Family & Friends Days Out in East Sussex

Family walking on a nature trail in autumn with colorful foliage.

Make memories that last a lifetime, with a fun day out for all

East Sussex is the perfect holiday destination for all ages. Here are a few places you can reach from The Grain Store Lewes within 30 minutes by car…

  • Drusillas Park

    A wonderful small zoo and adventure play park in Alfriston, with hundreds of exotic animals, from monkeys and meerkats to penguins and pandas. Plenty of thrills with rides, splash pad and lots more.

  • Historic fort with military vehicles, people, and coastal view

    Newhaven Fort

    History comes alive at these impressive Victorian fortifications. Feel what it was like to be caught in an air raid during the Second World War, roam around the cliff-top gun emplacements, get hands on with genuine historic artefacts and dress up in military uniform or wartime outfits.

  • Octopus in an aquarium tank with illuminated tentacles and rocky background

    Brighton Sea Life Center

    The oldest operating aquarium in the world and home to 3,500 mesmerising creatures including turtles, sharks and seahorses. Based opposite the city’s iconic pier.

  • Wooden castle-themed playground with slides and climbing nets under a partly cloudy sky.

    Knockhatch Adventure Park

    A great family play park for all ages with a petting farm, owl sanctuary centre, indoor and outdoor play areas, water slide, runaway train, boating lake and lots of picnic areas. For budding zoo keepers, check out their Animal Keeper Experience.

  • Three children on an outdoor swing ride raising their hands, surrounded by trees.

    Branching Out Adventures

    Head outdoors for high wires, low wires, zip wires, a climbing wall and a giant swing. Enjoy the thrill of treetop activity in beautiful woodland scenery.

  • Exterior of the Booth Museum of Natural History, a brick building with red arched doors, surrounded by trees and a small fence.

    The Booth Museum

    A fascinating, if rather eccentric, Victorian collection of preserved birds, butterflies, fossils and skeletons, with interactive displays and ‘hands on’ activities relating to modern-day conservation. Free entry.

  • Steam locomotive with passenger cars on tracks, surrounded by greenery and an arched brick bridge in the background. Smoke billows from the engine.

    Bluebell Railway

    Enjoy a day out at the Bluebell Railway to explore the Sussex countryside on a steam train.

  • Scenic landscape of rolling green hills with patches of shrubs and trees under a cloudy sky, with distant views of a countryside area.

    South Downs National Park

    One of Britain’s official ‘Breathing Spaces’ with miles of protected woodland, farmland and vineyards. The park is home to the iconic South Downs Way, one of only 16 national trails in the UK and boasting a 100 mile stretch of trails to explore.