Chessington World of Adventures
Leatherhead Rd, Chessington
Telephone: 01372 727227
Theme park and fun fair with over 100 attractions and rides; also zoo and circus world; skyway monorail. Open: zoo all year daily; Theme park March to October only. Admission charge.

Commonwealth Experience
Kensington High St, W8
Telephone: 0171 371 3530
Features Heliride, a simulated helicopter ride over Malaysian rain forests and city rooftops.
Open: 10 am to 5pm daily. Admission charge.
Tube: High Street Kensington.

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House of Detention
Clerkenwell Close, EC1
Telephone: 0171 493 1089
Experience 300 years of crime and punishment in these underground's vaults, once part of London's busiest prison with as many as 70 000 detainees a year.
Open: 10 am to 5:15pm daily. Admission charge.

Kew Gardens
Richmond upon Thames, Kew Rd
Telephone: 0181 940 1171
Royal Botanic Gardens were founded in 1759 by Princess Augusta and are now an important identification and research institution; they contain over 25 000 different species of trees, shrubs and plants from all over the world. There are 300 acres of specimen gardens, parkland, lake, water gardens and hot-houses.
Open: daily. Admission charge.
Tube: Kew Gardens.

Legoland
Windsor Park, Windsor, Berkshire
Telephone: 0990 040404
Theme park for children, built from and around the lego building block theme; rides, set pieces and attractions in 150 acres of parkland. Admission charge. Open daily 10 am to 6pm April to Sep (to 8pm in Summer school holidays). Weekends in Oct. but daily in autumn half term.

Little Angel Marionette Theatre
14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street, N1
Telephone: 0171 226 1787

London Aquarium
County Hall, SE1
Telephone: 0171 967 8000
One of Europe's largest exhibits of fish and marine life from around the world features Atlantic and Pacific Ocean tanks, European and Exotic habitats, touch pools.
Open: daily. Admission charge.
Tube: Embankment/Waterloo

London Balloon
Spring Gardens, Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11
Telephone: 24-hr Info Line: 0345 023842
The world's largest helium balloon carries up to 30 passengers at a time to a height of 500 ft. The ride continues 15 min and costs £12 for adults and £7.50 for children
Tube: Vauxhall

London Butterfly House
Syon Park, London Rd, Brentford
Telephone: 0181 560 7272
Large undercover tropical garden set with pools and water cascades, filled with colourful flowers and hundreds of free flying butterflies, their caterpillars and pupae; also tropical birds, reptiles and fish. Additional displays of exotic insects, spiders and seasonal British butterfly house. Open: daily. Admission charge.

London Dungeon
28-34 Tooley St, SE1
Telephone: 0171 403 0606
An exhibition of gruesome and macabre events, not recommended for all children.
Open: 10 am to 5pm. Admission charge.

London Toy and Model Museum
23 Craven Hill, W2
Telephone: 0171 706 8000
Shows the history and development of commercially made toys and models, featuring period shop displays.
Admission charge. Open: 10 am to 5:30pm Mon. to Sat, Sunday 11 am to 5:30pm.
Tube: Lancaster Gate

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London Zoo
Regents Park, NW1
Telephone: 0171 722 3333
A day among the thousands of animals here is a day with a difference. Special attractions include the aquarium, the walk-through Snowdon Aviary, the Moonlight World where day and night are reserved, the Penguin Pool , the Elephant House; various rides and animal encounters and animal feeding takes place at certain times.
Admission charge. Open: March to Oct. 10 am to 5:30, Nov. to Feb. 10 am to 4pm.
Tube: Camden Town/Regents Park.

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Madam Tussaud's
Marylebone Rd, NW1
Telephone: 0171 935 6861
An old favourite for a family visit; the best known and most visited waxwork exhibition in the world.
Tube: Baker St

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Polka Children's Theatre
240 Broadway SW19
Telephone: 0181 543 4888

Polock's Toy Museum
1 Scala St, W1
Telephone: 0171 636 3452
Toy theatres, dolls, teddy bears, games, toys of all kinds. Theatre kits for sale.
Admission charge. Open: 10 am to 5pm Mon. to Sat.
Tube: Oxford Circus

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