What to do in Blackpool?

[CrochetBelle]

Spending the weekend in Blackpool and have no plans for the Monday, so asked the 13 year old to take a look online and pick something. Unfortunately, she's so laid back and just says "dunno", so it looks like I'm going to have to pick.

We already have plans for the Pleasure Beach, tram ride, arcades, prom.

We have....
Tower -
Madame Tussauds - kids seem quite interested in this but neither are particularly clued up about famous/well known people so not sure how much they will 'get'?
Zoo -

Which would you do? Any further suggestions?

I quite like Blackpool though stay in a decent hotel like the big blue hotel. The kids would love Stanley Park.

The steeplechase is still there. We were at the PB last weekend until late for the fireworks. Freezing.

I love Blackpool. Everyone I know who has said it's grim has been for the night life and stayed in one of the cheap hotels. If you stay at a decent place (we stay at the beach house apartments) and avoid the night life it's a great place with so much to see and do. I love going to the model village. It's up near Stanley Park and the zoo. Also see if there are any Hot Ice shows on at the Pleasure Beach on the evening. Pleasure Beach is fab, our favourite theme park.

I don't plan on hanging around the streets at night with my children so as tempting as the gay bars sound, we'll probably miss them out

The stag and hen parties are all day + night parties, it is not completely unknown to find a naked man handcuffed to a lamp post in the main shopping area.

There's also quite a big drugs problem.

I'm not saying the above to be snobby just to make you aware. One of my close friends grew up in Blackpool and visits often, she always comes back with interesting stories.

But

Sandcastle, Joke shops, does any other town have joke shops? No been for a while but i'm fairly sure they still do horse drawn carriages on the front.

Leave and go to the Lake District.

OMG the cakes at Bispham chippy. I drove there from Leeds once just to get dinner. Totally worth it

@sashh I think your friend is just telling you stories as I’m born and raised in Blackpool and I’ve never seen a naked man tied to a lamppost in the town centre yet. If she encounters something odd every time she comes back she’s frequenting some seriously dodgy areas.

Yes the bars and clubs area gets a bit dodgy of an evening with hens and stags. An occasional hen or stag party singing along the prom in the day, but seriously how it’s painted is not reality at all.

Stay in a nice hotel slightly out of the town centre and Blackpool has some fantastic places to see and things to do, and some gorgeous areas of beauty too.

See I always read these stories online but I have never seen anything like that in Blackpool when I have gone. Last year I saw a drunk homeless guy curled up in a doorway and I had to check that he was ok but I've had to do that in the city I live in. My dh has family that live near Blackpool they often take their kids in and post lovely pictures of them having fun on the beach.

Yes Delatron, I've unfortunately seen a couple, usually at kicking out time for the clubs. 🤢

The Big Fat Gypsy Wedding carriages are still there. Jeez they are a sight in themselves 😂

My DC love Blackpool, I don’t love it so much but you can make the most of it, don’t listen to the naesayers!

A tenners worth of 2p buys hours of fun at the arcades, with the 2pm waterfall machines.

The beach and piers are always good craic.

Stanley Park is lovely for some fresh air and a change from the hustle and bustle.

We love the circus, it’s well worth the money if you can fit it in another day- it’s better value than the tower in my opinion.

I wouldn’t bother with the waterpark again- is it called Sandcastle?
I found it expensive, and the water was cold meaning we had to leave with the toddler earlier than we might have if the water had been warmer. And our 6 year old couldn’t get on loads of the water slides, which wasn’t obvious til we were in.

Sundayblues I think the Dr Who exhibition closed down some time ago?

But the Op.had already booked for Blackpool Forall i auppose if yoy cant say anything useful.dont say anything at all?

The Coronation Rock factory does tours, I think they are free. I went as a kid and it's still one of my best memories. Trams are great and I love going to Fleetwood, not sure if the market is open on a Monday but if so, worth a visit just to buy a bag of fresh pork pies!

