Days Out Near Brighton With Children, Checked October 2026

The family days out near Brighton most people look for are Drusillas Park at Alfriston, the Bluebell Railway at Sheffield Park, and the farms: Middle Farm at Firle and Washbrooks at Hurstpierpoint. For a free day, Seven Sisters Country Park is on the 12 bus. Every entry was checked against the venue’s own site on 29 October 2026.

We have not visited these places for this guide, and nothing here is a ranking. Each entry sets out what the venue publishes: prices, opening hours, dog rules and food. Where a place serves food we add its Food Standards Agency (FSA) hygiene rating. Many attractions change their hours after October half term, so the winter pattern is given where the venue publishes it. For places inside the city, such as the pier, Sea Life and the Royal Pavilion, see our guide to things to do in Brighton.

Animals and farms

Drusillas Park, Alfriston

A zoo and play park that is open all year apart from 24, 25 and 26 December. Standard hours are 10am to 5pm, last admission 4pm. Prices change by day on the 2026 price calendar, one price for anyone aged 2 and over:

• off peak: £26.75 online, £33.50 at the gate
• school holidays: £31.95 online, £39.95 at the gate
• under-2s: free

The park says it has a Changing Places toilet behind its Amazon Adventure soft play. Picnics are allowed in marked areas. No dogs, except trained assistance dogs with proof of eligibility. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 15 July 2026). Alfriston Road, BN26 5QS. Drusillas Park.

Middle Farm, Firle

The open farm lists goats, donkeys, pigs, sheep, cows, Highland cattle, alpacas and Nellie the Shire horse. There is a play park, a hay play barn and an under-5s play zone; the play structures are for under-12s. The open farm is 10am to 4pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and tickets are booked in advance:

• day admission: £10, under-3s free
• over-60s: £7.50
• weekdays from 2.30pm: £5
• group of four: £32

The farm shop and cider barn are free to walk into. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the open farm and tearoom. Café hygiene rating 4 (FSA, 15 January 2026). West Firle, Lewes, BN8 6LJ. Middle Farm.

Washbrooks Family Farm, Hurstpierpoint

A farm under the South Downs with an animal barn, paddocks, outdoor adventure play and indoor play, plus a Brook Walk for spotting wildlife. The farm notes that the indoor play area is not heated. It opens every day, 9.30am to 5pm, with the tearoom to 4pm. There is no booking: you pay at the entrance.

• ages 3 to 59: £9.50
• over-60s: £8.50
• group of four: £34
• under-3s: free

One carer goes free with each paying disabled visitor, on showing a DLA or PIP letter. It shuts at 3pm on Christmas Eve and reopens on 2 January. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 12 October 2024). Brighton Road, BN6 9EF, 01273 832201. Washbrooks.

WWT Arundel Wetland Centre

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust reserve below Arundel lists boat safaris, Pelican Cove, adventure play areas and pond dipping among its family activities. It opens 10am to 4.30pm every day except Christmas Day, with last admission an hour before closing. Prices with Gift Aid, and 10% less online:

• adult: £16.10
• junior, 3 to 17: £10.30
• family of two adults and two children: £44.85

No dogs or pets, except trained assistance dogs. The Water’s Edge café opens 10am to 4pm daily; hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 14 March 2026). Mill Road, Arundel, BN18 9PB, 01903 883355. WWT Arundel.

Trains, castles and museums

Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park

The heritage steam line runs from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead. On 29 October four trains left Sheffield Park, at 10.30am, 11.45am, 1pm and 2.15pm. Full-line Rover fares, 3rd class:

• adult: £27 in advance, £30 on the day
• child, 3 to 15: £13.50 to £15 on weekdays, £1 at weekends and in holidays with a paying adult, up to four children
• family of two adults and three children: £63 in advance, £78 on the day

Advance tickets carry a £1.95 booking fee. Dogs on a short lead are welcome on standard trains, but not in the catering outlets. SteamLights runs through November and December, with Santa Specials from 28 November. Hygiene rating 3 (FSA, 24 March 2025). East Grinstead Road, TN22 3QL. Fares and timetable.

Amberley Museum, near Arundel

An open-air museum on the site of former chalk pits and limeworks in the South Downs National Park. It describes more than 40 exhibit areas, including a narrow-gauge railway, historic buses and rural crafts, with volunteers demonstrating. Hours:

• to 1 November: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4.30pm
• 4 November to 20 December: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm

The museum does not print its ticket prices on its website; they are on the booking page. Arrive by train and show your rail tickets for two-for-one entry. Under-16s must be with an adult. Limeburners Restaurant hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 28 January 2026). New Barn Road, Amberley, BN18 9LT. Amberley Museum.

Lewes Castle and Museum

A Norman castle built after the Battle of Hastings by supporters of William the Conqueror, with the Museum of Sussex Archaeology alongside. Prices:

• adult: £12
• child 5 to 17: £6.50, under-5s free
• family, two adults and up to four children: £34

It opens daily to 1 November, then Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm from 2 November, with the museum open to 5pm. On Thursday 5 November, Lewes Bonfire night, it closes at 1pm. The Keep garden is up 125 steps. The castle says it has no accessible toilet and no baby changing. Assistance dogs only. 169 High Street, BN7 1YE. Lewes Castle.

