If you’re planning a visit to the West of Ireland and looking for fun places to go with the kids, we’ve got you covered. In no particular order, here’s our pick of fabulously fun family things to do in Galway and Connacht.
You’ll find a mix of paid and free places to visit, indoor and outdoor spots, old historical sites and newer attractions — something for every kind of family day out.
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Watch: a taste of what’s waiting for your family in Galway and Connacht.
In this guide:
- Galway Atlantaquaria
- National Museum of Ireland – Country Life
- Lough Key Forest and Activity Park
- Brigit’s Garden, Galway
- Galway City Museum
- Zipit Forest Adventures, Roscommon
- Funny Bones, Sligo
- Jackie Clarke Collection, Mayo
- Westport House and Pirate Adventure Park, Mayo
- Leaning Tower of Galway
- Great Western Greenway
- Turoe Pet Farm
- Burren Nature Sanctuary
- Glendeer Pet Farm, Roscommon
- Strokestown Park, House, Gardens & the National Famine Museum, Roscommon
- Eagles Flying, Sligo
- Glencar Waterfall, Leitrim
- Acres Lake Boardwalk, Leitrim
We hope you have fun visiting them all — let us know how you got on and what you thought, we always love hearing from families who’ve made the trip!
Galway Atlantaquaria
The first time you walk through the entrance to Galway Atlantaquaria, Ireland’s largest aquarium, we guarantee you’ll jump — their first exhibit is Ireland’s largest “Splash” tank!
You’ll also enjoy the ray pool, ocean tank, fin whale skeleton, touch pools and plenty of hands-on activities, including feeding the fish and touching starfish and crabs.
National Museum of Ireland – Country Life
The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life in Castlebar, Co Mayo, brings the traditions of rural Irish life to life. Exhibitions are full of wonderful objects from long ago — see what schools were like, the toys children played with, and how families marked special occasions like Halloween and Christmas.
Learn about how people lived in towns and countryside, cut turf, caught fish and worked in the home. There are workshops, exhibitions and family programmes for all ages. Entry is free, making it a great choice for a rainy day.
Lough Key Forest and Activity Park
Lough Key Forest & Activity Park offers hours of entertainment for the whole family.
Be guided back in time through 19th-century tunnels and stroll along Ireland’s only Tree Canopy Trail on the Rockingham Remembered Tour. The Boda Borg Challenge tests the mental skills and physical agility of everyone over seven. Take a well-earned break and enjoy the view of Lough Key from the Lakeside Café, or stay over at the landscaped caravan and camping site.
Other activities in the park include Woodland Segway glides and historical tours, electric and traditional bike trails, Zipit Forest Adventures, Lough Key boat tours, and orienteering trails.
Brigit’s Garden, Galway
Brigit’s Garden, located between Moycullen and Oughterard, is a magical place for families to explore.
There are family-friendly Celtic gardens, a kids’ discovery trail, a willow play area and sandpit, a nature trail, a ring-fort and crannog, a gift shop and the Garden Café, recommended in the Georgina Campbell and Bridgestone guides.
There’s a giant sundial too, where you can tell the time — provided it’s sunny! Check their website before visiting, as they run events throughout the year.
Galway City Museum
Galway City Museum is a spacious, modern building in the heart of Galway City, on the banks of the River Corrib, overlooking the Spanish Arch and the Claddagh.
The museum is free to enter and tells the story of Galway’s past, alongside touring art and craft exhibitions. There’s also a Sea Science exhibition for children of all ages, plus a regular programme of events and activities for all ages.
Zipit Forest Adventures, Roscommon
Zipit Forest Adventures offers up to four hours of tree-top, fun-filled, thrilling experiences in a healthy outdoor setting for adults and children from age seven.
At their Lough Key location in Roscommon, you can climb poles and climbing walls, swing into cargo nets, balance on rope bridges and hurtle down a zipwire. From beginners to adrenaline junkies, you can have a great time with guidance and encouragement from qualified instructors, secure in your harness throughout.
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Funny Bones, Sligo
Funny Bones House of Fun is a children’s activity and play centre based in Collooney, just outside Sligo.
For younger kids there’s a soft play area, and for older children there’s Vertigo — a unique adventure zone with a specially built six-metre climbing wall and high ropes adventure course. Go-karting and laser fun are also available.
Jackie Clarke Collection, Mayo
Located in Ballina, Co Mayo, the Jackie Clarke Collection showcases one of the world’s leading collections of historical Irish material. Discover 400 years of Irish history through the self-guiding, family-friendly interactive touchscreens. In the memory pod, you can record and share your own stories and memories.
Discover something new about your family history by searching the in-house census and eviction records, and learn about Irish native trees, organic vegetable gardening and the importance of hedgerows in the Urban Walled Garden.
Admission is free, and you can enjoy lunch in the café after your visit.
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Westport House and Pirate Adventure Park, Mayo
There’s plenty for families at Westport House & Pirate Adventure Park. Set on the 480-acre estate, the Pirate Adventure Park is a treasure trove of family fun, with its Grace O’Malley-themed amusement park and rides best suited to families with children under 12.
Enjoy the log flume water ride, the swinging pirate galleon, a ride on the miniature railway, swan pedalo boats, the cannon ball run slide, pitch and putt, indoor soft play, paint-your-own pottery and an outdoor playground, all set in beautiful parkland.
The house has plenty to offer families too. Grown-ups will enjoy the beauty of the building itself, while children will love the basement area, where an installation depicts Grace O’Malley’s maritime lifestyle — a long-standing favourite since the house first opened to visitors. There are funny mirrors, an antique coin-operated puppet show, and a host of illusions and tricks to keep everyone entertained. Tours for under-12s run around 30 minutes.
