Lots of local attractions offer discounts if you buy an annual pass or family membership. Here is a Mumbler guide to some of the best family passes and discounts (within roughly an hours drive of Doncaster) to help you save money this year…
We have to kick off with Yorkshire Wildlife Park as their annual pass is really one worth having. Their new Pangea: Discovery of Dinosaurs reserve is now also included in your ticket. Buy an annual pass and visit as many times as you like in the whole year. We have annual passes every year and definitely get our money’s worth. Even in winter, we can pop down for an hour or two and use the indoor play area. A great tip from one of the Mumblers in the Doncaster Mumbler Chat Group was to stagger buying the passes for each member of the family so that you don’t have to renew them all at once! An annual pass for an adult is £79.99 and a child is £69.99 (prices correct summer 2023) . Under 3s are free and don’t require a ticket.
It’s worth keeping your eye on YWPs facebook page as they do sometimes offer some good discounts on annual passes. We got ours in the Black Friday sale with 20% off and at certain times of the year they offer good discounts on passes if you live within 5 miles of the park or if you’re a blue light card holder.
Boston Park Farm and Tearooms are open all year round. Much more than just a farm or a tearoom, there are plenty of things for the kids including an animal trail, indoor soft play area for the under 8’s, a large indoor sandpit and two outdoor play areas. There is also a hay bale pyramid and an undercover bouncy castle. The brilliant Maize Maze is open from mid July until the end of October too. It’s definitely somewhere you can return several times during the year and they also have Little Farmers sessions for babies and toddlers during the week too. An annual pass is £20 for adults, £35 for toddlers (aged 1 & 2) and £50 for children aged 3-12. A family pass for two adults and two children is £105.
Potteric Carr is bursting with places to discover and wildlife to watch, whether you’ve got an hour or a full day. Fully accessible nature paths let you explore a stunning, safe, wetland habitat which is fabulous for bird watching. We have visited in all seasons and put our wellies on if the weather isn’t great, although visiting in the sunshine is really lovely so we often go in the summer holidays. Potteric Carr hosts a wonderful variety of events from Forest Tots and pond dipping to arts and craft sessions in the school holidays. The cafe is great too. A Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Family Membership is £75 per year or £5 per month.
Within an hours drive of Doncaster, buy your ticket once at The Deep and you can visit as many times as you like for a whole year free! We have visited many times since having children and have definitely got our moneys worth! It’s also a great place to take babies as they seem mesmerised by the lights, bubbles and colours. An adult ticket costs £19.75, a child aged 3-15 is £15.50 and children under 3 are free. It’s advisable to book online but the reception team will need to validate your pass on arrival.
Located in Farnsfield and a great day out, at Whitepost Farm you will find fun for all the family. Enjoy indoor and outdoor animal areas as well as multiple play areas, a beach and much more. They also offer educational sessions for 3 – 10yr olds and a variety of animal encounters.
Annual passes are priced at £60 per adult and £57.50 per child.
One of our favourite places to go as a family in any season. Whether we’re going for a walk or taking the kids’ bikes or scooters, there is lots of space to run around and loads of space for picnics. The play areas have had a revamp, plus the splash park is a big hit with my kids in the summer months – this alone makes the family pass great value! You can take a look around the house or farming museum (which also has a ‘little farmers’ area), wander through the walled gardens or tell stories in the woods. There are also ducks to feed (with food purchased from the gift shop) and a little land train. If you are looking for tree top adventures, there is a Go Ape here, but it is charged separately. Valid for a 12 month period from the date of purchase, annual membership prices start from £21. There is an option for up to 7 people if arriving in the same car. This is called ‘Standard Friends and Family’ and costs £36.
When you buy a full price day pass to Magna you can upgrade to an annual pass free of charge! Your pass will allow you and your family members, for whom you have purchased tickets, a further 12 months entry to Magna at no additional cost. This includes access to the brilliant outdoor play areas SCI-TEK and AQUA-TEK (seasonal opening applicable). All you need to do is complete your ‘Many Magna Returns’ form when purchasing your tickets at Magna. Adults are priced at £15.95, children aged 4-15 are £13.95, children aged 2-3 are £6.50. If you book online, just complete the annual pass form on the day of your visit.
The Pink Pig Farm have a great indoor soft play area and role play area, where the kids can use their imagination in a pretend kitchen, veterinary practice etc. There’s lots to do outdoors, with tractor rides and outdoor play areas plus lots of seasonal events too. They are no longer offering annual passes but last year they offered a Summer Pass for £25 per person which included access to all the indoor and outdoor play areas. We will keep an eye out for any similar offers this year and update this blog when the information is available.
An English Heritage site near Doncaster. Membership gives you unlimited access to over 400 historic places for the whole year including Conisbrough Castle, Roche Abbey, Mattersey Priory, Monk Bretton Priory, Gainsborough Old Hall, Bolsover Castle, Rufford Abbey, Hardwick Old Hall, Peveril Castle, Cliffords Tower and York Cold War Bunker. There are quite a few English Heritage sites within easy reach of Doncaster so it would be fairly easy to get the most out of a membership. A family membership for 2 adults and up to 12 children is £120 per year or £10 per month.