The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux

Hands-on science exhibits on the Herstmonceux site the Royal Observatory moved to from Greenwich. Families can visit only at weekends and in East Sussex school holidays, 10am to 4pm; on term-time weekdays it takes school groups only. The next holiday opening is 19 December to 3 January, closed 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January.

• adult or child: £13, or £14.30 with Gift Aid
• under-4s and carers: free

Café hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 20 June 2025). Wartling Road, BN27 1RN. Opening times.

Paradise Park, Newhaven

Gardens and planthouses with a Planet Earth Museum, a Dinosaur Safari and a Playzone, beside a garden centre. The gardens, museums and play area open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday.

• day pass, over-3s: £12.99
• 60 and over, with a bus pass: £11.99
• under-3s: free
• family of four: £51.96

The train ride and the golf are £1.50 each. The FSA rates Paradise Park at the Avis Road garden centre 5 (FSA, 13 October 2025). Avis Road, BN9 0DH, 01273 512123. Tickets.

Gardens and countryside

Sheffield Park and Garden

A National Trust garden, Grade I listed, built around four lakes, with paths through glades and woods. In the parkland is a natural woodland play trail at Ringwood Toll. The Bluebell Railway’s station is next door.

• adult: £19, child 5 to 17: £9.50, under-5s free
• family, two adults and three children: £47.50
• parking: free; National Trust members get in free

Through November and December the garden opens at 9am or 10am, depending on the day, and closes at 4pm, with last entry 45 minutes before. It shuts on 24 and 25 December. The Trust warns that autumn is busy and you may be parked in a muddy overflow field, so bring wellies. TN22 3QX. Sheffield Park and Garden.

Wakehurst, Ardingly

Kew’s wild botanic garden in West Sussex, home to the Millennium Seed Bank and a mansion you can walk round. It opens daily, 10am to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm). It closes at 3pm on Glow Wild evenings: 26 to 29 November, 1 to 6 December, 9 to 24 December and 27 December to 1 January.

• adult: £18.50, after 3.30pm £9.25
• child 5 to 16: £4, under-5s free
• arriving by bus, bike or on foot: £9.25
• National Trust members: free, but parking is charged

Parking is free for 45 minutes, £8 up to two and a half hours and £13.50 beyond. Dogs on a short lead are allowed on the dog-friendly route. Its café operator was awaiting inspection on the FSA register. Selsfield Road, RH17 6TN. Tickets.

Seven Sisters Country Park, Exceat

The country park at Cuckmere Haven, at the heart of the Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve. Entry is free. The 12, 12A and 12X buses from Brighton stop at the visitor centre. Winter hours run from 24 October:

• visitor centre and Grab & Go: 10am to 4pm
• toilets and car parks: 7am to 6pm, locked at 6pm
• parking: £3.50 up to two hours, £5 up to four, £7 over four, with no Blue Badge concession

Read the park’s cliff and river safety page before walking to the cliffs with children. A259, near Seaford, BN25 4AD. Seven Sisters Country Park.

How we chose

This is a list of the family days out within reach of Brighton that people search for. We chose them on records anyone can check, not on taste. They are long-established, run their own websites with current prices and hours, and serve food with a hygiene rating of 3 or better. We left out Knockhatch Adventure Park and Fishers Farm Park because their prices sit only inside booking systems. Attractions inside the city are in our things to do in Brighton guide instead.

We checked every venue’s own website on 29 October 2026 for prices, hours, dog rules and closure notices. National Trust prices and hours come from the Trust’s own listings, and hygiene ratings from the FSA register on the same day. Prices and winter hours change, so check with the venue before you set off.

For rainy days in town, see soft play and rainy-day places and Brighton playgrounds. For a day on foot, see walks near Brighton. For dates, see what’s on in Brighton this month. To eat afterwards, try our guides to Brighton restaurants and Sunday roasts, or browse the Brighton business directory.

Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@brightontimes.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

What is open near Brighton for children in the winter?

Drusillas Park, Middle Farm, Washbrooks Family Farm, WWT Arundel, Wakehurst and Sheffield Park and Garden all say they open every day through the winter apart from Christmas. Lewes Castle opens Tuesday to Sunday from 2 November, Amberley Museum moves to Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 4 November, and the Observatory Science Centre opens only at weekends and in East Sussex school holidays.

What are the cheapest days out near Brighton?

Seven Sisters Country Park is free to enter, and the 12, 12A and 12X buses from Brighton stop at its visitor centre. Wakehurst charges £4 for children aged 5 to 16. The Bluebell Railway carries children aged 3 to 15 for £1 with a paying adult at weekends and in holidays. Washbrooks Family Farm is £9.50 a head and Middle Farm £10, with under-3s free at both.

Which days out near Brighton allow dogs?

The Bluebell Railway allows dogs on a short lead on standard trains, and Wakehurst allows them on a short lead on its dog-friendly route. Drusillas, WWT Arundel, Middle Farm’s open farm and Lewes Castle admit assistance dogs only.