Some enchanted evenings: 10 of the best after-dark adventures for families in the UK | Travel
Legend has it that Faskally Forest – the Pitlochry location of Scotland’s most famous sound and light show – steals an hour from time itself every 25 years. This year marks a quarter of a century since the first Enchanted Forest, and the theme taps into the legend: Stop the Clock: The 25th Hour. The trail is a mystical, atmospheric wander through jewel-hued woodland, with misbehaving clocks, time-themed installations and immersive soundscapes creating the sense of a dreamlike world. There are autism-friendly sessions and free carers’ tickets and an accessibility bus for those with mobility issues.
Until 8 Nov, adults from £28.50, kids from £15.50, family from £78.50, including shuttle bus to and from the event
Even a beginner stargazer will find it easy to navigate an autumn night sky, when the stars are at their clearest and constellations such as Orion’s Belt and the Plough flicker and gleam with an iridescent glow. The North Pennines has some of the darkest skies in the country, along with the highest number of official Dark Skies discovery sites in the UK – 16 – making the region’s stargazing festival one of the best. Choose from a family astronomy event at Grassholme Observatory (pictured), a dark skies stroll or stargazing on Alston Moor. All events need to be booked in advance.
Until 1 Nov, prices vary
The banks of the Mersey and some of Liverpool’s most iconic spots blaze with colour during this annual free outdoor light art festival, which brings together 13 original works on the theme of “together”. Installations include 6-metre high peonies at the Cunard Building, which remain white by day but glow with ever-changing colours after dark, and Dream Herd, a floating cloud of sheep with interactive “legs” that trigger lighting and sound changes when touched. Over on Williamson Square, Pop! consists of five tall, colourful boxes that spring open like jack-in-the-boxes when people clap, sing or talk to them, revealing inflatable puppets. The installations will light up from 5pm–9pm each night, with quiet hours 4pm-5pm on 28 Oct and 1 Nov.
23 Oct – 1 Nov, free
Nocturnal wildlife adventures, across the UK
From badger banquets to batwatching safaris, many wildlife trusts and nature reserves run special late openings and events at this time of year to allow visitors to enjoy the nocturnal activities of their resident species. At RSPB Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire you can look out for hunting owls, marsh harriers and starling murmurations on a sunset walk (fortnightly on Saturdays, adults £19, adult members £15.50, children £10), while RSPB Mersehead in Dumfries and Galloway will be running its popular badger banquets, where visitors can observe the shy mammals feeding through the glass windows of the reserve’s Sulwath Centre (24 & 30 Oct, 6, 14 & 20 Nov, adults £28, adult RSPB members £22.60, children £14.50). The Kent Wildlife Trust is hosting a family bat detecting event at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve (29 Oct, £10pp) which includes hot drinks in the visitor centre and a guided night hike with bat detectors.
Search for more events on the RSPB’s Dusk Discoveries page
Nature gets super-sized at this refreshingly un-Halloween-themed lantern trail at Slimbridge wetland centre, where giant frogs loom out of illuminated ponds, bats and kingfishers hover and swoop in the tree canopy and luminous giant bugs glitter between flaming scarlet fungi. Each creature is handmade and inspired by real wetland wildlife, with wings, fur and scales transformed into light sculptures. Arrive early to fuel up on street food at the Kingfisher Kitchen, or save yourself for toasted marshmallows around the firepit. Kids can make their own lanterns and the buggy-friendly trail takes about 45 minutes to explore.
Until 1 Nov, £14.95pp
The original (and some would say best) location for autumn illuminations, Blackpool is celebrating 10 years of the Lightpool festival, with interactive installations, illuminated artworks and live performances across the city. The Light Art Trail includes walk-through tunnels of light, glowing stone circles and glittering “sky orchards”. A specially designed VR arena at the Winter Gardens conjures spectacular visuals, while the Firefly Field uses LEDs to creates the illusion of hundreds of beetles hovering and darting above the ground.
Until 31 Oct, 6pm-9pm, free
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As if scrambling across rope bridges and whizzing down from treetops isn’t challenging enough in daylight, every autumn more than 20 of the Go Ape high ropes courses open up for an evening adventure. This year, for the first time, there are adults-only sessions at selected locations, but the continuous belay harness system means the course is reassuringly safe for families and suitable for all children over six. The course is illuminated and takes about an hour to complete.
Until 8 Nov, but dates vary according to location, from £31.95pp. Min height 1.2m; min weight 130kg
Polish up your putting with a spot of moonlit golf at Heatherton World of Activities near Tenby, where the 18-hole Pirates of the Caribbean-themed course will take on a distinctly different feel, with atmospheric lighting and music. It’s just one of the After Dark offerings, along with climbing the Tree Tops tower before stepping off into the pitch black and whizzing down the 165-metre zipline, with the park illuminated below. For older kids, the Heatherton maze has been transformed into the full-on Institute of Terror – a not-so-abandoned asylum with live scare actors.
Until 31 Oct, prices vary according to activity
This immersive rail adventure at the Bluebell Railway whisks passengers into the past to unravel a 100-year-old mystery of an engine explosion, a derailed train and a possible injustice as to who got the blame. The station platforms are peopled with characters from that fateful day in 1926, while clues about the real perpetrator wait to be discovered, and the air is thick with rumours of ghostly figures on empty platforms and the sound of a steam train that never appears. Spooky rather than properly scary, this is ideal for older children, with plenty of chances to interact with characters and explore independently.
Until 1 Nov, adults from £42, children from £21
Get ready for a Jurassic Park-style adventure with an after-hours visit to the World of Dinosaurs, where 40 life-size, animatronic dinos roam and roar; all the more terrifying when they loom out of the darkness. The woodland trail winds past a pair of towering T rexes, stegosaurus and the startling, dome-headed pachycephalosaurus, with velociraptors springing out and flying reptiles swinging through the trees. Alongside the trail, UV-lit Halloween drummers provide a thrilling soundtrack, with face painting, a silent disco and glitter tattoos also on offer.
23 Oct–1 Nov, £18.99pp