Splashdown is famous for its high-octane flumes. If you are feeling brave, step up to the Screamer—a high-speed, near-vertical drop that takes you from the top of the tower to the bottom in under five seconds. For a disorientating thrill, the Spacebowl drops you into a massive watery funnel where you spin like a coin before plunging into the plunge pool below. Meanwhile, the Infinity bowl features laser lights and music that you select yourself before you slide!
You don’t have to be a teenager to enjoy the water. Splashdown caters brilliantly to younger children. Ricky’s Reef is a dedicated, shallow toddler pool designed specifically for children under the age of 7. It features interactive water play areas, mini-slides, and a 3D reef effect. Just next to it is the Buccaneer SplashZone, an interactive water playground with tipping buckets and water cannons that is perfect for slightly older kids building up their confidence before hitting the big tower.
The best thing about Splashdown is its location. It is the anchor attraction of the Tower Park Leisure Complex. Once your swimming session is over, you don’t even need to move your car to keep the family entertained. You can walk straight out of the waterpark and into a massive Cineworld multiplex, challenge the kids to a game at Hollywood Bowl, or grab a meal at one of the many family-friendly chain restaurants like Nando’s, Pizza Express, or TGI Fridays located right on the piazza.
The story of Monkey World is what makes a visit here so special. Every primate you see has a unique, often heartbreaking background. Many of the chimpanzees were rescued from the illegal pet trade, used as photographer’s props on Spanish beaches, or saved from laboratory testing. When you read the plaques outside their massive enclosures, you learn exactly where they came from and how the dedicated team at Monkey World has slowly rehabilitated them back into natural, happy family groups.
If you have ever watched the long-running television documentary Monkey Life, visiting the park feels like stepping onto a film set. The sanctuary is home to the largest group of chimpanzees outside of Africa. You will also meet the critically endangered Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, agile gibbons that swing spectacularly through the high canopy, and cheeky woolly monkeys. Because the enclosures are vast and designed for the apes’ comfort rather than purely for human viewing, finding and watching them interact is incredibly rewarding.
If you are visiting with children, Monkey World holds a fantastic trump card. Located near the cafĂ© is the Great Ape Play Area—the largest outdoor adventure playground in the South of England. It is a sprawling complex of massive climbing frames, slides, and obstacle courses designed to let kids burn off energy by climbing just like the monkeys they’ve been watching all day.
Monkey World does not receive any government funding; it relies entirely on visitor entry fees, gift shop purchases, and its famous Primate Adoption scheme. By choosing to spend your day here, buying lunch at the watering hole café, or adopting an ape in the gift shop, you are directly funding future rescue missions and the ongoing care of these incredible animals. It is a day out that genuinely makes a difference.
The scale of The Tank Museum is staggering. The collection is spread across several massive, hangar-like halls, each dedicated to a different era. The layout guides you chronologically, starting with the very first tanks designed during World War I—including ‘Little Willie,’ the world’s first prototype tank. As you walk through the decades, the machines grow in size and complexity, culminating in the sleek, modern Challenger 2 tanks used by the British Army today.
One of the most impactful exhibits is the immersive World War I Trench Experience. Visitors walk through a meticulously recreated life-size trench, complete with the sounds, sights, and even the smells of the Western Front in 1916. It culminates in a dramatic diorama of a Mark I tank looming over the trench edge, giving you a very real sense of what soldiers experienced over a century ago.
For history buffs and movie fans, the absolute star of the show is Tiger 131. Captured in the North African desert in 1943, it is the only fully functioning German Tiger I tank left anywhere in the world. It is so famous that it was actually loaned to a Hollywood studio to star alongside Brad Pitt in the 2014 movie Fury. Seeing it up close in the World War II hall is a truly awe-inspiring experience.
While the subject matter is serious, the museum is brilliantly designed to keep children engaged. Every hall features interactive consoles, dressing-up stations, and hands-on exhibits. There is a fantastic indoor soft-play area right next to the café—allowing parents to grab a much-needed coffee while the kids burn off some energy—as well as a massive outdoor tank-themed playground. During the summer, you can even buy tickets to ride in a real tracked vehicle around the outdoor arena!
