Lancaster packs a lot into a small city: a castle, a Georgian quayside, a canal and a park on a hill with an enormous domed memorial at the top of it.
It is also compact enough that children can walk between most of it, provided you accept that Williamson Park involves going uphill.
Free things to do in Lancaster with children
- Williamson Park and the Ashton Memorial — A vast Edwardian folly on the highest point in the city, with views to Morecambe Bay and the Lakes. The park and the memorial are free; the butterfly house charges.
- Lancaster City Museum — Free, in the old town hall in Market Square, covering the city's history and the King's Own Royal Regiment.
- The Lancaster Canal towpath — Flat, traffic-free walking straight through the city, with the aqueduct over the Lune worth the detour.
- Lancaster Priory and the castle hill — The churchyard and the hill above the river are free to walk, with the castle exterior to look at.
- Ryelands Park — Playgrounds, skate park and space to run, free and away from the tourist route.
Worth paying for
Not free, but cheap enough to be worth it, and all reachable without a car:
- Lancaster Castle tours — It held prisoners until 2011, which is the fact children remember. Guided tours only, so check times, and there is a charge.
- The train to Morecambe — A few minutes down the branch line for the promenade, the Eric Morecambe statue and the bay.
Getting to Lancaster by train
Lancaster station is a short walk from the castle and the city centre, with Williamson Park about twenty minutes on foot up the hill.
Going by train also means nobody has to find a parking space, and children can move about, look out of the window and eat crisps for the whole journey.
Click here to book train tickets to Lancaster
Opening hours, admission prices and booking requirements change, and some attractions close on certain days or for refurbishment. Always check the attraction’s own website before you set off. This page was written in August 2026.
Disclosure: the train ticket link on this page is an affiliate link. If you book through it I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