My kids love the Sealife Centre and yes, we went on one of the carriage rides along the prom. My mum remembers how they used to test the carriages when she was young- they'd load them up with the biggest policemen they could find and then go as fast as they could. If no policemen were damaged then all was good and the licence was issued!

I think the Dr Who exhibition closed down some time ago?
Yes, that closed years ago.

Wow thanks for all the suggestions and I hope some others get some inspiration too.

I spoke to DD;s friend in Bispham about the chippy and she says which one? - apparently there's three - a top one, a bottom one and a middle one, hahah.

There’s a Bispham chippy right near the Prom on Red Bank Road. That’s good but busy. Then there one opposite Sainsbury’s further inland that’s good. I’m not sure which end your friend considers ‘top’ ha ha but those are 2 good ones I can vouch for

Get a tram pass (the Virginian) for three days and go wherever you want. Walk along the prom prom prom; look at the sculptures and the lights - so much care and artistry.

The Pleasure Beach is almost a working museum. The gorilla in the cafe and the laughing king. My Gran used to say, "If you get lost we'll meet you here." I heard a Gran saying that to her children and grandchildren this year though my Gran is long gone. On a good day one can ride the Big One at the front, the middle and the back though the Roller Coaster (not the Big Dipper) is the best for retro Gs from the 50's. The Mad Mouse is so shocking its not suitable for pregnant women.

I admit to singing and dancing along the prom when I was 15, but that was because we were part of a show, not a drunken hen.

The best thing about Blackpool, though, is the friendliness and the willingness to accept the responsibility of hosting a diverse and transient population with grace.

If she encounters something odd every time she comes back she’s frequenting some seriously dodgy areas

It was the middle of the shopping area (can't remember the name) she bundled her 6 year old god daughter into the nearest shop, Boots I think.

I'm not saying it happens every week but if you know it is a possibility you can plan accordingly.

Bowness is awful for hen and stagg parties..........I think because it's so small theyre harder to avoid. The last time we went a group of pissed up women upset an elderly couple so much they cried 🤷‍♀️

On the other hand the worst thing i've seen in Blackpool is a bloke in a mankini and a pair of high heels being chased down the prom by his stags 😂😂😂

In over 30 years of visiting i've yet to come across any shagging couples, we do tend to stick to the sea front though, i've never been in any bars there.

I've worked in Blackpool bars all my working life. Not once have I seen anyone having sex. There is a huge police presence and 30 mins after all the bars are shut people are buying burgers and being pushed politely back to their accommodation. 1 hour later its silent.
I live two streets from the prom. Parts are run down. Parts have no go areas. Pretty much like most towns or cities.

Tara the wild mouse went last year. I was gutted. It was a warm up ride. If the grand national goes I'm burning the place down. Still mourning the funhouse closure in 93

This thread is funny
OP= I’ve BOOKED Blackpool, what’s good
Posters= well don’t go you might see naked stag parties
🙄

This also made me laugh I'm not saying it happens every week but if you know it is a possibility you can plan accordingly 😂 tell me how does one plan accordingly for if they see a naked stag in the shopping centre?

Anyway I’d never been to Blackpool but we were visiting some of dh family up north last month and decided to take our 3 young dc to Blackpool while we were there.

Yes it’s tacky as hell but it’s Blackpool it doesn’t claim to be anything other than what it is! We had a great day;
Tram ride
Walk on the beach
Arcade
Blackpool tower
Fish & chips in one of the places on the seafront

I can confirm we saw no drunk stags/hens, no naked people, nobody injecting drugs.

OP I have heard great reviews about the zoo, but I see you've got that planned anyway and of course you can’t not do the tower!
Horse carriage rides were available but at 13 your dc might not have an interest in that.

Have a lovely time

One thing I hate about Blackpool is the sickening treatment of the donkeys. I've promised myself never to pay for my kids to ride them again. www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/secretly-filmed-video-blackpool-beach-15212114

I loved the Funhouse. Such a shame it closed - burnt down, I think?
The trams are great. I even said I to the dds that I’d like a job driving trams along the front! Bit impractical as we live about 120 mikes away but it was a nice idea!