Venues Listed in Days Out

The main entrance of Hatfield House, opposite a bustling urban railway station, gives little clue to the size and splendour of this Jacobean mansion and its beautiful gardens, set in 1000 acres of tranquil parkland.

Built in 1611, and still home to the 7th Marquess of Salisbury, Hatfield has sumptuous state rooms full of paintings, fine furniture, tapestries and armour. The adjacent Old Palace, dating from 1485, was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth 1 who famously learned of her succession to the thone while walking in the park (at a place now marked by an oak tree).

Outside are the West Garden's fountains, terraces, scented plants and wilderness area dotted with unusual sculptures. Keen horticulturalists should note that the East Garden is open only on Thursdays. There are three marked walks to enjoy in the park (ranging from one to three miles) while children can climb, swing and slide in the Elephant Dell Play Area, which has shady picnic tables for a packed lunch.  Light lunches, cream teas, cakes and a good selection of hot and cold drinks (including speciality beers) are available from the Coach House Restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating. New in 2011 is Hatfield Park Farm (traditional breeds) and Bloody Hollow (adventure playground).

Highlights

• Fascinating history, architecture and interiors
• The beauty and tranquillity of the gardens and surrounding park
• Good quality restaurant catering and service
• Great children's play area with equipment for all ages
• Entry fees tailored to the scope of your visit

Note: the model soldiers exhibition is up a flight of steps and is not wheelchair accessible.

Been there, done that? Try the RAF Museum in Colindale. It's free, fun, fabulous indoor entertainment for rainy days. Five huge buildings contain everything you need to know about the history of aviation, from early balloon flights to modern jet fighters.

The spectacular Milestones of Flight exhibition charts the first century of powered flight against key social and political events. With the scene set for your visit, wander on and enjoy the amazing array of aircraft and exhibits in Bomber Hall, Historic Hangars, Battle of Britain Hall and the Grahame-White Factory.  Budding pilots of all ages will enjoy the excellent  Aeronauts Interactive Centre with over 40 experiments exploring the properties of flight.

Refreshments are available at the Museum's recently refurbished Wessex Café and the newly renovated Wings Restaurant which has a good selection of drinks, snacks, hot meals, children's lunch boxes and a licensed bar.

The museum has changing exhibitions and special events for children and families – check their website for details. You'll need several hours to see everything, but with free entry, it's a great place for regular visits.

Highlights

• the amazing range of aircraft on display, from Louis Bleriot’s Type XI monoplane to the Eurofighter Typhoon
• experimenting with air, trying a handglider, taking the fighter pilot test
• accessible, informative and interactive exhibits
• the chance to sit in real and simulated cockpits and try flight simulators
• free entry and friendly staff 

Stockwood Discovery Centre is a free museum and visitor attraction. The Centre is designed with environmentally green and sustainable principles in mind. It tells the stories of real people behind the collections, exploring the history of the region from prehistoric times to the evolution of Stockwood House and the Farley estate.

The display collections include geology, archaeology, social history and rural crafts. Highlights include the Wenlok Jug - a rare medieval masterpiece with strong links to Luton’s history and development, the town’s last tram and the famous Mossman collection of carriages - the largest collection of its kind on display in the UK.

A paradise for garden enthusiasts, Stockwood Discovery Centre is one of the few places in the country where the work of acclaimed artist Ian Hamilton Finlay can be seen on permanent display. His Improvement Garden is a classical garden in which the sculptures are an integral part of the landscape. Once part of the original Stockwood House walled areas, the Period Gardens reflect the changing styles of gardening in this country. Visitors can also enjoy a contemplative Sensory Garden, a colourful World Garden and a Medicinal Garden highlighting the usefulness of plants.

Facilities include a visitor centre, restaurant, bar, shop and children's play area.

Willows Activity Farm offers a wonderful day out with a fun-packed programme, whatever the weather. All activities are included in the ticket price: visiting the farm animals, shows, funfair rides, large indoor soft play area, Toddler Town, riding on the JCB diggers and tractors, outdoor play area and an agility play trail.

