Description
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse offers a unique blend of history and rural life, making it one of the best things to do with kids in Norfolk. This expansive museum and heritage farm sits on 50 acres of beautiful countryside, providing plenty of space for children to explore. Whether you are meeting the gentle Suffolk Punch horses or discovering the secrets of the Victorian workhouse, there is something here for every member of the family.
Prices for a day of exploration start from £13.05 for children and £15.30 for adults when booking online. Various family discounts and concessions are available to help you make the most of your budget. For those planning to visit multiple times throughout the year, the Norfolk Museums Pass offers excellent value with unlimited entry to this and several other local attractions.
If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids that combines fresh air, cute animals, and fascinating history, Gressenhall is a top choice. It successfully balances educational exhibits with an impressive adventure playground and traditional farm activities. You can easily spend an entire day here without running out of things to see and do.
Features
- Paid
- Host birthday parties: No
Features
What makes Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse unique?
Gressenhall is unique for housing the largest workhouse collection in the country, allowing kids to step into evocative settings where projections of former inmates share their real-life stories. It provides a rare educational day out where children can compare their lives to those of Victorian "inmates" or farm labourers. For sensory play, the site features a working farm where Suffolk Punch horses—one of the UK's oldest working breeds—can be seen ploughing and harvesting the fields just as they did centuries ago.
- Voices from the Workhouse: An immersive gallery where high-tech projections bring the tragic and inspirational tales of Victorian residents to life.
- Working Traditional Farm: A rare chance for children to see rare breed animals like Red Poll cattle and Norfolk Horn sheep in a traditional setting.
- Adventure Playground: A huge, wood-themed play area featuring tree houses, walkways, and slides that cater to all ages, including a dedicated zone for under-5s.
Top 5 Highlights
- The Workhouse Galleries: Explore the laundry, the yards, and the "dungeon" (refractory cell) to understand the strict regime of 18th-century life.
- Suffolk Punch Horses: Watch these magnificent heavy horses at work on the farm throughout the changing seasons.
- Victorian Schoolroom: Step into a classroom filled with original 19th-century desks where kids can experience a Victorian-style lesson.
- The Adventure Playground: A massive outdoor complex that is widely regarded as one of the best in the county.
- Wildlife Walk: A circular farm walk perfect for spotting local flora and fauna, with a "little legs" shortcut for families with toddlers.
Gressenhall features a wide array of historical and recreational zones:
- Workhouse Museum (Includes the laundry, yards, and the 'Staff' gallery).
- Traditional Working Farm (Home to rare breeds, St Nicholas' barn, and a farmhouse).
- Adventure Playground (Extensive tree-house style play area).
- Victorian Village School (Authentic schoolroom with desks used since the 1870s).
- Mardlers' Rest Café (Serving refreshments with a focus on local ingredients).
- Museum Shop (Offering a range of "pocket money" items and local crafts).
- Wildlife Walk & River Landscape (Circular trail through the 50-acre grounds).
- Collections Gallery (Showcasing a vast array of rural life artefacts).
Beyond the Main Attraction: The site is just 3 miles from Dereham, a busy market town with further shops and amenities. For more history, the Castle Acre Priory is roughly a 20-minute drive away.
16.81 miles
