Pickering Lodges - 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.

Murton Park is set in 14 acres of countryside east of York and is home to the Yorkshire Museum of Farming. Inside you can explore the history of farm machinery, rural life and the Women's Land Army. Outdoors there are animals to meet, play areas, and a short ride on the Derwent Valley Light Railway at weekends.

The living history sites bring the past to life, with a one-third scale Roman fort and a Viking village that are open to all visitors most weekends and school holidays. The Yorkshire Barn Café is on site for a break. Visitors praise the friendly staff, the play areas and the space for small children to run about, so it suits families best, and anyone who likes a bit of history.

Tip: The living history sites may have limited or no access during school term time, so visit at a weekend or in the school holidays to see the Roman fort and Viking village.

York Minster is an Anglican cathedral in the city of York and the seat of the Archbishop of York. Most of the building dates from between 1220 and 1472. It keeps most of its medieval stained glass, including the huge east window, the largest expanse of medieval glass in the world, and the Five Sisters window in the north transept.

A visit can include free guided tours led by volunteer guides, a stained glass tour, and the Undercroft Museum, which covers 2,000 years of history. You can also see the Crypt, and visitors aged 8 and over can climb the Central Tower. Families get interactive trails and Little Explorer Backpacks, and history lovers have plenty to explore.

Tip: Pre-book your tickets, and note that a Minster ticket is valid for 12 months. The Central Tower needs a combined ticket and a minimum age of 8.

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.

The National Railway Museum in York tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. Around 100 locomotives and pieces of rolling stock are usually on show at York, alongside thousands of other objects. Highlights include the streamlined Mallard, Flying Scotsman, Duchess of Hamilton, the Royal Train saloons of "Palaces on Wheels" and a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train.

It works well for families, with Wonderlab, an interactive gallery where nothing is off limits, and a Flying Scotsman virtual reality experience. A miniature railway ride runs at times, and you can have afternoon tea in a restored rail carriage on Fridays to Sundays. Rail fans and anyone curious about engineering and history will happily fill a day here. It is a good choice for a wet day, as much of it is indoors.

Tip: Check the official website before you go for current opening days and times, and book ahead for Wonderlab and the afternoon tea.

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.

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.