Leaning Tower of Galway
For something completely different, head to Kilmacduagh to see the “Leaning Tower of Galway.” Located 5km from the town of Gort, the site dates back to the 7th century, when Saint Colman, son of Duagh, established a monastery on land given to him by his cousin, King Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin of Connacht.
Kilmacduagh’s tall round tower is a fine example of an Irish round tower, and it has a noticeable lean of over two feet from the vertical. There’s plenty of room for kids to wander, and the site is enclosed, so there’s no need to worry about them getting near the road — it’s quiet enough as it is.
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Great Western Greenway
Escape the bustle of everyday life on the longest off-road walking and cycling route in the country — the Great Western Greenway. The 44km-long greenway traces Ireland’s Atlantic coast between Westport town and Achill Island, passing through the picturesque villages of Newport and Mulranny.
You can rent bikes at several locations along the route, so there’s no need to bring your own.
Turoe Pet Farm
A family-run farm just off the M6 Dublin–Galway motorway near Loughrea, Turoe Pet Farm makes a perfect spot to break your journey if you’re travelling with the family — though there’s enough to do here to make a full day of it.
Stretch your legs on the all-weather nature trail, where you can meet lots of friendly animals, including “Larry the Llama” and “Curley the Alpaca.” Cuddle rabbits in Pet’s Corner, enjoy the playground and football pitch, explore Jungle Town — a fully supervised indoor activity centre — or bounce around Inflatable City.
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Burren Nature Sanctuary
The Burren Nature Sanctuary in Kinvara is an interpretive centre for the natural history of the Burren. There’s an adventure playground with great equipment, including a fantastic sandpit.
Afterwards, take the 1km nature trail — a gentle loop where you can feed the sheep and see llamas. Kids can complete a nature trail activity, making rubbings of leaves and other natural finds along the way and returning their sheet for a small reward. Indoors, there’s an artisan café and a soft play area with slides, a ball pool and climbing frames.
Glendeer Pet Farm, Roscommon
A visit to Glendeer Pet Farm (five miles west of Athlone, exit 13 off the M6, following signs for Drum) is a hands-on experience where you can feed, pet and hold some of the animals, including deer, pigs, llamas, emu, ostrich, goats, donkeys and sheep — plus monkeys, wallabies and a tortoise, not to mention the new arrivals each year, including kid goats, llama foals and pups.
As well as all the animals, kids will enjoy the fairy trail, playground and more.
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Strokestown Park, House, Gardens & the National Famine Museum, Roscommon
Strokestown Park, Gardens and the Irish National Famine Museum is a great spot for families. Visit Strokestown House, a Georgian Palladian mansion and former family home of the Pakenham Mahon family, with daily guided tours giving an insight into life in “The Big House,” upstairs and downstairs.
The six-acre walled pleasure gardens have been restored, with a fernery, lily pond, Victorian rose garden, pergola and peach house.
The Irish National Famine Museum tells a different, powerful story, drawing parallels between a tragic chapter of Irish history and contemporary global hunger.
Eagles Flying, Sligo
The highly entertaining, interactive shows at Ireland’s largest sanctuary for birds of prey and owls, the Irish Raptor Research Centre’s Eagles Flying, offer excitement, plenty of photo opportunities, and the chance to get up close with birds of prey.
Watch eagles, hawks and vultures fly right over your head or land beside you — if you’re lucky, you might even get to fly or touch one during the show. If your kids prefer more cuddly creatures, they can also visit the animals in the large, supervised pet zoo.
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Glencar Waterfall, Leitrim
Image: Glencar Waterfall © Tourism Ireland
Glencar Waterfall sits near Glencar Lake, 11km west of Manorhamilton, County Leitrim. It’s particularly impressive after rain and can be viewed from a lovely wooded walk. More waterfalls are visible from the road, though none is quite as romantic as this one. There are also on-site picnic facilities and an information kiosk.
Acres Lake Boardwalk, Leitrim
Acres Lake Boardwalk is Ireland’s first floating boardwalk. The 600m boardwalk, in the picturesque village of Drumshanbo, marks the start of a 6.5km linear walking and cycling trail along the Shannon Blueway, from Acres Lake to Battlebridge Lock near Leitrim Village.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Galway and Connacht a good region for a family day out?
Yes — the region has a great mix of indoor and outdoor attractions, from aquariums, museums and pet farms to forest parks, walking trails and waterfalls, so there’s something to suit most ages, budgets and weather conditions.
Are there free things to do with kids in Galway and Connacht?
Yes, several of the attractions in this guide, including Galway City Museum, the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, and the Jackie Clarke Collection, are free to visit.
What’s a good option for a rainy day?
Indoor spots like Galway City Museum, the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Funny Bones in Sligo, and the soft play area at Burren Nature Sanctuary are all good choices when the weather turns.
Is this guide suitable for younger children?
Yes — many of the places featured, such as the pet farms, aquarium and forest parks, are geared towards younger families, though a few activities (like Zipit Forest Adventures) have a minimum age requirement, so it’s worth checking before you go.
Related Articles
- Guide to Galway for Families: Where to Eat, Stay, Plan and Explore
- Free Things to do in Galway with Kids
- Top 10 Things to do in Mayo with Kids
- 10 Memorable Things to do in Sligo with Kids
- Top 10 Things to do in Leitrim with Kids
- A Family Day Trip to The Burren: 4 Unique Hotspots to Enjoy
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