FAQs

What is Discover? 

We are a place where children and their families can enjoy playing, learning and making up stories together. 

Everyone who visits gets to play in our two floors of Story Worlds, and our Story Garden. These are magical spaces to help kids’ imaginations run wild. Our Story Builders pop up throughout the day to tell stories, sing songs and help little ones play, create and imagine. Your Entry ticket will give you access to these spaces. 

When you visit Discover, you can also add on additional events to your booking – these can include Storytelling Sessions for different ages, special events with authors and illustrators, and our spectacular, themed Immersive Exhibitions, where stories are brought even more amazingly to life – these change once each year. 

We also have a Bookshop and a Café. 

If you or your child like to see a new space before visiting it, take a look at our social stories videos.

When is the quietest time to come? 

We are quietest midweek during term time. You can play all day in our ground floor Story World and garden, although the second floor of our Story Worlds will sometimes be closed for an hour or so, for school visits. If you want a day without schools, Fridays are just for families. If you want extra-quiet days, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are best.  

If you can only come on a weekend or during the holidays, we are generally a bit less busy in the afternoon and on very hot and sunny days. And rainy days are always the most busy! 

Do I have to arrive at the start of my Entry ticket time (eg 10am)?

No – you can arrive at any time to play between 10am-5pm. Do make sure you arrive in good time for any additional events you have booked though, as these do not admit latecomers.

How do I decide when to come and what to book? 

There are two ways to plan your Discover visit, it depends whether you know what dates you might want to come on or if you want to browse all events: 

1. To start with dates: On the homepage, click the ‘Build your visit’ tab. On the calendar you can then choose different dates for an overview of events on that day, including whether they’re sold out. Once you’ve found the date you want, click the ‘start building my visit’ button at the bottom, and you can select your times, events and tickets. 
2. To browse all events: If you want to see an overview of events, visit the Things to See and Do page and scroll down to ‘Events and Exhibitions’. You can see everything we have coming up, and also filter events by things like age or school holiday period. When you click on an event, you’ll then have an option to see best availability and book tickets directly from the event page. 

How far in advance do you put tickets on sale? 

We will always have at least 6 weeks of tickets on sale, usually more. 

How can I be the first to find out when new events go on sale? 

You can sign up to our newsletter here and/ or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Can I bring a buggy?

We have lots of storage for buggies outside our Story Worlds – but many of our spaces cannot have buggies in, so if you have a pre-walker we recommend bringing a sling.  If you have a particular reason why you need a buggy with you – eg twin babies or a sleeping child – do speak to our front of house team who will be able to advise and accommodate your buggy where needed.

Do you have any Covid safety measures in place? 

What we’re doing  

• We continue to wipe down the high use areas at the end of each day and regularly wash the costumes from the play areas 
• We have increased ventilation in the centre – doors and windows are kept open wherever possible, and we have fresh air exchange systems in our basement exhibition space and second floor event and storytelling spaces. 
• Quick entry systems and additional buggy storage to avoid crowding at the entrance.  
• Hand wash and sanitiser stations are available to help everyone keep their hands extra clean.  
• We continue to offer credits and refunds in the event of closure or cancellation, so you can book in advance with confidence. 

What we’re asking our visitors to do  

• If you can, book tickets in advance so we can anticipate numbers for each day. Tickets can be bought online here or over the phone on 020 8536 5555. 

What about food and drink? 

You can find out more about our café here. 

You are also welcome to bring your own food – we always have spaces where you can eat, both inside and in the garden.

What should I do if I have a complaint?

In the first instance, you should email bookings@discover.org.uk who will be able to help or pass on your complaint to the relevant team. If you are unhappy with the way your complaint has been dealt with, you can ask for it to be escalated in line with our complaints policy.

Interested in our Story Quest Sleepover? Take a look at the Sleepover FAQs here.