Enjoy the freedom and fun of visiting your favourite Gulliver’s attraction as many times as you like. Passports are valid for 12 months from time of purchase. The cost is £99 per person and it includes:
It’s also worth noting that Gulliver’s offers £20 off an annual passport renewal. Just take your expired passport to Gulliver’s and they’ll renew it for £79.
A National Trust Site in Nottinghamshire, easily accessible and within 40 minutes from Doncaster. National Trust have a family membership for 2 adults and their children or grandchildren for £146.40 per year or £12.20 per month. Under 5’s are free. We have a family membership and use it regularly at other National Trust sites such as Nostell Priory and Fountains Abbey. Brimham Rocks is well worth a visit too.
Eureka! The National Children’s Museum. A bit further away (about an hours drive from Doncaster) but well worth the visit. When you pre-book and pay for your first visit you get a free annual pass, giving you unlimited visits for 12 months. Recommended for children aged 0-11 years, it’s a great place with lots of role play. Children can pretend to use a cash point, be a dentist, mechanic, work as an engineer, do some shopping or cooking…we love it. Adults and children aged 3-15 years are £15.95, 1-2 years are £6.95 and under 1s go free.
The National Tramway Museum is a tram museum located at Crich, in Derbyshire. The museum contains over 60 trams built between 1873 and 1982 and is set within a recreated period village containing a working pub, cafe, old-style sweetshop and tram depots. We visited in the Spring time and their day tickets allow you to return as many times as you wish within the year. We enjoyed riding the tram and the play area was great. The museum opens from July to October and tickets cost £22 for adults, £14 for children aged 4-15 or £49.50 for a family ticket.
Piglets Adventure Farm is a fab day out for little ones with lots of outdoor fun and a new indoor play area too! An annual pass costs £55 for adults and £65 for children with under 1s going free. There is an option to pay monthly by direct debit too (£5 per adult and £6 per child).
With an updated ride experience and state-of-the art galleries showcasing a unique collection of 1,000-year-old artefacts, visit JORVIK Viking Centre to discover York’s fascinating Viking legacy. Free admission for 12 months is included in your ticket price. There’s also the option of a ‘pastport’ ticket which gains you access to four attractions for one great price. This includes Jorvik Viking Centre, DIG: An Archaeological Adventure, Barley Hall, and City Walls Experience. Jorvik Viking Centre Family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) is £43 or £49.50 for a family of 5. Alternatively get the ‘Pastport’ ticket for £65 for a family of 4 or £75 for a family of 5.
General entrance to this museum in Wakefield is free! We wanted to include it in here as it looks great and has loads for kids to do. If you take the underground tour there is a £5 deposit that you can donate or keep at the end (children need to be 5 years or older for the underground tour). There is a Little Diggers under 5’s indoor play area and a Paddy Train you can ride in the summer months for £2.50 per person.
Whether you want to visit the House and it’s wonderful collections, relax in the gardens with a picnic, play on the amazing adventure playground, meet the animals on the farm and in the bird garden or see the penguins being fed, there is something for all ages at Harewood. A family annual pass is £110.50 based on 2 adults and up to 5 children. Under 4’s go free.
There is so much to do for families of all ages at Lotherton. With an annual membership, you can enjoy unlimited year-round entry to the whole estate including the playgrounds, woodland play, family trails, Wildlife World, dressing up and crafts in the hall. They also often have themed events during the school holidays which are included in membership. Lotherton membership is great value for money and if you visit more than twice a year then it’s the best value option. You can even claim back your day ticket against the cost of membership within 30 days of your visit. A family membership (2 adults and up to 3 children) costs £64.
Beamish is a couple of hours away, but we visited once and received an annual pass to go back within the year. It was definitely worth the trip as it was a great, full day out. Family tickets are £58 for 2 adults and 2 children but there are many other family ticket options available.
Unleash a year of incredible family fun at a great value price when you purchase an annual pass at Wheelgate Park. Unlimited visits when the theme park is open, unlimited rides, slides and splashtastic fun in the huge, all inclusive water park. Adults and children cost £59.95 with toddlers (95cm- 108cm priced at £49.95). You can also buy combined annual passes which give entry to both Wheelgate Park and Twinlakes Park. These are often discounted at 30% on Black Friday.
Sundown Adventureland is a theme park in Nottinghamshire (around a 40 minute drive from Doncaster) which has been designed for the under 10’s. It’s a great place for little ones to explore and there’s lots of rides they can access too. A ‘Fun Pass’ provides unlimited entry for one year and includes entry to the Easter and Halloween events too. Annual passes cost £75 per person with renewals at a slightly cheaper rate.
This is a lovely day out. In addition to the tropical butterfly house there’s plenty of other things to explore for example Lemur Heights, Otter Falls, Macaw Kingdom, Meerkat Mansion, The Farm Barn and The Wilderness Walkthrough. There’s also play areas, a splash zone and a dino trail! Annual passes cost £58 for adults and £48 for children.
Remember that we also have some special Doncaster Mumbler discounts available. See the offers page for information
