Margate seaside town, has a real retro feel – just like when you were kids. With its large beach and parking just above this makes an ideal place to visit on your holiday. An array of shops from fish and chips, Amusements Arcades to great gift shops. For the ultimate experience, you can cycle or hike on the Viking Coastal Trail, along a stunning shoreline and through tranquil lanes.
The Hornby Visitor Centre - Come and see the fascinating displays. From such unforgettable companies as Hornby, Scalextric, Airfix and Corgi. Started by Frank Hornby who was making Hornby’s iconic model trains from early home-made toys in sheet metal, through the development of Hornby ‘O’ gauge and Hornby-Dublo. Follow the history of Airfix from the introduction of the 1949 Ferguson TE20 tractor kit through to the brand’s latest release. Learn how Airfix models are made and see over 80 years of history, from the Mettoy tinplate toys of the 1930s to the high quality Corgi collectables of today.
Margate’s Central Beach - offers visitors an award-winning wide, sandy stretch backed by a traditional seaside resort. A boardwalk gives easy access to the beach and is the perfect spot to while away a sunny afternoon while young visitors enjoy splashing at the water’s edge and playing in the sand. Older children may enjoy a trip to Dreamland - Margate’s iconic theme-park.
The Old Kent Market – the Old Kent Market is on the site of the old Parade Cinema and has been lovingly restored to incorporate the building's history and heritage. The building houses a range of different stalls selling food and crafts - including vinyl, baked good, craft ales, cocktails and lots more.
The Shell Grotto - a series of underground rooms and passageways covered by 2000sqft of exquisite mosaic created with 4.6 million shells. Discovered in 1835, nobody knows who created it. This Grotto’s design only adds to the confusion, with humble cockles, whelks, mussels and oysters creating a swirling profusion of patterns and symbols. A storehouse for the imagination, there are any number of interpretations; trees of life, phalluses, gods, goddesses and something that looks very like an altar, to name but a few.
The Escapement - Margate Escape Rooms - a live action escape game which is complete with challenges, find secret passages, solve ciphers, riddles & puzzles in order to make your escape! 3 Rooms to choose from - Egyptian Exodus, Pirates of Polaris & The Pit! Whether you want to sail the seas on board the Polaris, excavate the lost tomb of our Egyptian Exodus or journey to the centre of the Earth in The Pit. Each experience has been beautifully crafted to create a movie set like environment with creative lighting and THX cinematic audio throughout, combined with industry leading game design and theatrics to make long lasting memories.