10 Free Family Summer Days Out in Wakefield

Newmillerdam Country Park’s breathtaking scenery and brilliant accessible paths looping around the lake makes it the perfect spot for walks. Explore the wildlife and natural surroundings of the country park. The whole family will love Newmillerdam’s Gnome Roam trail! This simple walking trail is perfect to get little ones moving as they spot the gnome sculptures and wildlife along their walk.

Located at the top of the hill, the Newmillerdam Arboretum is a great location for nature lovers to discover nature within the country park.

📍 Newmillerdam, WF2 6PZ (car park post code WF2 6QQ)
🕛 Open every day
🚗 Parking charges apply 8am – 6pm, Monday to Sunday
🚌 From Wakefield Bus Station take bus 59 or 59A to the Barnsley Rd Miller Court stop

Anglers Country Park is a vast country park located south-east of Wakefield city centre. Previously one of the deepest coal mines in the country, reaching 250 feet, Anglers Country Park has since flourished into a beautiful haven for exploring wildlife. A central lake is surrounded by grassland, woodland, and wetland, with accessible pathways great for both walking and cycling, which in turn lead to a wider trail to explore.

Little explorers can follow the Room on the Broom story trail and find the well-known characters from the famous Julia Donaldson story or run off some steam at the adventure playground.

📍 Wintersett, WF4 2EB
🕛 Open every day
🚗 Parking charges apply 9am – 6pm, Monday to Sunday
🚌 From Wakefield Kirkgate Train Station take bus 195 or 196 to the Wintersett Ln Love Lane stop

Situated along the River Calder, The Hepworth Wakefield has become a landmark amongst tourists as well as locals. The Barbara Hepworth-inspired gallery offers a range of free craft activities throughout the year, as well as family activities to encourage the whole family to explore the stunning galleries.

Stack, build and play in The Hepworth Wakefield Garden and be inspired by the garden’s artworks and plants. Get creative in the open air and discover the wildlife that lives in the garden. Make sure to spend the day and bring along a picnic!

Please note – The Hepworth Wakefield Garden is free to everyone. The Hepworth Wakefield gallery is free for under 18s and Wakefield residents.

📍 Wakefield, WF1 5AW (car park post code WF1 5QJ)
🕛 Open every day
🚗 Parking charges apply 9am – 6pm, Monday to Sunday
🚌 The gallery is on the FreeCityBus route operated every 10-12 minutes from 7:30am to 6:36pm, Monday to Fridays and between 8:30am and 5pm on Saturdays. There is no charge to travel on the FreeCityBus.

Pugneys Country Park is complete with mini beaches by the lake, an outdoor gym, and lots more! Children’s imaginations can run wild with the pirate themed playground and head along the Blown Away trail to see a glimpse of Pugneys’ second lake. The country park is a haven for wildlife and nature lovers can see a variety of natural habitats.

Take in the views from Sandal Castle and enjoy the surrounding country park from above.  see the picturesque country park from above. Discover the medieval ruins and uncover the rich history held within the site. Best known for its role in the Battle of Wakefield, Sandal Castle offers an ideal setting for a scenic walk.

Pugneys Country Park
📍 Wakefield, WF2 7EQ
🕛 Open 9am – 9pm every day
🚗 Parking charges apply 9am – 6pm, Monday to Sunday
🚌 From Wakefield Bus Station take bus 107 to the Denby Dale Road Calder Bridge stop

Sandal Castle
📍 Sandal, WF2 7DS
🕛 Open every day
🚗 Free parking available, Monday to Sunday
🚌 From Wakefield Bus Station take bus 106 to the Barnsley Road Chevet Ln stop or 105 to the Rutland Ave Clifford Avenue stop

Located in the historic market town of Pontefract, Pontefract Castle is a place of family-friendly adventure. First built in 1070, Pontefract Castle was once known as the Key to the North.

Ignite your imagination as you explore the fascinating ruins and take in the imposing stonework. Climb to the top of the keep and enjoy the surrounding views of Yorkshire or get creative and test out your soldier skills whilst having a go at some civil war training activities around the castle. Let the little ones loose in the bespoke castle playground and let them create their own castle adventures.

A short walk from the castle, step inside Pontefract Museum’s beautiful Art Nouveau building and celebrate Pontefract’s historic link with liquorice and the captivating stories of the town’s heritage. The Pontefract Gallery tells the story of Pontefract and its people and boasts the world’s first secret ballot box plus a unique display of objects related to liquorice.

