Bolton & Beyond

Discover Bolton

Explore parks, museums, family days out and hidden gems in and around Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Best Free Things To Do

No cost, all value — handpicked free days out around Bolton.

Parks & NatureFree

Seven Acres Country Park

Local country park and nature reserve offering woodland and grassland walks close to residential Bolton.

~2.5 miles · ~10 min drive

Beaches & Day TripsFree

Southport

Victorian seaside town with a long sandy beach, Lord Street shopping, Marine Lake and Southport Pier.

~30 miles · ~50–60 min drive

Hidden GemsFree

Firwood Fold

Tiny, well-preserved cluster of 17th-century cottages — birthplace of Samuel Crompton, inventor of the spinning mule — tucked away off a Bolton housing estate.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Museums & HeritageFree

Bolton Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium

Council-run museum, art gallery and Greater Manchester's only public aquarium, with Egyptology, local history, natural science and fine art collections.

Town centre · 5–10 min walk

Beaches & Day TripsFree

Blackpool

Classic British seaside resort with beach, promenade, Blackpool Tower, Pleasure Beach theme park and illuminations (autumn).

~28 miles · ~45–55 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Moss Bank Park

Green Flag award-winning 34-hectare park with woodland, gardens, sports facilities and a historic observatory tower within the aviary.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Hidden GemsFree

Turton and Entwistle Reservoir

Quiet reservoir walk on the northern edge of Bolton borough, popular with walkers and less crowded than Jumbles.

~7 miles · ~20 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Queen's Park

Bolton's grand Victorian municipal park close to the town centre, with a formal core, woodland, grassland and lakes.

~1 mile · ~5 min drive / 20 min walk

Best Family Days Out

Fun for all ages, from parks to adventure farms.

Parks & NatureFree

Seven Acres Country Park

Local country park and nature reserve offering woodland and grassland walks close to residential Bolton.

~2.5 miles · ~10 min drive

Beaches & Day TripsFree

Southport

Victorian seaside town with a long sandy beach, Lord Street shopping, Marine Lake and Southport Pier.

~30 miles · ~50–60 min drive

Hidden GemsFree

Firwood Fold

Tiny, well-preserved cluster of 17th-century cottages — birthplace of Samuel Crompton, inventor of the spinning mule — tucked away off a Bolton housing estate.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Museums & HeritageFree

Bolton Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium

Council-run museum, art gallery and Greater Manchester's only public aquarium, with Egyptology, local history, natural science and fine art collections.

Town centre · 5–10 min walk

Beaches & Day TripsFree

Blackpool

Classic British seaside resort with beach, promenade, Blackpool Tower, Pleasure Beach theme park and illuminations (autumn).

~28 miles · ~45–55 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Moss Bank Park

Green Flag award-winning 34-hectare park with woodland, gardens, sports facilities and a historic observatory tower within the aviary.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Hidden GemsFree

Turton and Entwistle Reservoir

Quiet reservoir walk on the northern edge of Bolton borough, popular with walkers and less crowded than Jumbles.

~7 miles · ~20 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Queen's Park

Bolton's grand Victorian municipal park close to the town centre, with a formal core, woodland, grassland and lakes.

~1 mile · ~5 min drive / 20 min walk

Parks & NatureFree

Seven Acres Country Park

Local country park and nature reserve offering woodland and grassland walks close to residential Bolton.

~2.5 miles · ~10 min drive

Beaches & Day TripsFree

Southport

Victorian seaside town with a long sandy beach, Lord Street shopping, Marine Lake and Southport Pier.

~30 miles · ~50–60 min drive

Hidden GemsFree

Firwood Fold

Tiny, well-preserved cluster of 17th-century cottages — birthplace of Samuel Crompton, inventor of the spinning mule — tucked away off a Bolton housing estate.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Museums & HeritageFree

Bolton Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium

Council-run museum, art gallery and Greater Manchester's only public aquarium, with Egyptology, local history, natural science and fine art collections.

Town centre · 5–10 min walk

Museums & Heritage

Turton Tower

Historic fortified pele tower and manor house dating in part to the 15th century, set in landscaped grounds, previously run as a museum by Lancashire County Council.

~5 miles · ~15–20 min drive

Beaches & Day TripsFree

Blackpool

Classic British seaside resort with beach, promenade, Blackpool Tower, Pleasure Beach theme park and illuminations (autumn).

