100 Free Day's Out In The North East This Summer

We are now one week into the summer holiday's and if you are looking for some free day's out these holidays to keep your children entertained then I have compiled a list of 100 free places to visit this summer in the North East. 

While these attractions / places/ events do have free entry you will have to factor in car park fee's & petrol or bus fares - unless you live within walking distance of one of these places. Also, some of these places may have extra charges for certain things or they may change opening times or cancel events, so please do check their websites / social media accounts before travelling.

I hope you find this list useful and if you have anywhere to add or visit any of the places on the list do let me know. 

1.)  The Beach

We are so lucky here in the North East to have so many beautiful beaches, which are great for a family day out. We love visiting the beach to build sandcastles, splash in the sea or just for a walk along the coastal paths.

2.) Jesmond Dene

I love strolling through Jesmond Dene, the children love the animals in pets corner and visiting the park. The waterfall and green space make it a great place to spend a few hours exploring and burning off some energy too.

3.) The Discovery Museum

We are big fans of the Discovery Museum located in Newcastle and I am always amazed that entry is free as there is so much to see and do. 

4.) Visit Hadrian's Wall

No matter how many times I see Hadrian's Wall I am always impressed that it has stood for all these years, children will love learning about the history. So many parts of the wall are free to access and there are so many places in the North East that you see it, it is always fun spotting it.

5.) Northumberlandia

Located in my home town of Cramlington, Northumberlandia makes a great day out. Set in a country park the form of a lady has been created into four miles of pathway. If you climb to the top you get views of the close by open mine and countryside.

6.) Visit Ouseburn Farm

Ouseburn farm located in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle is a free to enter farm (donations welcome). It is just a small farm with some indoor and outdoor animals but it is perfect for a visit with younger children.

7.) Angel of the North

The Angel is one of the North East's most iconic landmarks and children will love seeing her up close and getting their photo taken with the giant Angel. 

8.) Screen on the Green

If your local to Newcastle you have probably seen the big cinema screens in the city centre at old Eldon Square showing films and shows throughout summer, every day. No need to book just grab one of the deck chairs provided and enjoy a film outdoors in the centre of Newcastle for free. 

9.) The Baltic

I have not actually visited here myself but I keep hearing how great the Baltic is, located on the Quayside. They have regular free activities for children and there is also an area with games for children to play with too.

10.) Trade books at Barter books Alnwick

If your children have unwanted books you can take them to Barter books in Alnwick and trade them in for credit that they can then spend on books in the store. It is rather magical inside with overhead railways and so much to see. See website for full details www.barterbooks.co.uk

11.) Bill Quay Farm

Another free farm is Bill Quay farm near Gateshead, entry is free but again donations are welcome. The farm has some outdoor animals and a few small indoor animals and it is somewhere you can stay for an hour or two and young children will love.

12.) Durham Cathedral

The rather majestic looking Durham Cathedral in the heart of Durham is truly spectacular to look at, if you have travelled on the east coast train line you have probably seen it when you pass. Entry into the Cathedral church and Cloister is free, although donations are welcome and admission fees do apply to other parts of the cathedral.

13.) Hancock Museum

The Hancock Museum Newcastle city centre is somewhere I remember from my own childhood, now renamed the Great North Museum it is free to enter and has so much to see and do. They have activities on throughout the summer and is somewhere you could easily spend a couple of hours.

14.) Plessy Woods

I always visited Plessy Woods in south Northumberland as a child and now I take my own children, they love walking through the woods, throwing sticks in the stream and discovering the sculptures along the way.

15.) Stephenson railway museum

Somewhere we visited recently, located near the Silverlink retail park in North Tyneside. Entry to the museum is free although you do need to pay a small amount to ride on the heritage train rides which are only available on certain days and times so do check website for details. You can read about our recent trip on a day out with Thomas

16.) Shiremoor adventure playground

Shiremoor adventure playground is located in Shiremoor, North Tyneside. Entry is free and it is a huge outdoor play park for older children to climb on and explore, they have lots of garden type toys for young children to play on and an onsite cafe too. Opening times are advertised on their Facebook page and they also offer Sen sessions. 

17.) Rising sun country park

Located in North Tyneside (near Benton Asda) it is a large country park with lots of space to explore, farm animals, ponds and free parking. It is a great place to visit for a walk or to have a picnic.  

