The coastal town of Barrow-in-Furness is brimming with exciting attractions who are all set to welcome families over February half-term, with a great programme of activities and events on offer for those seeking entertainment over the school holidays.

The Forum, Barrow’s premier theatre, hosts a huge array of entertainment with comedy, dance, drama and children’s entertainment.  ‘The Circus Spectacular’, an exciting international circus act will be showing at the Forum on Wednesday 18 February, with circus magic to delight all ages. The fun continues with The Forum hosting circus skills workshops during half-term week. Learn how to hoola hoop with experts from the Matrix Circus! Call The Forum box office 01229 820000 to book.

Meanwhile a free month-long exhibition by renowned abstract artist, Clyde Hopkins will be on display from Wednesday 23 February. Clyde’s career spanned four decades, and the special exhibition coincides with his widow, Marilyn Hallam – gifting an additional piece of artwork for permanent display in Barrow Town Hall.

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The Dock Museum is another fantastic attraction for a free family day out, with hidden treasures, wonderful model ships and displays that detail Barrow’s industrial and social history. On 17 and 18 February the Museum is running Movie Maker Animation Workshops – children will learn how to bring their Lego toys to life! Tickets (£5 per child) for the workshops are available, in person, from the Dock Museum.

For those rainy days, kids will love an exhilarating day out at Urban Extreme – The huge indoor skate park features mini ramps, quarter pipes, foam pits and a giant bowl area, with scooters, BMX, and skateboards available to hire and 2-hour lessons available too.   

Animal lovers will enjoy visiting the Safari Zoo at Dalton-in-Furness, which is home to rare and endangered animals. Visitors can get up close and watch feeding time with the lemurs, big cats, penguins and giraffes or try their hand at ‘becoming a keeper for the day’ with one of the unique animal encounter experiences.

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While Barrow has a busy programme of activities on offer, the town is also reminding visitors not to forget the stunning natural landscape, that surrounds Barrow, is just waiting to be explored.

With over 60km of coastline and plenty of popular cycling and walking routes available, ranging from family-friendly to more strenuous trails. It is so easy to take a relaxing walk or get on two wheels and enjoy all the coastal scenery at a faster pace!

The Abbey Circular walk and Westfield Trail from Roose to Rampside (with the option to go onto Roa Island) are suitable for pushchairs. While Sandscale Haws is great for a walk along the sandy beach. Discover precious dune habitats and enjoy magnificent views across the Duddon estuary to the Lake District mountains. Be sure to check the tide timetables before exploring this beautiful National Trust reserve.

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South Walney Nature Reserve offers stunning views across Morecambe Bay and is abundant in wildlife. This coastal reserve, managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust, is open 10am to 4pm daily and is a great place to spot rare species of birds. It is also home to the only grey seal colony in Cumbria.

After all that fresh air, hungry explorers can round off the day with a hearty meal in one of the town’s traditional pubs or modern restaurants.

For more information, head over to: visitbarrow.org.uk/attractions

Please don’t forget, the best way you can continue to support local attractions is by following HM Government COVID-19 safety guidelines. The Welcome Back to High Streets Project is funded by the ERDF Fund and HM Government.

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