The best things to do in Bristol with kids

I spent a very happy year living in Bristol back in my 20s, and while I wasn’t paying too much attention to the things to do in Bristol with kids at the time, I’ve since been back several times with my daughter to rectify that.

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Because Bristol today is an even cooler city than when I lived there, with massive regeneration down by the waterfront and one of my daughter’s all-time favourite science centres, along with fun street art, great museums and animals galore.

Which all goes to make it a great family city break – easy to reach by train, as well as by car as it sits near the M4 and M5 motorways. And as you’ll see from my pick of the best things to do in Bristol with kids, there’s more than enough to fill visit after visit.

We The Curious

How could I start with anywhere but this fabulous science centre – one of my daughter’s all-time favourites, We The Curious is always our first port of call, and we’ve done some very fun activities like making our own model Gromit as well as the usual displays.

EDIT: Temporarily closed, reopening early 2024

At Bristol’s science museum and planetarium, everything is designed to get you questioning, experimenting, puzzling about the way the world works.

And it’s not just kids who’ll have fun playing with valves, levers, switches and pumps plus electricity, water and air (not all together) and seeing the results.

The exhibits cover everything from how the human body works, to our perceptions of space, lets you play with different forces, plus of course the shows at the planetarium to whisk you from our planet into the stars.

Visit the animals at Bristol Zoo

EDIT: Now closed and part of the Bristol Zoo Project, formerly known as the Wild Place Project

Dating back to 1836 and the fifth oldest zoo in the world, Bristol Zoo Gardens was one of the few major UK zoos set within a city, walking distance from Clifton Suspension Bridge.

The zoo closed in late 2022 and was incorporated into its sister site, The Wild Place, making the Bristol Zoo Project. Known for its conservation and education efforts, its hundreds of animals, many of which are endangered, found a new home there, including meerkats, gorillas, red pandas, Asiatic lions and African penguins

Bristol Zoo Project

The Bristol Zoo Project (formerly the Wild Place Project) is Bristol Zoo’s sister site, located around 15 minutes outside the city, where many of the zoo’s larger animals are kept.

As well as being able to spot giraffes and cheetahs, plus zebras, lemurs and more, you can get close to bears: Bear Wood is one of the highlights of a visit, designed to transport you back to 8000BCE when Britain was home to European brown bears, as well as wolves.

There are also plenty of other family-fun activities at The Wild Place, including woodland walks and beautiful gardens to explore, plus children’s play areas, a barefoot trail, high ropes course and even luxurious camping pods for an overnight stay.

Bristol Aquarium

If you’re visiting Bristol with kids who love animals, the Bristol Aquarium should definitely be on your list too, with thousands of different aquatic creatures to discover in a string of different displays.

One of the highlights is the underwater tunnel, where you can watch some of the marine life swimming all around, and it’s also the only aquarium in the UK to feature a giant botanical house. With exotic plants and tree species from around the world (including bananas!), you’re transported straight to the jungle.

It’s also home to tiny seahorses and rays, as well as piranhas and puffer fish, plus tropical fish from around the world in the huge Coral Seas display, along with those found offshore in the UK, including in the Sunken Shipwreck.

One of the other big bonuses is that your ticket is valid all day, so you can come and go: set just off the waterfront near We The Curious, you’re walking distance from shops and restaurants as well as other Bristol family attractions.

Climb to the top of Brandon Hill and Cabot Tower

Sitting at the top of Brandon Hill Park, the oldest park in Bristol, you’ll discover Cabot Tower, a Grade II listed building and one of the city’s most famous landmarks.

The 105ft tall tower was built in 1897 to mark the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s voyage from Bristol on The Matthew which led to the discovery of North America.

It’s completely free to climb the twisting stone staircase to reach the top of the tower, where you’ll get to experience amazing 360 degree views over the city skyline – the park is walking distance from Park Street and the city centre.

There are 109 steps to the top so not the best one to try if you’re looking for things to do in Bristol with toddlers, but there are great views from the park itself too.

Brandon Hill Park also has several other fun things to do with children, including a kids play area, ponds and water features, and plenty of wildlife – bring some unsalted nuts and you’ll be an instant hit with the park’s many friendly squirrels.