~28 miles · ~45–55 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Moss Bank Park

Green Flag award-winning 34-hectare park with woodland, gardens, sports facilities and a historic observatory tower within the aviary.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Hidden GemsFree

Turton and Entwistle Reservoir

Quiet reservoir walk on the northern edge of Bolton borough, popular with walkers and less crowded than Jumbles.

~7 miles · ~20 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Queen's Park

Bolton's grand Victorian municipal park close to the town centre, with a formal core, woodland, grassland and lakes.

~1 mile · ~5 min drive / 20 min walk

Parks & NatureFree

Rivington Terraced Gardens

Historic Edwardian terraced gardens commissioned by Lord Leverhulme, with follies, ornamental lakes, a Japanese garden and viewpoints across the West Pennine Moors — undergoing ongoing restoration.

~7 miles · ~20 min drive

Leisure & EntertainmentPaid

Albert Halls

Grand civic concert hall within Bolton Town Hall, hosting concerts, the Christmas pantomime, comedy and community events.

Town centre · 5–10 min walk

Parks & NatureFree

Rivington Pike

Iconic 363m hilltop with a historic tower, well-marked footpaths and sweeping panoramic views over Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

~7 miles · ~20 min drive

Leisure & EntertainmentPaid

Octagon Theatre

Award-winning flexible-format theatre (the UK's first professional flexible theatre, opened 1967), staging drama, comedy, music and the annual family pantomime.

Town centre · 5–10 min walk

Leisure & EntertainmentFree

Bolton Market Hall

Bolton's historic indoor and outdoor market halls, with food, fashion, homeware and household stalls.

Town centre · 5–10 min walk

Museums & HeritagePaid

Bolton Steam Museum

Volunteer-run museum preserving stationary steam engines and Bolton's industrial heritage, typically open on selected days.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Museums & HeritagePaid

Smithills Hall

Grade I listed 15th–16th century manor house on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, one of the oldest and best-preserved manor houses in North West England.

~3.3 miles · ~10–15 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Jumbles Country Park

Reservoir-side country park on the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors, opened in 1971 and now managed by United Utilities.

~5 miles · ~15 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Lever Park

Extensive country park gifted by Lord Leverhulme, encompassing Rivington Reservoir, woodland trails and Liverpool Castle folly.

~7 miles · ~20 min drive

Beaches & Day TripsFree

Lytham St Annes

Quieter Fylde coast seaside town with sandy beaches, a windmill landmark and a traditional promenade, popular for a calmer coastal day trip.

~30 miles · ~50 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Moses Gate Country Park

Large country park with lakes, canal-side paths, woodland and a nature reserve, popular for family walks and wildlife spotting.

~3 miles · ~10 min drive

Family & Kids

Toughsheet Community Stadium (Bolton Wanderers FC)

Home stadium of Bolton Wanderers FC, also used for concerts, comic conventions and other large-scale community events.

~4 miles · ~12 min drive

Parks & NatureFree

Doffcocker Lodge Nature Reserve

Small local nature reserve centred on a lodge (pond), popular with birdwatchers and dog walkers.

~2 miles · ~8 min drive

Leisure & EntertainmentPaid

Hollywood Bowl Bolton

Ten-pin bowling centre on the Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park, with bar, diner and amusements — a popular family and group day out.

~4.5 miles · ~12–15 min drive

Family & KidsPaid

Smithills Open Farm

Family-run working farm and visitor attraction set in 70 acres of countryside just north of Bolton, with around 25 species of farm animals, reptiles and exotics.

~3.3 miles · ~10–15 min drive

Museums & Heritage

Hall i' th' Wood

Grade I listed early 16th-century timber-framed manor house, historically linked to Samuel Crompton (inventor of the spinning mule); restored and gifted to Bolton by Lord Leverhulme in 1900.

~2.3 miles · ~10 min drive (exterior/grounds only)

Hidden GemsFree

Barrow Bridge Village

Picturesque former Victorian mill village tucked into a wooded valley on the edge of Bolton, popular for a short scenic walk close to town.

~2.5 miles · ~10 min drive

Leisure & EntertainmentPaid

Cineworld Bolton

Multiplex cinema showing first-run films, part of Bolton's Crown Leisure Park entertainment complex.

~1.5 miles · ~5–8 min drive

Find Your Next Visit

Explore on the Map

All places across Bolton and the surrounding Greater Manchester area.