Indoor Activities Great Yarmouth [AD]
Great Yarmouth is one of the UK’s favourite tourist destinations. There really is something for everyone here, making it the ideal choice for a family holiday. Whether you’re visiting with children, as an adult only group or with a dog, the one thing we can’t control is the weather. For days when rain stops play or the sun leaves you running for shade, check out the best indoor activities Great Yarmouth has to offer. I’ve made a note of which of the attractions welcome dogs and you can also check out my post about dog friendly Great Yarmouth.
Indoor Activities Great Yarmouth: Theatre and Cinema
Heading to the theatre or cinema is always one of our go-to indoor activities. It’s such a great way to completely relax and switch off. Despite that, it’s not something I’ve ever really thought of doing on holiday. But since visiting the Hippodrome Circus and Arc Cinema in Great Yarmouth, I’m a convert. We visited on the hottest week of the year and the heat was getting a bit much. A few hours inside a cool building made all the difference and we came out ready to face the rest of the day.
Hippodrome Circus
If you’re not aware of Great Yarmouth’s Hippodrome Circus, then you are missing out on something really special. There really is nothing else like it in the UK or elsewhere in the world. The building itself is the only remaining dedicated circus building in the world. On entering the building, its vintage feel is like taking a step back in time. Surprisingly enough though, that’s not what makes the place special.
In 1903, an original water feature was built in the Hippodrome Building. The circus ring floor was created to drop down, revealing a pool. As these things often do, this spectacular theatre fell into disrepair until it came into the hands of the Jay family, who restored the unique sinking floor in 1981.
Fast forward to 2022 and the Hippodrome Circus puts on incredible shows that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. It is definitely one of the most unique indoor activities in Great Yarmouth.
Summer Circus and Water Spectacular Review
When we got tickets for the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Summer Circus and Water Spectacular, I didn’t know what to think. My children LOVE a circus, so we’ve been to quite a few of the traditional Big Top style shows. We were prepared for acrobatics, music, fun and laughter. But we really couldn’t get our head around what the water feature was all about.
The first half was as expected. A colourful performance with lots of laughs from Jack Jay and his sidekick Johnny Mac. Incredible dancers performing daring stunts that seemed to defy gravity. And an all-round brilliant circus. Half time soon arrived, bringing an opportunity to buy snacks and drinks and stretch our legs. But we were still left wondering what the “water spectacular” part of the show was all about.
It wouldn’t be long until we found out. Soon after the beginning of the first half, everything became a little bit wetter. The show went on whilst the floor gradually lowered, with the dancers re-entering the stage dressed as synchronised swimmers. As far as I could see, the pool was of a depth where they could still stand, but the dancing and acrobatics were now taking place in the water.
None of us have seen anything like it before or since, because it’s not something that takes place anywhere else in the world. If you have a spare afternoon for indoor activities in Great Yarmouth, we would highly recommend spending it at the Hippodrome Circus.
Arc Cinema
The Arc Cinema in Great Yarmouth is a state of the art venue offering a range of screenings including plenty of family-friendly options. Its five brand-new screens all boast luxurious seating in leather armchairs. Each one offers plenty of legroom, ideal for getting comfortable and immersing yourself in a film while 4K Sony digital projection and 7.1 Dolby digital surround sound bring the scenes to life.
Family Films at Arc Cinema Great Yarmouth
The moment we stepped into the beautifully air-conditioned cinema building, we knew this was one of the best Great Yarmouth indoor activities for a hot summer’s day. The girls headed straight for the fantastic selection of sweets, drinks and popcorn before finding our screen. During our visit, there were several family films on offer and we opted for Minions: The Rise of Gru. Apparently this was THE must-see film of the summer for anybody under the age of about 11.
Before having children, we used to go to the cinema a lot. I often feel a bit guilty that it’s such a huge treat for my children because we go so rarely these days. And that’s predominantly because of the cost. By the time you add up the cost of four tickets plus drinks and snacks, the price becomes prohibitive. Fortunately at Arc Cinema Great Yarmouth, that’s simply not the case. Their family ticket offer of just £5.95 per person instantly transforms it into a cost-effective way to spend the afternoon.
