Activities in Weston-super-Mare

The longest of the three piers in Weston-super-Mare, the Grand Pier is nearly 400m long and dates back to 1904. The Grand Pier has been rebuilt and repaired several times in its history and is now an entertainment hub for the town, with the indoor theme park packed with rides, roller coasters, over 500 arcade games, the Museum of Memories and the Virtual Reality Experience Centre, one of the first of its kind in the country. The pier is just a short stroll from our Weston-super-Mare Seafront hotel and is home to several bars and restaurants including Captain Jack’s Bar, The Boardwalk café, Tiffany’s Restaurant and a fish and chip shop. The pier also hosts a variety of events including family shows, firework displays, live music events and more.

Home to lions, rhinos, elephants and tigers, Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm more than lives up to its name with a wide range of exotic animals from across the world. The farm covers 110 acres of Somerset countryside around 10 miles north of Weston-super-Mare, with plenty of more traditional animals on offer including rabbits, deer, ducks and donkeys. As well as taking in the animals in their adopted habitats, you can also choose from a range of animal experiences, including working alongside zookeepers with the big cats, giraffes and even the bears! The park is open daily from Monday to Saturday year round, including Bank Holidays, with a variety of kids playgrounds and activity zones to explore plus the Food Barn for lunch, drinks and snacks.

With a huge collection spanning over 50,000 objects and artefacts, the Weston-super-Mare Museum is a fascinating time-travelling collection that tells the history of this seaside resort. Located several streets behind the Sovereign Shopping Centre, the museum covers a wide range of topics including exhibits on archaeology, social history and the growth of Weston-super-Mare as a Victorian seaside resort, neatly encapsulated by the 1900s-style cottage next to the museum which is now home to the museum’s historic collection of toys.

Home to the largest collection of helicopters in the world, The Helicopter Museum boasts over 100 choppers including the fastest helicopter in the world, a Russian Hind Gunship and two of the Queen’s Royal Flight crew. Open from Wednesday to Sunday through the year from 10am, the museum is located less than a mile from our Weston-super-Mare East hotel and runs regular open cockpit days through the year when you can climb into the driving seat and get in-depth talks from experts on the aircraft’s history and how to fly one.

On the other side of the Mendip Hills from Weston-super-Mare is The Bishop’s Palace & Gardens, a stunning 13th-century palace and moat neatly nestled in 14 acres of carefully manicured gardens. The Medieval Palace in Wells makes for a fascinating day-trip, with history at every turn including the flagstone drawbridge, portcullis and the moat featuring a resident bevy of swans, while there’s also a gift shop and on-site café with impressive views of the gardens. Visitors can explore the palace and stunning grounds on their own or as part of a tour, while the gardens host frequent events including family shows, a film festival and summer plays. Handily, our Wells hotel is less than 1km from the palace.

Open year-round, Brean Splash Waterpark has an indoor and outdoor section meaning you can swim, ride two indoor slides and use the baby pool, gym, steam and sauna rooms even if it’s snowing outside. A firm family staple for over 30 years, the waterpark has two outdoor pools, including a saltwater pool, a large indoor 25m pool, an indoor splash zone and a wide range of flumes and slides. Located just off Brean beach and a short drive from our Weston-super-Mare Lympsham hotel, the waterpark also has an on-site café and is near the Brean Country Club golf course and the Animal Farm Adventure Park.