Jurassic Journey

The Jurassic Journey sits just outside Great Yarmouth, and it's exactly the sort of thing that makes Norfolk's coastline a bit different from your standard seaside day out. You're walking through displays and exhibits that focus on the area's prehistoric past - dinosaurs, fossils, the whole lot. It's hands-on enough to keep children engaged for a couple of hours without feeling like you're being lectured at.

The appeal here is pretty clear if you've got kids aged five to early teens. They can touch things, handle replicas, and actually learn something about what used to stomp around East Anglia before it was all gift shops and arcades. Adults who fancy a bit of natural history will find it decent value too, though it's not going to blow your mind if you've been to bigger museums elsewhere.

Timing-wise, you're looking at two to three hours maximum. Go in the morning if possible - school groups tend to pile in after midday, and it gets cramped. Summer holidays are busy, so aim for shoulder season if you can.

It works well as part of a wider park holiday. Most of the Haven sites - Seashore, Caister-on-Sea, Hopton - are within a few miles, so you could easily slot it in as a rainy-day activity or a half-day outing between beach time and whatever evening entertainment your park's laid on. Norfolk's not exactly bursting with indoor attractions, so this fills a genuine gap. Worth the trip if you're staying locally and need a break from the wind and sand.