Better still, if you head to the cinema on selected days, it’s even cheaper! Kids club showings at 11am on weekend mornings and everyday in the school holidays are just £2.95 per ticket. That’s for everyone, not just the kids! The films they show are great too, with recent children’s titles to watch.
Although the cinema itself is right in the centre of Great Yarmouth, there is free customer parking at the front. If you’re staying for a little longer, there are several public car parks and on-street parking in the area too. My only complaint about Arc Cinema is that it’s too far away for us to travel to every week from home!
Other Indoor Activities in Great Yarmouth
If you’ve been to Great Yarmouth, you’ll realise that there’s absolutely loads to do both in town and in the surrounding areas. These are a couple of our favourite things to do that are completely indoors. We visited in the height of summer, so the cool indoor air was bliss. They’re suitable for any time of year though, so they’ll be equally good places to warm up in the winter months.
Wellington Bowl
You can probably guess that Wellington Bowl on Great Yarmouth promenade is a ten-pin bowling centre. However, what its name doesn’t give away is the fact that there are so many other indoor activities to do there as well. Visitors can eat in their café with a beautiful view out to the beach. Grab a game of pool in the games room or hit the 2p machines with the kids. There’s also a separate arcade just across the boardwalk on Wellington Pier that is part of the same complex. Better still, whatever you decide to do, dogs are welcome to go along with you.
Ten Pin Bowling
Our first stop was a game of ten-pin bowling. The dog was able to join us at the end of the lane and watch. We had the opportunity to have food whilst we were bowling, but we opted to just have a drink and extend our visit by eating in the restaurant afterwards. Nonetheless, a menu was brought over by the friendly and efficient staff and we chose our food. When we did make our way into the restaurant, it was just a few minutes before our dinner was ready.
Food and drink
Like the bowling lane, Bubbles was made to feel at home in the restaurant. Dog bowls are dotted around so there was plenty of water for her, which was a relief as it was an extremely hot day. That said, the temperature inside Wellington Bowl was very pleasant. The staff were keen to help when we discussed dietary requirements and intolerances. The menu is simple. Burgers, chips, hotdogs, scampi and nachos. The children and I all went for a veggie burger and my husband decided on the nachos. The food was all tasty and the girls were impressed with the soft drink selection. Alcoholic beverages are available as well.
Our thoughts on Wellington Bowl
Employees of Wellington Bowl were so friendly and welcoming to both us and the dog that we went back on several occasions during our stay. We only used the bowling alley once, but you can just go into the bar and grab a drink at any time. On a hot day, it was great to be able to sit indoors or outside in the shade with the dog and take time to relax. Even if you don’t fancy bowling, don’t overlook Wellington Bowl as a dog friendly Great Yarmouth attraction.
Sea Life Great Yarmouth
As regular visitors to the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham, we couldn’t wait to explore Sea Life Great Yarmouth. Each Sea Life Centre offers a different experience, with plenty of new facts to learn about the incredible creatures in our oceans. If you’re visiting Great Yarmouth for a day or two, you might want to check out the special offer tickets combining Sea Life and the Observation Wheel.
Visiting Sea Life Great Yarmouth
Sea Life Great Yarmouth is as fun and interactive as you would expect. It’s a real treat for the senses, from the relaxing sensation of watching fish swimming around, to the slightly unnerving experience of observing the resident sharks and crocodiles. One of our favourite parts was the rock pool area, where children (and adults) are able to see the creatures living around the British coastline and even touch the star fish.
Medusa guards the Sea Life Centre’s Ocean tunnel, standing tall and watching over all of its creatures. We loved watching the sharks swimming overhead and trying to spot Noah the green sea turtle. It was lovely to find Nemo as well, the girls loved dipping into the miniature tunnel to see the clown fish and have a photo.
Visiting the Sea Life centre is always an educational experience but we found the one in Great Yarmouth particularly informative. I’m not sure whether there is more going on or whether it’s because my children have grown up a bit since our last aquarium visit. Either way, we all came out a little more knowledgeable about our oceans and how we can help to look after them.
Sea Life Conservation
One of my favourite displays at Sea Life Great Yarmouth was the video and information about the Beluga whale sanctuary in Iceland established in 2019 by the Sea Life Trust. The video shows the journey of captive whales Little White and Little Grey from a grotty tank in Ocean World Shanghai, to their own little corner of the ocean in Iceland. The same sanctuary also hosts a puffin rescue centre.