Highlights

The world’s oldest model village has been delighting children and adults since 1929. Its 1.5 acres of minature landscape, built on a scale of 1:12, has everything from archers to a zoo, all linked together by a network of model trains running on 400m of track.

Wander around the six themed village areas and watch the tiny population enjoying the funfair, a lazy day on the beach and their favourite sports. Look out for working models of a coalmine, windmill, tramway and a house on fire. Find the oil refinery, aerodrome, arbour and castle while listening out for station announcements, brass bands, choirs and morris dancers.

Little ones can marvel at being bigger, rather than smaller, than everything and everyone else for once. They can also let off steam in the colourful play area and enjoy a train ride (weekends, bank holidays and local school holidays only, 90p for over 2s).

The refreshment kiosk serves hot and cold snacks but as a visit is best enjoyed on a dry day we recommend bringing your own food and making use of two handy picnic areas.

Highlights

• small but perfectly formed – a compact attraction to visit and enjoy
• 1930s nostalgia and the incredible attention to tiny details
• model trains, trams and planes for transport enthusiasts
• excellent play area for a run-around
• modest entry fees (free for under-twos) and all profits go to charity

Note: elevated walkways are up steps and some paths are too narrow for side-by-side double buggies.

One of our most well known stately homes, Knebworth House is an impressive gothic mansion famous worldwide for its rock concerts and as the home of Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer Lytton who wrote 'the pen is mightier than the sword'. Visitors to Knebworth can enjoy:

• tours of the house
• the walled, herb, wildflower and rose gardens, which date from the 1600s
• 250 acres of parkland, with tree-lined avenues and wild deer
• a children's adventure playground with minature railway, swings, walkways, four lane astroglide, freefall slide, bouncy castle and Tarzan trail.
• the dinosaur trail with 72 life-size fibreglass models to encounter

Refreshments are available from the Garden Terrace Tea Room. Visit the website for details of exhibitions and special open air events from March to December.

This volunteer-run narrow gauge light railway has operated a steam-hauled passenger train service since 1968. It offers a 70-minute round trip along its three mile track from Page's Park station in Leighton Buzzard to Stonehenge Works in the Bedfordshire countryside to the north of the town. The journey includes a long stretch of roadside running and numerous level crossings, all detailed on the free Rail Trail activity and information pack that children receive.

The flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley is open all year and has lots to offer visitors. With beautiful planting, show gardens, fruit orchards, trial fields, an area for young gardeners and a new glasshouse, there's plenty to see and do. Check the website for special events, talks and demonstrations.

The Aquadrome covers 100 acres of grassland and woodland, with three man-made lakes:

• Batchworth Lake is fished during the open season and is used by the water-skiing club
• Bury Lake is used for sailing, windsurfing and canoeing
• Stockers Lake is a bird and wildlife sanctuary owned by Three Valleys Water and managed by Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust

The aquadrome is a great place for family walks: the 1.3km Easy Access Trail has surfaced paths that follow a nature trail to a picnic area on the lake and a viewing platform on the River Colne. There is also a children's playground area (adjacent to Batchworth Lake) and café. Admission is free.

If you want to get close to some of the most fascinating animals on the planet and you're a good walker, then this is the day out for you. Set in 600 acres of parkland on the Chiltern Hills, Whipsnade has over 2,500 animals, great exhibits and lots to learn about.

Although the Zoo has been criticised for being run down, it's investing in conservation projects, new animal enclosures and improved visitor facilities. The £1million, 5,000 sq m Cheetah Rock exhibit, opened in March 08, enables visitors to admire these amazing cats from just a few metres distance inside a floor-to-ceiling glass walled hut.  The revamped, eco-friendly Rhinos of Nepal exhibit includes indoor heated pools for year-round wallowing enjoyment, a maternity wing and a spacious viewing area.

