Classic Silver Birch at Keldy - Fun Days Out

Flamingo Land is a theme park, zoo and resort at Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire. It has been running since 1959 and was the first site in Europe to combine rides and a zoo. The theme park has eight themed areas, with thrill coasters such as Sik, Hero, Kumali and Velocity, plus gentler family and kids' rides.

The zoo is home to around 140 species, including giraffes, tigers, hippos, rhinos, meerkats, penguins and lemurs. Keeper talks and feeds run through the day, and there are daily shows and character meet and greets, including Peter Rabbit. Thrill seekers will head for the big coasters, while families with younger children can mix animals, shows and smaller rides. There are plenty of places to eat on site.

Tip: Check the day's keeper talk and show times on the website before you go, and plan your route around them.

Castle Howard is a Baroque country house in North Yorkshire, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and home to the Howard family for over 300 years. Inside, you can explore grand galleries, bedrooms and a world-class art and sculpture collection. The house is also well known as a filming location, including for Brideshead Revisited and Bridgerton.

Outside, the gardens and grounds have lakes, temples, follies, woodland and statues to wander around. Across the road, the Arboretum has over 7,000 trees from around the globe and is known for its autumn colour. Children can burn off energy at Skelf Island Adventure Playground, which has rope bridges, slides and a zip wire. There are shops and cafes on site.

Tip: Buying tickets online costs less than buying at the Ticket Office, so book online. House and Gardens tickets include the playground.

The ruins of Whitby Abbey crown a clifftop above the historic fishing port of Whitby. The headland has been home to an Anglo-Saxon monastery, a great medieval abbey and a 17th-century mansion, and it has long been wrapped in myths and legends. The substantial remains of the abbey church are Grade I listed and cared for by English Heritage.

Start with a walk around the Gothic ruins, then head into the museum in Cholmley House. It is packed with objects, and listening posts, peep-holes and animations tell the headland's stories: how Caedmon became a poet, how the lost abbey bells are still heard beneath the waves, and how a real shipwreck helped inspire Bram Stoker's Dracula. There is also a World Builder trail for children. History fans, families and Dracula enthusiasts will get the most from it.

Tip: Head into the museum in Cholmley House as well as the ruins - it holds most of the stories of the headland.

Rievaulx Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery in the north of England, founded in 1132 and set in a wooded dale by the River Rye in the North York Moors National Park. It became one of the great monasteries in England before it was seized under Henry VIII in 1538. Today the ruins are owned and maintained by English Heritage.

Pick up an audio tour and wander the monastic buildings, then visit the museum, which is packed with artefacts and everyday objects used by the monks. There is an exhibition on how the monks used and transformed the river and its landscape, an on-screen presentation of the abbey's story, and a display on its destruction after the suppression. The café has views, and there is a shop for souvenirs and local products. Rievaulx Terrace is a short distance away, and the Cleveland Way passes just to the south.

Tip: Park in Helmsley and take the scenic walk from Helmsley Castle to the abbey; a joint ticket also covers nearby Rievaulx Terrace.

Helmsley Castle stands in the market town of Helmsley, in the North York Moors National Park. Over the centuries it was a medieval fortress, an Elizabethan mansion, a Civil War stronghold under siege and, later, a romantic ruin. The tall, keep-like east tower still dominates the town, and the stonework defences are impressive.

Walk around the double banks and ditches for views of the castle and the surrounding parkland, and keep an eye out for wildflowers and wildlife. Inside, part of the west range was converted into an Elizabethan mansion, where some fine timber panelling and plasterwork has been conserved. Displays explore life in the castle through five centuries of war and peace. Children can follow a trail that inspires them to build their own fort. It suits history fans, families and anyone who likes a castle with plenty of earthworks to explore.

Tip: Pick up the fort-building trail at the start if you have children with you.

Scarborough Castle crowns a headland between the town's two bays. Climb to the viewing platforms in the Inner Bailey and the Great Tower for views over the town, the harbour and the bay. An exhibition tells the story of the site, including a Bronze Age sword on display, and there's a World Builder trail for younger visitors.

The headland is part of the appeal. It's a huge grassy area, bigger than 12 football pitches, and acts as a wildflower meadow. On the cliff edge you'll find the remains of a Roman signal station and an Anglo-Saxon church, plus a modern sculpture about climate change. A coffee shed and ice cream van serve drinks, cakes and treats for dogs. It suits history fans, walkers and families who like fresh air and big views.

Tip: Leave plenty of time to wander the wide grassy headland as well as the castle itself.

Eden Camp is a large Second World War museum near Malton in North Yorkshire. It fills a former prisoner-of-war camp, and the museum's displays are spread across the camp's original huts. Italian and German prisoners were held here, and the huts have since been repaired and renovated for visitors.

The collection covers a lot of ground. There is a hut of prisoner-of-war artefacts, a medal room and a Forces Reunion hut with photographs of service personnel. Other huts cover the First World War and conflicts since 1945. Elsewhere you can see human torpedoes, a motorised submersible canoe and a restored Super Sherman tank among the military vehicles. It is a good pick for anyone interested in military and wartime history.

Whitby Museum is an independent museum in Pannett Park, run by Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society since 1823. It tells the story of the town from the Jurassic era to the present day, and its collections are a little quirky in the best way.

Look out for the fossils, especially ammonites and marine reptiles, alongside carved Whitby jet, model ships, costume and textiles. There are displays on Captain James Cook and HM Bark Endeavour, Whitby's whaling industry and the natural history of the coast and moors. For something stranger, find the Hand of Glory, the dried hand of a hanged man. Pannett Park itself is good for a picnic and has a play area. Dogs, apart from assistance dogs, are not allowed in the museum or the park.

Tip: Park at the large West Cliff car park, under five minutes' walk away, or walk up from the harbour, bus or train station in about 10 minutes.