17 Fun Things to do in Nottingham for Adults

Nottingham is a great city for visitors and you'll find lots of fun things to do in Nottingham for adults during your stay.

Here are 17 of the best fun activities in Nottingham for grown-ups to enjoy: 

Castle Rock Brewery Tour

Castle Rock beers are a firm favourite in Nottingham Pubs, and now you can see how they're made, on a guided tour of Castle Rock Brewery.

One of Castle Rock's brewers will lead the tour and show you how the brewing process works, as well as telling you lots of interesting stories about the brewery and the beer.

At the end of your tour, you can visit the Visitors' Centre at the Castle Rock's Brewery Tap: "The Vat and Fiddle" where you can pour your own pint and sample the beers.

https://www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/brewery-tours/ 

National Ice Centre

Nottingham's National Ice Centre is the home of ice dance legends Torvill and Dean, so it would be rude to visit their hometown without having a go at ice skating yourself.

Most skating sessions are open to all age groups, so grown-ups won't have any problem getting onto the ice.  Skate hire is included in your session price.

If you're a local - there's a six week "learn to skate at lunch" programme of lessons which will get you confident on the ice.  There's also a three-day intensive course (1 hour per day).

For "après skate" the Sub Zero cafe offers a range of meals, snacks and drinks, ideal for hungry skaters in need of refreshment.

Ice skating is a brilliant activity for a group, and everyone has fun whether they're wobbly beginners or expert skaters.

https://www.national-ice-centre.com/

 

Nottingham Racecourse

With frequent meetings scheduled throughout the season, Nottingham Racecourse is a great place to enjoy the excitement and drama of horse racing.

Sherwoods Restaurant offers superb views across the course, along with the high standard of cuisine and service that you'd expect from a Jockey Club "Diamond Marque" restaurant.

Alternatively, there's Ann's Tea Room and several bars catering for those in need of refreshment. 

Entry tickets start from only £12 - great value for an afternoon's entertainment.  Or book a hospitality experience from £72 and enjoy your race day in style.

https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/nottingham/

 

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

Considered to be one of the best pubs in Nottingham city centre, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is an ancient hostelry built into the rocks beneath Nottingham Castle.

The drinking rooms at the back of the pub are actually caves carved from sandstone rock and date from around 1068 AD when the castle was built.

But it's not just atmosphere and history.  Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem offers a range of pub food, burgers, pies, Sunday roasts and bar snacks and, of course, a fine selection of beers to choose from.

https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pubs/nottinghamshire/ye-olde-trip-to-jerusalem/

 

Adrenalin Jungle

Thrill-seekers looking for outdoor adventures will want to visit Adrenalin Jungle - they have a wide range of exciting activities to try:

As it's located in Sherwood Forest, you could try your hand at archery like Robin Hood, or have a go at axe or knife throwing.

More modern pursuits are also on offer such as laser tag, blindfold driving, bubble football and even an assault course.

Some of the activities can be combined, so you don't have to choose just one.

https://adrenalinjungle.com/

 

Cave Escape Nottingham

The world's only escape rooms in a subterranean cave, Cave Escape rooms are packed with tricky puzzles and features designed to challenge the smartest teams.

"Carfax" sees you travel back to Victorian times and a scenario inspired by the gothic novel Dracula.

"Monuments" takes place in WWII - your mission is to recover the priceless artworks looted by the Nazis and hidden in a salt mine in Austria.  Inspired by a real historical mission.

https://www.caveescape.co.uk/

 

Skirmish Paintball Games

Based in the Sherwood Forest Activity Centre, with a game mode specifically designed for adults, Skirmish is a great place for a group of grown-ups to enjoy paintball.

Enjoy a half day's paintball including equipment hire and a minimum of 5 games, or a full day with a minimum of 10 games.

If you don't like getting hit with paintballs you can opt for low-impact paintball which takes the sting out of getting shot.

Skirmish has a range of arenas in their forest setting to suit all kinds of gameplay including Fort, Bridges, Mini Tanks, Trenches and more, so there's lots of variety on the day.

Hot and cold food and drink are available to keep you refreshed and ready for action.

https://www.skirmish-paintball.co.uk/

 

MeetSpaceVR Nottingham

If you prefer a virtual experience then MeetSpaceVR in central Nottingham has just what you're looking for.

MeetSpaceVR has loads of different experiences to choose from, including Zero Latency, VR Escape Rooms, VR Arcade, a Digital Play Wall and a VR Quest Arena.

Zero Latency offers untethered virtual reality with a team of up to 8 people competing or cooperating to survive.  Play games like Far Cry VR, Singularity and Undead Arena VR.

The venue has a fully licenced bar and a retro games area you can enjoy while waiting for your session to start.

https://meetspacevr.co.uk/book-nottingham/

 

Broadway Cinema

If you've had enough of staying in binge-watching box sets on Netflix, why not enjoy some real big-screen entertainment at Broadway Cinema in Nottingham?

