Places to visit in Blackpool

With 10 amazing rollercoasters to choose from, whatever your taste in thrills, Blackpool Pleasure Beach has a ride for you. Younger thrill seekers can enjoy the ups and downs of the Blue Flyer before they progress onto the classic Nickelodeon Streak.

If you have a head for heights, the UK’s tallest rollercoaster, The Big One, offers high-speed drops and breathtaking views.  But if you prefer your world to be turned upside down take your pick from Revolution, Infusion or the UK's first double launch coaster, ICON.

For family fun, the park has a Nickelodeon Land, complete with 12 amazing rides and a whole host of iconic characters from shows broadcast on the children's entertainment channel, Nickelodeon. With over 125 rides and amusements in total, there's something for everyone at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Blackpool has a whacking three separate piers to visit, the most of any British resort. The North Pier is the oldest, largest and most laid back of the three piers in Blackpool, it has retained its Victorian charm and is now a free-to-enter sun trap perfect for relaxing and catching some rays.

The central pier features a giant ferris wheel ride that offers views over the town, the British seaside classics of dodgems and scaled-down versions of the classic rides for little adventurers, and a much-celebrated bar and beer garden at the pier’s end. The South Pier is the liveliest of all three with an array of more modern rides including a log flume ride.

At over five hundred feet tall, Blackpool Tower is one of the most iconic sights in northern England. A Victorian imitation of the Eiffel Tower, the structure gives visitors excellent views over the city around it much like its French counterpart. Having said that, Blackpool Tower is more than just a photo opportunity. The tower plays host to concerts, a circus, and many celebrity events. Located between the north and middle piers, the tower is an unmissable stop on your Blackpool itinerary.

On entering the tower, visitors climb through seven levels of engrossing attractions, including an aquarium, a circus, the ‘bug zone’, and a ballroom, before going up in a glass elevator to the sky walk and observation deck. While it is a must for visitors, the tower can get busy in the tourist season, so our Haven tip is to avoid peak times.

Featuring hundreds of creative village scenes brought to life to spark your imagination, Blackpool Model Village takes visitors into a mind-bending world in miniature. From Scottish Castles, protected by ranks of Guardsmen to a quaint Cornish fishing village, you'll find an incredible attention to detail, as well as an oasis of peace and tranquillity away from the crowds of Blackpool centre.

Marvel at the many hand-crafted models and figures and step back in time to those bygone days when life moved at a slower pace. From the painstakingly rendered thatched cottages, to the Tudor village whose tiny residents are enjoying a cricket match on the village green, it’s hard not to be impressed at the level of detail.

Kids and grownups alike can enjoy a wander around the beautiful gardens with dozens of quirky and imaginative displays in one of the most unique places to visit in Blackpool. Many new buildings are added yearly, so no two visits to Blackpool Model Village are ever quite the same.

Over a thousand birds and beasts, as well as 32 acres of parkland, with classic woodland, lakes, and waterfalls, await your discovery at Blackpool Zoo. The close encounters with animals afforded by Blackpool Zoo are a big part of the park's ethos and really set it apart from other zoos along with its excellent facilities for less able visitors and younger guests.

Blackpool Zoo is home to the only gorillas in the north-west and boasts one of the best sea lion displays in the UK. Add to those wonders, Project Elephant Base Camp, then put it all into 37 acres of beautiful, traditional English parkland and you have the hidden gem that is Blackpool Zoo, one of the best places to visit in Blackpool and the perfect attraction for the whole family to enjoy together.

Slightly inland lies the Marton Mere nature reserve, a tranquil space on the edge of Blackpool which is ripe for exploration. The nature reserve also gives its name to our nearby Haven park, one of the best holiday parks in the UK.

Guests can explore the park on a Segway, try their hand at Archery, get creative in our Pic 'n' Paint sessions, or hit the pool for some aquatic fun. From dragonflies to orchids, visitor can enjoy the site via a series of designated footpaths and bird hides and in the winter you might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a long-eared owl!