The Gruffalo Clubhouse review, Blackpool

Once upon a time, I read The Gruffalo so often, I could quote it from memory – so while my daughter is now a bit more grown-up than the target audience, we both jumped at the chance to relive those days for this Gruffalo Clubhouse review during our visit to Blackpool.

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New in May 2023, the Gruffalo Clubhouse really is child heaven – and I’ll admit to a fair amount of nostalgia seeing mouse, fox, owl (and the Gruffalo himself) as we stepped inside.

The official name is The Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse, with six themed play areas, so if your kids are bigger fans of some of the other Julia Donaldson books, they might well find their favourite inside too.

Stepping inside, there are a string of images from the stories to help transport you instantly away from real life and the Blackpool seafront, a mere Gruffalo’s leap away.

Then the indoor play adventure awaits. And really, this does deserve the description ‘adventure’ – if you go in expecting a bit of soft play and a slide, you’ll find a whole lot more, after a £2.3 million investment and 18 months of planning and work to bring it to life.

The central section of the Gruffalo Clubhouse is focused, as you’d expect, around The Gruffalo story, taking you into the deep dark wood.

There are figures from the tale to pose with, including the cheeky and cunning mouse at the centre of the plot, plus The Gruffalo himself, with lots of delighted shrieks as everyone came face to face with the towering statue, purple prickles, poisonous wart and all.

The play area has been cleverly designed too so that it works well for younger visitors, including smaller slides and easy climbing options, as well as older siblings or braver kids who fancy more of a challenge.

Aimed at under 10s, even my 10-year-old embraced her inner preschooler and made the most of being able to play, scampering across rope bridges and challenging herself to see how fast she could get around the ‘wood’.

It’s ideal for letting kids’ imaginations run wild, making up their own adventure play and getting creative as they concoct their own encounter with a Gruffalo, or narrow escapes from fox, owl and snake.

Next door is a great soft play area too, another big hit with all ages, including the usual climbing frames and padded obstacles to dodge.

Both of these have height restrictions of 90-148cm to play.

The other play areas are themed around other stories from the collection. For toddlers and the littlest visitors, there’s a separate gated and fenced area for under-threes (and under 90cm), decorated with images from Room on the Broom.

Elsewhere, there’s a chance to step into the world of The Snail and The Whale, with a ball pit full of blue balls, waves painted on the walls and glow-in-the-dark illustrations.

With the whale’s tale vanishing into the painted sea, and purple and blue lights illuminating this area – not to mention the fact you’ll end up half swimming through the balls – it’s a really fun way to bring the story to life.

Fans of Zog won’t be disappointed either: after posing in a little turret, topped by a smily Zog himself, you can head into Princess Pearl’s castle, with more padded climbing areas and rope bridges.

Both this and the Snail and the Whale ball pit also have a height restriction of 90-148cm.

For more dragon-themed days out, look out for Zog at Warwick Castle too

Look out for other characters as you explore too, including The Highway Rat, brought to life from Axel Scheffler’s much-loved illustrations. And kids can go from one area to the next and back again, as much as they’d like – there’s no set route through the different zones.

But there’s more than just a chance to play too, with some live shows running through the day as well – so yes, you will get to meet the Gruffalo (and sometimes other characters too).

There’s the chance to dance along with the Gruffalo before having your photo taken together, and storytelling from some of Julia Donaldson’s much-loved tales, including The Smartest Giant in Town.

If this all feels like it will be too much for your child, there’s also the opportunity for a more relaxing and quieter play experience in the Gruffalo’s Child Sensory Room.

The magical winter-themed land features digital sensory play as well as physical play, with comfy seats disguised as boulders and tree stumps, or a chance to sit back and gaze out at the icy woodland from the Gruffalo cave.

From an adult point of view, if you’re feeling exhausted just reading about this, parents can relax in comfy chairs overlooking the play areas – given that I spent an hour inside with a 10-year-old, it’s not hard to spend a lot longer with younger kids, preschoolers and toddlers, so you’ll be glad of a sit down!

There’s also a cafe with child-friendly foods and treats (and coffee, thankfully) – the whole Gruffalo Clubhouse is a cash-free attraction, so make sure you have another method of payment though.

There are also toilets and baby changing, helpfully near the cafe and the toddler play area, while the exits are secured with a push button system, high above the reach of any inquisitive little hands.

And despite visiting during half-term, I was impressed at how much space there seemed to be – no endless waits to get onto the play equipment, plenty of room for younger kids to have fun.

The verdict? I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen so many overjoyed little faces in one place.

For more things to do in Blackpool with kids, including Blackpool Pleasure Beach theme park, Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool Tower and more, check out my top picks here

Gruffalo Clubhouse review: need to know

Tickets for the Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse cost from £12 for kids and £4.50 for adults, while babies under one enter free. Prebooking is essential as numbers inside are limited.

Sea Life Blackpool.is also nearby if you fancy another fun animal-filled experience in Blackpool with kids.

Check out my Blackpool Sea Life Centre review of a day out with kids

You currently need to book a timed 15-minute slot for entry and at peak times everyone gets a coloured wristband when you enter. You’re still guaranteed 90 minutes inside even on the busiest days, but if you visit when it’s quieter, kids can have unlimited play time at other times.

If your plans change unexpectedly, you can reschedule for free up to 24 hours before your arrival time as well.

Do remember to take socks with you if you’re visiting in sandals on a sunny day (although as the whole Gruffalo Clubhouse is inside, it’s perfect for a rainy day in Blackpool with kids), otherwise it’s £1 to buy a pair, which are required to be able to play.

There’s also a gift shop at the end with some very cute merchandise – be prepared if you don’t want to buy though! Or you can find The Gruffalo and other Julia Donaldson books on Amazon.

Top tip: if you’re visiting for your children’s birthday, do let staff know in advance – all the birthday girls and boys get their names announced and have a bonus treat to pick up from the cafe.

And if you’re wondering, can adults visit the Gruffalo Clubhouse without kids? No, anyone aged 15+ does need a child aged 14 and under to be able to enter, however big a fan of Julia Donaldson you might be.

Check out what we thought of a visit to Madame Tussauds Blackpool and Sea Life Blackpool in my reviews

Disclosure: Paid collaboration with Merlin Entertainments – all opinions for this Gruffalo Clubhouse review are my own (and my daughter’s). And yes, I really could quote the entire story from memory…

This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images copyright MummyTravels

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