Dear All, Heading back to Barnsley next week for a visit and thinking of taking my 5 and 2 year old to the Metrodome. I haven’t been for years and years. Is it worth the price and, if so, what is the best time of day to go? Any advice appreciated.
Kids will love it . There’s a designated under fives pool and the wave pool . Not sure of best times but look on website to see what’s open at certain times . It’s usually the Olympic swimming pool shut off for lessons etc. There’s also the bowling alley after/before your swim .
Not sure of best times to go but I’m sure it’s worth the price. I’ve not been myself in ages but I was shocked to find out that kids in my school at Bingley have birthday parties there and also lots of people I know in Leeds travel there many weekends with their kids too. I know I loved it as a kid but I had no idea it was well known outside Barnsley and that people travel there for the sole purpose of going. It made me feel really proud. Saying that, I am talking about teenagers not 2 and 5 yr olds but I know there are specific areas for the younger ones. I believe you can get a reasonably priced package that includes bowling too.
Take out a mortgage for a £24 family ticket (at peak time)? Don’t look at price of Wednesday tickets for a single adult will you?
It’s absolutely rammed at peak times if you want to go on slides by the time you get to the bottom it’s time to get out
I usually find about five thirty is ok when taking grandkids during school hols .Usually those that live further away and bus trips are usually heading off by that time
it's a brilliant venue. An excellent website will give you details opening times etc. On a wet day maybe an hours wait but I think you can pay extra to book in advance and go straight in. (once paid extra - booked in advance - got there - place deserted! it's pot luck.) Avoid matchdays - parking may be problematic at the Metrodome. No male/female designated changing cubicles - all communal. And if you want somewhere else to go Carlton 10 Pin Bowl Bowl is a fine venue - no extra charge to book in advance.
Olympic pool? Surely that’s at ponds forge? Metrodome was not built correctly and can’t be used for any race type event times to be used. They failed to take into account the width of tiles and adhesive, therefore it’s about 2-3 cm short. Originally we were promised a 50m Olympic pool, but the council decided on a 25m pool. That was then bodged.
Took my 2 girls this morning and they had a fantastic time. Really impressed with the Metrodome. It was busy but they got to go on everything they wanted and loved the wave pool. Thanks for all the advice - will definitely go again when we are up next.
24 pound for a family ticket sounds pretty reasonable to me - haven't been for a while but it is a great facility that attracts people from miles around
I used to work at the Metrodome back in the day when it first opened. I was there one summer as a student home from Uni. Back then they had those three "orb" things that folks would sit on near the beach end. As a lifeguard, you'd rotate around the stations. More often than not it was a boring job, but the highlight would be getting onto the "features". The controls for all the waves/ watercannons etc. As it happens a wave 4 followed by a wave 5 used to send a huge wave down the side of the pool. Oh the entertainment we used to have as the muscled up / make up clad bimbo show offs perched themselves on those orbs! #Wipeout!
I used to love sitting on those orbs during the waves back in the day who wears make up in a swimming pool though?