Rainy day in Holyhead
Shipwrecks and a mammoth, three floors of soft play, and a film to finish.
The plan
Morning: Holyhead Maritime Museum
Shipwrecks, lifeboats and Myfanwy the mammoth, in the old lifeboat house on Newry Beach. Adults £6 and accompanied children go free. Open Tuesday to Sunday, Easter to the end of October.
Lunch: The Harbourfront Bistro
Right next door on Newry Beach, with harbour views. Serves lunch Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday). On a Monday or Tuesday we haven’t found another lunch stop with confirmed hours within walking distance, so check before you go or bring a packed lunch.
Afternoon: Empire Play Centre
Three floors of soft play with a café, in the Empire building on Stanley Street in the town centre, roughly a 10–15 minute walk from Newry Beach. Afternoon play starts at 11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 12pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Evening: a film at the Empire
The single-screen Empire Cinema shares the building with the play centre, so you can stay out of the rain all afternoon. Tickets are £6.75 for adults and £5.10 for children aged 14 and under. Film times change every week, so check the programme and book on the cinema’s website.
Winter or wet-day swaps
From November to Easter the museum is closed. Start instead at the Ucheldre Centre for its gallery and exhibitions (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 2–5pm), or book a family swim at Holyhead Leisure Centre (sessions must be booked online). If the rain stops, the Roman fort walls at St Cybi’s are a short walk from the Empire. None of these is a lunch stop.