Facebook
WanderboatGet the most of Wanderboat by installing our new mobile app.Get the app

Plan your stay

hotel

Pet-friendly Hotels in England

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

hotel

Affordable Hotels in England

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

hotel

The Coolest Hotels You Haven't Heard Of (Yet)

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

hotel

Trending Stays Worth the Hype in England

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

Posts

Visited on a Friday, there was a cafe area, tea, coffee, cake and soft drinks. Paying card only I think the lady said at the till. The young girl on the desk who greeted us as we entered was enthusiastic and friendly. We had pre booked online and she just had to scan the code and we were in within 2 minutes at most. When we went through the double doors we were greeted by 2 more staff with great enthusiasm and offered a family picture at the green screen. seating area for adults, there was a large soft play, a separate ball bit, a separate castle tower type soft play, a camera animation where kids can see themselves breathe fire on a screen and much more. An announcement was made saying there was a meet with the Gruffalo in a separate seated area with some logs and trees. The lady who led this session was dancing with the kids, getting them up and joining in, getting parents to join in too, luckily no one pulled up to the front or singled out, just wanting people to have a good time. Then the real gruffalo came out for a dance. There was also a story time in this area later on which was announced and the Gruffalo came out for pictures with the kids at the green screen too. overall we had a great time. we went in about 10am on a Friday, it was rammed but did get busy by 11am. I think it did say at peak times it can get busy and sessions are around an hour to 75 minutes? Overall we had a great time, people who say its just a soft play must have been to some great soft plays to be disappointed by this place?? my local soft play doesn't have kids singalongs, a gruffalo, story time and photos with a gift shop! Would recommend to anyone.

John SmithJohn Smith
30

Absolutely fantastic place to take your little ones and relax in a comfy chair with a nice brew while they get on with the serious business of playing, climbing, running, squealing in delight, and just having a really great time. There's a huge room for parking buggies and prams. The little cafe does a decent brew (slightly on the pricey side) and a range of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. The toilets are clean, bright, and well maintained. There is free public Wi-Fi but it is an open connection with no password so unsure how safe it is. The live show when the real Gruffalo appeared had all the children squealing with excitement and it was a shame that it only lasted about 7 or 8 minutes. The kids would have stayed and joined in for much longer. The actual play area is very large and all the equipment looks virtually brand new and is all very clean and in excellent condition. Slides, tree houses, soft play areas in 3 sizes, a huge ball pit. Like other soft play places but 10x better. There's loads of room to run about and plenty of seating for the adults. You are guaranteed 90 minutes and during busy times you may be asked to leave when your time is up, but if you are lucky enough to go when it's quiet you can stay as long as you want. I can't recommend it enough. It costs £13.50 for us 3 but will go up when Liam turns 3 to £19, so we are going to take him as often as possible while he's still cheap 😁. If you're a local and not tried it yet - you should, and for any visitors to Blackpool you can also book a double ticket that includes entry to the Sea Life Centre which is right next door. Enjoy!

Clive BlackpoolClive Blackpool
30

Wow, what an amazing place!! You certainly get a great time with little ones,there's so much to do. The whole theme is gruffalo and friends, so it's set out like an enchanted forest. Within there, there's 4 separate soft play areas. One is especially for toddlers, and then there are two that are set out in the forest theme with various gruffalo characters scattered around. There's the Whale and the snail ball pool, which is a sea theme, and it's s quite big, so there's plenty of space for everyone. Zogs school play area is a little smaller than the others, and there's a mirror to practise your fire breathing skills!! On top of all this, there's a story corner section ( that's an open section with logs to sit on). This gets announced, so you don't miss out! Additionally to this, there's sing a long songs with the gruffalo and dancing which my little one thoroughly enjoyed you also get a chance to have pictures taken with the gruffalo characters. ( Which you have to pay for) The one thing I would say is that it's quite loud and dark particularly in the forest area so any children with sensory processing disorders may find it a bit overwhelming but I'm sure this can be overcome with ear defenders. Other than that, it's a fantastic place to go for little ones and mum's and dad's. Oh, the staff are very welcoming too and helpful, and there's a little cafe area for drinks and snacks.