Take a hop-on hop-off bus tour

One of the best ways to get your bearings in a new city, and a hit with younger kids to save smaller legs, who doesn’t love to explore a new city from the open-air top deck of a hop-on hop-off bus!?

EDIT: Both the Tootbus and City Sightseeing bus tours of Bristol are currently unavailable

Adults and kids alike can enjoy seeing Bristol’s main sights – including the Clifton Suspension Bridge and many of the main family attractions – from a unique viewpoint, while using the interactive map and audio guide commentaries to learn more about the city.

Plus, not only is a hop-on hop-off bus a great activity to do in Bristol with kids, but it’s also a fun and convenient way to get around on a day out sightseeing.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

This fun little museum has collections on nature and history, as well as art – and won’t cost a penny to get into, if you’re looking for free things to do in Bristol with kids.

One of my favourite parts is the Ancient Egypt section on the ground floor, including mummies (and mummified cats!) plus plenty of gods and rituals – always fascinating and great if your kids are studying Ancient Egypt at school too.

But the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has a whole string of other displays, covering a billion years of history, from the natural world – including dinosaurs! – to human invention, not least the famous Bristol Boxkite biplane which hangs above your heads as you enter.

There’s also an under-fives discovery area if you’re visiting with younger kids, plus other interactive areas such as Amazing Animal Adaptations aimed at primary school aged children.

Step on board Brunel’s SS Great Britain

Discover the ship that changed the world – it’s quite a claim, but the SS Great Britain was a revolutionary creation, the starting point for today’s modern ships.

Wandering around, you can learn not only about the ship’s history, but also some of the people who sailed on her, and there’s a chance to dress up in Victorian costume. You can wander down to the hull level, walk through the cabins and stroll along the main deck – if you have kids aged 10 and above, you can all clamber up the rigging as well.

Next door, there’s also a special exhibition about Isambard Kingdom Brunel, called Being Brunel, with more about the man behind the famous engineer. If you think that sounds a bit dull for kids, you’d be wrong, as we discovered when we visited.

Check out my trip to Bristol with kids to see the Being Brunel exhibition when it opened in 2018

Take a pirate cruise on The Matthew

Another important part of Bristol’s maritime heritage that can be found in the Harbourside is The Matthew, an exact replica of the ship on which John Cabot sailed from Bristol to discover North America in the 15th century.

For kids, this basically means that it looks a lot like a pirate ship with its towering masts and historic appearance… It’s free to go on board and explore while The Matthew is docked, or even better, you can sail off on a cruise too.

Choose from a short 45-minute cruise around the Harbour or a longer 3-4 hour trip down the River Avon, with a river cruise that takes you under the Clifton Suspension Bridge and along the Avon Gorge. 

If you time your visit right, kids will also love the Captain Barnacle Pirate Panto! Trip or the Fish & Chips Trip with Pirate Folk Music.

Visit the M Shed Museum

M Shed is a fantastic free museum on Bristol Harbourside covering the social history of the city, and easily one of the best free things to do with kids in Bristol. 

Set in a converted 1950’s dockside transit shed, you’ll find loads of unusual and interactive displays on the history, people and places that make Bristol such an exciting city. 

Kids can meet Bristol’s very own dinosaur Thecodontosaurus, uncover buried treasure, climb on board a disused double-decker bus and plenty of other fun immersive activities.

During the holidays, you can also take a train or crane ride along the dockside, or a trip on the water in one of the museum’s several historic ships.

Walk across the Clifton Suspension Bridge 

The Clifton Suspension Bridge spans the entire width of the Avon Gorge and is one of Bristol’s most famous landmarks. Built in 1835 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it marked a turning point in the history of engineering.

Older kids will enjoy taking in the views over the impressive bridge, before getting to walk across it and look down over the Gorge below. There’s also an interesting visitor centre with plenty of history about the bridge. 

For younger children, don’t miss the Clifton natural rock slide nearby. The fun and unusual rock slide is a strip of rock that has been smoothed by thousands of bottoms sliding down it over the decades.

There are some great views from around Clifton Observatory nearby or check out more ideas of the best views of Clifton Suspension Bridge here

Explore Clifton Observatory and the Giant’s Cave

An easy one to combine with a visit to Clifton Suspension Bridge, sitting above the Avon Gorge, is the Clifton Observatory and caves. 

