Heaton Park, the 600-acre green space in Bury, Greater Manchester, is known for hosting Parklife festival and major concerts, including Oasis's five-night reunion stand last summer. But beyond live music, the park offers year-round attractions for families, many free or low-cost.
Thrills and adventure
Since earlier this year, Zip World Manchester has brought the UK's longest outdoor tubing slide to the park, measuring 88 metres. The forest tubing allows solo or paired rides for children aged four and above, with unlimited rides in hour-long sessions. Prices start from £35.88 in summer, with discounts for advance online booking. The same attraction includes a 15-metre-high ropes course with over 20 obstacles, rope bridges, and zip lines.
Lake activities
Visitors can enjoy the park's lake via electric cruisers, pedal boats, or rowing boats. Sessions start from £18 for 25 minutes, with options for up to nine people. A new boat fleet includes accessible and wheelchair pedalo options.
Animal centre and more
Free to enter, the animal centre in the old stables houses goats, geese, pigs, rabbits, ducks, alpacas, and a tortoise. Nearby fields have highland cattle, horses, and donkeys. It is open from 10am to 4pm most days. Other facilities include an 18-hole golf course, driving range, bowling greens, and the Grade I-listed Heaton Hall (designed by James Wyatt in 1772), visible from the park but not open to the public.
Cafes and refreshments
Two cafes cater to visitors. The Stables Cafe (8.30am–7pm most days) is near the animal centre and Heaton Hall, renovated last year. The Lakeside Cafe (9am–7pm daily) sits near the tram line, close to the play area and lake. Both serve breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, and drinks.
Heaton Park is open daily from 8am to dusk. Accessible by car via Sheepfoot Lane, Smithy Lodge, or St Margaret's Road, and by Metrolink with stops at Heaton Park and Bowker Vale. Address: Middleton Road, Higher Blackley, M25 2SW.