Broadway Cinema is actually a charity whose mission is to develop filmmaking talent, inspire creativity and nurture a lifelong love of film, and it's recognised as a cultural leader for independent cinema in the Midlands.

They often show great films that you might not find at a big-name multiplex.

Refreshments, including lunch and dinner are available in the Café Bar or enjoy a drink in the Mezzanine Bar with its views over Broad Street.

Located at the heart of Nottingham's cultural quarter, Broadway Cinema is easy to reach by bus, tram, car or bike.

https://broadway.org.uk/

 

Lost City Adventure Golf

For a jungle explorer themed miniature golf experience, head over to Lost City Adventure Golf.

There are two courses to try:  Temple Trail and Sacred Skull, both with 18 challenging holes that will test your miniature golf skills to the limit.  Can you reach the end and win the Inca gold?

At the Tiki Bar, you can enjoy everything from freshly-made pizzas to exotic cocktails and a wide range of other drinks.

With a number of Play Eat and Drink bundle deals to choose from, Lost City Adventure Golf is a great place for entertainment and refreshments under one roof.

https://www.lostcityadventuregolf.com/nottingham/

 

The Glee Club Nottingham

A good comedy club always makes for a great night out - and where better than the home of stand-up comedy in Nottingham - The Glee Club?

The Glee Club has live comedy every Friday and Saturday for over 18s.  They also host burlesque and cabaret shows and music events, so there's something for all tastes.

If your show has allocated seating, you can order your selection of food and drinks online before you go, or on the night via the app or at the bar. 

https://www.glee.co.uk/nottingham/

 

Nottingham Contemporary

Described by The Guardian as "the most inspiring gallery in the UK", the mission of Nottingham Contemporary is to offer international art, for everyone, for free.

The award-winning gallery building is sunk into sandstone cliffs on the site of a Saxon fort.

As well as exhibitions you'll find workshops, talks, study sessions and other events at the gallery - check what's coming up, on the gallery website.

The "Blend at Contemporary" café on the bottom floor of the gallery offers a range of delicious food and drinks including tasty grilled cheese on sourdough sandwiches and excellent coffee.

https://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/

 

Nottingham Bowl

Check out the UK's largest 10 pin bowling venue with no less than 48 lanes across two floors, with great sound and light equipment too.

There's a live DJ and light show every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.  They also have a NAMCO arcade with loads of games.

Nottingham Bowl has two bars with a range of beers, wines, spirits and cocktails to choose from, and you can order a pizza, hot dog or fries to keep hunger at bay.

https://www.nottinghambowl.co.uk/

 

City of Caves

Visitors to Nottingham might not know that the city is built on the UK's largest network of caves:  There are more than 800 caves in the sandstone beneath the city's streets.

Exploring this subterranean world is an experience unlike any other and something that you'll never forget.

See the re-creation of a medieval tannery showing that people have worked in these spaces for hundreds of years. You'll also see the air raid shelter where local people went underground to find safety from bombing raids during the second world war.

If you'd like to visit the fascinating National Justice Museum as well, joint tickets are available.

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/cityofcaves

 

Savoy Cinema

Enjoy a wide range of the latest releases and cinema classics at the Savoy Cinema in Nottingham. 

The Savoy also offer Silver Screen screenings of some films on Thursday mornings, exclusively for the over 50s and these include a cup of tea or coffee.

They also show Event Cinema performances live from the National Theatre, Shakespeare plays from Stratford upon Avon or Ballet from Moscow.

https://savoyonline.co.uk/SavoyNottingham.dll/Home

 

Inflatology Nights at Planet Bounce

Every Sunday evening there's an adults-only session at Planet Bounce so you can unleash your inner child and enjoy the inflatables.

You can even get a free drink included!

With the Helter Skelter Rocket Slide, Climbing Wall and Obstacle Course to explore, you can't help but have loads of fun!

The refuel café lets you do just that, so you can get back to bouncing and defying gravity as quickly as possible.

https://planetbounceinflatablepark.com/

 

Wollaton Hall and Deer Park

If you like your fun with a little more peace and quiet, then you'd love a visit to beautiful Wollaton Hall and Deer Park.

Inside the hall, you can enjoy the natural history collections on display.  You can also book a Hidden History Tour that will take you behind the scenes to see some of the hidden rooms including the Tudor Kitchens and the Prospect Room.

During the summer months, there's a wonderful programme of open-air theatre performances in the grounds.

The deer park extends to some 500 acres, including the beautiful lake (ideal for bird watching), wetland and woodland areas - so there's plenty to explore and enjoy.

There are 90 red deer and 120 fallow deer at Wollaton, so you're sure to see them on your visit.

You can also enjoy the more manicured areas of the grounds including the formal gardens and Camellia House - the oldest cast-iron framed glasshouse in Europe.

https://wollatonhall.org.uk/

 

 

As you can see, it's not difficult to find fun things to do in Nottingham for adults, so whichever activities you choose, I hope you have a great time!