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Dingles Fairground Museum

Dingles Fairground Museum

Dingles Fairground Museum
4.5
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre is the home of the National Fairground Collection. It is a facility unique in the UK, designed to capture the magic of a bygone age through exhibits, and stunning artwork displays. Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre is an indoor attraction that provides a unique opportunity to view and interact with our Fairground Heritage in a beautiful rural location. Come and enjoy All the Fun of the Vintage Fair - our historic rides, shows and stalls operate for your enjoyment, and at a small additional cost Vintage Penny Arcade, Gift Shop. Free Parking. Tickets via pre-booking only. See our website for further information and details of special events.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Tina W
    London, United Kingdom67 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun few hours turning back time
    Had a fantastic time at Dingles, saw all the old rides and even rode the carousel. The hall of mirrors and coconut shy were such fun. Felt like a child again, a real turn back of time. Staff were very friendly and helpful.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 October 2023
  • Sportymiss75
    Redruth, United Kingdom40 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant fun - we didn't stop smiling!
    Thank you for such a brilliant day!! We all spent the day laughing and smiling, having so much fun and feeling like kids again! The rides were great, the exhibits so interesting and every single staff member was so friendly and helpful. We cannot wait to return and do it all again!!!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 7 October 2023
  • Jayne D
    Exeter, United Kingdom11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great time, fun and interesting
    My grown up daughter and I had a really lovely time. The museum side is fascinating and the rides we went on the other side were a lot of fun. Staff were really friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend a visit whatever age you are!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 October 2023
  • Toby
    Paignton, United Kingdom39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun Few Hours
    A very nice surprise day out. Shout out to the young man who was very enthusiastic and honestly made the experience more fun with his call outs. The staff were very helpful when we lost our polaroid on the dodgems. Overall, it was a good date and I am glad we went.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 February 2024
  • Sarah C
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best Day Out Ever!!
    What an amazing time we all had....so many laughs!! The staff were amazing and so friendly. Big shout out to Tina who went above and beyond for my little boy - he didn't understand the concept of the 2p slots and was losing his money 🤣
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 2 April 2024
  • Michael M
    Chulmleigh, United Kingdom108 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit as soon as you can, you wont be disappointed
    This is a fabulous heritage Fairground Museum. It hosts an eclectic mix of vintage fair gound rides and attractions including some wonderful trailer homes of members of the Showman's' Guild. Artwork and amusing mirrors. Included among the exhibits is the amazing organ that features in the film Paddington 2. Tokens are available to purchase that allows use of some the vintage rides (some very fast), dodgems, carousels etc. There are adequate toilets and also a catering outlet. The whole site is undercover. However, due to circumstances beyond the owner's control, this beautiful attraction faces closure at the end of the season. Don't miss out on a great experience. Pay it a visit. Check opening hours as to avoid overcrowding there is a morning and afternoon session when the rides are available.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 April 2024
  • Elmdon
    34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun and games and nostalgia - a lovely place to see.
    Our trip to Dingles was such fun!! There is a unique mix of high quality historic exhibits, especially the showman’s caravans, and original memorabilia - wooden signposts and posters, followed by an opportunity to experience the old rides. Merry go round, ghost train, shooting gallery and dodgem cars and more, all indoors. All of the staff - which includes volunteers - were welcoming and knowledgeable and it was a delight to see a range of different ages all enjoying the experience. We went because we had seen the press reports that this is the last season here in the south west, and we so enjoyed our visit.thank you to everyone who is involved there.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 April 2024
  • Disappointed
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A wonderful place.
    We visited as a family to celebrate my birthday, ages from 6 to 63 years and had a fantastic time. The big rides were great fun, amazing paint jobs and brilliantly maintained. Sideshows were plenty and prizes all round. Lots of slot machines and a ghost train. Nice little cafe and splendid museum with wagons and the stories of the people who toured with their funfairs. But medals all round for the people who do the work, front and back of house. Good humoured, helpful and generous in spirit. Thank you all so much. This attraction will be lost to Devon later this year. Glad I got the t-shirt!
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 April 2024
  • annem2705
    52 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    FANTASTIC
    Thought we would go 1 last tinware before they closed. Haven't been for a couple of years. It didn't disappoint. Reliving our childhoods. Staff were lovely and friendly. Had a go on a few of the funfair rides. Great fun. Only disappointment was we were there just after doors opened and ordered 3 bacon rolls to be told only had enough bacon for 2 !!!! Shame they are closing. We live locally and will miss it.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 13 July 2024
  • Vincent R
    Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom33 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A step back in time
    This place is magical and absolutely charming. We left with sore faces from smiling so much. What fun! All under cover which was perfect for the rainy day. Sad to hear it is closing this year. Encourage you to get there whilst it’s still open. What a gem!
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles842 reviews
Excellent
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Very good
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Average
51
Poor
17
Terrible
22

