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THANET

Margate,Broadstairs and Ramsgate have some of the most beautiful and stunning coastlines in Kent. There are fantastic walks and bike rides along The Viking Coastal Trail.Enjoy the many special events put on throughout the year including The Margate Soul Festival weekend, Margate pride event, Broadstairs water Gala and the Ramsgate festival plus many other events.

Festivals & Shows

DreamlanD

Margate’s own theme park has had a difficult start to the 21st century, having closed completely in the early-2000s. But following a stuttering relaunch in 2015, tens of millions of pounds have been pumped into Dreamland to build an attraction Margate can be proud of. The first amusement rides arrived at this spot in the 1880s, and the Dreamland name was coined in 1920.

This coincided with the construction of the Scenic Railway, the oldest working rollercoaster in the UK and a Grade II-listed monument in its own right. This joined by a large and growing collection of fairground-style rides like dodgems, teacups, a ferris wheel and smaller amusements for the littlest family members. Dreamland’s Victorian Hall by the Sea is a venue for live music, and the park puts on outdoor music events in summer.

The Shell Grotto

As much a mystery now as when it was discovered in 1835, the Shell Grotto comprises a 30-metre subterranean tunnel, rotunda and rectangular “altar chamber”, hewn from a chalk hill and decorated with a mosaic made up of roughly 4.6 million shells.

Theories abound, but nobody is too sure when the Shell Grotto was created, or why. It may have been a folly, excavated in the 18th or 19th century by a wealthy local resident, or a lodge for the Knights Templar or Stonemasons, or even a chamber for pagan rituals up to 3,000 years ago. One of the many haunting things about the grotto’s magnificent mosaic is that while it has local mussel, cockle, whelk, limpet, oyster and scallop shells, the background is all flat winkle shells, which could only have come from beaches west of Southampton, more than 150 miles away.

The wonder works.

Newly refubished for 2023 and now known as the Wonder Works, If you are a life long fan of model railways, Airfix models, Corgi collectables and Scalextric. Then the Wonder Works by Hornby visitor centre is a must.

Learn about the history of the model trains from Frank Hornby and see the spectacular layouts in the museum. Follow the history of Airfix from its launch to the latest releases.
Take a test drive on a Scalextric track and compete against your friends and family.
Have some retail therapy in the shop , relax and enjoy a beverage and some food at the Just the ticket cafe.

The TURNER CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY

On the site of a boarding house in which J. M. W. Turner stayed is an art museum designed by David Chipperfield and opened in 2011. The Turner Contemporary had been a long time in the pipeline and the project was supported by Tracey Emin, who grew up in Margate.

The warehouse-like structure with its stark white walls is Kent’s largest visual arts venue. When you visit there will be four or five simultaneous exhibitions at the Turner Contemporary.