FAQs

About

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.

Can I visit if I use a wheelchair?

Definitely! Discover has lifts to all floors and wheelchair accessible toilets. Just ask our staff on the day if you need any additional assistance. Read more about Access here.

My kid has SEN or other additional needs – is Discover appropriate for them?

Absolutely! You can find out lots more about our offer for families with additional needs on our Access page here.

We welcome kids with SEN and other additional needs on any and every day but you can also choose from various Sensory Adapted and BSL events, and have a look at our Saturday Club Mighty Mega.

If you have any specific questions about your child’s specific needs, just email bookings@discover.org.uk where our team will be happy help.

Booking

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.

Do I have to buy tickets in advance or can I just turn up?

You can purchase tickets on the door as well, at our reception. Additional events like storytelling sessions and immersive exhibitions do tend to book up in advance though, so we recommend booking ahead online if you can to avoid disappointment.

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 on Sunday afternoons and on very hot and sunny days. Rainy days are always the most busy!

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 children of different ages to events – even if they’re not in the recommended age range?

Yes, everyone is welcome at all of our events – the recommended age guide is just to show who it is aimed at but older and younger children in your group are welcome to join if they want. We try to give as much information as possible on each website event page, so you can make your own judgements about suitability.

How do I book large groups?

Our website limits bookings to 10 tickets at a time. If you have a group of over 10 people attending you can either book in multiple transactions or email us at bookings@discover.org.uk and we can help book this.

If you’re thinking about a larger group for a birthday party, find out more about Discover Birthday Parties here.

Can I change or amend my booking?

We can amend or change a booking for you as long as you let us know before the day of your booked visit, just email us the details with your order number to bookings@discover.org.uk and our bookings team will help.

Your Visit

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.

My email says collect tickets at the box office, where is that?

This is our reception desk as you enter the building – entry will be quicker if you have your confirmation email handy, but if not you can just say your name and our team can find you booking for you. You do not need to collect tickets in advance of your visit.

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 baby changing facilities?

 Yes we do. We have toilets with baby changing facilities on all three of our main floors.

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, though food is not allowed in the Story Worlds or events – just ask a member of staff to point you to that day’s picnic spot.

Can we leave and come back during the day?

Yes, you can leave and return all day between 10am-5pm. Simply keep your wristband on if you plan on coming back in during the same day (do remember to give your wristband back before you finally leave though – our wristbands are eco-friendly and reusable.)

Upgrading day tickets to annual passes

If you loved your day and want to come back again soon, you might want to consider upgrading your ticket to an Annual Pass – we discount the amount you paid for Entry on that day when you purchase an Annual Pass. Just ask at the front desk at the end of your visit and our team will be able to help. Please note that this offer is only available on the day of your visit. Find out more about Annual Passes here

Other

Do you do gift vouchers?

Yes we do! You can purchase Gift Vouchers here or on the day of your visit – with options for different prices for one-off visits and gift memberships also available.

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.