0lucyg34
Wakefield, UK15 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Booked for 2pm session on 3rd of August, took 1hour & 20 mins to get into the place. We complained to the manger who simply didn't care, saying you can come again doesn't help when your 300miles from home and only have 1 day to visit and at a cost of £56 for less than 2 hours, (shut at 5pm) its a rip off, then ride tokens on top. Tokens were £1 each and some rides were 3 tokens!! They booked in far too many people, to the point people were tripping over each other. 3 members of staff running the rides and stalls resulting in long waits at each ride, at that they only have 5 decent rides. Greedy for your money but don't care about customers.
Get some staff, stop over charging, have a separate que for people who have a day ticket, should not have to wait inline with people who have a years ticket as the years ticket is the daily ticket you can swap for yearly if you live close.
Written 23 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Roger C
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Because it is a charity one hesitates to be too critical, however they are taking money to provide a service and should therefore meet at least the basic requirements. Having booked in advance for the afternoon session, from 2 to 5 pm, we spent an hour queuing in the car park just to gain entry. There was just one member of staff dealing with all the arrivals.
The fairground rides were excellent but, once again, as a result of the limited numbers of staff, only a small number were in operation at any given time and each ride required a lengthy and unacceptable wait.
The staff were all friendly and working as hard as possible but were unable to deal adequately with the demand. I would suggest that either they should recruit more staff or they should reduce the number of people admitted, so as to allow for freer access to the rides. In a 3 hour visit, we must have spent approaching 2 hours in one queue or another, which left a sour taste to what was, otherwise a delightful experience for my grandchildren.
Written 6 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cala P
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
Myself along with my 2 young sons, my friend and her young daughter came to visit Dingles during the half term. We were welcomed by 2 lovely female staff on reception and made our way through the museum and then onto the rides.
My son bought some cans floss at the carousel shack ( part of the cafe ) and the young lady there was so polite and cheerful, made my son happy.
The staff were all dressed up , bar some in red dingles and those dressed up were amazing and helpful.
But then we stumbled across a man who appeared to be the manager, bold head, glasses and with the most rude and argumentative persona!
My friends little girl was trying to say she wanted to go on the ride ( she has a speech impairment) so she was trying to ask him and he completely lost it with her, saying I can’t understand you etc to the point she burst into tears.
Luckily the children had gone on all they wanted , so we were heading up to the cafe for something to eat and done treats.
Well what can I say about the cafe and the staff..... blooming amazing!!! They were so busy , but that didn’t stop them being very helpful , polite and attentive to their customers.
We ordered tuna / cheese paninis which were amazing!!! And also a chocolate milkshake, all brought over by a bubbly cafe team member.
I’d visit Dingles again ONLY to use the CAFE! You girls saved the day xXx
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emma M
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
it was okay. I mean its ridiculous to pay to get in, the museum took 5 minutes, then after you've paid £16 an adult to get in, you then pay more to use the rides as 5 free tokens don't last long. you're genuinely better off paying travel fairground prices.

After you've spent all your tokens, you can then spend more money in the arcade.

or you can buy some food where the staff are complaining to other customers that their employees are only hiring volunteers that they don't help or deserve to be paid and that their boss is "cheap".

the right slap in the face is that after we'd spent in excess of £150 for a day out, the kids got a small tube of colouring pencils stuck in a 2p machine, the staff memebr proceeded to tell the kids that they didn't win if it didn't fall in the prize shoot but dumped out the pencils back into the machine and presented them with an empty cardboard pencil tube that I promptly handed back to the front desk staff.

oh and £1.50 per child for an Easter letter hunt to be presented with 1 sweet from a packet of sweets that cost £1... pretty ridiculous 😂

honestly madness 😂

we won't be returning.
Written 14 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Emma Thank you for leaving your review and we are very upset to hear that you did not have a great experience at Dingles. While we appreciate it is currently difficult for families to afford a day out, we do feel we offer good value for money. For taxpayers we also offer annual membership as part of our Gift Aid scheme, which provides unlimited free admission for a whole year. As a charity, we operate on a not-for-profit basis and all the money we make goes back into running the museum, conserving its artwork and looking after the rides, some of which are nearly 100 years old. We rely on this income and our fundraising efforts to remain open. We are very disappointed to learn about a member of staff complaining to other visitors and we have now addressed this. We have several volunteers new and long-serving, who enjoy their roles and willingly donate their time to help keep us running and our visitors entertained. Lastly, we take on board your comments regarding the arcade and children’s trail prizes and will consider these going forward.
Written 20 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Trevor V
Gloucester, UK22 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Visited this Museum 5 or 6 years ago and it was excellent with a good cafe and toilets, Great displays and reasonably priced. It had loads history in one of the buildings with loads of old stalls and small fairground equipment to see before moving onto the building where the rides were.