Charlotte GreenwoodCharlotte Greenwood
00

A wonderful visit!!! We had an hour and a half in there, but could happily have spent longer!!! We listened to the story, and took part in the gruffalo dance party- big shout out to Zara who was wonderful as a host and as a member of staff- really made a fuss of my little boy. We met the gruffalo- our official photo was really disappointing as they’d cut half my son off! But luckily you can take your own photos with the gruffalo, so make sure you do! I would have been really disappointed otherwise. It’s very clean, and lots of kids to do. My son’s favourite was the snail and the whale ball pool. Very well themed. One criticism would be that there isn’t enough time to eat/drink as well. And actually, there isn’t enough time to cover everything! By the time we’d done story time, the dance party and met the gruffalo, we only had half an hour of play really. We missed out on meeting zog as he was going in and we had to leave as our time slot was over, so this was a bit sad as my son loves zog! A great way to spend some time out of the rain, my son loved it. There is obviously a gift shop, and actually, although it is expensive, it isn’t anymore expensive than some of the prices you pay for Julia Donaldson merchandise in other places.

Richard Kelly-ReesRichard Kelly-Rees
10

Wow, for a soft play centre, this is amazing. So well themed to the popular Julia Donaldson books. The main area is in the wood as you make your way through the bridges nets slides. You come across the various creatures in the wood. The snail and whale ball pool is amazing. My daughter found it quite chilled in there. Zogs Castle was also great fun. The room on the broom area is for babies again themed around the book and lots of visuals on the walls, etc. Unfortunately the cafe hadn't had a delivery of sandwiches which was a shame as we visited around lunchtime. so we just had some character cakes which were lovely. They also do character meet and greets. We met the witch, the gruffalo, and the Highway Rat. The Gruffalo's was on green screen, but they allowed you to take your own photos too. The sensory room is fabulous, very calming. My daughter spent 20 mins in ther regulating before going back out to the play centre. We paid £4.50 for 2 hours play that was with the Merlin discount, which is worth the money in my opinion. Carers do go free. Even without the Merlin discount, it's worth it for the experience. Any Julia Donaldson fan, young and old, will love this place.

Sarah GwilliamSarah Gwilliam
00

Went here for a treat for the kids (2yo/4yo) and they genuinely loved it. It's time slot bookable and you obtain a wristband with a specific colour for entry. When your time slots ends an announcement is made to tell people who have that colour wristband it's time to gather your belongings and children. Some parents are a bit slow on this and because of this, this does create sitting issues. There are several small coffee tables with padded chairs to enjoy a coffee and snacks while the kids play. It's mainly an indoor playground with ball bauble pits and soft play areas. Gruffalo themed with decor of room on the broom, zog, stickman etc. Plenty of kids running about and adults alike. There is a green screen photo area (Payable £15 approx) and you can get these at the end. Personally, it's not worth it. There are statues of the characters dotted around which is a nice touch. Small coffee bar, with costa machine coffee ( no app or bean rewards though) and sweets, crisps etc. I tad on the pricey side. 4 drinks approx £14. There is a live action show that is available to watch. Overall, yes we would come and visit again.

alanco22 “Tigger” 22alanco22 “Tigger” 22
60
Get more from Wanderboat AI

Nearby Attractions

Central Pier

Central Pier

4.3
(7.7K)
Click for details
The Blackpool Tower

The Blackpool Tower

4.5
(6.6K)
Click for details
Coral Island Family Arcade

Coral Island Family Arcade

4.3
(6K)
Click for details
North Pier

North Pier

4.3
(4.6K)
Click for details

Nearby Restaurants

The Albert & The Lion - JD Wetherspoon

The Albert & The Lion - JD Wetherspoon

4.1
(3.7K)
Click for details
Mr. Basrai’s World Cuisines

Mr. Basrai’s World Cuisines

4.1
(2.3K)
Click for details
The Layton Rakes - JD Wetherspoon

The Layton Rakes - JD Wetherspoon

4.1
(2.2K)
Click for details
Ma Kellys

Ma Kellys

4.3
(2K)
Click for details
photo-1
place imageLearn more insights from Wanderboat AI

Address

The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse, The Promenade, Blackpool FY1 5AA, United Kingdom

Map

Phone

+44 1253 629200

Call

Website

gruffaloclubhouse.com

Visit

Overview

4.6(200 reviews)
entertainment
cultural
family-friendly
accessibility
banner
boat

Get the iOS app

Get the most of Wanderboat by installing our new mobile app

Get the appContinue to site
Wanderboat Cover
  1. Please manually select your location for better experience