18.) Ridley Park Blyth

Ridley Park in Blyth Northumberland is great fun for children, they have a park and water fountains that children enjoy splashing around in (make sure you bring spare clothes). It is also close to Blyth harbour and beach so you can really make a day of it, we normally visit Ridley park and then walk up to the beach and visit the park there too.

19.) Seven Stories 

Seven Stories book museum in Ouseburn is free to visit. It is a great place to visit with children and you could even make a day of it and combine it with a visit to Ouseburn Farm which is also free to visit. Sometimes they do have activities on that require a small fee. 

20.) Saltwell Park Gateshead

We love visiting Saltwell park in Gateshead, there are two play areas - one for older children and one for younger children. They have some animals, lots of space to explore and you often see people having picnics or playing ball games. They also have a lake with boats and a Thomas land train which children love, although you do need to pay for these.

21.) Arbeia Roman Fort South Shields

Arbeia Roman Fort is located near the seafront and Marine park in South Shields, it is free to enter and daily during the summer - Check website www.arbeiaromanfort.org.uk for opening times.  It has excavated Roman remains, reconstructed buildings and is an interesting place to visit.

22.) Penshaw Monument

This national trust property, near Sunderland, is free to visit, although it does cost if you want to climb to the top (only available on certain dates). The monument is really impressive and there are lots of nice places to have a walk in the nearby area.  

23.) National Glass Centre

Located in Sunderland and open daily the National glass centre would be an interesting place to visit with free glass blowing demonstrations. It is also a short walk from Roker beach so you could really make a day of it.

24.) Derwent Reservoir 

Lovely walk with a playground for children. Parking fees apply. 

25.) Paddy Freeman park

Located just outside of Newcastle city centre, near the Freeman hospital is this lovely Victorian park. It is a big park which makes for lovely walks, it also has a play park for children and a duck pond.

26.) Pets At Home Workshops

Pets at Home stores run free Pet Pals workshops during the holidays (you need to pre-book) but children get to find out more about the animals. We visited Pets at home and took part in a workshop.

27.) Bedlington Country Park

Go for a family walk and cross the stepping stones on the river or enjoy a picnic. 

28.) Metrocentre events

The Metrocentre normally put on events for children during the school holidays, check their social media pages for details. 

29.) Chopwell Woods

Chopwell Woods near Consett is a great place to explore with 360 hectares of land to explore. Children will love spotting the animals sculptures dotted around the woods.

30.) Spital Splash Park

Located in Berwick, Northumberland Spittal Splash Park is close to the beach and has a play park nearby so you can really make a day of it.

31.) Visit a market

Tynemouth market and Newcastle's Quayside market on a Sunday are always nice to visit. They are free entry but obviously they are selling stuff but some of it is super affordable and you can just go for browse. 

32.) Visit the giant spoon

Near Cramlington, there is a giant spoon in a field that people seem to love getting their photo taken with. The best way to get there is to go under the underpass opposite the Bay horse pub and follow the path and you will find it.

33.) Library events

Check your local library as they have so many free summer events on for children, my local library has so many regular events like teddy bears picnics and activities that children seem to enjoy.

34.) Exhibition Park Newcastle

Located just a few minutes walk from Newcastle city centre, near the town moor is Exhibition Park. It has a children's playground, lake and is a lovely place to escape the bustle of the busy city centre.

35.) Druridge Bay country park

Located in Northumberland this is a lovely country park located in three miles of beach and sand dunes plus a lake and woodland area. They have a play park and obstacle course and it is the ideal place to have a picnic.

36.) Scoot along the Coast

My children enjoy taking their scooters along the coast on family walks, ideal routes with flat paths are Blyth to Seaton Sluice (free parking at Blyth Beach) and Whitley Bay to Cullercoats (parking charges apply). 

37.) Quayside beach

Every summer a little beach pops up on Newcastle quayside, complete with sand, deckchairs and beach huts and with views overlooking the Tyne it is a great place to sit back and relax. 

38.) East Cramlington Nature Reserve

Ideal for a family walk and free parking is also available. 

39.) Laing art gallery

Located in Newcastle city centre, just off Northumberland street is the Laing art gallery and admission is free (donations welcome) although admission does apply to some exhibitions. They have a free Under 5's play area too.

40.) Walk along the Quayside

Have a walk along Newcastle Quayside and walk along the bridges is always a nice way to spend a few hours. You can always walk along to Ouseburn to visit the free farm there too.