On a lighter note, there's sealion show, elephantastic demonstrations, a chimpnasium and every animal you can think of, whether you like penguins, pandas or pythons. They all need room to live and breed in, so be prepared to walk a lot, hop on and off the free tour bus or pay extra to take your car in. There are several places to grab a drink or a snack (some are seasonal only), or eat your our own picnic on a grassy spot. Even on a warm summer's day, it can be chilly up at the zoo so we recommend that you take something warm, just in case.

Highlights

• meeting and learning about so many unusual animals
• a children's farm for little ones
• a ride on the steam-hauled Jumbo Express (check times and prices at the Zoo)

Admission: See website for current prices and to book tickets online.

Owned and managed by Hertfordshire County Council, the park was created on green belt land in 1971. It has 175 acres of woodland, meadows, parkland and open water for sailing and fishing. There is a small rare breeds farm with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry and rabbits. Children can enjoy the '100 Aker Wood', inspired by Winnie the Pooh, adventure and play areas. Refreshments are available from a kiosk selling hot and cold drinks, cakes, snacks and ice creams. Admission is free for pedestrians and cyclists but there is a charge for car parking.

This National Trust property is on the Herts and Bucks border, between Aylesbury and Hemel Hempstead. It covers a large area of woodland and chalk downland at the north end of the Chiltern Hills. Visitor attractions include:

• the towering Duke of Bridgewater Monument, built in 1832, which provides great panoramas
• Ashridge park and woods; excellent for walking, cycling, horse-riding and kite flying
• Pitstone Hill and Windmill; one of England's oldest surviving post-mills (an early form of windmill) which dates from 1627 and is open to the public on summer Sunday afternoons.
• a visitor centre, shop and café

Admission is free but donations are welcome.

The British Schools Museum is an independent museum run by volunteers. It has different buildings, including schools, classrooms and a headmaster's house, which tell the story of elementary education in Britain from 1810 until 1969. Visitors can enjoy guided tours, a discovery trail, exhibitions and special events. The museum is open at specified times (see below). School and group visits can be accommodated with advance notification. The museum has a Friends scheme and also welcomes new volunteers (training provided).

Bushey Museum opened in 1993. It is a registered charity, run by volunteers in partnership with Hertsmere Borough Council. 

The museum portrays Bushey's social history through displays on life in the village, locally made products, documents, historic maps and works of art. In particular, it has a large permanent collection of works and articles relating to Sir Hubert von Herkomer RA and his world-renowned Art School. Also on show is the Lucy Kemp-Welch Memorial Trust Collection, including many paintings of horses by the 'Black Beauty' illustrator.

The museum has temporary exhibitions and a small shop selling books, cards, craft items and gifts. Admission is free. New volunteers and members of the 'Friends of Bushey Museum' are always welcome. See the museum's website for current exhibitions and children's holiday activities.

Capel Manor Gardens and Estate occupies 30 acres around a Georgian Manor House and Victorian Stables. Its attractions include:

• themed gardens including a Victorian walled garden with original glass house, an Italianate maze, and a Japanese rock and water garden
• Gardening Which? magazine demonstrations and trial gardens
• The National Gardening Centre with specially designed gardens, including Sunflower Street
• The Jungle Gym Garden designed by former student Kim Wilde
• The Hessayon Centre (Visitors Centre) with garden gift shop and plant sales in summer season
• Animal corner and stableyard

Refreshments are available from the Terrace Restaurant serving a range of hot and cold food daily. See the website for directions, special events and current admission prices.

Large, local aerodrome serving private, light aircraft for the London area. Planespotters of all ages will appreciate the restaurant/cafe and up-close access to the runway.

Based at Broxbourne on the River Lee, the Lee Valley Boat Centre offers a wide range of hires; from pedalos, canoes and rowing boats to electric boats and 2 to 12-berth canal boats. From March to December, the centre runs a public timetable of cruises including 'pay as you board' one hour circular trips up and down the River Lee and pre-bookable children's activity cruises, 'fish & chip & dessert' and 'cream tea' two hour cruises. See website for more information, timetables and current prices.