Pontefract Castle
📍 Pontefract, WF8 1QH (car park post code WF8 2JF)
🕛 Open 8:30am – 5pm, Monday to Friday and 9:30am – 5pm, Saturday and Sunday
🚗 Free parking available every day
🚌 Pontefract Bus Station connects to Castleford, Wakefield and the wider Yorkshire region, and is 0.2miles from Pontefract Castle

Pontefract Museum
📍 Pontefract, WF8 1BA
🕛 Open 10:30am – 4:30pm, Monday to Saturday
🚗 The nearest parking is in the Stuart Road car park, parking charges apply 8am – 6pm, Monday to Saturday
🚌 Pontefract Bus Station connects to Castleford, Wakefield and the wider Yorkshire region, and is 0.2 miles from Pontefract Museum

Wakefield is home to some amazing parks and playgrounds. Located just outside the heart of Wakefield city centre, Thornes Park and Clarence Park are complete with a bandstand, duck ponds, athletics stadium and more! The playground ensures children can jump, swing and slide or improve their skateboarding skills.

Take a walk through the formal flower and rose gardens, discover unusual plants species, feed the ducks along the lake, and say hello to the friendly birds in the aviary. Go on an adventure to find the secret garden and see the beautiful flowers and Victorian stonework.

Clarence Park is home to the historic bandstand that hosts music events throughout the year such as Clarence Park Festival in July, Yorkshire’s longest running free music festival.

📍 Wakefield, WF2 8TY
🕛 Open every day
🚗 Free parking available, Monday to Sunday
🚌 From Wakefield Westgate Station take bus 107 to the Gill Syke Road Gill Syke Bungalows stop

If you’re looking to get the family out into the great outdoors, you’ll love RSPB Fairburn Ings. Nestled on the outskirts of Castleford, this lush green nature reserve offers an exciting place for families to create their own wildlife adventures.

Having transformed from an industrial coal face to a wild place, RSPB Fairburn Ings provides a rich habitat for wildlife and birdlife. In recent years the reserve has become a haven to a variety of rare birds – perfect for bird watching!

📍 Castleford, WF10 2BH
🕛 Open every day, 10am – 4pm
🚗 Parking is available on site for £4 (free for RSPB Members)

Located just a short walk from Westgate train station, Wakefield Museum is a firm favourite and has fascinating hands-on gallery spaces. Relive the stories of people who have lived and worked in the city or put yourself behind bars and imagine life as a nineteenth century prisoner. Play dress up and live life as a Victorian with their Victorian kitchen. You can even listen to the strange sound of forced rhubarb growing!

As well as exciting temporary exhibitions, visitors can take part in a host of regular events and craft activities throughout the year – most of them free.

📍 Wakefield, WF1 2EB
🕛 Open 9am – 5pm, Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 9am – 7pm, Wednesday and Thursday, and 9am – 4pm on Saturday
🚗 The nearest parking is in Merchant Gate where parking charges always apply
🚌 Wakefield Bus Station connects to Castleford, Pontefract and the wider Yorkshire region, and is 0.4 miles from Wakefield Museum

Earnshaw’s Fencing Centre is home to the new nature-themed fairy trail! Children can run, learn, and explore the woodlands to discover the different species that live there. Visitors can pick up their very own trail activity sheet which will guide them along the trail. Each fairy on the trail represents a different species which lives in the woodland, and their fairy wings have been individually designed and created by local artist, Lanson Moore. The hidden fairies also have many top tips and interesting facts to find along the way. Then, make your promise to nature with the fairies’ post box. There aren’t just fairies in the woodland, follow the Footprints trail to see what else you can discover.

Burn off some steam at the fort, the playhouses or build a sandcastle in the sand pit. Take a rest at the mini art studio and look at the artwork on display by Lanson Moore.

📍 Midgley, WF4 4JG
🕛 Open 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5pm on Saturdays and 10am – 4pm on Sundays
🚗 Free parking is available on site
🚌 From Wakefield Bus Station take bus 231 to the Stocksmoor Farm stop, Earnshaw’s Fencing Centre is a 10 minute walk from here

Experience the National Coal Mining Museum, the site of two former working coal mines! Venture into the Time Tunnel and be taken through almost 200 years of mining history. Discover the different ages of mining, from Victorian times when women and children worked underground alongside men, mining during a time of war, and how modern machinery changed coal mining.

Learn about the people and communities at the heart of the industry in the museum’s galleries, meet the ponies at the Pony Discovery Centre, take a trip around the nature trail, go wild in the adventure playground and more!

📍 Wakefield, WF4 4RH
🕛 Open 10am – 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday
🚗 Free parking is available on site
🚌 From Wakefield Bus Station take bus 232 to the Old Road Reindeer PH stop