We were therefore really looking forward to taking our granddaughter back who enjoyed it so much previously.

On arrival we recognised nothing, the entrance and carpark had moved but looked good, all positive.

Having pre booked we entered and bought extra tokens for the rides. Still all good.

We then went looking for the cafe and the history/exhibition area. Nothing really to see just a few old rides being restored. Asking where the cafe now was we were told where the rides are. When we found it it was just a food caravan with a few picnic table and chairs selling the most basic of food. We purchased hotdogs which by any standard were poor.

On to the rides these were as expected but severely understaffed as you often had to wait for somebody to come from another ride or even ask if someone could run it. This applied generally to the horses, ghost train and stalls. At this point I must say all the staff were great but terribly overworked and stressed with some obvious training being carried out.

We noticed there was a large que to get in at 2 o'clock and by 3:30pm nearly everyone had left. In the end we left without using all our tokens.

Having looked forward to this visit we left disappointed feeling the museum side of this attraction had been severely diluted with the focus was now on money making from the ride sales etc.

If your just going for rides on 3 or 4 old fairground rides then its ok but expensive.

If your going for the Museum I wouldn't waste your money.

Also the toilets are now in a shed out the back and were not good. My Granddaughter refused to use them.

We won't be going back.
Written 12 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

markX3930PM
Hexham120 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Wow, wow, wow.
What a great day we had, really only went as forecast stated it would be wet and it was indoors. How wrong we were, it was great, we all enjoyed the day from us in 60’s to the grandkids at 5&3. Museum in first large shed was good and very interesting to all and Children loved finding the Paddington clues and letters.
Second shed was amazing as full of rides for all ages and two pence machines,dodgems,carousel ghost trading and waltzers,little rides for young ones to.
Prices were reasonable £16 each adult for 10-1pm this included 5 tokens, rides generally 2 or 3 tokens so good value.
Easy to get more tokens and change as they provide machines on walls.
A great three hours well spent by all , the kids and adults will love it.
Written 5 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cavegirl1980
Westhoughton, UK187 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
A great place to get out of the rain for a few hours. The Rocket Ride was a firm favourite and we loved the dodgems, too. The museum was really interesting - we loved the old wagons and imagining what life was like for fairground workers all those years ago.
We'd love to return if back in the area.
Food is usual fairground stuff - think chips and coke.
Price seems a little steep at first but you can make a good half day of it and get the gift aid option to return again for free. Works out not too bad.
Staff are lovely, too.
Written 5 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Flossy
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Family
I have visited Dingles a number of times with various family members and teenagers. All ages love it with something for everyone. There are rides of different speeds for thrill seekers and the more calm rides for a tamer time. The the arcade with old penny slots is great fun and also educational for children to see the old coins and toys. There is a cafe on site with great facilities and a large car park with plenty of space. I would recommend for a whole day activity and great if the glorious British weather decides to pour down as only a short walk between exhibition buildings. A great historical yet fun place to be for the whole family. 5 stars !!
Written 30 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amy W
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Absolutely amazing day out! The staff are so lovely and made our visit even better than we could have imagined! They’re friendly and make the rides even more fun with their hilarious jokes and charm. The rides were cheaper than your normal fairground and the rides as so much better made and beautiful to look at! 100% recommend, we will be back very soon!
Written 25 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

The Mills Twins
Wrexham, UK599 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Friends
We jumped in here on our way toward bath from Newquay. It's housed in a large barn down quite a windy country road. Upon entrance we were greeted right away and I must say all of the staff were super helpful. There is ample parking and once you are inside the warehouse is split into a museum side and a ride side which has a small arcade and 5-7 rides. The operators moved from ride to ride opening them up for us to take a go and waiting for people to get on before starting up. The ride are in great condition and it's definitely worth a visit for a hour or so. The moon rocket was closed unfortunately but they have us a complimentary ride on another ride to compensate which is a nice touch. Worth a god if you are passing by!
Written 28 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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DINGLES FAIRGROUND MUSEUM (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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