MNHQ needs your best "visitor attractions for children in the UK"

And now I need to know best places to eat out with kids (think pubs with play areas that aren't just chicken nugget fests...) in my local area - anywhere within 1 hours driving distance when we're out and about: Cheshire/Manchester/Shropshire/Derbyshire/ North Staffordshire/Merseyside region...?

Any ideas? Or is there already a thread/listing for this? Or should I start a separate one?

another vote for Brimham rocks. Went last year with my mum and my dc's and nephews (aged 6 - 13). Paid for 4 hrs in car park and managed to get round in four hours, were then prepared to go along the road to 'Stump Corss Caverns' and pay £20+ for us all to get in but kids begged us to put more money in car park and stay put so we did. Spent a good 6 hours there and they still moaned when we left. (And still havnt been to stump cross caverns!)

In Dorset we also have monkey world .which is a fab day out for animal lovers and kids of all ages. You can spend all day here too and can even adopt a monkey !
here

Has anyone done Kelvingrove in Glasgow? The refurb is amazing and there are loads of cool interactive thingys for children.

Another vote for Black Country museum (Dudley) and Ironbridge museum at Telford

Carsington Water is lovely on a dry day. Lots to do and free (except parking)

Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood, Hants. It even has a GoApe aerial assault course for older children and adults.

GoApe is available at several locations in the UK - it's BRILLIANT. Only for 10 years old and over, though.

oh, it's free except for parking.

Also, not strictly a visitor attraction for children, but National Trust's Brimham Rocks near Pateley Bridge in N Yorks is awesome.
Brimham Rocks in all seasons is is jaw-droppingly beautiful and wild and dangerous - perfect for intrepid boys especially!

Princess Diana Memorial Playground - imaginative, child and parent-friendly playground in Kensington Palace Gardens. Absolutely fantastic when you need to have a break in the middle of a hectic day trip to London. The children can run around letting off steam while you have a cup of tea from the cafe. And the best thing is that it's free!

Has no-one mentioned Magna yet in Sheffield? Possibly better for older children (aged 6 plus) as it can feel quite scary and dark in places but my 2 are desperate to return. It is a wonderful science museum in Sheffield in an old steel works with loads of hands-on activities and the most fabulous outdoor play area with a water-fun platy area for summer months too.

personally I love leeds castle something for everyone and you get a years pass

A surprisingly brilliant morning was had at Killhope Lead mine

You can go into the old mine workings, have a go at sifting and crushing the ore, etc. It kept 4 boys and a girl entertained for about 4 hours - we had to drag them away in the end.

This isn't exactly a day out, but a really great way of getting kids to tramp around the countryside for hours (ie go for long walks!)

GEOCACHING

It would be great if someone (tech?) could add all these places into mumsnet local.

Or/and redo this list putting into areas..... ..

We often see threads asking for places to visit when people go on holiday - and also great for people like myself who have moved to a near area and don't know where to go!..

for Tech....

Chatsworth is great too. There is the farm and adventure playground and also the gardens with the cascade that the children love playing in, although one of ours inevitably slips. They also love walking through the sculptures, the rock formations and DS's favourite bit is the maze.

Oh - nearly forgot the National railway Museum in York. DD loves it, and again it is free.

Also would add that DD has enjoyed:

• London Zoo - went thanks to free tickets from MN comp; was great

• Chester Zoo - amazing place and so much to do

• Gulliver's Kingdom, Matlock Bath - great for children under about 9 or 10; lots of rides and so much to do,

5yo DD loves visiting Beamish in the NE - she loves the whole "olden days thing" and especially likes the old school, mine and sweet shop.

We recently visited Discovery Museum in Newcastle. Again a big display on the olden days - trouble is it now goes up to the 70s and 80s, so I now feel officially old! Oh, and it is free

The Forbidden Corner in N Yorkshire is grea for about a half dy out. DD loved it. It is like a big maze with lots of places to explore and see as yu try to find your way put. Never really been anywhere like it before so hard to explain but well worth a visit.

And for young children, Eureka in Halifax is excellent - an interactive children's museum which is definitely a full day out.

The Deep in Hull is fantastic for kids of all ages, and their parents.

It is basically a HUGE aquarium with all types of different fish and sea-going creatures. They get the starfish and crabs out so the kids can hold and touch them, they have displays, exhibitions, and they have really really big SHARKS! (although not the great white that my nephew was convinced he saw )

Would recommend it to anyone who is even remotely close to the area.

And.... the food in the cafe is not too expensive, and most of all, the crappy plasticcy toys for sale in the gift shop are crappy plasticcy kind of prices, rather than the hugely inflated ripping off price that you normally get in those type of places.

Tis ace, really.

bizarrely, my girls list Capel Manor - horticulture training centre - as one of their favourite days out and wanted to take dh there on his birthday.

There are lots of mock-ups of gardens (maybe they like front doors!) and a lovely children's garden with comedy foutains as well as heaps of space for running around and picnics. We also saw some of the heavy horses being groomed.

Either Chester Zoo or Telford Wonderland.
Wonderland is best for smaller children, and great just before Christmas, but Chester Zoo works for all ages.

Colchester Zoo - do-able in a day.
Chester Zoo - has to be the best I have ever been to.
Legoland for under 10s.
Tate Modern - so much space and decent facilites.
Colchester Castle Park - incredible space and fantastic free events.
Most local country parks, indoor soft-play places, and leisure pools - all facilities not necessarily offered on mainland Europe.

The Forbidden Corner near Middleham is wonderful.

Groombridge Park near Tnbridge Wells is fab too - if expensive. Another expensive on is Hever Castle and its water maze.

A good free one is the playground on the Leas at Folkestone. Good pebbly beach and cafe as well.

Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans, in Cardiff. Basically a big park with reconstructed houses from throughout Wales. Kids will have lots of exploring in and out of the houses, plus it's fresh air and a nice stroll around. There are new indoor galleries with hands on stuff for children, plus back outside, there's also a reasonable playground where you can have your packed lunch (the caff's rubbish to be honest)