The historic Observatory is home to one of the few camera obscuras still open to the public in the UK, with amazing panoramic views over the bridge and surrounding area. 

Adventurous kids are sure to love descending through the small underground passageway into the Giant’s Cave where they’ll learn about the legend of Goram and Vincent the giants – it’s not suitable for children under four though.

From the cave you’ll also find another lookout area for more fantastic views over the Gorge.

Take a street art tour

If you love street art, Bristol is one of the best places to explore in the UK – not only the city where Banksy was born, but home to works by a string of artists as well as somewhere to try out your own creative talents.

To find the best of Banksy in Bristol, this self-guided tour has audio commentary and can be done at your own pace, ideal if you’re visiting with art-loving younger kids.

Or you could combine street art with sightseeing on a scavenger hunt-style game that’s great for older tweens and teens, with quirky stories, local history and Banksy along the way.

We tested out a family-friendly stencil art session with Where the Wall which is a great option in Bristol with kids, creating our own spray paint masterpiece. Where the Wall also runs its own street art tours of Bristol too.

Ride the model railway at Ashton Court Estate

You’ll find countless family-friendly things to do at Ashton Court Estate, a historic country house with an impressive 850 acres of beautiful woodland and grassland.

Topping the list for younger kids is the model railway with two tracks, but there are also walking routes, bike hire and cycle trails around the grounds, a disc golf course and play area for kids.

Just outside the city centre (20 minutes by bus, or there’s parking if you’re travelling by car), it’s free to enter (although there’s sometimes a charge for special events) and you can also spot deer living within the large park too.

Visit during August, and Ashton Court Estate is also the starting point of Bristol’s annual Balloon Fiesta, Europe’s largest hot air balloon event and a great day out in Bristol with kids.

See Concorde at Aerospace Bristol

Another of the best things to do in Bristol with kids is a visit to the exciting Aerospace Bristol, a fascinating aviation museum filled with aeroplanes, helicopters, rockets, satellites and plenty of hands-on exhibitions. 

The museum is best known for being home to the final Concorde to be built and the last of the supersonic jets to fly, and you can step aboard the famous plane to get a taste of what it must have been like to fly Concorde.

Other exhibitions include everything from the role of aircraft in both world wars to the technological advances of the space race.

Kids are sure to love the many fun interactive exhibits and games, as well as the aerospace-themed outdoor play area. Families can also now follow the brand new time-travelling trail to help keep little ones engaged too. 

Leigh Woods

This National Trust site is a lovely place for a family walk, as well as having more great views to the Avon Gorge and out to the city – as well as wandering through the woodland above the gorge, there are paths at the base looking up to the suspension bridge too.

In spring, Leigh Woods is a perfect place to spot bluebells, or to enjoy the golds and reds of autumn leaves later in the year, not to mention seeing wildflowers and huge old trees

If you visit with kids, there’s also a lovely family trail to follow, as well as chances to tick off some of your 50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4.

And it’s another fun place to discover some of Bristol’s myths and legends, especially about the two giants who supposedly constructed the gorge.

Avon Valley Adventure Park

If you’re visiting Bristol with younger kids, or combining time in Bristol with a visit to Bath, it’s well worth checking out Avon Valley Adventure Park with its whopping 90 acres of fun.

As well as a petting zoo and lots of farmyard favourites, there are indoor play areas as well as the outdoor playground, plus the chance to brave the animatronic dinosaurs of Dino Valley and the toddler village for little ones to explore.

Or hop in mini jeeps and on the mini train to explore more, test out the electric quad bikes, ride the carousel, try the climbing wall, play mini golf and a whole lot more.

Around 25 minutes drive from Bristol, on the road towards Bath, there’s free parking on site. If you aren’t coming by car, the adventure park is on bus routes, although there’s also a walk at the end.

For more inspiration, check out my top things to do in Bath with kids as well as ideas for a road trip along the Great West Way which runs from London to Bristol

PIN FOR LATER: THINGS TO DO IN BRISTOL WITH KIDS

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

Images: The Matthew courtesy of Nick Greville (& Visit Bristol), We The Curious/aquarium/museum/SS Great Britain/M Shed/street art copyright MummyTravels, all others courtesy of Depositphotos

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