The ultimate day out for any bus and train enthusiast (commuters aside) is to hop on the rail service from St Albans to St Pancras, pick up the Piccadilly Line to Covent Garden and spend a couple of hours exploring the wonders of the London Transport Museum housed in a former Victorian flower market in Covent Garden.

Newly reopened after a two year £22 million refurbishment, the museum's interactive galleries tell the story of London's changing transport systems and the people who travelled and worked on them during the last 200 years. 

Entering through the dazzling World Cities gallery, you ascend in a lift that time-travels you back to the 19th century. From Victorian omnibuses, trams and the early steam-powered Metropolitan Line, you journey through three fascinating and fun-packed floors charting the development of electric underground trains, the growth of 'Metroland', the popularity contest between buses and trams, the importance of London Transport during two World Wars and the way in which iconic designs of artwork and vehicles have become part of our heritage before returning to the present to contemplate the future of public transport.

Highlights

• the innovative design gallery showcasing the much loved maps, signs and posters
• the fascinating details of what the world''s first underground railway entailed
• the unexpected… we encountered a 'fluffer' (track cleaner) – one of the museum's actors that brings exhibits to life
• for adults – all the nostalgia of the wood-panelled tube carriage from the 70s and the routemasters we used to hop on and off before trendy bendy buses arrived
• for children – lots of interactive displays, a gallery trail (with stamps to collect), the chance to dress up and drive a bus or tube train, a compact but fun play area for the under-6's and special activities during school holidays
• free entry for children and reasonable prices (£10 for 2 sandwiches, 2 coffees and a muffin when we visited – although we bought these from the self-service picnic area on the ground floor - the Upper Deck café is table service and more expensive).

This family leisure attraction combines hands-on animal activities, sheep dog demonstrations, soft play, crazy golf, Go Karts and tractor rides. It also runs special events during the holidays. Drinks, snacks and hot food are available from the Tea Room and Shaggy's PlayWorld Café. See website for current admission prices.

The hamlet of Mill Green is between Welwyn and Hatfield. It is home to a local history museum, 200-year-old water powered working mill and adjacent riverside Jubilee Garden. Special events take place during school holidays - see website for details. Hot and cold drinks and biscuits are available at the museum shop. Organic, wholemeal, stoneground flour from the mill is also on sale in several sizes. Admission to the museum and mill is free, donations are welcome.

Note: The first floor of the mill is accessible via stairs only.

Where can you find over 4,000 animals from around the world? In the Victorian galleries of the Natural History Museum at Tring. A great place for a family day out (or an hour of exploring while the rain passes), the museum and its contents were gifted to the nation by Walther Rothschild, a keen zoologist who used zebras to draw his carriage.

Wandering through the six galleries with help from a Wild, Weird and Wonderful tour guide, visitors encounter everything from polar bears, big cats, elephants and rhinos to hippos, crocodiles and sharks. Then there are birds, butterflies and bats, not to mention the fleas dressed as Mexican dancers (seriously). Once you've had had your fill of stuffed and mounted animals in glass cages, visit the Zebra Café for a snack (sandwiches, hot and cold drinks, ice creams). Then enjoy the Discovery Room, where children can try more hands on activities to explore their senses and the natural world. Finally, discover more about the Museum's creator in the Rothschild Room, which recreates a Victorian office and is home to a giant tortoise (of course).

Highlights

• the chance to see so many familiar, unusual, endangered and extinct creatures
• a gorilla and human skeleton looking very surprised to see you
• themed activity trails for children
• changing exhibitions and special events during school holidays (check website)
• free entry - a small charge is made for some events and for activity sheets.

Note for wheelchair users and those with buggies – the Park Street entrance and most of the ground floor (galleries 1 and 2, toilets and café) is step-free. Access to the upper floors is via steps.

If you like big cats, camels and kangaroos (well, wallabies) then Paradise Wildlife Park is the place for you. It may be one of the smaller wildlife parks in the UK but there are plenty of animals on show. 