The defining feature of Poole Park is its massive saltwater lagoon. Because the water is remarkably shallow (between 1 and 1.5 meters deep) and completely sheltered from the coastal winds, it is arguably the safest place in the South to learn water sports. Rockley Watersports operates a fantastic centre right on the water’s edge. Here, you can hire everything from stand-up paddleboards and kayaks to their famous swan pedalos. They also offer excellent RYA sailing courses for youngsters.
If you prefer to stay dry, find a bench near the water and watch the Poole Radio Yacht Club race their incredibly fast, remote-controlled model yachts across the water!
Located right in the center of the park is The Ark, a multi-award-winning indoor family activity centre. It is the perfect retreat if the clouds roll in. Inside, you will find:
Soft Play: Three levels of adventure with slides and interactive zones (for children up to 11), plus a dedicated toddler zone.
Ice Skating: A real, indoor ice-skating rink offering public sessions, parent-and-toddler skates, and fun family disco nights.
Pottery Studio: A creative space to paint your own ceramics.
If the sun is shining, the park features two large outdoor playgrounds, including the fantastic Jungle Adventure Play Park, which boasts state-of-the-art climbing frames. Don’t miss a ride on the Poole Park Railway, a beloved miniature train that chugs along a scenic half-mile track around the freshwater lake. For the competitive family members, there is also a fantastic crazy golf course and bookable tennis courts.
You certainly won’t go hungry here. The Kitchen is a stunning, glass-fronted waterside restaurant serving excellent lunches and locally sourced dinners with panoramic views over the lagoon. For something quicker, Scoops Ice Cream Parlour and The Ark’s cafĂ© offer great coffee, cakes, and snacks.
If you are looking to escape the bustle of the play areas, head to the eastern end of the park. Here, you can watch a local match at the beautiful Cricket Pavilion, or take a quiet stroll through the vibrant Rose Garden. Finally, while feeding the ducks and swans on the freshwater lake is a cherished park tradition, please remember to bring birdseed, sweetcorn, or peas—bread is incredibly harmful to the birds and the water quality!
To truly understand Poole, you have to explore the Old Town. Take the children on the “Cockle Trail”—simply follow the numbered brass cockle signs set into the paving slabs. This self-guided walk takes you past the newly renovated Poole Museum and Scaplen’s Court, a Grade I listed medieval building dating back to the 1300s. At the eastern end of the Quay (Fisherman’s Dock), you will also find the Old Lifeboat Museum, offering a close-up view of one of Poole’s historic rescue vessels.
As you walk along the waterfront, you will be greeted by the life-size bronze statue of Lord Baden-Powell. He is positioned perfectly, looking out across the water to Brownsea Island, where he held the very first experimental scout camp in August 1907.
Further down, you cannot miss the towering Sea Music Sculpture designed by Sir Anthony Caro. You can actually climb to the top of this impressive artwork for spectacular, elevated views over the quayside. Looking across the water, you will see the massive manufacturing yards of Sunseeker International, where billionaires’ luxury motor yachts are built before being tested right in front of you in the harbour.
If you are visiting with children, ‘crabbing’ on the Quay is an absolute must-do. It is a beloved local tradition. You don’t need to bring anything with you—a bucket, a crab line, and some bait can be easily purchased from the small kiosks on the quayside. Find a spot along the sea wall, drop your line, and spend an enjoyable few hours seeing how many crabs you can catch before safely returning them to the sea!
Forget the national chains; Poole Quay is packed with fantastic independent eateries.
The Poole Arms: You can’t miss it—it’s the building covered in distinctive green Carter’s tiles. As the oldest pub on the Quay, it specializes in fantastic, fresh local seafood.
Harlees Fish & Chips: Grab an award-winning takeaway and sit on the harbour wall to watch the boats come in.
Guildhall Tavern: Located just two minutes off the Quay in the Old Town, this highly-rated French restaurant is the ultimate spot for a premium, locally sourced seafood dinner.
Deli on the Quay: The perfect spot for a morning coffee and a homemade pastry while watching the harbour wake up.
