Newcastle and Gateshead sit either side of the Tyne, connected by seven bridges and an enormous amount of things to keep families busy. Whether you have toddlers or teenagers, rainy days or rare sunshine, this stretch of Tyneside delivers genuinely brilliant days out without demanding a fortune. Here is a straightforward guide to the best family-friendly attractions, with practical details to help you plan.
Life Science Centre
The Centre for Life (54.9685, -1.6225) on Times Square is Newcastle's standout family attraction, and it earns that reputation. This is a proper hands-on science centre where children can build, experiment, and ask questions without anyone telling them to stop touching things. Permanent exhibits cover the human body, space, and genetics, while the programme of temporary exhibitions changes regularly and tends to be well thought out.
The planetarium is worth the extra time. Shows run throughout the day and cater to different age groups, from gentle stargazing sessions for under-fives to more detailed explorations for older children.
Practical details: Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm. Admission is around £10-11 for children and £13-14 for adults, with the planetarium included in the ticket price. Under-fours go free. The centre sits right next to Central Station, so arriving by Metro or train is straightforward. Allow at least two to three hours.
Great North Museum: Hancock
The Great North Museum (54.9804, -1.6141) on Barras Bridge houses a genuinely impressive collection for a regional museum. The full-size T-Rex skeleton commands attention the moment you walk in, and children tend to gravitate towards it with satisfying predictability. Beyond the dinosaurs, there is a living beehive (visible behind glass), an aquarium with tropical fish, and galleries covering ancient Egypt, Hadrian's Wall, and the natural world.
The interactive elements are well judged. A large-scale model of Hadrian's Wall lets children trace the route, and the natural history galleries have enough taxidermy and mineral specimens to hold attention without overwhelming younger visitors.
Practical details: Free admission, which makes it an easy choice for families watching their budget. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm. Located near Haymarket Metro station, about a five-minute walk. The museum cafe is decent and reasonably priced. Allow one to two hours.
Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children's Books
Seven Stories (54.9741, -1.5889) in the Ouseburn Valley is the only place in the country dedicated entirely to children's literature, and it does the job with real warmth. Housed in a converted Victorian warehouse, the centre holds original manuscripts and illustrations from authors including Enid Blyton, Michael Morpurgo, and David Almond. But this is not a dusty archive. The exhibitions are designed for children to climb into, dress up in, and make noise around.
The programme of storytelling sessions, craft workshops, and author events runs year-round. Check the website before visiting, as the main exhibition changes and some events need booking. The bookshop is excellent and genuinely curated rather than just commercial.
Practical details: General admission is free. Open daily 10am to 5pm. The Ouseburn Valley location means a short walk from the city centre, or you can take the Q3 Quaylink bus. There is a small cafe on site.
Discovery Museum
The Discovery Museum (54.9688, -1.6312) on Blandford Square is free, central, and genuinely interesting. The star exhibit is Turbinia, Charles Parsons' revolutionary steam turbine ship, which sits in the entrance hall and is impressive enough to stop adults in their tracks. Beyond that, galleries cover Newcastle's shipbuilding heritage, military history, science and invention, and fashion through the ages.
The Play+Invent area on the first floor is aimed squarely at children under seven, with soft play, water play, and building activities. Older children tend to prefer the science and engineering galleries, where they can operate machinery and experiment with simple physics.
Practical details: Free admission. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm, weekends 11am to 4pm. A ten-minute walk from Central Station. The cafe serves basic but adequate food. Allow one to two hours.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
BALTIC (54.9688, -1.5997) on the Gateshead side of the river is not an obvious family destination, but it works surprisingly well. The gallery runs a regular programme of family workshops and drop-in sessions, usually at weekends and during school holidays. These are proper creative activities, not token colouring sheets, and they tend to respond to whatever exhibition is showing.
Even without a specific family event, the building itself is worth visiting. The rooftop viewing platform offers one of the best free views of the Tyne, and children generally enjoy the lifts, the scale of the spaces, and the fact that contemporary art often invites strong opinions.
Practical details: Free admission. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Cross the Gateshead Millennium Bridge on foot from the Newcastle Quayside, which is an experience in itself. The viewing platform on the top level has excellent free views across the Tyne.
