Half term adventures at Speke Hall

Escape to Speke Hall this summer

This May half term, bring the whole family to explore nature in Speke Hall's garden and grounds, enjoy tasty treats at the restaurant and ice cream kiosk or step inside the ground floor of the house to discover 500 years of history.

Parent walking on a balance beam with a child looking on in the play area at Speke Hall in Liverpool

What you need to know 

The garden, grounds, play areas and restaurant at Speke Hall are open every day, 10.30am-5pm. The ground floor of the house is open Wednesday-Sunday (and Monday 31 May), between 12.30pm-5pm (last entry at 4.15pm), however queues are likely on busy days and we can't guarantee entry.

We expect to be busy this half term and we're limiting numbers, so please book your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Members book for free, while non-members need to pay when booking.

Please book ahead before visiting Check availability and book now
Child doing a forward roll

Outdoor adventures and play areas 

The gardens and grounds are open every day for families to enjoy a springtime adventure. Whether it's rolling down the slopes in the moat garden, spotting the last of the bluebells in the woods or races on the North Lawn, there's plenty to do. The gated play area, woodland play area and Childe of Hale trail are all open to explore too, though please remember to use the hand sanitiser provided. Please note the hedge maze remains closed.

What will you do?
Children exploring inside at Speke Hall, Garden and Estate, Merseyside.

Step inside the house 

The ground floor of the house is open Wednesday-Sunday (and Monday 31 May), 12.30pm-5pm (last entry at 4.15pm). We're limiting numbers by admitting one bubble at a time, so queues are likely and we can't guarantee entry on busy days. There is no cover, so your family will need be dressed for the weather and prepared to wait for up to an hour. We expect to be very busy this half term, so why not visit the house on your next visit when it will be a little quieter?

Plan your visit to the house
Visitors eating ice cream in the summer at Speke Hall

Treats for the whole family 

Home Farm restaurant is the place to go to fill up your bellies. It's open between 10.30am-4.30pm, serving a range of hot food, sandwiches, cakes, bakes and hot and cold drinks. For your little ones, you can pick up a special kids lunchboxes filled with their favourites. Limited indoor and outdoor seating is available. You may need to queue for a short while during busy periods.

Also at Home Farm, you'll find our Ice Cream Kiosk where we're serving award-winning Cheshire Farm ice creams in a range of delicious flavours. It's just a few metres from the gated play area, so it's the perfect place to stop for a pre- or post-playtime treat.

If you'd rather bring a packed lunch, you'll find picnic tables in the orchard and benches on the South Lawn, North Lawn and the Bund path.

Plan your order

Activities to keep busy

Have fun on a rainy day with some spring snap

Download springtime snap (PDF) 

You can have fun with this spring snap game from the book Getting Ready for Spring by Kathryn Selbert from Nosy Crow. This activity is perfect for a rainy day indoors with the family, and features beautiful illustrations of rabbits, sheep and flowers.

Play a grass whistle

'50 things' to do in your garden 

Even bold adventurers can stay close to home when you try out some of our '50 things' activity list. Here are our top ten ideas for activities that you can do in your own back garden, nearest park or outdoor green space.

Have a game of bingo with the sounds of nature

Play 'Sounds of nature' bingo (PDF) 

We've put together a 'sounds of nature' bingo for you to play at home, in your local park or on a day out to one of the places we look after near you. There's a downloadable scorecard so you can tick off all the sounds that you hear.