Days Out in Great Yarmouth // Merrivale Model Village and Penny Arcade

                                                              Part of a Paid Collaboration with Visit Great Yarmouth.  All opinions are my own

During our recent visit to Great Yarmouth, we spent a morning at the Merrivale Model Village.  Located right on the seafront, we could see a peek of what to expect over the fence, but once we were in, it was so much better.  This typical reflection of the British seaside in miniature was just over an acre in size and was buggy and wheelchair friendly. The price of entry includes being able to come back throughout the day too and the price of a family ticket (2 adults and 3 children) is £30.

The first thing you come across is a small mini golf course that we all had a go on. There was a jubilee exhibit under shelter and then we were outside walking around the beautiful model village. With everything from castles, camping grounds and high streets, we loved looking at the tiny world.  There were lots of buttons to press and the fairground was a big hit as there were different buttons to make each ride work. (Merrivale is only a couple of minutes walk from the pleasure beach so we were excited to visit a full size fair afterwards).

In the centre is a big pond and we had bought fish food at the entrance (card payments only at the entrance but there is a machine that accepts cash by the pond).  The children loved feeding the large, colourful fish who waited with their mouths open hoping to catch some pellets.  We also found a small sensory garden with a water feature and beautiful flowers.

We loved finding the buildings that resembled things we had seen around Great Yarmouth already, like the big wheel and the caravan park and the trains that run on a track around the village were fun to follow.  As you move towards the exit there is a more mythical small world with fairy houses and a dragon. 

As you exit Merrivale, you walk through an old fashioned penny arcade.  We visit our local arcades regularly but it was our first time visiting one like this.  You can change up £1 into 12 old fashioned pennies (you do need cash for this bit) and have a go on the traditional games.   We enjoyed racing our horses on the grand national game and asking questions on the machine that answered almost like a magic 8 ball. It sparked a conversation about the value of money too and how it has changed over time.

If penny arcades aren't your thing, there is a more modern arcade in the building too (again you need cash for this) and a cafe serving food and drinks.

It is well worth a visit on a trip to Great Yarmouth!