Ouseburn Farm
Ouseburn Farm (54.9735, -1.5870) is a proper working city farm tucked into the Ouseburn Valley, and it has been running since the 1970s. Children can meet goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, and rabbits. There are often lambs in spring and the occasional donkey. The farm runs seasonal events, including lambing weekends and Halloween activities.
It is small and honestly a bit scruffy, but that is part of the charm. This is not a polished visitor attraction; it is a community farm where children can get close to animals in a relaxed setting. Combine it with a visit to Seven Stories, which is a five-minute walk away, for a solid half-day in the Ouseburn.
Practical details: Free admission, though donations are encouraged and genuinely needed. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm (term time) (hours may vary seasonally). There is no cafe on site, but the Ouseburn Valley has several family-friendly options nearby.
Jesmond Dene
Jesmond Dene (54.9856, -1.5921) is a narrow wooded valley running through the suburbs of Jesmond and Heaton, and it feels remarkably wild for somewhere so close to the city centre. The paths follow the Ouseburn stream through mature woodland, past a waterfall, old mill ruins, and a free small animal farm called Pets Corner where children can see alpacas, goats, pigs, sheep, rabbits, and various farmyard birds.
The walks are manageable for most ages, though pushchairs will struggle on some of the steeper or muddier paths. In autumn the colours are genuinely beautiful, and in summer the tree canopy provides welcome shade.
Practical details: Free and open at all times. Pets Corner is open daily 10:30am to 4pm (last entry 3:45pm) (free). The Millstone pub nearby does decent family-friendly food. Allow one to two hours for a good walk.
Rainy-Day Options
Newcastle gets its fair share of rain, so knowing where to head when the weather turns is essential. The strongest indoor options are:
- Life Science Centre -- easily fills three hours and children rarely want to leave
- Great North Museum -- free, dry, and full of things to look at
- Discovery Museum -- the Play+Invent area is a lifesaver for under-sevens
- Seven Stories -- storytelling, craft, and books in a warm building
- Eldon Square and the Metrocentre -- not cultural highlights, but the Metrocentre (54.9581, -1.6715) in Gateshead has a bowling alley, cinema, and Namco Funscape for older children
For swimming, the City Baths on Northumberland Road have a learner pool, and Gateshead Leisure Centre offers a wave pool and flumes.
Age Suitability at a Glance
- Under 3: Ouseburn Farm, Jesmond Dene Pets Corner, Discovery Museum Play+Invent
- Ages 3-7: Seven Stories, Life Science Centre, Great North Museum
- Ages 7-12: Life Science Centre, Discovery Museum, BALTIC workshops
- Teenagers: BALTIC, Life Science Centre planetarium, Quayside and city centre exploration
Family Dining
Feeding children in Newcastle is straightforward. A few reliable options:
- The Broad Chare (54.9700, -1.5993) on the Quayside does proper food with a children's menu and a relaxed atmosphere. Book ahead at weekends.
- Olive and Bean (54.9712, -1.6121) on Clayton Street is a solid cafe for lunch, with good sandwiches and cakes, and staff who are patient with small children.
- Ernest (54.9729, -1.5888) in the Ouseburn Valley is a family-friendly bar and kitchen with outdoor space, craft beers for the adults, and a children's menu.
- Quillins (54.9826, -1.5942) in Jesmond is a reliable cafe for brunch or lunch near Jesmond Dene.
- The Kiln at BALTIC has decent food and the views keep children occupied between courses.
For fish and chips, Longsands Fish Kitchen in Tynemouth (a short Metro ride away) is worth the trip on a fine day.
Getting Around
The Tyne and Wear Metro is the easiest way to move around with children. It connects the city centre to the coast (Tynemouth, Whitley Bay), the Metrocentre, and the airport. Single fares are cheap and day passes offer good value for families. Most of the attractions listed here are within walking distance of the city centre or a Metro station.
Driving is possible but city centre parking is expensive and sometimes difficult. The Quayside car parks fill quickly at weekends. If you are visiting BALTIC, there is parking on the Gateshead side which tends to be slightly easier.
Sources & Useful Links
- Life Science Centre -- official site with current exhibitions and booking
- Seven Stories -- exhibition details and event listings
- Great North Museum: Hancock -- opening times and visitor information
- NewcastleGateshead Initiative -- family-friendly listings and events
- Ouseburn Farm -- visiting information and events