Lions, tigers, cheetahs and snow leopards roam alongside more unusual and endangered animals like mara, hog deer, tamarins and tapirs. The rainforest and reptile areas house weird and wonderful delights like two toed sloths, the lesser hairy armadillo and hissing cockroaches (perhaps not the first choice for the Park's adoption scheme). 

Lunch at Safari Sam's Restaurant is the usual selection of salads, jacket spuds and burgers. You can bring a packed lunch to eat in the picnic area.

Once refuelled, there's more to enjoy. You can swash buckle at pirates' cove, enjoy the helta skelta and bouncy castles, go for a tractor ride or pop your swimming costume on for a splash in the lagoon. If that isn't enough, there's a ride on the woodland railway, gold panning and 18-hole adventure golf (extra charges apply).

If it rains, there is an indoor soft play area for the kids, but we think that a visit is best enjoyed on a fine day.

Highlights

• The variety of animals on show in a compact, easy to navigate site
• Lots of extra amusements for little ones

Built in 1902 and home to the playwright George Bernard Shaw for more than 40 years, this Edwardian house has many of the dramatist's literary and personal possessions, including his Oscar and Nobel prize. The 3.5 acre garden has an orchard, flower meadow, rose dell, herbaceous beds and Shaw's revolving Writing Hut. Events throughout the season, including open-air theatre during the summer. Plants and second-hand books on sale. Family activity packs available. Suitable for school groups. Cold drinks and ice-creams.

Award-winning Stanborough Park is owned and managed by Finesse (Welwyn Hatfield Leisure Limited) . It covers 126 acres of countryside on the outskirts of Welwyn Garden City. There are two man-made lakes: the shallow Boating Lake (north) and the deeper Sailing Lake (south), where angling and water sports take place. The park has boat hire, a children's play area, many walks, a nature trail, coffee shop and restaurant. Admission to the park is free, but there is a charge for car parking and boat hire.

The Paper Trail project is an award winning industrial heritage exploration centre built around the historic, fully working Frogmore Paper Mill. The mill makes about 1000 tonnes of paper a year on a steam driven Victorian paper machine that dates back to 1895. Visitors to the centre can enjoy guided tours around the papermaking process, make their own paper and print a letterpress page before refuelling at Café on the Water and exploring the gift shop. The Paper Trail's own ferry, the Bryan Donkin, can provide trips along the River Gade and Grand Union Canal during the warmer days of the year. Parking is in the pay and display car park in Durrants Hill Road with disabled parking only at the entrance to Frogmore Mill.

How many museums have chocolate doors? We can think of only one – the fantabulous Roald Dahl Museum packed full of surprises and delights for readers of all ages. It's easy to see why this little gem has won a string of awards, including Enjoy England's Best Small Visitor Attraction in 2008. 

The two main biographical 'boy' and 'solo' galleries are full of interesting and quirky details about Roald Dahl's life and books, all presented in an imaginative and interactive way. The clever Visitor's Guide is full of quiz questions, activity suggestions and discussion points to help families explore together, while budding authors over five can scribble in their own Ideas Book.

By the time you reach the Story Centre you'll be ready to create your own version of the BFG's gobblefunk, before refuelling at Café Twit and browsing in the irresistible museum shop. If you're making a day of it, there's even a village trail to help you explore Great Missenden, home to the Dahl family.

During school holidays, visitors can enjoy free craft activities and story-telling sessions, as well as special events (see website for details, pre-booking advisable for some workshops).

Highlights

• dressing up as some of Roald Dahl''s characters and exploring the story sacks
• creating photo-fit characters in the Ideas Book
• sitting in Roald Dahl''s chair and exploring his famous writing hut
• writing a short story on the automatic grammatizator and seeing it up in lights
• the delicious Illy coffee, light lunches (sandwiches, salads, jackets, panini) and delumptious home-made cakes at Café Twit (try the Bogtrotter chocolate cake)