Family days out in Sussex
Pick the kind of day you need and we have a guide for it. Every place below is a listing we have checked against official sources, and each guide links to the full list with prices.
Animal parks, farms and wildlife centres in Sussex
Zoos, safari parks, farm parks, birds of prey and aquariums.
Image: Aldingbourne Country CentreAldingbourne Country Centre
A charity-run country centre near Chichester with an open farm, ride-on tractors, play areas, a maze and woodland walks. Profits support the Aldingbourne Trust's work with people with learning disabilities and autism.
Image: Drusillas ParkDrusillas Park
A family zoo aimed at younger children, mixing animals with rides, play areas and soft play. It is one of the easiest full days out in East Sussex for families with under-10s.
Image: Hastings AquariumHastings Aquarium
An aquarium on the seafront at Rock-a-Nore with an underwater tunnel, an ocean tank with catsharks and a jungle area. Talks and feeds run through the day, and there is a cafe on site.
Family beaches and seaside days out in Sussex
Beaches, bays and seaside spots that suit families.
Image: National TrustBirling Gap and the Seven Sisters
Birling Gap is where the South Downs meet the sea at the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the longest undeveloped stretches of the south coast. Walk the clifftop downland, or take the steps down to the shingle beach for rock pools and fossil hunting. The National Trust café, shop and visitor centre sit on the cliff top.
Image: Visit 1066 Country (Hastings Borough Council)Camber Sands
More than two miles of sandy beach near Rye. Winter is the time for long dog walks and kite flying, with the summer crowds long gone.
Image: National TrustCuckmere Haven and Cuckmere Valley
The National Trust land around the meandering Cuckmere River, from the downland at High and Over down to Cuckmere Haven with classic views of the Seven Sisters cliffs. Riverside and hilltop trails link farmland, saltmarsh and chalk grassland.
Active and adventure days out with kids in Sussex
Climbing, treetop courses, soft play, karting and escape rooms.
Photo: Bewl WaterBewl Water
Bewl Water is the South East's largest reservoir, set in the High Weald on the Kent and Sussex border with 13 miles of shoreline. Come for a lakeside walk or bike ride, a watersports session or a summer day on the inflatable Aqua Park, then refuel at the Waterfront Café. It suits families, active groups and dog walkers, and can easily fill a day.
Image: Brighton i360Brighton i360
A glass viewing pod that rises 138 metres up a slender tower on Brighton seafront for views over the city, the South Downs and the Channel. Each flight lasts about 25 minutes, with a bar on board and a cafe at the foot of the tower.
Image: Drusillas ParkDrusillas Park
A family zoo aimed at younger children, mixing animals with rides, play areas and soft play. It is one of the easiest full days out in East Sussex for families with under-10s.
Museums and history days out for kids in Sussex
Museums, Roman sites, forts and heritage centres for families.
Image: The Sussex Archaeological SocietyAnne of Cleves House
A 15th-century timber-framed house in Southover, given to Anne of Cleves when her marriage to Henry VIII ended, although she never lived in it. Rooms are set out to show Tudor and Elizabethan home life, and there is a Tudor-style garden to wander afterwards.
Photo: Alexis Markwick, CC0Bexhill Museum
A traditional volunteer-run town museum in Egerton Park, just behind the seafront clock tower. Collections run from dinosaur footprints and local archaeology to fashion, the De La Warr Pavilion and Bexhill's motor racing heritage.
Image: Bignor Roman VillaBignor Roman Villa
Bignor Roman Villa preserves the remains of a Roman home with world-class mosaic floors, deep in the South Downs National Park. The mosaics, including a striking head of Medusa, are protected under historic cover buildings, and finds include the Bignor gold ring. A tearoom makes it an easy stop on a Downs day out.
Free things to do in Sussex
Free things to do in Sussex: Seven Sisters walks, Devil's Dyke, Ashdown Forest, Camber Sands, a free gallery and free bonfire nights this autumn.
Image: Ashdown ForestAshdown Forest
Open heathland and woodland that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Big skies, long views and miles of paths make it a favourite for dog walks and family rambles, with Poohsticks Bridge an easy target for younger children.
Image: National TrustBirling Gap and the Seven Sisters
Birling Gap is where the South Downs meet the sea at the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the longest undeveloped stretches of the south coast. Walk the clifftop downland, or take the steps down to the shingle beach for rock pools and fossil hunting. The National Trust café, shop and visitor centre sit on the cliff top.
Image: Visit 1066 Country (Hastings Borough Council)Camber Sands
More than two miles of sandy beach near Rye. Winter is the time for long dog walks and kite flying, with the summer crowds long gone.
Rainy day ideas in Sussex
Wet weather plans for Sussex: the Royal Pavilion, Roman mosaics, a seaside fort, indoor play barns and autumn shows that keep the whole family dry.
Image: Bignor Roman VillaBignor Roman Villa
Bignor Roman Villa preserves the remains of a Roman home with world-class mosaic floors, deep in the South Downs National Park. The mosaics, including a striking head of Medusa, are protected under historic cover buildings, and finds include the Bignor gold ring. A tearoom makes it an easy stop on a Downs day out.
Image: Chichester CathedralChichester Cathedral
A 900-year-old cathedral in the centre of Chichester, free to enter by donation and welcoming to dogs. Look out for the John Piper tapestry, and the peregrine falcons that nest on the spire.
Image: Sussex Archaeological Society (Sussex Past)Lewes Castle and Museum
A Norman castle built after the Battle of Hastings, with steep steps up to the keep and panoramic views across Lewes and the Sussex countryside. The museum covers prehistoric to medieval Sussex, which makes it a handy rainy-day add-on.
Days out in Sussex with toddlers and young children
Toddler-friendly days out in Sussex: farm parks with pony rides, a zoo for under-10s, seaside play, steam trains and gentle half-term trails.
Image: Ashdown ForestAshdown Forest
Open heathland and woodland that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Big skies, long views and miles of paths make it a favourite for dog walks and family rambles, with Poohsticks Bridge an easy target for younger children.
Image: Drusillas ParkDrusillas Park
A family zoo aimed at younger children, mixing animals with rides, play areas and soft play. It is one of the easiest full days out in East Sussex for families with under-10s.
Image: Seven Sisters Country ParkSeven Sisters Country Park
The classic view of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs starts here, where the Cuckmere river meanders down to the sea. A level trail runs about 2km to the shingle beach at Cuckmere Haven, so it works for pushchairs and less confident walkers too.
The best castles and stately homes in Sussex
Sussex castles and great houses: Bodiam's moat, Arundel's keep, the 1066 battlefield, Petworth's Turners and Kipling's Bateman's, with prices and tips.
Image: National TrustBateman's
Rudyard Kipling's 17th-century Jacobean home, with his study and rooms kept much as he left them. Outside there is a quiet garden, a working watermill he wrote about and 300 acres of High Weald countryside to walk.
Image: National TrustBodiam Castle
A moated 14th-century castle in the Rother valley that looks exactly like a child's drawing of a castle. Inside the walls it is an open ruin, so you can climb the towers and explore the courtyard, then walk the grounds and parkland around the moat.
Image: Herstmonceux Castle EstateHerstmonceux Castle Estate and Gardens
A 15th-century moated brick castle set in formal gardens and woodland, now the UK campus of a Canadian university. The grounds and gardens are open year round, and you can see inside the castle on a guided tour.