Top 5 theme parks in Norfolk
Family fun, laughs and adventure are guaranteed from a holiday in Norfolk. Whether it’s the thrill of the Roller Coaster at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, the idea of enchanted boat rides at BeWILDerwood Norfolk, or the chance for treetop adventures in Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure that gets you going, Norfolk has the theme park for you.
With so much in the way of fun to be had, we know that it can be difficult to choose the correct destination and that’s why we’ve compiled this list of Haven-approved theme parks in Norfolk for you to compare and contrast when planning your visit.
1. Great Yarmouth attractions
With its sandy beaches and two historic piers, Great Yarmouth is Norfolk’s flagship beach town and is ever popular with families during the summertime. The town is also home to two excellent theme parks in the Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach and Joyland where you will find no shortage of restaurants, amusement rides, and arcades.
However, it’s not just the rollercoasters. A variety of other top-notch attractions mean that a visit to Great Yarmouth will keep even the liveliest of kids entertained. There are the ever-entertaining penguins and scary sharks at the SEA LIFE aquarium, whilst the Merrivale Model Village features bewildering miniature landscapes and buildings. For older visitors with a keen interest in history, the Time and Tide Museum traces the local story of Great Yarmouth while the Nelson Museum focuses on the life of the country’s great admiral.
2. Pleasurewood Hills Family Theme Park, Suffolk
Although technically in Suffolk, Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft is a stone’s throw from the Norfolk border and provides a great day out for the whole family. With over 35 rides, shows and attractions, it is one of the most varied theme parks in Norfolk. The younger family members will have a fantastic time exploring the brand-new Indoor Play and Sensory Play Fun or the Kiddie Zone with its rides which are suitable for children around one metre tall. The family-friendly rides are the perfect introduction to the theme park world for newcomers.
If you prefer a more extreme day out, there’s an excellent choice of rides including Wipeout – the region’s most extreme roller coaster. However, if the thought of rides turns your stomach, there’s also a chairlift for a bird’s eye view of the park, the Rootin’ Tootin’ Target Trail to practice your marksmanship and the spectacular sealion and parrot shows to enjoy, as well as a brand new and exciting outdoor show, plus a new non-rider ticket you can enjoy them all for the great price of just £10.
This year, the park has also introduced an undated ticket which offers flexibility and means you don’t have to pick the day of your visit in advance if you’re booking online. Visitors to the region may also want to take advantage of the seven-day pass. Valid for seven consecutive days, the pass offers great value for anyone planning to make several trips to the park. Make sure to check the website for opening times before your trip as these vary seasonally.
Suitable for: Ages 0-12
3. Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach
While an honourable mention goes to Joyland Children's Fun Park, we’ve gone for Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach from the famous Norfolk resort town’s two offerings. This is because the Pleasure Beach is a mainstay in top 10 lists for the best free entry amusement parks in the country. The largest and most popular ride at the park is the Roller Coaster, built in 1932, but there are also around thirty other newer rides at the park, including the thrilling Sky-Drop and Big Apple Coaster. All of this can all be experienced for just £13.50 per person for a 3-hour time session (children under 3 are free).
In addition to the white-knuckle rides, there are children's entertainment shows, amusement arcades, catering facilities, sweet shops and ice cream parlours that make the Pleasure Beach an ideal family day out. The park operates between March and October and has ample car parking adjacent to the park. Height restrictions are in force on some rides.
Suitable for: Ages 4+
4. Pettitts Animal Adventure Park
Tucked into the Norfolk Broads near Reedham, Pettitts Animal Adventure Park is a family friendly wildlife park home to domestic and exotic animals, kids' rides, live entertainment and a cafe. The park is an animal-lovers heaven with opportunities to see a number of different species of snakes, ferrets, reptiles and birds of prey, and meet animals from around the world such as wallabies, raccoons, macaws, lemurs and alpacas. Older kids can enjoy the park’s super fun Adventure Rides including the Crazy Caterpillar Rollercoaster and Bouncing Kangaroo Ride, Alice in Wonderland train, Safari Adventure, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, and a pirate ship, while tots can venture in to three of the large play areas.
The park is open from late March until late October and there is free parking for your convenience. It’s worth checking online before you go as prices are always cheaper if purchased in advance with discounts also available at certain times.
