The mix of indoor and outdoor spots means you can plan around the weather, not just hope for the best.
Free days out are easy to find here. V36 Valley Park, Jordanstown Loughshore Park Playground, and Mossley Mill Museum all cost nothing to visit. When you want something active under cover, bowling, soft play, and Airtastic Entertainment Centre are all within easy reach.
The best days out near Newtownabbey
Bel-Aire Bowl
Movilla Trout Fishery
Jordanstown Loughshore Park Playground
Gear of War Airsoft Belfast
Newtownabbey Greenway
V36 Valley Park
Valley Leisure Centre
Playzone at Valley Leisure Centre
Skate 100 @ V36
V36 Playpark, Valley Park
Abbey Retail Park
Abbey Centre
Newtownabbey Footgolf
Longwood Retail Park
Little Play Studio
Theatre at the Mill
Mossley Mill Museum
Mossley Mill Bowls Pavilion
Airtastic Entertainment Centre — Newtownabbey
Belfast Zoo
Funworks
Scrapyard Golf
Movie House Glengormley
Glengormley Sportsbowl
Greenisland Golf Club
Ballyearl Golf Club
Knockagh Monument Stargazing Spot
Cave Hill Adventurous Playground
Fortwilliam Golf Club
Belfast Artisan Distillery
Belfast Castle & Cave Hill
Sentry Hill Historic House
Happy Littles Play Café
Belfast Artisan Gin School
Redbarn Cavehill
Belfast Lough Nature Reserve
Hercules Brewing Company
RSPB Window on Wildlife
Belfast to Whiteabbey Lough Shore Greenway
Tots Play Holywood
World of Wonder
Grove Wellbeing Centre
North Down Coastal Path: Holywood to Bangor
Modest Beer
Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
Cliftonville Golf Club
Laurel View Equestrian Centre
Holywood Exchange Retail Park
What's on near Newtownabbey
- 1JulPond dippingCastle Espie
- 1JulExhibition by Diarmuid Delargy RUA REArtisAnn Gallery
- 3JulVision — Comber LibraryComber Library
- 4JulDragonfly crafts with Boom StudiosCastle Espie
- 5JulCourtyard sessionsCastle Espie
- 6JulNature Through Our Eyes Alphabetography — Holywood LibraryHolywood Library
Days out in Newtownabbey — your questions
What are the best days out in Newtownabbey?
Belfast Zoo is a reliable choice for families, with animals to see whatever the season. For outdoor days, the Newtownabbey Greenway and Cave Hill Adventurous Playground are both free. Airtastic Entertainment Centre keeps energetic kids busy indoors, and V36 Valley Park is great for a relaxed afternoon out.
What free things are there to do in Newtownabbey?
There are plenty of no-cost options. V36 Valley Park, the Newtownabbey Greenway, and Jordanstown Loughshore Park Playground are all free. Cave Hill Adventurous Playground costs nothing either. Mossley Mill Museum is a free indoor visit, and Skate 100 @ V36 is ideal for kids who love to skate.
Where can you go on a rainy day near Newtownabbey?
Bel-Aire Bowl and Glengormley Sportsbowl are solid indoor choices for families. For younger kids, Funworks and Playzone at Valley Leisure Centre are great soft play options. Mossley Mill Museum is a calm, free indoor visit. If energy levels are high, Airtastic Entertainment Centre is a reliable way to burn them off.
What's good for young children near Newtownabbey?
Funworks and Playzone at Valley Leisure Centre are both dedicated soft play centres — ideal for younger children with energy to burn. Belfast Zoo is always a hit with little ones. Jordanstown Loughshore Park Playground is a lovely free outdoor option with plenty of space to run and play.
More about Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey was created in 1958 by joining together seven villages just north of Belfast, including Glengormley, Whiteabbey and Jordanstown, into one town along the shore of Belfast Lough. It is now the third-largest settlement in Northern Ireland.
Tucked between the city and Cavehill, it has easy access to the loughshore and is well served by rail, with several stations on the lines toward Larne and Derry.