In addition to that, the Sea Life Trust set up the Cornish Seal sanctuary. They rescue and rehabilitate grey seal pups around the county’s coastline. It’s great to see that the Sea Life Centre both supports projects like this and educates visitors on their importance. I’m sure they’ll inspire the next generation of marine biologists.
Indoor Activities Great Yarmouth: Eating and Drinking
If you’re heading indoors for a quick break from the sun or to see out a rain shower, you might just want to grab some food. There are plenty of places to eat and drink in Great Yarmouth, so here are two that we particularly enjoyed. Both are dog friendly and have both indoor and outdoor seating.
Sara’s Tearoom
Conveniently located in Great Yarmouth with stunning beach views, Sara’s tearoom has one entrance from inside the Pleasure Beach Gardens and one from the beachfront promenade. I grabbed breakfast in there whilst the girls and my husband were seeing a show at the cinema and immediately fell in love with it. Here’s why.
A homemade selection of specials and cakes creates a tasty, fresh menu. It’s always great to see some really lovely veggie and vegan options for both adults and kids. Other dietary requirements were well catered for too. They even sell pupcakes for the dogs! I was particularly pleased to see the beer-battered halloumi and chips, one of my favourite dishes and this was the best one I’ve ever had. Served with a choice of garden or mushy peas and a delicious fresh salad, this was an absolute joy.
The girls were delighted with the kids’ menu too. It was the first time they’d ever seen a veggie cheeseburger anywhere and this was their ideal meal. My husband enjoyed his tuna jacket potato and we all had to try out the cakes, just to make sure they were as good as they looked. I can confirm that they were.
The setting
Sara’s Tearoom is one of the friendliest places we’ve eaten as a family, including the dog. Everything arrived quickly including Bubbles’ pupcake. The view from the seating on the promenade is stunning and there’s plenty of space indoors too. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and we didn’t feel rushed at all even though it was busy. I went twice during the time we were in Great Yarmouth, once with the family and once on my own. It was a great place to sit with my laptop to do some work. Next time we’re back in the area, we’ll definitely be visiting Sara’s tearoom again.
Lacon Arms
A central location over in Hemsby makes the Lacon Arms an ideal stop if you’re exploring the village. A traditional pub with loads of space both inside and out, the Lacon Arms boasts a children’s play area and dog friendly seating both indoors and outside.
The Menu
Sometimes on holiday, I get to a point where I’m absolutely craving something healthy. I’d reached that point when we went to the Lacon Arms, so it was a real treat to spot their fresh salad bar. This was so well stocked that even the children filled their plates with salad and polished it off.
The Lacon Arms has a great selection of burgers including the veggie burger that I went for, consisting of two huge battered mushrooms. It was served with delicious, thick-cut chips, corn on the cob and fresh coleslaw. My husband went for the king prawn linguini. He is quite fussy about where he has sea food and being located right next to the sea, the Lacon Arms fish options appealed to him. He absolutely raved about it, apparently it was delicious and extremely fresh.
The girls were impressed with the children’s menu, and so was I. Veggie options included mac and cheese, tomato pasta, tomato and aubergine curry and halloumi sticks and chips. They love halloumi just as much as me, so they didn’t hesitate to order the halloumi sticks and chips, both opting to have some fresh cucumber sticks with it. The children’s meals are a good size, both girls managed to finish them but they had plenty, especially as they had a plate of salad from the salad bar too.
Desserts
As you would expect from a tasty menu like this, the desserts turned our heads too. Libby went for a donut sundae from the kids’ menu, whereas Lia was determined to have a grown-up pudding involving raspberry and dark chocolate. My husband sampled the lemon tart. They were all extremely tasty and I regretted being too full to have one!
The setting
The restaurant itself is light and pleasant with plenty of waiting staff on hand. All of our food was extremely quick to arrive, but the girls still found time to make good use of the children’s playground outside. For a small place, it had a good balance of things for younger children whilst there was still plenty for older ones to play on too. They spent most of the time bombing across the monkey bars at top speed. Which did give us the opportunity to enjoy a quiet drink.