41.) Sunderland Winter gardens

Entry is free to this museum with so much to see and do, they have Wallace the lion, a gallery and a winter garden with over 2,000 plants. They also have some dinosaur models hidden in the garden waiting to be discovered, including a T-Rex hatching from its shell.

42.) Kielder

Home to northern Europe's biggest man made lake and England's biggest forest Kielder is a great family day out. You can spend hours exploring the area and seeing if you can spot a red squirrel.

43.) Rock pooling at coast

You can't beat a couple of hours rock pooling at the coast, my children love visiting St Mary's island seeing what creatures they can find in the rock pools. 

44.) St Mary's Island

As I mentioned above we love to visit St Mary's island in Whitley bay to rock pool but it is also a lovely place to visit. You do have to pay a small fee to go into the lighthouse and for parking but exploring the island is free.

45.) Leazers Park, Newcastle 

Located in the city centre near the RVI hospital this is a lovely park to escape the city centre.

46.) Preston Park Playground

The huge playground at Preston Park is free to visit and parking is also free. 

47.) Ikea Soft Play 

The soft play in Ikea is free to use and children can be left and supervised for up to 60 minutes. 

48.) Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead

Not far from Gateshead city centre is Shipley art gallery which is home to over 800 pieces of art, it also hosts many events.

49.) Hauxley Nature reserve 

Visit Hauxley nature reserve near Amble in Northumberland. 

50.) South Shields museum

Open Monday to Saturday entry is free to South Shields museum. www.southshieldsmuseum.org.uk

51.) Newbiggin Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum in Newbiggin Northumberland is open all year. Check their facebook page for details. 

52.) The Common Room 

The Common Room in Newcastle often has free events on throughout the year, check website or social media pages for details. 

53.) Bolam lake country park

Located 9 miles west of Morpeth, Northumberland Bolam lake country park is the perfect place to visit for a summer family picnic. You can take a stroll around the large lake or woodland area and see if you can spot the wildlife, red squirrels, deer or even a woodpecker.

54.) Grace Darling Museum

Visit the free Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh Northumberland to learn more about Grace's rescue efforts as she rescued shipwrecked survivors.

55.) Explore The Northumberland Coast

There are so many lovely beaches in Northumberland all the way from Seaton Sluice up to Berwick. Some of them are so quiet and have stunning views of the coastline, castles and Holy island. 

56.) Low Barns Nature reserve

Located west of Bishop Auckland, entry is free but parking charges do apply.

57.) Eldon Square events

Eldon Square in Newcastle always out on free events for the children in the holidays check out their social media pages for details. 

58.) Explore Hulne Park

Hulne Park in Alnwick is massive and has a few different walking routes, you can often see wild deer and squirrels when you visit. 

59.) Discover a Free Castle 

Some of smaller castles / ruins in Northumberland are free to visit such as Thirlwell castle, Cresswell and Kielder. 

60.) Visit Northumberland national park

Visit Northumberland's vast national park, you can enjoy some beautiful walks in the countryside and children will love exploring.

61.) Visit a new park

Visit a new park this summer, my children adore visiting parks and they love visiting a new one and it makes a nice change from always visiting the same ones.

62.) Walk Berwick defence

Walk the Berwick defence walls and take in some beautiful views whilst exploring this charming town which is steeped in history.

63.) Sea glass hunting 

Go sea glass hunting on the beach to see what treasure you can discover. Good beaches for sea glass are Seaham and blast beach. 

64.) Rothbury Riverside Walk 

The lovely Northumberland town of Rothbury offers a great riverside walk and you could even take a picnic.  

65.) Ryhope Engines Museum

This museum is free to enter but donations are welcome. This museum is based on the Ryhope pumping station  in Sunderland. 

66.) Find a Shipwreck 

If you visit Goswick beach in Northumberland (near Berwick) you might spot the shipwreck when the tide is out. 

67.) Explore Northumberland countryside

Explore the Northumberland countryside, I grew up in Northumberland and now as an adult, I love nothing more than exploring the beautiful Northumberland countryside.

68.) Picnic at the beach

Having a picnic in the park is a lovely way to spend a few hours and is sure to delight children.

69.) Visit Embleton Bay voted the best beach

Voted as BBCs Countryfile magazine beach of the year, Embleton Bay in Northumberland is a must visit beach.