The Quay is the primary departure point for exploring the rest of the harbour. From here, you can hop on the Green Island Ferries to Brownsea Island, or take a “Harbour Cruise” that takes you past the five main islands and the massive sea-front mansions of Sandbanks. For a longer adventure, look for the boats heading to Swanage, which offer a spectacular perspective of Old Harry Rocks from the sea.
Being a working fishing port, the seafood on the Quay is as fresh as it gets. As the sun begins to set, the bars along the waterfront come alive. Grab an outdoor table, order a local Dorset ale, and watch the sky turn pink over the masts of the boats—it’s the perfect end to a Dorset day.
The first thing you notice about Kingston Lacy is that it doesn’t look like a typical English manor. After the family’s original home, Corfe Castle, was destroyed in the Civil War, they built this new seat to be the height of fashion. Inside, the house is a masterclass in opulence. The Spanish Room is a highlight, featuring walls covered in gilded leather and a ceiling imported directly from a Venetian palace. You’ll also find works by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Titian hanging in the galleries, making it a must-visit for art lovers.
Kingston Lacy holds one of the most important collections of Egyptian antiquities in the UK. This is thanks to William John Bankes, an adventurous explorer and friend of Lord Byron. On the South Lawn stands a massive, 2,000-year-old stone obelisk brought back from the island of Philae. Inside the house, you can explore an entire room dedicated to Egyptian artifacts, including bronze cats and ancient papyrus scrolls that helped early scholars decipher hieroglyphics.
The gardens at Kingston Lacy are as diverse as the house.
The Japanese Garden: Created in the early 1900s, this is a serene space filled with authentic stone lanterns, a tea house, and a winding stream. It is particularly beautiful in May when the azaleas are in bloom.
The Kitchen Garden: A massive, productive space that still supplies the on-site café. Walk through the Victorian greenhouses and see the heritage varieties of apples, pears, and vegetables being grown just as they were a century ago.
Beyond the formal fences, the Kingston Lacy estate covers thousands of acres of Dorset farmland. It is home to a famous herd of Red Ruby Devon Cattle, which you will often see grazing in the parkland. For those who love to hike, the estate includes Badbury Rings, an Iron Age hill fort with spectacular views across the county. Whether you are there for the high-end art or a muddy woodland walk with the kids, Kingston Lacy offers a complete day out.
At the heart of the town is Swanage Beach, a magnificent crescent of golden sand that regularly wins Blue Flag awards for its cleanliness and water quality. Because the bay is sheltered, the waters are usually very calm, making it a brilliant spot for swimming or hiring a pedalo. The beach is backed by a traditional promenade lined with ice cream kiosks, seafood huts, and brightly colored beach huts that you can hire by the day.
You cannot visit Swanage without hearing the nostalgic whistle of a steam train. The Swanage Railway is one of the most successful heritage railways in the country. Run largely by passionate volunteers, the line stretches for six miles through the beautiful Purbeck countryside, passing the ruins of Corfe Castle. Buying a ticket and riding in a beautifully restored 1940s carriage is an absolute must-do experience that delights kids and grandparents alike.
Built in 1895, Swanage Pier is a stunning piece of maritime history. It is one of the few fully timber piers left in the UK. Taking a stroll to the very end offers fantastic views back across the town and the sweeping bay. Grab a coffee from the pier café, visit the small maritime museum, or simply lean over the railings to watch the local fishermen. The pier is also world-famous in the scuba diving community as one of the best and safest shallow dive sites in the country, teeming with marine life beneath the wooden pylons.
If you want to escape the bustle of the town center, head just a mile up the hill to the southern edge of town, where you will find Durlston Country Park. This 320-acre National Nature Reserve features dramatic sea cliffs, wildflower meadows, and the famous Great Globe—a massive 40-ton limestone sphere carved with a map of the world in the 1880s. Durlston is also a premier location for spotting dolphins and peregrine falcons along the Jurassic Coast.
