Sundown Adventureland rated as among top 10 best theme parks in UK
A children's Adventureland near Gainsborough has been named the UK’s sixth best theme park for 2026.
With May half-term now upon us, outdoor play specialists at outdoortoys took a close look at theme parks for families and analysed factors including entry fees, number of rides, average hotel prices, and TripAdvisor ratings, to reveal the best venues in the UK for kids this year.
Sundown Adventureland ranks sixth among the UK’s best theme parks to visit for 2026, with a score of 5.74. Featuring 29 rides and a 4.4 star rating on TripAdvisor, it is the perfect day out and caters well for children of all ages, including the very young.
Its imaginative setting includes distinctive themed areas, interactive play houses, very many different rides and experiences, a fairy tale castle and indoor play. A log ride with water squirting pirates ensures plenty of laughs along the way. There is also accommodation available.
Paultons Park takes the top spot as the UK’s best theme park for 2026, scoring 6.85 out of 10. The family favourite has a strong all-round offering, with 38 rides, 12 food outlets, and 71 per cent of TripAdvisor reviews rated as ‘excellent’.
Despite having the highest child admission price in the ranking at £46.75, the park generates more than 1.7 million Google searches annually.
In joint second place this year are Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Drayton Manor, both scoring 6.48 out of 10. Blackpool Pleasure Beach features 32 rides, 14 food outlets, and attracts over 2.1 million Google searches each year.
Meanwhile, Drayton Manor continues to perform strongly with one of the highest ride counts in the ranking, 47, alongside child admission at £29.50. The park still draws nearly 2 million annual Google searches.
Climbing into fourth place for 2026 is Alton Towers Resort, scoring 6.11 out of 10. Home to 40 rides and 12 food outlets, the Staffordshire resort with famous roller coasters remains the UK’s most-searched theme park, with more than 7 million annual Google searches.
Fifth is Woodlands Family Theme Park, and after Sundown Adventureland comes Thorpe Park, The Web Adventure Park, Camel Creek Family Adventure Park, and Fantasy Island.
Playland Fun Park in Worcestershire is the only park in the study that offers free entry for kids, while Woodlands Family Theme Park in Devon tops the list with the most rides, at 50, and Thorpe Park in Surrey has the most food options, with 19 outlets.
Sundown Adventureland is based off Treswell Road, Rampton, Nottinghamshire, DN22 0HX.