I have fond memories of visiting model villages with my parents when I was young. We always take the time to visit Miniland when we visit LEGOLAND Windsor. And the children enjoy the boat ride Le Pays des Contes de Fées at Disneyland Paris. A ride through a miniature storybook land. So the children have seen miniature buildings before but there is something different about a model village. I didn’t know that there is a model village in Great Yarmouth so I was excited to see us booked in for a visit during our holiday in Great Yarmouth. Visiting Merrivale Model Village was a great addition to our mini break.
*This post contains affiliate links. As a TradeDoubler Member, I earn from qualifying purchases.
We love sharing our days out on our blog. Make sure you visit our Days Out and Experiences post to read all about them.
Visiting Merrivale Model Village
You can find Merrivale Model Village on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Considering it has a busy beachfront location it is very tranquil inside the village. There is even a sensory garden if you want to stop for a bit and take in the scenery.
It’s All About The Details
As you make your way around the village there are buttons to press to animate different scenes. The children loved these as they would turn on different sounds or make things move. But you must also take the time to look at everything in each scene. There are some really funny moments documented. I loved the shotgun wedding and I had to explain to Little E why I found it so funny.
Make sure you look in all of the windows in the buildings to see what the villagers are up to. The attention to detail is amazing. I witnessed a dentist doing a tooth extraction that looked quite painful.
There Are Even Trains At Merrivale Model Village
The model village is set around a train track. You can see the trains going about their journeys. Ethan loved watching them make their way around the village. We even spotted some famous faces from the Thomas the tank engine series.
Make Time To Feed The Koi
Merrivale Model Village is also home to Koi. They are very active and you can buy food to feed them. The children thought they were very funny and loved watching them.
See A Banksy Artwork
I remember the news reporting that Bankey had visited Great Yarmouth and left some artwork behind. But I hadn’t paid attention to where this artwork was. I couldn’t believe it when we saw the Banksy at Merrivale Model Village. Having worked in London for many years I had never seen a real Banksy artwork. So it was very exciting to see a Banksy in the flesh.
You Can Play A Round Of Crazy Golf At Merrivale Model Village
The village is home to its very own crazy golf course. We didn’t play but it would be a great way to spend some more time in the relaxing atmosphere of the village.
Visit Williamson’s Old Penny Arcade
As you leave Merrivale Model Village you enter Williamson’s Old Penny Arcade. This place is amazing and reminded me of an old penny arcade my dad used to take me to in Covent Garden. We showed the children what some of the arcades could do. Of course, they aren’t as exciting as their iPads so I think it was us adults that got more excited by the machines in here.
We really enjoyed our time visiting Merrivale Model Village. We made the below video during our visit.
We love sharing our days out on our blog. Make sure you visit our Days Out and Experiences post to read all about them.
DISCLOSURE – We received tickets to Merrivale Model Village as a gift. This was for the purposes of this post and to create our YouTube video. We always share our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences.