Lulworth Cove is world-famous for its unique geology. It was formed approximately 10,000 years ago when a river, swollen by melting ice, breached the hard outer band of Portland limestone. Once the water broke through, it rapidly eroded the softer clays and chalk behind it, hollowing out the perfect horseshoe shape you see today. Because the beach is made of white shingle rather than fine sand, the water remains spectacularly clear and brilliantly blue.
Just a five-minute walk west of the cove is another mind-bending geological site known as Stair Hole. Here, you can see the famous “Lulworth Crumple”—layers of rock that were folded and crushed together by the same tectonic forces that created the Alps. It is a spectacular sight and provides a sneak peek into exactly how Lulworth Cove itself looked thousands of years ago before the sea fully broke through.
Because the narrow entrance to the cove acts as a natural breakwater, the bay is effectively a massive, saltwater swimming pool. It is arguably the best spot in Dorset for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and kayaking. You can launch right from the slipway and paddle safely around the curving white cliffs. During the summer, you can easily hire equipment right on the beach or book a guided kayak tour to explore the hidden caves and rock arches just outside the cove.
If you are feeling energetic, Lulworth Cove is the starting point for one of the most famous walks in the UK. A wide, well-maintained (but very steep!) path leads from the car park directly over the hill to Durdle Door. The walk takes about 30 minutes each way and rewards you with sweeping, elevated views of both landmarks. Hiking over the hill, snapping photos of the arch, and returning to Lulworth for a pint of local ale and fresh seafood at The Boat Shed Café is the definitive Dorset day out.
While visitors flock to the vast expanses of Knoll and Shell Bay, locals usually head straight for South Beach. It has a distinctly traditional, almost “Enid Blyton” feel to it. The beach is lined with a row of colorful, privately owned beach huts tucked under the trees, and the sand is perfect for building castles. Because the water here is so sheltered by the curve of the bay and the looming chalk cliffs of Old Harry, it is incredibly calm and safe for young children to paddle.
If you have kids who love to explore, timing your visit for low tide is a must. As the water pulls back, the southern end of the beach (where the sand meets the chalky base of the cliffs) reveals a fantastic network of rock pools. Armed with a net and a bucket, you can spend hours hunting for shore crabs, anemones, and small fish trapped in the tidal pools.
South Beach is arguably the best basecamp for exploring the wider Purbeck area. The path that leads down to the sand is the very same path that continues up the hill to the world-famous Old Harry Rocks. A classic Studland day out involves parking in the village, hiking up to the spectacular white cliffs, wandering back down for a cooling swim at South Beach, and finishing the day with a well-earned meal in the beer garden of the Bankes Arms pub, which offers panoramic views over the sea you just swam in.
You can’t talk about South Beach without mentioning Joe’s CafĂ©. Tucked away under the trees on the path down to the beach, this tiny, unassuming wooden hut has been serving beachgoers for generations. It is entirely off-grid and famous for its simple, high-quality local fare. Grabbing a fresh crab sandwich or a locally made ice cream from Joe’s before heading down to the sand is a beloved Studland tradition.
Because Middle Beach is tucked neatly into the curve of Studland Bay and protected by the cliffs behind it, the water here is often incredibly calm. This makes it a favored launch spot for locals bringing their own kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. From here, it is a highly popular and scenic paddle along the coastline towards the chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks.
One of the most unique features of Middle Beach is its profound connection to World War II. During the war, Studland Beach was the site of “Exercise Smash,” the largest live-fire rehearsal for the D-Day landings. Situated right on the low cliff above Middle Beach is Fort Henry, a massive, Grade II listed concrete observation bunker. It was built in 1943, and it was from inside this very bunker that Winston Churchill, King George VI, and General Eisenhower watched the troops practice the Normandy invasion. Today, the bunker is open to the public and offers a fascinating (and sobering) piece of history alongside spectacular views of the bay.
Compared to Knoll Beach, Middle Beach has a much less commercial vibe. The beach itself is narrower, and the sand gives way in places to pebbles and fascinating rock pools, especially at the southern end towards South Beach. It is the perfect spot for those who want to avoid the biggest summer crowds, unroll a towel under the shade of an overhanging coastal oak tree, and lose themselves in a good book with the sound of the waves lapping just feet away.