Suitable for: Ages 0-12
5. BeWILDerwood Norfolk
BeWILDerwood is a huge, award-winning forest-based theme park filled with family fun and outdoor adventure located on the edge of Bure Marshes National Nature Reserve. Based on the magical children's books written by local author Tom Blofeld, the park is a wonderland of treehouses, enchanted boat rides and intriguing characters, bringing a magical atmosphere to the Norfolk Broads.
The park is friendly to both little and big people with adults being encouraged to join the kids on the treehouses, zip wires and jungle bridges. This means that everyone who comes to play, including the grown-ups, needs a ticket, though admission is free for those under 92cm. There is value for money at BeWILDerwood however, as parking, entry to the park, boat rides, storytelling, crafts and den building is all included in the ticket price. The park is only open on selected dates from February to October and there can be queues for some attractions such as the boats, so it's worth planning ahead and arriving early to make the most of this wild and imaginative day out!
Suitable for: all ages
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Pre-owned holiday homes from £14,995 – UPDATED 31 JULY 2024 *Holiday home price is based on a pre-owned holiday home and includes siting, connections and standard accessories.
Price excludes 2024 site fees, running costs and add-ons requested at point of sale. Subject to status and availability.
As at 31 July 2024, price is available at Blue Dolphin, Caister, Cleethorpes Beach, Combe Haven, Craig Tara, Far Grange, Greenacres, Golden Sands, Haggeston, Orchards, Quay West, Skegness and Wild Duck.
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Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.
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*Holiday home price is based on a new 3-bedroom ABI Horizon holiday home and includes siting, connections and standard accessories.
Price excludes 2024 site fees, running costs and add-ons requested at point of sale. Subject to status and availability.
As at 29 August 2024, price is available at selected parks Blue Dolphin, Craig Tara, Cleethorpes Beach, Caister, Combe Haven, Far Grange, Greenacres, Golden Sands, Haggerston, Orchards, and Quay West. Price can be withdrawn at any time.
Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times.
Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.
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Offer is applicable to new customer purchases made through Haven from 19 April 2024, completing by 31 December 2024.
Offer excludes part-exchanges or private sales. Available on new & pre-owned holiday homes at the following selected parks only: Kent Coast, Burnham-on-Sea, Cleethorpes Beach, Craig Tara, Far Grange, Golden Sands, Haggerston Castle, Hopton, Orchards, Skegness and Wild Duck.
A credit equivalent to the value of your site fees due during the 2024 season will be applied to your account balance on completion of your purchase for use against your running costs e.g. utilities, after-sale add-ons e.g storage boxes or site fees. It cannot be applied to your purchase or refunded in cash.
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Offer cannot be combined with any other offer, discount, or promotion. Offer may be withdrawn or changed at any time without notice. Full site fees will be payable for subsequent years.
Images are shown for representational purposes.
Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.
Let2offset - make no site fee payments until 2031
Let2offset is a contractual lettings product that offers eligible owners a guaranteed letting income at a preferential rate (calculated each year) in exchange for a stipulated number of letting breaks. It also allows eligible owners to pay their site fees and receive their letting income in 12 equal monthly instalments; the monthly site fee amount charged by Haven will be after deduction of the letting income.
‘Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031’ is available at 33 Haven parks excluding Burnham, Cardigan View, Far Grange, Garreg Wen, Lydstep Beach, Riviere Sands and Seaview. The letting income received will vary by make, model and location. The monthly site fee payment does not include running costs e.g. utilities, rates & insurance.
“Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031” is applicable to new and existing customer purchases of new Atlas Sahara 3 Bed or equivalent or superior grade holiday home purchases made through Haven where customers have also signed up to Haven’s Let2offset contract. It is not applicable to private sales and cannot be used in conjunction with our free Site Fee promotion. It is available across 40% of eligible Parks and applies when letting a new Atlas Sahara 3 Bed holiday home (or equivalent or superior grade for 15 weeks.
An example of how “Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031” operates under Let2offset is the purchase of an Atlas Sahara 3 Bed holiday home at Primrose Valley with a monthly site fee of £585.00 (includes purchasing discount of £45) and monthly letting income of £803.67. The monthly difference equates to £218.67, which will be credited to the owner's account. Both letting income and site fees are subject to yearly pricing reviews and the monthly site fee costs and letting income shown in the example are based on 2024 figures.
Modelled assumptions on expected annual site fee and letting income charges over the 7-year lettable life of the Atlas Sahara 3 Bed indicate that under Let2offset it is anticipated that these customers will continue to receive a monthly credit during this period, however, this is not guaranteed. The modelled assumptions are based on the historical performance of Haven over the past 5 years of trading.
Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times.
Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.