The best UK family memberships

Fancy a good-value day out? With a family membership, you can save loads of money on days out at historical houses, glorious gardens, awesome art galleries, thrilling theme parks and lots more attractions. Here, we round up the best family membership plans, from English Heritage to Boundless…

1. Boundless

Best for all-round family days out

Annual family membership: Individual membership costs £40 – family members can then join you in taking advantage of the many available discounts

Cheap family days out are on the cards with a Boundless membership. If you work for, or are retired from, the public sector or civil service, you can unlock loads of great benefits, including unlimited entry to Kew Gardens and Wakehurst (for yourself and up to 5 children) and all 10 Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust sites (up to 6 children will be admitted free). You’ll also get free 12-month membership to Kids Pass, which will enable you to save up to 57% on family days out at theme parks, zoos and other major UK attractions; plus a free subscription to tastecard including Coffee Club, which will give you 2-for-1 deals at thousands of restaurants nationwide, as well as 50% off pizza delivery and 25% off barista-made drinks.

Also includes: A quarterly magazine, plus deals on holidays, car services, shopping, meals out, tickets and much more

2. National Trust

Best for cultural explorers

Annual family membership: £91.20 – 1 adult; £146.40 – 2 adults. Both packages include entry for children or grandchildren aged 17 or under

Culture-loving families should find membership of the National Trust a joy. You’ll get free entry to over 500 special National Trust places, where you’ll discover a host of fun-filled activities on estates and beaches, and in parks, gardens, forests and woodlands. Pay for a new family membership by annual Direct Debit online, and you’ll get a £15 National Trust gift card to spend in the Trust’s shops and cafés.

Also includes: A members’ handbook and three issues of the National Trust magazine

3. English Heritage

Best for history fanatics

Annual family membership: £69 – 1 adult and up to 6 children; £120 – 2 adults and up to 12 children 

This is another fantastic family membership scheme that offers amazing value for money. Join up and you’ll get unlimited access to over 400 historic places across England. Whitby Avenue and Dove Castle are among the treats in store, offering space to explore plus fascinating historical insights for kids and adults alike.

Also includes: A members’ handbook and a magazine

4. RSPB

Best for being at one with nature

Family membership: £6 per month or £72 per year – 1 or 2 adults and up to 5 children

Membership to the RSPB will bring you and your family a whole bundle of fun in the fresh air. You’ll get entry to more than 170 nature reserves, where you’ll enjoy a bird’s eye view of how the organisation is protecting wildlife and giving nature a home.

Also includes: Regular magazines for both adults and children

5. The Wildlife Trusts

Best for actively helping the environment

Family membership: Each Wildlife Trust will have a different fee, but most family memberships cost around £5 a month

If you want to take meaningful action to help the natural world thrive, membership of The Wildlife Trusts is perfect for you and your family. The organisation’s 47 sites across the UK cover woodlands, lakes, meadows, stretches of river, urban parks, hills, heathlands, marshes and coastal habitats, where you can be inspired to become involved in nature’s recovery. To help them engage with nature, kids will receive all kinds of goodies in a Wildlife Watch starter pack, including posters, stickers and a fun-packed activity handbook.

Also includes: Regular magazines and guides, seeds and activity packs

6. Cadw

Best for Welsh heritage

Annual family membership: £53.10 – 1 senior citizen and their grandchildren; £86.70 – 2 adults and their children aged 17 and under

Join Cadw to enjoy unlimited access to Wales’s rich and vibrant past, with more than 130 castles, forts, abbeys and burial chambers to explore. Cadw is the Welsh word for protect, and this organisation is proud to care for the country’s many stunning historic places – it’s not called the ‘Land of Castles’ for nothing…  

Also includes: A membership pack, including a car sticker and a full colour map

7. National Art Pass

Best for art lovers

Annual family membership: £75 – 1 adult; £84 – 2 adults at same address. Children can be added for £15 each 

Get ready to be dazzled at hundreds of galleries across the country – not to mention museums and historic houses. You’ll get 50% off major exhibitions, too. From Yoko Ono at the Tate Modern, to Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore in Wakefield, you’ll find something to tingle your art-loving taste buds.

Also includes: A guide to using the pass at over 850 UK sites, plus a quarterly magazine

8. RHS

Best for garden enthusiasts

Annual family membership: £53.25 – 1 member and family guest or 2 children; £78.75 – 2 members, a family guest and 4 children

Looking for an ongoing festival of floral delights? Membership of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) will grant you access to the glorious gardens at Wisley, Rosemoor, Hyde Hall, Harlow Carr and Bridgewater. You’ll also get free admission to over 200 partner gardens, along with reduced rates for tickets to RHS events, including the Chelsea Flower Show.

Also includes: A monthly magazine and advice from RHS experts on gardening dilemmas

9. Ironbridge

Best for lovers of invention and engineering

Annual family membership: £53 – 1 adult and up to 4 children; £86 – 2 adults and up to 4 children. Pass Plus† costs £58 for 1 adult and up to 4 children

This membership is only for Ironbridge, but there’s so much to do and see across 10 museums and attractions that visitors just keep on coming back. Ironbridge is located at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stretches along the River Severn for nearly three miles between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. This fascinating attraction offers unrivalled access to the “birth of the Industrial Revolution” through interactive experiences, extensive collections, museums and much more.

Also includes: †Pass Plus offers extra benefits and discounts for special events and in cafes and shops

10. Merlin

Best for those who love a choice of adventures

Membership deal: Family packages aren’t available, but individual passes, with varying degrees of access, include the Discovery Pass (£99), the Silver Pass (£129), the Gold Pass (£189) and the Platinum Pass (£239). Children over the age of 3 will need their own Merlin Pass or ticket

You’ll find a veritable banquet of entertainment at your disposal with a Merlin annual pass. With access to some of the UK’s biggest attractions – including Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers, SEA LIFE, LEGOLAND Windsor,  Madame Tussauds, The Blackpool Tower and Cadbury World, you’ll never be stuck for things to do.

Also includes: Discounts on food, short breaks, activities and much more.

Do more with Boundless

Boundless members enjoy year-round access to deals and discounts, with savings on everything from holidays to high-street shopping, motoring services to meals out. If you haven’t signed up yet, visit the Boundless membership page.