Family Day Out in Wells
The Bishop’s Palace is the perfect destination for a family day out, located in the heart of Wells, Somerset. This family-friendly heritage site boasts 14 acres of beautiful RHS partner gardens, an 800-year-old medieval Palace, an on-site café, baby changing facilities, pushchair-friendly paths, and the exciting Dragon’s Lair play area. It’s a place where children can immerse themselves in nature and history while letting their imaginations run wild!
What’s On For Families?
- May Half Term – Details of family activities during the May Half Term will be posted here soon.
- 24th May 2025 – Medieval Ground Billiards
- 14th – 15th June 2025 – History Live!
And don’t forget to pick up a Palace Passport to collect stamps from all our school holiday family activities for a prize at the end of the year!
Multi-media Audio Visual Tours
New for 2025! Multimedia audio-visual tours of the Palace building. Designed to enhance your visit with stories, music and imagery from across the centuries these tours are designed to provide 45 minutes of rich content.
There’s a choice of an adult version or one tailored for families including quizzes, treasure hunts and taking Bishop portraits!
Here’s some feedback we’ve received from one of our younger visitors who loved their multi-media tour family option:
“History is boring; this WAS NOT boring!”
Click here to see a sneak peack at the new multimedia tours
The Time Travelling Carpenter
Step back in time with The Time-Travelling Carpenter! Join us on selected dates during the school holidays for interactive and educational talks about life in medieval times.
- 19th April 2025 – Medieval Ground Billiards
- 24th May 2025 – Medieval Arch Building
- 2nd August 2025 – Medieval Building Timber Frame Construction
- 25th October 2025 – Medieval Painter
These events are hands-on and perfect for history enthusiasts. So don’t miss out!
The Time Traveling Carpenter events are included with standard admission and don’t forget to pick up a sticker for you Palace Passport on the day!
Crafting Activities
- Nature Ninjas – 31st July 2025, 11am – 3pm: Design your very own watering can from a recycled plastic bottle. Perfect for little garden helpers. You might get a bit wet this week!
- Nature Ninjas – 21st August 2025, 11am – 3pm: Sow a ‘Rocket Head’ – sow some rocket seeds and design a fun tin can pot. Take it home, watch it grow and give it a ‘haircut’ to make a salad!
Our Nature Ninjas crafting days are included with standard admission and don’t forget to pick up a sticker for you Palace Passport on the day!
Scooters and Bikes
We kindly ask that scooters and bikes are not ridden once you have crossed the drawbridge. This is to ensure the safety of other visitors as they enjoy the peaceful surroundings of The Bishop’s Palace.
Bike racks are available behind the Gatehouse on the right-hand side after you cross the drawbridge. There is also a designated area in front of the wooden hut by the garden entrance gate for leaving scooters and bikes, which is visible from the café.
Dragon’s Lair Family Play Area
Explore this magical discovery area in a far corner of the Gardens!
This popular, interactive discovery area is designed around the themes and stories of the Palace, taking inspiration from well pools and water, trees and history. This outdoor natural activity space will exercise both minds and bodies with a pole jungle, tree pods, a waterwheel and sluice gates.
The only question is – dare you enter The Dragon’s Lair?
Inside the Palace
Boots and brolly day – has it started raining again? You’ll still find things to do with the kids at The Bishop’s Palace!
Put up your brolly and visit the well pools – see them bubble with all the water passing underneath them. Walk through the medieval Palace, see portraits of past bishops, and find the green dragons. Visit the Bishop’s private chapel, look up, down, around, and behind everything – there are many amazing details to spot.
The Bishop’s Table café also has a great range of children’s meals and snacks, along with plenty to keep the grown-ups happy.
Planning Your Visit
Entry for all the above activities is included with any standard admission including Day Tickets, the Annual Pass (which includes 12 months of return visits from the date of your first visit and you’re welcome to use it again on any normal sightseeing day), and Friends of the Palace.
To plan your perfect family-friendly day out in Wells, visit our Tickets and Opening page to view ticket information, parking in Wells, closure dates and more.
