closed places are at the end.
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
Photo: Gareth James , CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCrosby Coastal Park and Marine Lake
Waterloo and Crosby
All agesNo entry charge is stated. Car parks are pay and display.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
Photo: Mat Fascione, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCrosby 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
Photo: Emma White, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsFarmer 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 18 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 18 Oct
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
All agesFree to visit. Parking costs £4, paid at the ticket machine near the Learning Centre.
Checked by FamDays on 28 Oct
Photo: Stuart Wilding, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAll agesFree to visit the beach and the artwork. Nearby car parks are pay and display.
Checked by FamDays on 18 Oct
Closed until 2027From £6.50
Southport Model Railway Village
Kings Gardens, Southport
All agesAdult £8.50, child £6.50, under 3s free, 65 and over or student £7.50, carer £5 with ID, family (2 adults and 2 children) £25. Card or contactless preferred.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
Questions parents ask
Which parks and outdoor days out in Sefton are free?
Ainsdale Beach, Botanic Gardens, Churchtown, Crosby Coastal Park and Marine Lake, Formby beach and pinewoods (National Trust), Hesketh Park and Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve and others do not charge general admission according to their own websites. Parking may still be charged.
What is the cheapest paid day out in Sefton in this list?
Farmer Ted's Adventure Farm, from £15.50, the lowest general admission on its website on the day we checked.
Which parks and outdoor days out in Sefton are indoors for a wet day?
Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre and Farmer Ted's Adventure Farm have an indoor part. Our rainy day guide covers the whole county.
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Local parent insider tips
Before you set off
- Check the tide before the beachCrosby's Iron Men are covered for about an hour either side of high water and the council warns of soft sand and mud, so stay within 50 metres of the promenade. At West Kirby, Hilbre Island is only reachable on a falling tide. Liverpool Gladstone Dock tide times cover both.
- Book the big ones, turn up to the small onesThe safari park, the big soft plays and anything with a timed entry sell out in school holidays. Parks, beaches, most museums and the libraries never do. Every card says whether you need to book.
- Train beats car for the coast and the centreMerseyrail stops next to the beach at Crosby, Freshfield and Southport, and under the museums at Liverpool Central. Under 5s travel free and a Saveaway covers the day after 9.30 on weekdays and all day at weekends.
- How we checkEvery listing is rechecked against the venue's own website every week, and each card shows the date it was last confirmed. If something has changed since, the Tell us link on every page reaches a person who fixes it.
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.