Family Holidays in Salisbury

Whether you are planning a visit with your family during the summer holidays or perhaps a short break – a family holiday to Salisbury might be just what you are looking for! We have lots of ideas for what to see and do whether you are here with younger children and toddlers or with teenagers. 

Get hands-on with Salisbury’s history

Discover some of our history with hands-on family attractions. 

See if you can pull a giant Sarsen stone on a visit to Stonehenge or step inside a reconstructed Neolithic house and discover the ways of living from times gone by. 

Take part in some crafty activities at The Salisbury Museum, try on costumes from periods across history and get up close to artefacts within the award-winning Wessex Gallery. The Salisbury Museum’s annual festival of archaeology (usually over a weekend in July) is a great way for families to get involved and learn about the skills required to become an archaeologist. 

At the original site of Salisbury, Old Sarum, look out for some fantastic events that take place during the school holidays or over bank holiday weekends. In the past these have included opportunities to  meet Romans or to see jousting take place within the ramparts. 

Keen aviation enthusiasts will love a visit to Boscombe Down Aviation Collection where you can climb into cockpits and see aircraft restoration take place. Children can also try on flight suits and helmets. Volunteer guides are also on hand to answer your burning questions on the aircraft on display. Close by you’ll also often be able to see skydivers coming into land at Old Sarum Airfield. 

Plenty to do for tiny tots and young children

There is lots to do in the area for those with younger children or toddlers. A popular choice for the locals is to head to Cholderton Charlie’s Rare Breeds Farm, around ten miles from Salisbury. Here, children can enjoy animal-handling sessions, the daily pig races, an indoor soft play area and several outdoor play areas, plus lots of opportunities to meet the animals. For a small additional charge you can also embark on a tractor trailer ride around one of the farmer’s fields or feed the animals. 

Just on the outskirts of the city centre, in the Laverstock area of Salisbury, River Bourne Community Farm offers visitors of all ages the opportunity to spot chickens, alpacas, cows, donkeys and many other farmyard animals in this working farm. Plus, it’s free to visit. On-site you will also find a café offering local produce and tasty treats. 

If you are looking for a soft play area then Clown About, on the Milford Trading Estate (just off Tollgate Road) is a great place to let off steam. For older children there is also a bowling alley and laser tag area here too. 

There are plenty of play parks in and around the city with popular choices including Queen Elizabeth Gardens, Victoria Park and Churchill Gardens. 

Fancy a spot of pottery painting? Then Splash of Colour on Fisherton Street offers pottery painting sessions for children. A great way to create an unique gift to take home and treasure. 

Just outside Salisbury, at Wilton Shopping Village you can find Role Play World, where little ones can act out a variety of scenes such as doctors and nurses and vets. Nearby you will also find Wilton House, with its adventure playground. There’s a dedicated area of the playground for younger children with trampolines and Wendy houses to play in. 

Ideal for teenagers and older children

Become a real-life detective on a visit to Salisbury Escape Room or Live Escape Salisbury (think Crystal Maze and you’ll get the idea of what it’s like). You have just sixty minutes to solve the clues required to make your way out of the room. 

See if you can solve the clues to get out or explore the sights of Salisbury with a self-guided, themed walking Treasure Trail - a great way to spot some of the hidden gems that our city has to offer. 

Every Friday night during the summer months, Salisbury City Guides run their 90 minute ghost walk that departs from outside Salisbury Information Centre. Come and hear about the ghosts and ghouls that haunt the city, including the Duke of Buckingham who was beheaded outside what is now Debenham’s. The ghost walks also take place on several evenings over Halloween time, please keep an eye on our events listings for details of upcoming walks. 

The multi-screen Odeon cinema on New Canal shows the latest Blockbusters. You’ll often find lots of children enjoying a spot of ice cream beforehand too at Sprinkles Gelato, which is right next door to the cinema. 

Outdoor adventures and leisure activities

If you want your children to burn off some energy then why not take them on a nature walk of Langford Lakes nature reserve? Around ten miles from Salisbury, this reserve has several bird hides, pond dipping areas and plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife. 

Five Rivers Leisure Centre has Salisbury’s municipal swimming pool, with a paddling area for younger kids, a flume and inflatable sessions. There are also courts to be hired for badminton, basketball and other sports and an on-site creche. 

Not only is there a lot to explore within Salisbury but you can also use it as a great base for exploring the wider Wiltshire area, the south coast and the New Forest National Park.

Family-friendly events

Look out for family-friendly events when booking your family holiday to Salisbury. Salisbury Cathedral, The Salisbury Museum and Old Sarum all regularly hold events for all the family during the school holidays. Browse our what’s on pages for more details of events coming soon.

The City Hall, Salisbury Arts Centre and Salisbury Playhouse hold family events including appearances by popular children’s TV personalities, theatrical performances and an annual pantomime. The annual Salisbury International Arts Festival (end May-early June) hosts children’s events as part of their programme. Take a look at what’s on when you are planning on visiting. 

Booking your family holiday to Salisbury

Discover family-friendly places to stay in and around Salisbury including hotels with adjoining bedrooms, campsites, B&Bs with family rooms and cosy self-catering cottages.