70.) Cycle the coast

Cycle along the coast is always a fun filled day out with beautiful scenery.

71.) Wansbeck Riverside Park

This park in Ashington Northumberland has a play area and nice riverside walk. 

72.) Marsden beach

Famous for its grotto this is a lovely family friendly beach to explore near south shields.

73.) Library books

On rainy days a visit to the library to get some library books to bring home and read will keep children entertained for a while.

74.) Richard Dees Park 

Richard Dees Park in Wallsend has a play area, skate park and sports courts, it is also ideal for a family walk. 

75.) QE2 Park 

The QE2 park near woodhorn in Northumberland is a lovely place to visit with a big lake to walk around and lots of swans to see. 

76.) Barnes Park Sunderland

With children play areas, and lots of areas for a walk this sounds like a lovely park to visit.

77.) Tyne Green Park Hexham 

A nice park with a riverside walk and picnic. 

78.) Fontburn

Fontburn in Northumberland is a lovely waterside park at a reservoir, it is a lovely walk and also has a play area and is the perfect place for a picnic. parking charges apply. 

79.) Whitley Bay splash park

Located near the beach and Spanish City is Whitley Bay splash park, it has so many water features that children will love playing in. It is also near a play park and the beach, making it a great day out.

80.)  Morpeth Park

Probably my favourite park in the North East, this is a lovely riverside park with a large outdoor paddling pool for children to play in. It has a play park for younger children with a sandpit and a play park for slightly older children and lots of grassed area for a picnic or exploring. It even has stepping stones over the river. 

81.) Harestanes Park 

Located up in the boarders at Jedburgh this is a park with a play area and is also accessible. 

82.) Hamsterley Forest 

With play areas and walking routes this is a place you can spend the day. You might even spot a gruffalo. Parking charges do apply. 

83.) Northumberland Park

This park located in North Shields has a sculpture trail and a great place for a walk. 

84.) Marine Park South Shields 

With a big lake, small train (charge applies) and a nice playground this is a lovely park to visit by the beach. 

85.) Discover the Seven bridges 

Visit Newcastle Quayside and discover all seven of the bridges over the Tyne, some you can walk across to Gateshead and some you can't. 

86.) Lit and Phil 

This is the largest independent library outside of London, located in Newcastle. 

87.) Morpeth Bagpipe Museum

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe museum in Northumberland is free to visit.

88.) Railway Museum York 

This one is not in the North East but it is not too far away and it is such a good day out I had to include it. The National Railway Museum in York is free to enter - donations welcome. And is a must visit for train fans, there is so much to see you could easily spend the day here. 

89.) Heritage Open Days

 Dozen's of North Tyneside venues will open their doors to the public check website for details.

90.) Chester-le-street Riverside park

With a splash pad, play park and beautiful gardens to explore.

91.) Railway Museum Shildon

The national railway museum Shildon, Durham is open daily and is free to enter. With a collection of trains to look at and a play park, it is sure to delight young fans.

92.) The Word, South Shields

Open daily this state of the art cultural venue in South Shields is free to enter. They often have exhibitions on. 

93.) Explore the Cheviots 

The Cheviots in Northumberland is an amazing place to explore, a stroll through the charming town of Wooler is also recommended.

94.) Durham Cathedral 

It is free to visit Durham Cathedral although donations are welcome. You could even combine a visit with a walk along the river and a visit to the Oriental Museum (also free) and make a day of it. 

95.) Oriental Museum

The Oriental Museum in Durham is free to enter. 

96.) Big waters nature reserve

Located in Seaton Burn, North Tyneside this is a nature reserve that has some lovely walks. It is also a great place to spot aeroplanes coming in to land at nearby Newcastle airport as is nearby Havana nature reserve in Hazelrigg. 

97.) Herrington Country park

This is one of the biggest parks in Sunderland with a walk and cycle tracks and an adventure play area.

98.) Durham Riverside Walk

Go for a walk along the river in Durham. 

99.) Explore Thrunton Wood 

Explore Thrunton Woods in Northumberland. 

100.) Have an adventure

We live in such a great part of the country with so much to see and do, so sometimes it is good to just set off for the day and see where you end up.

Please do check the places mentioned websites or social media accounts for up-to-date times, dates and cancellations etc before visiting. Please be aware parking charges may apply.