Quick answer
VisitKids has checked family days out in and around Sheffield, each with its own page. Top 3 picks: Kelham Island Museum, Weston Park Museum and Magna Science Adventure Centre in Templeborough, Rotherham. Top free pick: Weston Park Museum, free with a suggested £5 donation. Top rainy day pick: the Sheffield Winter Garden, a free city-centre glasshouse with no toilets of its own. Check the day first: several places close on Mondays or Tuesdays.
Top picks in and around Sheffield
- Kelham Island Museum: the River Don Engine runs at 12pm and 2pm, Thursday to Sunday, with exceptions on the visit page. It is very noisy.
- Weston Park Museum: Spike the woolly rhinoceros replica. The Ancient Egypt gallery shows two coffins containing mummies.
- Magna Science Adventure Centre, Templeborough, Rotherham: hands-on science in a former steelworks. Online tickets are £20.95 per adult and £18.95 per child aged 4 to 15, and under 2s go free. It opens on set days only, and Magna calls it dark, noisy and cold.
- Tropical Butterfly House, North Anston, near Sheffield: butterflies, birds and meerkats. Children aged 2 to 15 pay £16.95, plus 30p online, and under 2s go free.
- National Emergency Services Museum, West Bar: historic vehicles and dressing up. Children aged 3 to 15 pay £7.50. On 12 November its main policing exhibition was closed for restoration, with no reopening date.
Free days out in Sheffield
- Weston Park Museum, Kelham Island Museum and the Millennium Gallery: free, with a suggested £5 donation. Some Christmas events cost extra, such as Kelham Island’s Victorian Christmas Market on 5 and 6 December 2026.
- Sheffield Winter Garden: free, with no toilets of its own. The nearest are in the Millennium Gallery next door, which keeps shorter hours and is closed on Mondays.
- Bishops’ House, Meersbrook Park: a free house built in 1554, normally open weekends, 10am to 4pm. It is not wheelchair friendly.
- The parks, woods and farms below list no entry charge for everyday visits, though some car parks, animal feed and events cost extra.
See our guide to free things to do in Sheffield with kids.
Rainy day ideas in Sheffield
- Millennium Gallery: toys and storybooks in the Metalwork Collection. There are no toilets upstairs, and one film plays loud machinery sounds.
- National Emergency Services Museum: mostly indoors. Some areas use smoke and smells, and parts feel cold.
- Ponds Forge International Sports Centre: on 12 November the timetable listed weekend family swims with water features from 11am. Under 8s need a parent or an adult aged 18 or over, with no more than two under 8s per adult in the water.
See our guide to rainy day things to do in Sheffield with kids.
Sheffield with toddlers and under 5s
- Sheffield Central Children’s Library, Surrey Street: Babytime on Fridays and Storytime on Mondays, both 11am to midday. No Sunday hours are listed.
- Weston Park Museum: Fridays Under 5s in term time, 10am to 12.30pm, for a suggested £3 donation. There is no session on 20 November 2026.
- Heeley City Farm: free, with animals usually out from 10am until about 3pm. The farm is on a hill with some uneven paths.
See our guide to things to do in Sheffield with toddlers.
Parks, woods and farms
- Pound’s Park, city centre: a big playground with a sand pit. The tallest tower is 11 metres high, and the park is not gated.
- Hillsborough Park: a playground and a free pump track. Keep toddlers close by the large pond.
- Millhouses Park: a playground, zip line and skate park. The boating lake is listed for April to October, and parking is pay and display.
- Endcliffe Park: Welcome to Sheffield lists a large playground and duck ponds. The council asks visitors not to feed birds, because of avian flu.
- Sheffield Botanical Gardens: glass Pavilions and a steel bear in the Bear Pit. The gardens’ own page lists winter closing at 3.50pm, and 3.30pm for the Pavilions.
- Ecclesall Woods: ancient woodland, open at all times. The longest walk in a 2018 leaflet crosses streams and roads.
- Graves Park Animal Farm: open every day, 10am to 3.30pm. Animal feed costs a small charge, and parking is paid.
- Whirlow Hall Farm: a working charity farm, open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm. Its Christmas Fayre on 28 and 29 November 2026 is ticketed.
See our guide to parks and playgrounds in Sheffield.
Additional needs friendly days out
- Weston Park Museum: a Changing Places toilet, sensory backpacks and a visual story. Some galleries have low lighting.
- Magna: a Changing Places toilet and a sensory map. The Big Melt show uses strobe lighting.
- Ponds Forge: Inclusive Family Swimming sessions are generally quieter, and there is a pool hoist or pod.
- Lyceum Theatre: a companion’s ticket is free if you need their support to attend.
See our guide to SEN and autism-friendly days out in Sheffield.
Christmas in and around Sheffield
- Lyceum Theatre, Tudor Square: Cinderella plays on selected dates from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. On 12 November seats were £15 to £67.50, varying by performance, plus a £1 levy on tickets over £15. Children need a ticket from their 2nd birthday.
- Tropical Butterfly House: the Magical Christmas Experience runs on selected dates from 5 to 24 December 2026. Seeing Santa is included in admission; a Santa gift costs £8.50 extra.
- Magna: Winter Skating runs from 19 December 2026 to 17 January 2027. A session costs £6, and you also need a general admission ticket or annual pass.
See our guide to Christmas days out in Sheffield with kids.
Closed days and Christmas opening
- Mondays: Kelham Island Museum, Weston Park Museum and the Millennium Gallery close, including bank holidays.
- Mondays and Tuesdays: the National Emergency Services Museum and Whirlow Hall Farm close. So does the Tropical Butterfly House from 2 November, except in school holidays.
- Set days: on 12 November, Magna’s calendar showed Mondays and Fridays closed in November, and every day from 7 to 11 and 14 to 18 December.
- Christmas: the Winter Garden and Heeley City Farm close on Christmas Day, and Magna from 24 to 26 December.
- Not published when we checked: Christmas arrangements for several places, including Weston Park Museum and Graves Park Animal Farm. Check each venue page.
Every place in and around Sheffield in one list
Our Sheffield search lists every venue, including those in Rotherham borough.
Getting around Sheffield with children
- Trams: Hillsborough Park has its own tram stop, and Magna its own Tram Train stop.
- Parking: Magna and Whirlow Hall Farm have free parking. Weston Park Museum and Heeley City Farm have no car park.
Frequently asked questions
What is free for kids in Sheffield?
Weston Park Museum, Kelham Island Museum and the Millennium Gallery are free, with a suggested £5 donation. The Winter Garden, Bishops’ House, the parks and the farms are free for everyday visits too.
What can we do in Sheffield with kids on a rainy day?
Try the city-centre museums, the Winter Garden or a family swim at Ponds Forge. Magna, in Templeborough, Rotherham, is indoors but cold, so bring coats.
Which Sheffield attractions are closed on Mondays?
Kelham Island Museum, Weston Park Museum and the Millennium Gallery, including bank holidays. Several others close on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Is Magna in Sheffield?
No. Magna is at Templeborough in Rotherham, with X3 bus and Tram Train links to Sheffield. The Tropical Butterfly House is at North Anston.
Where are the Changing Places toilets?
Weston Park Museum, Magna, Hillsborough Park, Millhouses Park and Heeley City Farm list one. Kelham Island Museum names the Crucible Theatre as its nearest.
Last updated: 13 November 2026.
Checked on 12 November 2026 against the official websites, through our Sheffield venue pages. Prices and opening times change, so check before you travel.
Photo: Coolmule0, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).